Cee Moody

I thought I'd leave this interesting article I found on mesquite for anybody else considering using it. TexasAlmanac:Mesquite Under the uses they mention that settlers used mesquite as fence posts because it's resistant to rotting. I guess that cancels mesquite out as a good hugulkultur wood. I have identified another shrub on my property called Condalia Viridis, commonly known as green snakewood part of the buckthorn family. So far in my research I haven't found anything negative about it. It might be a contender.

Thank you for the helpful advice. I have to think about what I can throw into my beds to create void spaces. I'm going to have to bring in compost to mix that into my soil. Right now the soil in my garden area is almost a fine sand it's that dead. It's also compacted from heavy equipment brought into build our house. I've had tons of success growing veggies above ground but since moving here to Texas 4 months ago I need to relearn how to garden with a lot of heat and little water. As for pioneer plants, I'll look into that but so far the only thing I can see under the dense Mesquite is cactus, some grass and a couple of hollies.

Allelopathy is my main concern. I have read everything from it's just the leaves you need to worry about the wood is fine, to don't use the wood nothing will grow in it. I guess my only option is to do a small test area before I go to the trouble of digging through my clay soil to bury some wood in my main garden. That will set my garden project behind though. Piling it in a traditional fashion won't work here because of the heat and drying winds. Maybe I should just skip the hugelbeds in my main garden area and stick with deep mulching.

Dale Hodgins wrote:

Cee Moody wrote:Hi everybody. What is general consensus on using Mesquite in Hugulkultur? I have a lot of scrap Mesquite lying around that I would like to try and bury in my veggie garden. My soil is mostly clay, caliche and rock so I would like to know if the Mesquite will work before I try and tackle that mess. ty.

I've heard of it being used but I wonder if you have any less valuable wood available to you. Mesquite is an excellent fuel wood, so that may prove to be it's highest and best use. If you are able to find some cottonwood or other less desireable wood, that would seem a logical choice. We have no mesquite in my area but it is so prized for barbeque fuel that I would sell it if I did have an abundance.

No other wood around these parts except for Mesquite unfortunately. It's a weed around here. I have small mesquite bushes popping up in areas where they were bulldozed to make room for our house. I'll take some pictures this weekend of unplanned hugelbeds that formed out of piles of brush and trees that were left after clearing around my neighborhood. Cactus grows in them but then again cactus, our other weed, will grow in anything.

Hi everybody. What is general consensus on using Mesquite in Hugulkultur? I have a lot of scrap Mesquite lying around that I would like to try and bury in my veggie garden. My soil is mostly clay, caliche and rock so I would like to know if the Mesquite will work before I try and tackle that mess. ty.