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hugelkultur

Cubic rot from buried logs -- good to include in a hugelkultur?

Posts: 21

Location: Washington, zone 8B, gravelly sandy loam, PH 4.8, 40 in/yr, warm dry summer - wet cool winter

posted 8 years ago

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While clearing and grading part of our lot we found several large old buried logs that are dark brown and crumble into tiny cubes. Would these make good material to include in a hugelkultur? We also have an endless supply of small red alder trees.

Miles Flansburg

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posted 8 years ago

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Howdy Sherwood, welcome to permies!

Was there anything growing above the logs when you found them ?

I would think that it would be great stuff to use in Hugels.

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Sherwood Stolt

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Location: Washington, zone 8B, gravelly sandy loam, PH 4.8, 40 in/yr, warm dry summer - wet cool winter

posted 8 years ago

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They tend to be in clearer spots. Mainly there are Oregon grape and trailing blackberries nearby. I'll pay more attention to that next time I'm there.

Bryant RedHawk

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Location: Arkansas - Zone 7B/8A stoney, sandy loam soil pH 6.5

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posted 8 years ago

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hau Sherwood, That material (cubes of rotted wood) will be great in a hugel.
That's the result of mycelium having done their work of breaking down the cellulose so what you have are nice little bundles of humus that will readily soak up water.
What is left is full of bacterium that will eat the minerals and thus make them available for your plant roots to suck up, absolutely wonderful stuff for any garden bed.
It works a lot like bio-char once down in the soil.

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Dan Boone

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posted 8 years ago

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I find those little cubes (around here they are usually found where large oaks and other hardwoods have fallen onto high spots of relatively well-drained ground) to make a really good soil amendment or component in homemade potting soil mixes. I wouldn't put them in a hugel just because I am too many better things to do with 'em.

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Marco Banks

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posted 8 years ago

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Beautiful stuff! Use it and be thrilled that you found it.

It's the fungi that you want to see develop in your hugel, and the rotted wood you've found will introduce it to the rest of the wood in the hugel.

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Dave Dahlsrud

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posted 8 years ago

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The cubicle rotted wood is great to put in the hugels, it will actually maintain for quite a while in the mound retarding the eventual total breakdown of the wood in your hugelkultur. The red alder is good stuff to put in the mound as well, but it will break down pretty quickly.

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