Jazzy Paulson

Margie, I think you are so correct! I was using straw as mulch and I had a lot of problems germinating seeds.  I was also using straw and hay in sheet mulching.  Then I read this: http://tendingmygarden.com/garden-mulch-straw-does-it-have-to-be-organic-to-be-safe/

Get this, I called the feed store where I bought the straw and hay, and they said it may have pesticides in it.  They said the hay is eaten by animals and no one has ever complained.  Then I called another local feed store, and they said, yep, the straw probably does have pesticides.

I'm going to rip it all out.

I was able to do one buried wood bed and it was very successful.  I planted one yellow tomato in it that got to be about 6 feet tall.  I only watered it 3-4 times the whole summer, and we had a string of very hot weeks this year.  I can't wait to do another bed!  It was a lot of digging, so I just made the bed flat.  I would like to do a sunken hugelkultur bed now that there are some rains, I could get the wood soaked.  There may be some worm activity there but I think the soil is generally very hard clay.  I hate to interrupt what the worms are doing.

I've been reading about permaculture and trying out some of the ideas in my own garden. My husband and I completed an introductory course in permaculture. We are tired of this rat race life in So Cal. Plus we are living in a small area that has drought problems and relies on a local source of water. I would like to go to a place where there is water. We have the idea to sell our home in So Cal and move to a place where the homes are cheaper and we can have a few acres to grow food and just live a simple life with nature. When I read about the different areas though in Northern CA and Oregon, I see high crime rates and poor communities. I lived in an area with gangs previously, and I never want to live in a place where I feel unsafe, just not worth it. I visited Oregon last year, and it seems like the most beautiful place on earth. But, then I read about the crime problems and that the sheriff might not come to help you. Where are some good places to live? And how do we go about trying to find a place? Just a few acres and to be part of a like minded community of people. How do I find my Eden? I know it is out there.

I think I posted this in the wrong forum, though.

Thank you for all the feedback! I just went to the nearest feedstore and purchased straw for $10 a bale, and $12 for the hay bale. What is the best way to find straw that doesn't have seeds in it?

Tyler, Do you mean burying everything so that the garden bed is flat with the surrounding dirt?

Will hugelkultur beds work in warm climates? I live in So Cal. Would it be better to dig about 1 foot down to start? But, then I would be disturbing the soil where there is already nice worms. I was thinking of only making them about 3 ft tall instead of 5-6 feet tall because I am afraid they would dry out. Taller would be better for me though, because I have back problems. I do have greywater from my laundry machine to make the wood moist to start. What if the wood was from a recently chopped down tree instead of rotten wood? I wanted to do a hugelkultur bed because we have water restrictions and I thought it would need less irrigation.

I followed Toby Hemenway's instructions in his book Gaia's Garden for sheet mulching. I live in a drought area with about 11 inches of rain per year and I wanted to create beds that needed less water, I didn't have enough wood for a hugelkultur bed. I used the same materials as Tody describes but instead of the 8-12 inches of hay, I used straw, and only about 2-3 inches and on the top I also used straw. I used straw instead of hay because I thought straw was dead and it wouldn't germinate seeds. It's been about a week and a half and now straw is growing in between my plants.

On another bed, I followed his instructions exactly and used 8 inches of hay in the middle layer and then straw on top. I hope this one turns out better. But, I'm afraid the straw or hay is going to germinate too!

On closer inspection of the straw, I found seeds in there. My little plants are very happy, but now what do I do with all the grass growing in between? I was thinking of putting cardboard on top and cutting holes for the plants and then putting wood mulch. (because now I am scared of straw/hay)

Where did I go wrong?

http://tobyhemenway.com/resources/how-to-the-ultimate-bomb-proof-sheet-mulch/