Hugelkultur is a practice of burying woody organic material under a raised bed. The wood absorbs and holds a lot of water and provides an ecosystem for microorganisms, especially fungi. It dramatically decreases the need for irrigation and fertilizer. It’s amazing how well this practice can transform a landscape, even turning a desert into an oasis!
First, dig a trench. The main purpose is to dig out soil that you can put on top of the bed at the end. It also gives you more room to add wood without making the bed too high. If you have soil to put on top, you could just build the bed on the ground without digging. You can make the beds any size, and dig the trench to any depth. In some applications, the hole is six feet deep!
Next, fill the trench or hole with woody material. This could be sticks, stumps, wood chips, used untreated lumber, or even corn cobs or nut hulls. This is a great way to get rid of old brush piles and farm waste!
As the wood breaks down, the microorganisms will need nitrogen. You don’t want them to steal nitrogen from your plants, so you want to add a good amount manure or compost, more than you would normally add to a bed. If you’re using un-composted manure or food scraps, mix it in with the wood before adding the next layer.
Next, add a thick layer of straw or upside-down sod. If you had to dig up grass (other than bermuda) to make the trench, set it aside and use it for this layer. The point is to make a solid layer so the soil you put on top won’t all fall through the wood.
Finally, add a layer of top soil and finished compost. This should be at least 6 inches thick. You can decrease the amount of soil you need by adding solid sides to the bed. Large logs are the perfect hugelkultur bed border! It will take several years for the wood to break down, so make sure your plants have enough soil and nutrients until then.
Links to More Information
The Many Benefits of Hugelkultur https://www.permaculture.co.uk/articles/the-many-benefits-of-hugelkultur/
Hugelkultur – the ultimate raised garden beds, gardening without irrigation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sso4UWObxXg
