Pages

Friday, June 24, 2011

Permaculture Projects: Hugelkultur

Anatomy of Hugelkultur

What is Hugelkultur?
This is a German compound word - aren't they all?
It translates as mound/hill (hugel --> WHO-gull) + culture/cultivation (kultur --> cull-chur).

Hugelkultur is making raised beds that are filled with rotting wood.  It is such a simple concept, but it is an amazing method to use.

Wood pile core of a hugelkultur bed

Benefits of Hugelkultur
  • Full of slowly decomposing organic matter
  • Full of nutrients.
  • Builds fertility over time.
  • The rotting wood is a massive sponge for water (read that: very little or sometimes no irrigation needed - fantastic method of water harvesting/preservation).
  • Heat from the decomposing wood helps create a warmer microclimate
  • It will last for YEARS!  30 years for a deep bed is not unheard of in climates without a high rainfall.  10-15 yrs for a deep bed in areas with high rainfall.  5 yrs or so for shallower beds.  As the bed ages, it will slowly shrink further and further down to the ground.

Side by side comparison of growing cantaloupes - seeds from the same packet!
Left - traditional garden method; Right - a very shallow hugelkultur bed
Look at the difference!

Creating Hugelkultur
Find your woody material.
This can be downed trees, old firewood, pruned branches and twigs, rotten logs, etc.
Wood can be fresh or rotting.  Rotten wood does decompose faster.
Just about any wood can be used.  Paul Wheaton recommends against Black Locust (since it almost never rots!), Cedar (it has natural pesticides and herbicides), and Black Walnut (contains a chemical that prevents plants from growing near it).

Mound your woody material
Lay the wood in a long mound.
It can be any height you want it to be.  1-2 feet is common in backyard gardens, but Sepp Holzer builds his mounds 5-6 feet high.
You can also lay the wood in a dug trench, so that the total height is not as high above ground level.

Cover your woody material
If you are not going to plant immediately, you can add additional compostable items: grass clippings, manure, kitchen scraps, garden waste, sod, etc.
Cover with a few inches of soil and/or compost.

Plant your mound
That's it!

Sepp Holzer's Raised Bed System... really a form of Hugelkultur
Please click on the diagram or link below to see a larger image.
Concerns about Hugelkultur
If you are using fresh wood, there is concern that nitrogen will be sucked into the wood during initial stages of decomposition.  While that is technically true, it appears that this system either mitigates that due to a concurrent release of nitrogen or due to an unknown mechanism unique to this technique.  Either way, people plant vegetables (high nitrogen utilizers) right away into brand-new hugelkultur beds all the time with fantastic results.

Check out these pages:

11 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I thought the physicians said there is no pills or another way for PENIS ENLARGEMENT !!! I am telling you today that Dr Aziba has the product for PENIS ENLARGEMENT and it worked perfectly for me from 3:0 to 8:95 and still counting. Contact Dr Aziba for help to Enlarge your penis via Email him via: Priestazibasolutioncenter@gmail.com and WhatsApp Him on +2348100368288

      Delete
    2. I actually thank you @drmosesbuba , cause at first I doubt you because of what others do to take money from the sick cause I have been a victim , but you make me believe that good people still live .  I was cured of Erectile dysfunction with the use of pure natural roots and herbs from a herbal professional maker called Dr Moses Buba, a man of trust and always reliable to his word. You can reach via email buba.herbalmiraclemedicine@gmail.com or WhatsApp him  +2349060529305 . am grateful to share his work so I am forever grateful  @drmosesbuba 

      Delete
  2. Can this be done inside of a walled raised garden bed structure? I like having my garden away from the critters...

    ReplyDelete
  3. For which climate is this best appropriate? Would it be ok in mediterranean climate?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think this is one of the most important information for me. And i am glad reading your article. But should remark on few general things, The website style is perfect, the articles is really excellent : D. Good job, cheers

    ReplyDelete
  5. A caveat: be sure to fill your air holes! put down a layer, add soil or compost, water well, do it again... Otherwise your roots will get air-pruned and you'll be very unhappy with the results.

    And yes, it works quite well for a raised bed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Want To Boost Your ClickBank Banner Commissions And Traffic?

    Bannerizer makes it easy for you to promote ClickBank products by banners, simply visit Bannerizer, and get the banner codes for your favorite ClickBank products or use the Universal ClickBank Banner Rotator Tool to promote all of the ClickBank products.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I thought the physicians said there is no pills or another way for PENIS ENLARGEMENT !!! I am telling you today that Dr Aziba has the product for PENIS ENLARGEMENT and it worked perfectly for me from 3:0 to 8:95 and still counting. Contact Dr Aziba for help to Enlarge your penis via Email him via: Priestazibasolutioncenter@gmail.com and WhatsApp Him on +2348100368288

    ReplyDelete
  8. I actually thank you @drmosesbuba , cause at first I doubt you because of what others do to take money from the sick cause I have been a victim , but you make me believe that good people still live .  I was cured of Erectile dysfunction with the use of pure natural roots and herbs from a herbal professional maker called Dr Moses Buba, a man of trust and always reliable to his word. You can reach via email buba.herbalmiraclemedicine@gmail.com or WhatsApp him  +2349060529305 . am grateful to share his work so I am forever grateful  @drmosesbuba 

    ReplyDelete
  9. I am here to testify how a great man called Dr Odin helped me out with herbs and roots which he prepared for me in use of curing herpes. I takes his product (cure) for (14) days before I am to known I was totally cure out of it, and i promised him that i will testify my healing to the whole world about how he cured me which I am very happy I am doing now, Dr Odin also cure all kinds of diseases , HEPATITIS, A,B,C , CANCER, DIABETICS , FIBROID, ALS ,and so much more , please you can get him contacted on his his email doctoroz2020@gmail.com or  Whatsap  +2348139424847  He can also cure following virus
    (1).Herpes
    (2).Cancer
    (3).Hepatitis
    (4).Hiv/aids
    (5).Pcos
    (6).Fibroid
    (7) HPV
    Contact him on his email: doctoroz2020@gmail.com or  Whatsap +2348139424847

    ReplyDelete