[Success/Hugel] Barrel #1 (Ground Cherry!) (May 10, 2021)

[ERR0R1755]

This barrel is a 55 gallon barrel, filled with logs (see: hugelkultur) and food scraps, then topped off with bagged potting soil. I let it sit for four days and now I've planted some seeds into it:

At the very middle (green) I planted some Ground Cherry seeds from eBay, around that (yellow) I planted some Tom Thumb Peas from an old AeroGarden project, and around the edge (red) I planted some French Marigold seeds from my recent UL Bottle Garden.

I covered the seeds with a small amount of mulch (maybe half an inch at most?) since I figured that if weeds can grow through it when it is a few inches thick, my plants should be able to grow through a small amount with no issue. It should help germination by preventing evaporation.

[Shawn]

I look forward to seeing this progress and grow

[ERR0R1755]

After a bit of rain, the woodchips covered the seeds up again, and so I decided to investigate. I cleared off all of the woodchips and found that the french marigolds had started to germinate but died, while the peas had started to put a tap root down. I could not find any evidence of the ground cherry seeds.

There were hundreds of pillbugs and what appeared to be an underground ant nest, complete with ant larva.

I placed more soil on top and added new seeds for everything in the same spots. This time, instead of covering it with the same amount of woodchips, I covered it with a very light sprinkling so that it would help keep moisture in but you could see the soil in places.

I also did not have Tom Thumb Peas to replant (although the original seeds are still in there!) so I planted some Austrian Winter Peas instead.

[campingcorgis]

Fingers & paws crossed!

[Sher]

I got a huge 3' tall and 2' wide ant bed made from solid clay in my compost bin.

For some reason, they decided to vacate the colony, so I am left with a pillar of clay to get rid of somehow. I don't want to mix it in the rest of the compost because our soil is way too clayey.

Good luck in getting the gardens established. It should be worth it when everything stabilizes.

[ERR0R1755]

If it's just clay, that might be an opportunity to use it as liner/seal for a small pond in your yard

[ERR0R1755]

Some of the peas and french marigolds are starting to come up! I'm not sure if any of the ground cherries are, since the seedlings look similar to the french marigolds at first.

[gsaxon]

This looks like a tough project. I am curious as to what will happen!

[Shawn]

It will be fun to see how these grow

[ERR0R1755]

[Sher]

They are really taking off!

[Shawn]

They really grew since your last post.  Well done

[ERR0R1755]

So far I have not had to water any of my barrels, it seems like the logs are doing a good job at retaining moisture!

[Shawn]

Are you getting a lot of rain where you are?

[ERR0R1755]

Jun 2, 2021 9:49:04 GMT -5 Shawn said:

Are you getting a lot of rain where you are?

It has been raining roughly once a week.

[Shawn]

So they get watered regularly

[ERR0R1755]

Some of the ground cherries are finally coming up in the middle.

[Sher]

Great! When will the ground cherries start ripening?

[ERR0R1755]

Jun 9, 2021 0:15:23 GMT -5 Sher said:

Great! When will the ground cherries start ripening?

If all goes well, mid-August is when I'm expecting to see fruit

[Sher]

Thanks!