Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Hugelkultur!

     According to Wikipedia, "Hügelkultur is a composting process employing raised beds constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials. The process helps to improve soil fertility, water retention, and soil warming, thus benefiting plants grown on or near such mounds."

     This is my first try with Hugelkultur, and I have to say I am very happy about this new adventure.  Yesterday, our oldest daughter helped me in the garden (I have a second Garden Fairy!) and we dug the pit.  See, you dig a pit. I think most people probably dig it deeper than we did, but this will have to do.  Then, with a little help from me and the Fairy, my husband hauled a lot of rotting wood up from our wood lot and we spread that out in the pit.  Then we covered it back up with earth.

     That will sit there and molder until Spring and then I will plant in it.  Not only do I enjoy experimenting in the garden, but that part of the garden tends to be very wet in the Spring, and so now it is a raised bed, and I won't have to fight the puddles!  


Here I am, digging...


Here is the pit filled with rotting wood...


And here is the Hugelkultur bed covered back up with earth...


     We also threw a lot of compostable waste from the garden in before we put the wood in... such as trimmings from asparagus, weeds, old vegetable plants, etc..

     Hopefully, I'll be able to give you a good report next year.

7 comments:

  1. That will work well and for many years, you have lots of wood in there.
    I make a new one every year using yard waste from 2 acres. And of course, all the branches and sticks that I muster up.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much for the encouragement!

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    2. One mound produced over 220 lbs of butternut squash from 3 plants.....!!!!!

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    3. Oh my goodness! That's wonderful! What did you do with all of it?

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  2. Good job! I look forward to hearing the results.

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  3. Those should work well for you. My older girl has been gradually adding them to our gardens. She has built them up quite a bit higher, but we have our own woods so she has access to quite a bit of undergrowth, tree trimmings etc. She likes to grow the vining plants on them.

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  4. I love this method of gardening.

    Unfortunately I am unable to get the wood supply to make one that big, however I do have some smaller ones out in the garden in raised beds and they seem to be doing okay, although some plants are not growing properly. I had read this may happen due to a nitrogen issue and that it will improve the older the beds gets. So I am hopeful.

    I cant wait to see how yours grows.

    xTania

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