[Nobbie]

The bottom of my allotment is poorly drained clay that is infested with horsetail. I’ve tried soft fruit and black currants have done well, but gooseberries have died. You get down to sticky clay about 8-10” down, so I’ve started to build a Hugelkultur bed.

I’ve done out the topsoil and filled the base with fallen branches from nearby woods. This is followed by shrubby prunings from some garden work I do and then topped off with stuff that would normally go in the compost. It’s a good time of year for this as plenty of green stuff to tidy up.

Not decided what to plant in them yet, may see what it looks like come spring as it could take a while to get going. What have other’s experiences been like?

Here’s progress so far

[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning Nobbie,
I had to search to see what a hugly bugly bed was,  it's a bit complicated innit?  Please keep us informed how you get on.  What's to stop the soil washing away down the sides?

Cheers,  Tony.

[jambop]

I suppose it is a horses for courses thing ... but this is not for me. People say that raised beds are an ugly way to garden but this takes the biscuit     Having said that I have see examples of Hugelkultur beds that were more like very deep sided raised beds... strangely that would work for me although more costly.

[hasbeans]

I have a 'deep sided raised bed'  hugelkultur created to hide some soil from terracing my steep garden.  I had a number of well rotted logs in the garden and a fair amount of half rotted sticks and stalks from my poorly managed compost heap.  It all got thrown in last autumn and I used it for kitchen waste over winter, covering with top soil as went so as not to appall the wife and neighbours.  No complaints with its output this year, no worse or better than any other bed and it got no fertilisers as I assumed it had enough.  Peas grew well enough in there and some black spanish radish the size of tennis balls and a fierce burn.  Shallots over winter so see how it goes.

You might get an issue with the logs stealing nitrogen for a few years if they aren't well rotten, most the ones I used had been wasp fodder for years and almost rotted through in places.  Probably not the best place for straight carrots and parsnips either.

[Nobbie]

Good morning Nobbie,
I had to search to see what a hugly bugly bed was,  it's a bit complicated innit?  Please keep us informed how you get on.  What's to stop the soil washing away down the sides?

Cheers,  Tony.

I don’t know to be honest. That’s why I’ll assess in the spring to see what shape they’re in. So far it has been a cost free exercise, but if I have to get a few bits of wood to support the sides That won’t break the bank.

The branches I used were mostly fairly light and rotten as they had fallen from the trees rather than been cut off, so I’m hoping they won’t rob too much nitrogen and the green stuff on top should provide some. I might try adding grass clippings in with the wood on the second one.

I doo love an experiment

[jambop]

I doo love an experiment

Yes why not Nobbie you have nothing to lose and it may be a great success! I hope it works out well.
 I have just completely changed my culture method to raised beds and I have to say so far I am impressed. Very few weeds and what have come through have been easy to fish out. Just about to start the autumn planting of brassicas and covering the empty beds with manure.

[PhilConnors]

every day's a learning day! Never heard of this before but imagine it can make harvesting certain crops a lot easier and gives you more surface area to play with. Will be fascinated to hear about the progress.

[Nobbie]

every day's a learning day! Never heard of this before but imagine it can make harvesting certain crops a lot easier and gives you more surface area to play with. Will be fascinated to hear about the progress.

Yes, the harvesting thing may prove useful. Both beds are now finished, for the second one I used some old wood from my wood pile that has rotted to the stage it’s about the consistency of balsa wood and then added lots of mowing from the rough areas around the allotments for extra nitrogen. I am currently digging out a big compost/leaf mould pile, so may add some of that to the top for the worms to get stuck into.

I’m currently thinking of moving a couple of gooseberries that have not done much in this area and then inter plant with squash and courgettes next year which can scramble around the mounds. They seem to like light open soil.

It will be interesting to see how the Horsetail reacts to being disturbed. Found it had started invading my plot at another site yesterday and spent half an hour tracing some very thick roots with very little top growth. Still plenty more work there

[Nobbie]

A bit more progress on the beds. Used some old skirting board to hold some soil in place at the top until roots can stabilise it. I’ve moved some gooseberries to the ends of each bed which should make picking easier.

I’ve been without raspberries since I removed a bed which seemed to be slowly dying. Suspect it got too waterlogged in winter for them. As there should be no problem with drainage on top of the bed I have planted 10 Joan J autumn fruiting raspberries after adding some leafmould to the top. I’ve found autumn ones tend to bend over and hide their fruit a bit, so raising them off the ground should help picking. There were a few little  white shoots on the canes, so at least I know they are alive

Might well replant the blueberries that are currently sitting in temporary pots on top of the second one once it’s a bit less like water world up there.