Hügelkultur, pronounced 'hoo-gul-culture,' is a no-dig horticulture method that utilizes the nutrients and water retention capabilities of rotting wood to create mound-style, self-fertilizing beds. Also known by terms like “mound culture,” “hill culture,” or “hill mound,” hügelkultur is a budget-friendly permaculture technique. Permaculture, according to Greenly, refers to the concept of “utilising land, resources, people and the environment in a manner that doesn't produce any waste.”
German farmers in the Middle Ages were distressed because their soil was not fertile enough. They needed a way to improve the fertility of the soil so they could grow plants, per Olle Gardens. They ended up inventing this technique that not only makes the soil fertile but also offers better drainage. “While traditional beds are typically filled with a mix of topsoil and compost, hugelkultur beds incorporate wood and other organic materials. This creates a self-fertilizing system that improves soil fertility over time,” explains Family Handyman.
The primary ingredient is, of course, some chips or logs of decomposing wood. Experts at Family Handyman say you can start with “untreated, natural wood” and then move on to include materials like twigs, fallen branches, logs, chopped pieces of tree trunks, and compostable items like vegetable peelings, leaves, and grass clippings. Reddit user u/QAgirl94 utilized chicken bedding and food scraps to create a hügelkultur bed for growing tomatoes and beans. Another user, u/tan_blue, recommends adding a wire mesh under the logs to keep the digging rodents out of the bed.
Pick a sunny spot, Ross Hulstein, owner of landscaping company Enviroscapes, shared with DenGarden. Another tip is to set up the bed from north to south. “Since hügelkultur beds are mounded rather than flat, placing them east to west means one side will always be in the shade,” he explains. “This might only be useful in very sunny climates, or if you want to create a cooler, more shaded area. Otherwise, east to west isn’t the best setup,” Hulstein explained.
