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ZayNomie
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Location: Southern Idaho

Mini-terrace garden

A few years ago my grandpa maintained a garden in a corner of our property. (He even made the fence for it out of tree clippings) He's gone now and my father had the bright idea of putting a giant pile of dirt in there a few years back still. It's been 3-4 years since this place has been a proper garden. I really want one this year although I need advice. Do I try and spread the dirt over the entire area? Or do I just make a Mini-Terrace garden? Also if the option is the terrace thing, then, how do I do it?
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Here's a picture of the location
Here's a picture of the location

Asica
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How is the soil on that mount? If you decide to spread it out, do not cover any tree trunk. The tree needs to breath.

SQWIB
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Wow, you got everything there to make a Hugelkultur bed.
If it were me I would consider a horseshoe type hugel mound, or a few straight hugel beds.
I

imafan26
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What kind of garden do you want? Is this a vegetable or ornamental garden or both? Do you plan on keeping the trees?

Hugelkultur will work if you just want to plant on a mound.

If you want a vegetable garden, would the tree shade it when it comes in leaf? Vegetable gardens need at least 6 hours of sun.

If you want a mixed garden it is possible to have both but first you have to have a plan. Veggies in the sun. If the trees are kept, then plants will have to be able to grow in the shade. The mound can either be included in the plan, leveled out or partially levelled to make it less steep.

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ZayNomie
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I have seeds for, and will probably plant: peas, lettuce, broccoli, watermelon, cucumbers, and asparagus.
What's Hugelkultur?
The tree closer to the back is an apple tree that hardly produces a thing but it keeps soil in place, and it's not too shady. The tree that is closer to it is a black walnut tree, (which I know is not awesome for other plants) and it's not very shady at all. Since it's my parent's parents property, I can't cut the trees down.

imafan26
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The black walnut could cause issues.
https://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yar ... er-plants/
https://www.ufseeds.com/Idaho-Vegetable- ... endar.html
if the mound is free of roots you could still plant there or in pots elsewhere.

It looks like you could start seeds now and transplant out later.

Terracing would be a good way to use the mound or you can build raised beds using the soil from the hill. You would have to limit the area to avoid the black walnut roots and leaves.
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/gardenterraces

SQWIB
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ZayNomie wrote: What's Hugelkultur? Hugelkultur
.

Asica
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Hugelkutur is a type of veggie garden. You put logs of wood in a pile, often in a long row. Then you cover with soil. The moisture from the wood will allow the plants to take water from the mount. I have done a small mount for strawberries, so far it has been working out great.

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ZayNomie
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Okay, I think I can work out a deal with my parents that would allow me to cut down the black walnut trees. My question is, will the roots still be poisonous even if I cut them down?
Also, the soil at my house has a lot of clay. I can't sculpt with it, but it does get really hard when it's dry. Can I do something about that, or is it okay?

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

A lot of us have clay soil. It can be amended with compost to improve tilth and nutrient holding ability. Do not work it when it is wet.
It will be better to build raised beds and put a weed block barrier under the bed to prevent contact from the black walnut roots and the garden plants. Some veggies are tolerant of Black Walnut
Vegetables Tolerant to Juglone
Onion.
Beets.
Squash and Melons.
Carrot.
Parsnips.
Beans.
Corn.
https://extension.psu.edu/plants/gardeni ... ing-plants

PLANTS SENSITIVE TO BLACK WALNUT TOXICITY

Annuals and vegetables: asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, flowering tobacco, pepper, petunia, potato, tomato

Herbaceous perennials: autumn crocus, baptisia, columbine, lily (Asian hybrids), peony, rhubarb

Shrubs: blueberry, red chokeberry, cotoneaster, Amur honeysuckle, hydrangea, lilac, privet, potentilla, rhododendron, yew, and some viburnum shrub species

Trees: European alder, white birch, crabapple species, hackberry, larch, linden, saucer magnolia, mugo pine, red pine, white pine, Norway spruce, silver maple, and some viburnum tree species

If you want to plant things like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, then plant them in 20 inch pots (tomato) 5 gallon tall (peppers), 15 gallon pots ( eggplant).



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