Mark Captain

Photo hopefully this time

Round courgettes and chard love it. Just keep giving! Different courgettes or cucumbers and maybe pumpkin on way. We'll know once the fruits appear.  Seeds were very random!  Will take more care next season. Few carrots onion garlic slowly growing. Other stuff the rabbits have had. Maybe a nice stew come winter!

And some straw,,........😀

Hi all. Update and question please.  Was neglected last year and overgrown. Covered in old tarps etc over winter and only just had time to uncover and clear last of weeds etc. Random scattering of different veg seed raked and watered in. and some potatoes. Now fingers crossed.  The manure and hay is looking very much like good soil now so hopefully be good for growing.  All fingers crossed.  The (possibly daft) question is please do I need to keep seeds watered until they start growing, or will the water from below provide sufficient humidity as it will once growing?  It's very wet down there! And if I need to water at what stage of growth do I stop?  

thanks Ben, much appreciated, a second opinion always good..........

Thoughts please on grey water in hugelkultur?  I have a long hugel on a slope (end to end) - bottom logs in a spade depth trench (in clay) with partially dammed sections to slow water. Excess drains out at bottom end.  I drain rainwater tanks into the hugel to keep things wet. It's about 3 years old now (I think) and rather neglected / overgrown with grass/weeds due to other priorities  - but should by now by nicely 'mature and alive' for when I get round to clearing it and planting veg again.  I'm building a temporary shower, sink, washing machine area ready for when we move onto the land and live in caravan whilst we build small passivhaus home.  So my question to myself is whether it's sensible to drain the grey water to the hugel? (ignoring any regs!).  I'm figuring yes as will be 'below growing medium' and the rotting wood bacteria etc will probably filter & treat water too before any excess comes out the other end(?). I also have a raised bed partial hugel which is my other option - on gentle slope. (wood was at ground level then a mix of old hay / horse manure / clay spoil).    I'm aware there are lots of opinions on using grey water generally, but would appreciate any thoughts please for this specific scenario.
many thanks

Chucked seeds in spring not expecting much until we get some top soil on and pack down the loose/holes that have appeared. But clearly alive and maturing! Swiss chard and a courgette. The ‘haygel’ has produced a drop of potatoes already. Second lot now in. And a squash growing. Hopefully have some soil on it next year.

Photos....

thanks Mike, seems Aminopyralid is unlikely - we don't use neither does our our current hay supplier, albeit before that we don't know?  Anyway, sod all grew as half anticipated - the few shoots that appeared disappeared, probably eaten.  However, as the year progressed grass and broad leafed weeds started to appear. We've also given the adjacent oak a massive haircut (for various reasons) and now have good sunlight from mid-late morning.  Have been adding 'clay topsoil' -  albeit nowhere near enough but as things have settled, and clearly rotting have given it another go. Mix of different seeds including swiss chard, courgettes, radish, peppers, carrot, leek, lettuce and some very well rotted manure over + straw and a good soaking.  nothing scientific or neat and tidy as time very limited.  Its still wet inside despite little rain in last month or so.  see what happens next..........  The 'haygel' has shrunk and was also covered in wood chippings - a few potatoes planted a year ago are growing  so have added more.

be back with an update......... hopefully a good one........?

Hi all,

As half expected anyway (despite my optimism!) very little has grown in the manure - it was always a gamble.  Few shoots here and there from the mixture of seeds but these have been eaten and/or stopped growing!  Oh, and some small clumps of grass / few minor weeds which will pull out easily.  Clearly the manure too strong and not suitable as a growing medium to get things started and need to add the topsoil as it's meant to be - but didn't have any, or the time!  To buy and get it delivered isn't cheap - but may have to?  In the meantime things will I am sure be slowly rotting down and maturing ready for next season.....certainly must be nice and wet inside as have continued emptying rainwater direct into hugel.

Question please:  If I dig out 'topsoil' from elsewhere how do I get rid if grass/nettles/thistles etc?  Will it kill it off by cutting sods and simply laying on hugel upsidedown?  Aiming to do this from an old ditch that needs clearing anyway.......probably over 30 years since last cleared when the land was hop gardens way before we bought the land for horses (been here 2 1/2 years now).  Hopefully will be a decent layer before hitting the clay.