...
The yardstick sounds promising. Maybe some variation of that method.
What I'd really like is a confetti cut of course. I have just torn up a bunch of newspaper by hand while sitting around watching television but I don't watch too much television any more.
We burned out a small office shredder with newspaper before. Newspaper can be harsh on those poor little things. I'm reluctant to go out and buy another piece of junk just to burn it out again.
I'd like to get the confetti cut because newspaper tends to wad up and then the decomposition basically stops until the worms can spend some time on it and not all my bins get worms. A confetti cut would allow me to mix it up with grass clippings and when I do that with shredded office paper, which is easier to digest, it prevents clumping of both the grass clippings and the paper.
I recently got a mean old violent chipper and I'm going to play some games where I throw in some newspaper along with other stuff. We'll see.
Thanks again
...
applestar,
First of all thank you.
Since you posted on page 2 of this thread a link to a prior thread on Hugelkultur, I've been doing some reading. And a bit of thinking.
This has been a technique of our family's for decades, but neither DOD nor myself knew the name of it, as we discussed earlier today. He got it from his DOD, who's father(my Great Granddad) came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1850's.
Hence too many generations removed and we have lost the language and of course the name of Hugelkultur. This is not a nostalgia thing as I don't feel German, I am 3rd generation born in USA.
And as I've explained in previous threads and this one, I have a new HK bed(10x16) this year and once again it is doing excellent. Some of the best potatoe plants I've ever had at this time of year. So good I am going for two crops of potatoes in that same spot this year(we will see).
Point of interest,
2002 while in Peru, we went to Lake Titicaca. Highest navigable water in the world. The Uros(the reed people) have lived on reed islands for centuries(floating islands). Originally for security reasons. Their diet is small fish(some larger but few), sugar from the reed centers, and Potatoes. These people can survive for months on these 3 things, although the men will go on shore for fruit, which is not natural to the area at a very high elevation, and also some alpapca meat.
There is no naturally occuring dirt on the islands, although they do bring some up from the bottom of the lake.
These people grow potatoes in composting reeds only, no dirt(some have a little dirt on them). I have pictures of this somewhere.
I believe that would make this a form of Hugelkultur(HK).
There are few plants that grow at this elevation(12,000 feet)
Why do potatoes grow so well in decomposing organics?
I really don't know why it works, but it is an active practice in S.A., the term HK originates in Europe, and before HG stated Enpi is the word in Japan.
I have grown my best tomatoes using this, most often for beens, and also some of my best potatoes.
Why are we so worried about nitrogen sequestration with the carbon release in the HK.
Can anyone shed some light why and how this wroks so well.
And is utilizing this technique one of the keys to understanding how to thrive without our chemical fertilizers? If so why?
First of all thank you.
Since you posted on page 2 of this thread a link to a prior thread on Hugelkultur, I've been doing some reading. And a bit of thinking.
This has been a technique of our family's for decades, but neither DOD nor myself knew the name of it, as we discussed earlier today. He got it from his DOD, who's father(my Great Granddad) came to the U.S. from Germany in the 1850's.
Hence too many generations removed and we have lost the language and of course the name of Hugelkultur. This is not a nostalgia thing as I don't feel German, I am 3rd generation born in USA.
And as I've explained in previous threads and this one, I have a new HK bed(10x16) this year and once again it is doing excellent. Some of the best potatoe plants I've ever had at this time of year. So good I am going for two crops of potatoes in that same spot this year(we will see).
Point of interest,
2002 while in Peru, we went to Lake Titicaca. Highest navigable water in the world. The Uros(the reed people) have lived on reed islands for centuries(floating islands). Originally for security reasons. Their diet is small fish(some larger but few), sugar from the reed centers, and Potatoes. These people can survive for months on these 3 things, although the men will go on shore for fruit, which is not natural to the area at a very high elevation, and also some alpapca meat.
There is no naturally occuring dirt on the islands, although they do bring some up from the bottom of the lake.
These people grow potatoes in composting reeds only, no dirt(some have a little dirt on them). I have pictures of this somewhere.
I believe that would make this a form of Hugelkultur(HK).
There are few plants that grow at this elevation(12,000 feet)
Why do potatoes grow so well in decomposing organics?
I really don't know why it works, but it is an active practice in S.A., the term HK originates in Europe, and before HG stated Enpi is the word in Japan.
I have grown my best tomatoes using this, most often for beens, and also some of my best potatoes.
Why are we so worried about nitrogen sequestration with the carbon release in the HK.
Can anyone shed some light why and how this wroks so well.
And is utilizing this technique one of the keys to understanding how to thrive without our chemical fertilizers? If so why?
-
The Helpful Gardener
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2cents, I just posted a rather lengthy but no too complex thread on why that works so well...
[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14052[/url]
For those that want overview, stick to my post; for those that want to see some nuts and bolts, the white papers are very enlightening if somewhat complex...but it certainly addresses 2C's question...
HG
[url]https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14052[/url]
For those that want overview, stick to my post; for those that want to see some nuts and bolts, the white papers are very enlightening if somewhat complex...but it certainly addresses 2C's question...
HG