Judy Flader

So this will probably be my last post in this thread.  I have two Hugelkulturs in my backyard now, the first one which is getting nicely covered with the winter rye cover crop, and the second one that I put together last weekend.  It hasn't sprouted yet, and still needs the brick surround, but that will be done in a day or so.  

I am really looking forward to planting in these garden beds in the spring.  Hopefully I won't plant anything as attractive to the neighborhood squirrels - and my dogs! - as the rye, but if so, then I'll deal with it.  

Thanks to all who advised, posted comments, and just generally provided a lot of support, all much appreciated!

And pretty much done for now, just need to sow a winter kill cover crop...

Got a good start today...the logs went down, added fillers of last year's munched leaves and dirt (a mixture of potting and top soil), watered it, then a thin layer of smallish branches, more dirt and watered it again. I have a layer of leafy Arborvitae branches on it just for overnight (to keep the dogs off) and will keep adding layers this week as I can, watering as I need to but we are looking at a rainy week coming up, so getting water into it shouldn't be a problem.

Thank you Nicole and Stephen, for all the tips, advice and support.  Today I start building, keeping in mind the keyword for successful dressing in the winter in Minnesota - layer, layer, layer!

There are only two things I am sure of - I'm gonna get really dirty, and me and the pups will sleep very well tonight.

Progress pictures to come...

Speaking once again on manure - I don't really have access to any, but even without manure, the question came up today from my landlord about whether Hugels smell.  It's a valid question when one lives in town with contiguous back yards and not on a multi-acre homestead, about whether the neighbors might complain.  I'm thinking in terms of no smell, that the dirt layer would contain it, but if anyone actually knows, please share.

Thanks.

Thank you, Stephen, much appreciated. I do plan to keep any dog poop out of the mound.  I don't know much about manure, but I do know dog droppings aren't the right kind.   I am hoping once the Kugel is built they will stay off it, but if not then it's just a training issue.

Got the base logs picked up from a friend's place south of town ("town" is Rochester MN). He lost 16 mature trees to a storm last summer, so I am welcome to all the wood I want, although I am limited in size to what I can manage by myself once I get them home, where they have to be schlepped up a hill to get them into the back yard.  That part is done for the logs, the dirt is next.

Starting to think I may be insane, but once I get past the dirt acquisition part, the real fun will begin...

Nicole, thank you very much!  All very good tips and info to have.  I never thought of sheets, great idea, I have a lot of extra sheets that are used to cover furniture in the house - yes, the dogs do rule.

I am picking up biggish logs today, for the base. Have smaller stuff and leaves from last year, will need to get dirt, but I can do that this weekend as well. Good to know about the layering, and filling in the holes.

Lots of work ahead, and just me for it, but that's o.k.  I will post pictures of the project once it gets building, hopefully by the end of the weekend!

Thank you, Daron, much appreciated, and I will follow your advice, that will get me started this year after all.  And I always have a LOT of leaves in autumn.

What would you recommend for a "nitrogen fixer?"  That is a new term for me and I will look it up, but suggestions are always helpful.

Thanks ägain,
Judy

Hello!  I am brand new to all of this, so spoilers alert, there will be stupidity.

I saw a post on FB about Hugelkulturs about a week ago, and it seemed like a better use for all the tree limbs and branches, and all the rest of the yard waste I have been keeping for three years until I had enough to make it cost-effective to have it all hauled away.  So I dragged it all from the driveway back into the back yard and am obtaining some tree-trunk sized logs this weekend, with the idea that I can build it now and put a tarp over it until spring planting time, this being Minnesota.  I was going to start construction this weekend, but have a few of questions that might be relevant first.

1.  Is this an overall feasible strategy, to build and then wait six months or so to plant?

2.  If this is a workable approach, do I put the dirt on now, or can that step wait until spring?

3.  Tarp or no tarp?  (the tarp is mostly to keep my dogs out of it over the winter, since technically speaking the backyard belongs to them, they just let me use it)

Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions,
Judy Flader