The Hügelkultur technique

Have you ever ever heard of a Hügelkultur? The title means hill tradition (pronounced hoo-gul-culture) and it’s no bizarre raised mattress. It’s a no until technique that has been used for hundreds of years however it’s not very well-known within the gardening group. It’s a raised mound or hill that has outstanding properties that enhance in impact yr on yr. It’s extremely fertile, extraordinarily good at holding water, has extra floor space and is shockingly productive in terms of rising many various fruits, flowers and greens.

How do you make a Hügelkultur? A hügelkultur has a easy design and is a lasagne like layering of supplies that’s constructed as much as kind a hill. So, you probably have a number of backyard waste comparable to leaves wooden and garden clippings cluttering up the panorama don’t throw it out! Use it to create a enjoyable and rewarding Horticultural experiment. First you begin with digging a shallow trench (though this isn’t wanted) and inserting massive logs of wooden within the allotted area. As these break down, they may act as an enormous sponge and can provide your crops with water and wanted carbon for years or many years to return.

One of the best woods to make use of are apple, cherry, maple, oak, poplar, aspen and birch. The more durable the wooden the extra longevity the hügelkultur can have as they may break down slower. There are some woods you’ll want to keep away from which have toxins comparable to black walnut or wrestle to decompose comparable to redwoods and black locust.

As soon as the massive logs are positioned you’ll then add progressively smaller logs, branches and sticks on high. These will break down faster than the massive logs and can serve the identical goal. These layers are additionally a improbable place for useful funguses and critters to inhabit the soil and can a present moist breathable substrate to your crops to achieve all the way down to and thrive in. you’ll want to infill after this with some soil to assist break down the wooden and fill in any massive voids of area under.

Subsequent, we’ll lasagne layer on high completely different natural supplies. Issues like straw, grass clippings, cardboard, leaves mulches and manure. Make it possible for in between each couple of layers you set skinny layer of topsoil. It would be best to make these layers not more than an inch or two thick. Create as many layers as you want and extra can at all times be added within the subsequent season. Some previous and established hügelkulturs might be as tall as 5-6 ft.

Lastly you’ll want to cap off the hügelkultur with a great layer of topsoil that’s deep sufficient to plant your crops in. this might be round 2.5-3 inches. Give it loads of water to offer it a powerful begin and also you now have a extremely productive raised mattress that may require little or no upkeep and watering.

Why not attempt one thing new this yr and impress your mates with this attention-grabbing and spectacular horticultural approach and the fruits that it yields.

Jeese Morris – Graduate Landscapes