Roman Milford

My hugelkultur / raised bed / sheet mulched / trellised gardens nearing completion:

Whew! Just finished laying out the blocks for my hugelkultur raised beds. They're about 5 ft wide, and 40 ft long. I used solid 8inch concrete blocks, dry stacked 2 high giving me a 16" wall. Not planning on digging out the sod as it was at one time backfilled so it's very gravelly, impossible to dig. Instead I'm laying down newspaper, then cardboard, followed by a layer of leaf mold. Now I just have to find the logs, I'll need alot!

I'm in southern Ontario, zone 6b, and this week I started my seeds in the greenhouse. Outside you'd be ok, if you can at least cover your seedlings, or have the ability to bring the potted ones into a garage or shed if there's frost in the forecast.

Devon Olsen wrote:i think the answer to this was to be found in a recent podcast as well as the posts that were posted here, simply have multiple plots and only harvest from one plot a year, rotating so that each plot can recover and fertilize itself before you come back to it years later...

So would the fields that aren't harvested that season still be cut, or just left to go to seed and die back?

a good resource:
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/index.html

If the blade is in good condition, i.e. can be sharpened, then it would be a good deal for $100, an even better deal for $75.

Would it be worthwhile setting up hugelkultur beds in clearings within a woodlot?
All the ingredients are certainly there.
My one concern is that they'd act as habitats for rodents.

ontario McCoy wrote:R,
I''m in whitby. Where did you source your trees?

A nursery in Niagara-on-the-lake: http://www.grimonut.com/

Greetings to my fellow Ontarian permies.
We're recently transplanted from Toronto, now in the Niagara region. But our land is up in Prince Edward county, taking baby steps to setup a homestead there. Planted over 100 various nut trees last spring. Plans for this year include towing in a travel trailer for temporary accomodation while I build a 1812-style cabin. Also hoping to start some hugelkulter beds - no shortage of logs and mulch, but without a tractor it'll be slow hard work. The goal is to eventually be as off-the-grid and self-sufficient as possible, but trying to be realistic about that. Just a couple of years ago we were club kids in the richmond st. entertainment district!

Cj Verde wrote:

Tim Southwell wrote:dead / decaying evergreens as a main wood source for HK beds? I have acres of dead pines (Lodge Pole and Ponderosa) due to the Mountain Pine Bark Beetle. They have either fallen already or are standing dead.

It's fine. Newly felled would be problematic.

Is diseased wood an issue? Woundn't one be introducing whatever pest or virus into their future garden plot?