cycl
growers know
The Hills Have... Plants?
A Closer Look at Hügelkultur
by Monica Mansfield
If gardening feels like an
overwhelming and back-breaking
task, you might want to consider
hügelkultur. This ancient technique
uses heaps of decaying wood and
plant material to turn garden beds
into tall, easy-to-reach mounds with
built-in nutrient and water reservoirs.
“ HOO-GUL-CULTURE,
Hügelkultur,
pronounced
is a German word
for ‘hill culture.’”
136
grow cycle
D
epending on your technique, gardening can be
labor intensive. Tilling, watering, and fertilizing
can turn an enjoyable hobby into back-breaking and
cumbersome work. There is one method of garden-
ing, however, that eliminates the chores we dread. It’s
called “hügelkultur.”
Hügelkultur, pronounced hoo-gul-culture, is a
German word for “hill culture.” It is a method of
gardening that has been used in Germany and
Eastern Europe for centuries and remains a common
permaculture practice. Essentially, it is a pile of
decomposing wood covered in soil that creates a
mound you can plant in.
Benefits of Hügelkultur
Hügelkultur mimics natural nutrient cycling. In nature,
when a tree falls, it becomes a nurse log that other
plants will attach their root systems to. As the nurse
log decomposes, it releases nutrients for the other
plants to take up at their leisure. It also becomes
spongy and holds water for the plants to drink when-
ever they get thirsty. Hügelkultur beds use the concept
of a nurse log to create a prime environment for
growing. In fact, it’s almost self-sufficient. Most of the
work for the gardener will take place initially when
setting up the bed, and then it is low to no mainte-
nance for the rest of the season.
This type of bed is also ideal for areas suffering
from drought conditions. The buried logs make up the
bed’s irrigation system by acting as reservoirs that
store rainwater and release it as needed. Large beds
made with large logs will hold the most moisture and
will need to be watered less, if at all. Unless there is