I started a small one and just packed leaves down where all the air spaces were and stomped them in until they couldn't be packed in. I collected the neighbors leaves in the fall so i had an abundance of leaves to use. Unfortunately i am using my very small front yard for this living in city limits so have to use what i can. I need to find straw that hasn't had pesticides sprayed on it to cover it. Haven't had a real winter in ohio this year so it's been nice to get things done .
@InvincibleRain I think anything you can find to pack into your swales that will help retain moisture will be beneficial. I kinda threw the kitchen sink at my on contour swales... To the point they are piled up high in the video... but a funny thing happened this past year after I planted into them and they got some moisture in them... They compacted/settled a great deal. So I will be putting more material on top of these swales again this year as the material continues to break down.
A swale is an open level ditch on contour to catch and hold water.
If you dig a ditch between the two beds then it might be called a combo hugelkultur bed and swale. Digging the ditch would give you more soil to put on top of the hugelkultur bed
@robertvb99 This was an open level ditch that I packed mulch and materials in the swales to hold water. We don't get moisture so anything you can line these swales with to retain the moisture in the high plains desert you do it. Funny thing is they looked like mounds in the video, but after just one season of using these the mulch and material broke down and compacted a lot so I will be adding more to these swales. They did a decent job last year retaining water, this year should be better.
I started a small one and just packed leaves down where all the air spaces were and stomped them in until they couldn't be packed in. I collected the neighbors leaves in the fall so i had an abundance of leaves to use. Unfortunately i am using my very small front yard for this living in city limits so have to use what i can. I need to find straw that hasn't had pesticides sprayed on it to cover it. Haven't had a real winter in ohio this year so it's been nice to get things done .
InvincibleRain 3 weeks ago
@InvincibleRain I think anything you can find to pack into your swales that will help retain moisture will be beneficial. I kinda threw the kitchen sink at my on contour swales... To the point they are piled up high in the video... but a funny thing happened this past year after I planted into them and they got some moisture in them... They compacted/settled a great deal. So I will be putting more material on top of these swales again this year as the material continues to break down.
Longsnowsm 1 week ago
I just watched a very interesting video about wood chip mulching. backtoedenfilm (dot) co m
BentBuddha 5 months ago
@BentBuddha Ya me too! Great Film. I am going to wood-chip between my mini swales and also try it in my main garden.
robertvb99 1 week ago
That is a hugelkultur bed.
A swale is an open level ditch on contour to catch and hold water.
If you dig a ditch between the two beds then it might be called a combo hugelkultur bed and swale. Digging the ditch would give you more soil to put on top of the hugelkultur bed
robertvb99 5 months ago 3
@robertvb99 This was an open level ditch that I packed mulch and materials in the swales to hold water. We don't get moisture so anything you can line these swales with to retain the moisture in the high plains desert you do it. Funny thing is they looked like mounds in the video, but after just one season of using these the mulch and material broke down and compacted a lot so I will be adding more to these swales. They did a decent job last year retaining water, this year should be better.
Longsnowsm 1 week ago
this isn't a swale
koviack 6 months ago
@koviack Ok, call it an on contour ditch that is packed with mulch... Whatever terminology fits. So far it is working pretty well.
Longsnowsm 1 week ago