You have probably heard the name; hugelkultur gardening (pronounced Hoo-gul-culture), but few people have actually tried it. It is also now being used to make hugelkultur raised beds. Is this a gardening technique that you should try? What does the science say about it? Should we all stop what we are doing and make hugels?
What is Hugelkultur?
Hugelkultur is a gardening technique that has been used for many years in Germany and has been recently popularized by permaculturalist Sepp Holzer. It is a process for creating a new garden. Pile up some logs and smaller branches, cover it with leaves, sod, compost, grass clippings, seaweed, aged manure, straw, green leaves, and soil. The result is a new kind of raised bed without walls, that looks like a small hill.
Hugelkultur is a gardening technique that has been used for many years in Germany and has been recently popularized by permaculturalist Sepp Holzer. It is a process for creating a new garden. Pile up some logs and smaller branches, cover it with leaves, sod, compost, grass clippings, seaweed, aged manure, straw, green leaves, and soil. The result is a new kind of raised bed without walls, that looks like a small hill.
The wood in the system provides the main benefit which is the retention of moisture. The wood absorbs water, holds it for a long time, and slowly releases it to plants, thereby reducing the need for irrigation.
Other claimed benefits include the following
No need to dispose of waste wood
No CO2 produced by burning the wood
Increased surface area for gardening
Composting wood generates heat extending the growing season
Can help end world hunger
No need to dispose of waste wood
No CO2 produced by burning the wood
Increased surface area for gardening
Composting wood generates heat extending the growing season
Can help end world hunger
By the way, we already did it in our garden, you can watch our video below. :)
