What is HugelKultur?
The word Hugelkultur literally translating to “Mound Culture”, is the gardening practice of using excess wood debris in creating giant raised beds. The woody debris (sticks, twigs, logs etc.) is placed in the base of the raised beds, acting as a sponge, holding in moisture, creating fungal hyphae and also building soil fertility.
How big should the beds be?
The raised beds can vary in size but are thought to do much better, when they are larger (5 feet high) and have steeper angles (60-70 degrees). The reason for the steep angles is that this keeps the bed from flattening. When the bed flattens, it begins to lose oxygen, disturb your fungal hyphae and an anaerobic sludge may build up since your fungal hyphae are gone. Some people make their hugel beds 9 feet high and 5 feet wide. When making a Hugel bed, the bigger the better!
Adding carbon to soil is SO Important!
Since large amounts of carbon are placed in the bed, fungi begin to feed, playing their role of immobilizing and retaining nutrients within the soil. The fungi also decrease susceptibility of plants to pests and diseases. Not to mention, fungal hyphae bind the soil particles, creating water aggregates, which in turn creates, pore spaces in the soil allowing the bed to hold more water. A diversity of different plants in the bed will INCREASE the amount of fungal hyphae.
Adding carbon to the soil also creates carbon sequestration, which helps combat global warming.
What type of wood should be added?
The type of wood you use for the Hugelkultur is crucial. You do not want to use wood that is toxic or does not decompose easily. So Cedar, Black Cherry, Black Locust, and Black Walnut are not good choices. Better woods to use would be alders, maple, apple, cotton wood, poplar, willow and birch. I have not found anything to suggest that Oak would be bad choice either. The wood you chose needs be rotten in order to get your Hugel bed kick started. If wood is added that is not aged, then it will start to take nitrogen away from the soil.
What should you plant in your Hugel bed?
The first few years of a Hugel bed are when it has the most nutrients so planting tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet corn, melons, and other high nutrient loving crops is best. Planting crops with lower demand of nutrients such as beans, lettuces, strawberries etc, should be done a few years into the beds life.
Where should I put my Hugel bed?
If you are building a Hugel bed on a sloped area, it is important that the bed IS aligned with the contour of the slope. Water needs to be allowed to enter the entire bed, so place it sideways on the slope. Creating channels will trigger landslides. If you have heavy clay soils, there will need to be a drainage system installed. Dryer soils should naturally collect water within the bed.
Enjoy!