What is a hugelkultur?
A German concept, ahugelkulturis a mound of organic materials that compost internally.
Oklahoma State has some beautifulillustrationsthat help visualize how the stacking works.
The top of these mounds are exceptional for planting in, and the beds become more successful over time.
The smaller material will compost fastest, igniting the larger pieces.
Youll want logs, either long ones or rounds for the bottom of the heap.
Then branches, and then scrub, chips and topsoil.
Since this is usually when people prune their trees, its the right time to score free logs.
you could adjust as you go to fit the space and materials.
How to assemble a hugelkultur
You will always start your bed by laying down the logs.
Youre always endeavoring to have as little empty space between them as possible.
Next, youll layer in branches, starting from the thickest to the puniest.
The goal, as before, is to fill as much space as possible.
Again, thinking of this as a fire is helpful.
The next layer is scrub, and this can take many shapes.
Grass clippings are good input for this layer, as is manure.
The smallest trimmings from your fall cleanup will work, and you might also use wood chips.
This bang out of garden waste is flexible and can be tucked anywhere.
Topsoil doesnt have nutrients in it; its a blank canvas.
Once youve assembled your entire bed, youll need a layer of mulch on top.
you might use leaves, straw.
or more wood chips.
You wont need additional inputs like fertilizer, even if you normally use it when planting.
When moving the mulch back, leave room around each plant so the mulch isnt touching the plant.
At this point, treat the bed like you would any other.
It might need water occasionally, but should hold onto moisture better than regular raised beds.
