Hugelkultur : How to...

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  • HRDWRK

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    Jan 7, 2013
    2,642
    39°43′19.92216″ N
    With the spring planting upon us for 2021 I want to start to build multiple Hugelkultur beds!

    One a raised bed for strawberrys ( this year) and another for later planting of Asparagus!

    My question is has anyone done any for themselves?

    Also I started this thread to hopefully keep records from us on what we did, what worked and what didn't work.
     

    HRDWRK

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    Jan 7, 2013
    2,642
    39°43′19.92216″ N
    For my strawberry bed I will use wood from a Russian olive tree. I will cut the branches into 2 foot lengths!
    From what I have read on other forums, this wood should be a great starter.

    Will see later this summer if all is good.
     

    engineerbrian

    JMB fan club
    Sep 3, 2010
    10,148
    Fredneck
    I’ve done it, but it was somewhat modified from a true hugelkuktur bed. Rather than being above ground, I dug out my garden beds about 2-3 feet deep, filled them with logs and then covered them with soil.

    As with most hugel beds the first year wasnt really much to talk about, the second year was better than the first, and everything after that was awesome. With proper mulching it really is a drought proof set up as the amount of watering that I had to do was minimal even in the heat if summer, and the amount of food that my hugel beds produced was insane!
     

    F-Stop

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 16, 2009
    2,484
    Cecil County
    I have three beds two years old and a new in this year, 8’ long. They are doing great. I had to manage watering a bit different as I found they drained more. Could be the raised beds in general.

    I had a bunch of 8 year old firewood in the weeds I used, leaves, and went to neighbors and hit their grass clipping areas that were years old.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    on_the_rox

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 16, 2009
    1,695
    Whiteford, MD
    I am starting one this year. I haven't actually decided what to plant in it this year as I expect it to be nothing special the first year. Was thinking about just planting watermelon on top end letting them run all over it. Sorry, some photos rotated. Uggggh.
     

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    Vodnik4

    Between two waters
    Jan 8, 2021
    60
    Slower, lower MD
    Thank you for starting this thread!
    I have never heard of hugelkultur before, and now I’m itching to try it.
    My new property had most of the trees choked with vines, and last year I spent the entire summer chopping the vines at ground level. BTW, this is really rewarding this spring as most of those “dead” trees are sprouting new leaves and coming alive.
    But that left a lot of dead hanging vines that I’m pulling now, and don’t known what do do with the tons of dry material — it’s too soft to burn in a wood stove, and just messy. But it would be perfect for layers in the hugel mounds!
    Also wife wanted raised beds, but with the cost of lumber this year it would be too expensive — hugel mounds sound like a nice alternative to try, at least until lumber comes down in price.
     

    HRDWRK

    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
    Jan 7, 2013
    2,642
    39°43′19.92216″ N
    Thanks for all the insights into what is working.. The strawberry bed will be first to text..
    However from some of the posts I may try another bed dug down and with out the wood. I could plant squash, gourds in that area.
     

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