Hugelkultuur is probably not a well known concept; we came across it while
researching different methods online. Living at the coast, the soil in our
garden is very sandy, with no natural humus content. This makes it difficult
for anything to thrive.
Raised Hugelkultuur Beds
The basic concept is that instead of dumping layer upon layer of
compost on to the dead soil, you create a mini ecosystem, which over time
decomposes into a more natural humus environment, as illustrated below:
The following series of photos are the step by step raising of
our hugelkultuur bed – not exactly as in the illustration above, but close
enough...
Step 1 – Trench to ensure a foundation
2 Lay down Bulky organic material
3 Fill in Gaps with green organic material
4 Add decomposing layer
5 Add compost
6 Finish up with layer of mulch
…and that’s it – bed ready for watering and planting! This was
January 2013. I will share pics of the yields we are experiencing with hugelkultuur beds
in my next post…
