Low budget hugelkultur experiment

[Great-Kazoo]

EDIT: Pictures aren't showing up. I'll edit this when I have a chance.

I put together a low budget hugelkultur bed this year with stuff I had laying around. Never tried it before. We'll see how it works out. Total cost so far: $0.00. Seed and plants will have a cost, of course.

I plan on making some sort of hail shield as well. Probably 1" CPVC hoops covered in 1/4" chicken wire. That'll add some cost too. Hopefully that will keep most of the hail from devastating the plants. It's been brutal this year.

First, I made a 4' x 8' frame from scrap wood, leveled it and dug the inside to about 2' deep. I dug down instead of doing a traditional mound.
Attachment 58890

Then I filled it with dead/rotting wood to about 10" from the top.
Attachment 58891

Then I covered it with a layer of straw from an old archery target backstop.
Attachment 58892


Finally the soil - composted horse manure from a friend.
Attachment 58889

Any suggestions? I'd love to hear them.

attaching the pictures, not being sent to an Invalid Link.

[GilpinGuy]

attaching the pictures, not being sent to an Invalid Link.

I attached them and they show up fine in Preview Post.

OK, I just deleted the pics and added them the same way as before and they show up now.

Operator error I'm sure.

[Great-Kazoo]

I attached them and they show up fine in Preview Post.

OK, I just deleted the pics and added them the same way as before and they show up now.

Operator error I'm sure.

NYSyndrome They show up now. Now that i googlefu'd what this is, very interested in your results. Especially if one can limit / reduce the amount of water needed.