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| In my vegetable garden this year I noticed one squash plant was doing much better than all the rest.
So I dug it up to find out why. Saw some interesting and unexpected results about how roots grow, it is going to effect how I plant in future beds. There's a short youtube video about it, link below. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Vegetable root excavation
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Interesting video, EM. I think soil type is the controlling factor for a low-input method such as what you are doing. If I understand correctly you are burying different sized pieces of wood in the ground and planting there, without any fertilizer or even compost, is that right? The heavy clay soil with its high CEC and capacity to hold water is the key factor here. Just burying wood in a light soil would not have such a good effect because a very light soil won't hold water long enough for the wood to get saturated and stimulate a lot of rot and mycelium. I think you are quite right about the bark zone being where the benefit occurs, the bark of some wood species is great stuff for gardening, notably pine and oak IME. Of course cedar and cypress are to be avoided. |
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- Posted by mustard_seeds 4 -Onalaska Wisconsi (My Page) on Tue, Aug 14, 12 at 7:41
| very interesting hypotheses and discoveries! I am in the land of sand, but still interesting to me. Would have been hard for me to sacrifice my best squash LOL! |
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- Posted by emgardener 9 BayArea CA (My Page) on Tue, Aug 14, 12 at 15:24
| Did fertilize this bed with HLF (homemade/human liquid fertilizer) :) No other fertilizer. It was necessary as the plants would yellow without it. The original clay soil had very little organic matter in it. Didn't add compost, although most people do and it is of course beneficial. I'm just trying to show you can have a good garden from season one in clay soil without using compost or purchasing any fertilizer or soil amendments. Supposedly, hugelkultur does works well in sandy soils. Many people on the threads I've read said it did help hold water in their sandy soil and improved their gardens considerably. |
Here is a link that might be useful: hugelkultur thread
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| I think it will depend on materials used. Aged logs and branches of easy-rotting species will hold water even in sandy soil - well-rotted material will always be a benefit. Large fresh-cut chunks in sandy soil will take a long time to provide noticeable benefit whereas in a heavy soil the process will go faster. |
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- Posted by rosiew 8 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Wed, Aug 15, 12 at 18:47
| Very interesting and something I'm going to do. Have lots of materials at hand. I plan to start in an area where I've had almost nothing grow. Some of the soil there is hydrophobic, so will be treating with clear shampoo as well. Thanks, em. |
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| Sounds like you have florida-style sand, Rosie. |
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- Posted by rosiew 8 GA (rosemarywalsh@bellsouth.net) on Fri, Aug 17, 12 at 7:34
| pnbrown, don't know how to classify this soil. It's in a copse of trees on former pasture land. Further complicated by the presence of a hickory tree in neighbor's yard, near fence line. And further complicated by my size and age - argghh. Most of my -1/2 acre is generally good old Georgia clay, but this soil defies (my) description. Long story short, plan to mattock trenches and fill with tree branch debris. Will mark the areas so I can research/follow results. Much better use of this on hand material than hauling it to the curb for my city's chipper truck, right?? Thanks, Rosie |
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- Posted by belgianpup Wa/Zone 7b (My Page) on Sat, Aug 18, 12 at 18:21
| Em, your experiment almost begs for another: Dump a bucket or two of sawdust just below the main feeder root zone of a plant (the top of the sawdust zone should be 6-7" deep). Set a piece of 2" pvc pipe vertically on top of the sawdust, then plant your plant above. Use a funnel in the top of the pvc pipe to dispense urine directly into the sawdust layer. An experiment isn't worth much without a control plant to check for differences. Sue |
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- Posted by Coconut_Head 5b (My Page) on Mon, Aug 20, 12 at 14:00
| Cool expirament. If I can resource it I will dig up one of my 4x10 tomato beds (at the end of the season of course) and hugelkultur it with 2-3 inch diameter vertical "logs" or branches. How deep would you think would be ideal for the tops of the logs. 6 inches under the soil level? A good 12 inches? I think I could get enough 1ft long peices to nearly fill an entire bed. Based on your video, the roots should love having all those vertical channels to run down. And if I lay a thin layer of sticks over the top of the vertical branches, I might even be able to replicate your gopher holes with the space between the vertical logs. I'm not about to invite gophers into my raised beds. ;) CH |
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- Posted by dottyinduncan z8b coastal BC (My Page) on Mon, Aug 20, 12 at 15:26
| Interesting way to grow zuccini. I wonder if the burying of branches, etc.and the gopher is providing air to what would be heavy wet clay soil otherwise.I am also wondering what kind of wood you are using, age since cut, etc. I have used wood chips in the soil and end up with yellowed plants because the wood is tying up the nitrogen too much. How much rain/watering do you give your plants? I love gardening experiments because isn't that what gardening is all about? My squash (acorn) is planted atop a fairly new lasagna bed of leaves, grass clippings and donkey poo and the monster is taking over the garden. It has escaped through the bean trellis, over the tomatoes and through the fence. At this point it is about 15 feet square. Lots of squash setting. No wood stumps or branches in this but I think the combo of lasagna layers is providing aerated media for the plant to grow in. Thanks for sharing. |
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- Posted by emgardener 9 BayArea CA (My Page) on Tue, Aug 21, 12 at 2:16
| Coconut, 6" of dirt should be more than enough. My eggplant in a "stumppot" only has about 4" of dirt above the stump. I believe it was important that the gopher holes were in dirt that is wet. So if it where only sticks lining the hole, there might not be enough water for the roots? But probably enough dirt would get in. I'm planning on digging up the rest of my garden and put in vertical branches and stumps this fall. dotty, |
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