I'm so excited to have the layout and blueprint done for the garden this year.  I've maximixed our layout and ground usage using a garden planner and have implemented companion planning to hopefully reduce pests.  The one that I'm not sure about getting rid of is the dang flea beetle.  From what I've read they are extremely hard to get rid of naturally, but constant sprinkling of wood ash is supposed to be a big deterent for them.
  After inspection of all the fruit trees they are budding out perfectly!!!  We did not lose a single tree with the help of these hugels!!!  The peaches are starting to show the first peak at their pink blossoms.  The apple trees are just starting to beginning to show the hint of their leaves and the cherry buds are plentiful!!
I finished the deer netting, so the chickens are unable to dig 1' deep holes in the hugel beds so the next step will be to turn over any grass clumps that took root last year in the two smaller beds.  Piece of cake!  We will be 100% ready to plant at the end of this month are cooler weather seeds like spinach, chard and maybe some radish and lettuce!  Fresh veggies, here WE COME!!!