This is a Huglekulture mound. Its a concept that we are experimenting with that involves digging a hole
Adding alternate layers of large decaying wood, leaves, compost, earth and wood chips.
The concept is to make a diverse soil environment that allows increased fungal activity and a sponge that absorbs water, stores nutrients, and attracts micro flora/fauna that plants need. All of these things are lacking in the soil composition of the mt. baker forest. We have a layer of heavy clay that has been striped of fallen trees, stumps and a deep mulch by human activity, erosion and poor tree canopy. The result is a 80% mortality rate in this particular part of the site.
By building these five mounds we hope to establish a foothold for evergreens to succeed the maples and alder that are loosing branches and even their crowns at a faster pace, indicating they are either maturing out or stressed by environmental changes.
The Buckthorn baggies of last Janruary appears to need another season of reapplication.
as seen here, the shoots of the holly have escaped the baggie and are attempting to photosynthesize .
some applications were more successful than others, but the regrowth inside the baggie is definitely still happening, and may need another season of clipping, bagging and mulching to finally kill the stubborn evergreens. Proof that nature finds a way of filling niches left from the decaying deciduous forest that exists.
We are hoping on the fall rains to revive the drooping swordferns and brown patches on the larger Cedar trees, surprisingly the new conifers did pretty well over the summer. Many of the newly planted swamp apple and cascara did not fare so well. We are waiting on the new plant order in november to fill the gaps and plant the Huglekulture.
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