Hugelkultur with Mesquite and Hot and Dry

I am just finishing my first hugelkultur and am anticipating making more.

I am in dry, hot west Texas. I have heard a lot of “that won’t work in our climate.” So I’d love to hear from those who are doing it in a similar area.

1. Does anyone have experience with very large mesquite (with super-hard heartwood)? How long does it take to break down? I’ve been told that people have seen mesquite buried for years, decades and it never breaks down.
2. We’re looking at creating a hugelkultur in an area that’s barren dirt and sand. Very dry, nothing grows there, can hardly even get mesquite or cactus to grow there. If we dig down (with a machine), fill it with mesquite, and then pour the super pour soil over top, how quickly do you think it will take before the soil is improved?

I would use almost any other wood for hugelkultur before mesquite. It does indeed break down very slowly plus it is allelopathic. Which means it inhibits the growth of other plants. Use the mesquite for smoking a brisket & other BBQ!!!

Thanks Mike! That's about all we have around here! We have an overflowing abundance of mesquites. And very little else. Oak and cedar. I hear cedar's not good. Oak we're not cutting down.

Yes, cedar is best avoided too. Maybe collect fallen oak branches after big storms???

Hi Becky, since it looks like you've already done some mesquite hugel, I'll be curious to hear the results.

My experience in hot and dry is that wood laid on the surface is more effective for soil rehabilitation. The biology will consume it as appropriate and integrate the resulting nutrient into the soil below. Meanwhile humus slowly builds where the woods touches the ground.

Ever notice how well the weeds grow around a fallen log? A whole garden can be designed this way: cut the wood into short, semi-straight lengths. Lay then in rows with narrow spaces left in between for planting. This is world's best mulch and will last quite awhile.

It is not about how long it takes for the wood to break down, it is about how much water will the wood hold.

How much rainfall do you get a year?

Can you water the hugelkultur bed?

As Mike has suggested the wood is allelopathic so maybe use the bed to experiment with flowers rather than food.