WaxyWingie t1_j27db5q wrote on December 30, 2022 at 4:18 AM

...Or you could chop the darned thing with a machete and stick it under a layer of compost in your new raised bed for a mild hugelkultur effect, like regular gardeners have been doing for decades.

MadManD3vi0us t1_j2aa9x1 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 7:55 PM

>hugelkultur effect

I am unfamiliar with this word

therealdannyking t1_j2akbo4 wrote on December 30, 2022 at 9:00 PM

It's a gardening technique where large pieces of whole wood and other organic material are buried and mounded over. As time progresses, the soil is enriched.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%BCgelkultur

WaxyWingie t1_j2avjdn wrote on December 30, 2022 at 10:14 PM

Google it. It's a very cool little concept, basically building a mound of slowly decaying organic matter and covering it with dirt, then planting stuff in it. I have had one for 3 years and got very good tomatoes/peppers/squash off of it without watering.

therealdannyking t1_j2ak68q wrote on December 30, 2022 at 8:59 PM

That seems like an excellent idea, but there might be a few drawbacks. How many in the UK have a garden large enough to compost a pine tree? A commercial hügelkultur operation would take a substantial amount of work to create and maintain, especially considering the number of trees that would need to be buried every year.

WaxyWingie t1_j2asans wrote on December 30, 2022 at 9:52 PM

US here, but fair point! Can also chop for mulch/scatter under bushes, use thicker chunks in a casual fire.