tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503965173390785713.post2236442964094331390..comments2024-01-13T01:12:09.513-08:00Comments on Wood for Food ~ Gardening with the Slow Burn of Rotting Wood: "Sprucing" Things Up - HorizontallyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07381205300806328192noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503965173390785713.post-74086176194943680672014-04-16T21:08:43.291-07:002014-04-16T21:08:43.291-07:00Jacki, thanks for your interest! It's a fascin...Jacki, thanks for your interest! It's a fascinating theory about utilizing the direction of the vascular tissues in the wood for making moisture accessible to the garden plants' roots. If you picture the tubular structures of the xylem and phloem running lengthwise through the trees, it makes sense that the roots of your plants might more easily access water by growing into those structures, which are opened into cross sections when the logs are cut to length (like straws within the logs). Compare that with plant roots meeting the smooth natural edge of a log, and it seems feasible that the orientation of the log might make a difference. I haven't seen any scientific studies done to prove one method over the other, but someone did get creative in doing comparisons of wood orientation in large tubs: http://lowcostvegetablegarden.blogspot.com/2012/07/vertical-hugelkultur-eliminates-wilt.html. Also, if you look at John Elliot's video post on this thread: http://www.permies.com/t/28038/hugelkultur/Direction-sticks-Hugel-vertical-horizontal, you can also see how roots may like to grow in between the bark and the wood. Pretty interesting!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07381205300806328192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8503965173390785713.post-61485090681659663232014-04-16T06:51:36.988-07:002014-04-16T06:51:36.988-07:00Okay, I must have missed something somewhere about...Okay, I must have missed something somewhere about the vertical logs as opposed to horizontal. Hmm. Always something else to think about! Can't wait to see how your garlic bed does!Jackihttp://www.o-garden.canoreply@blogger.com