2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

Hugelkultur bed

This was my first time building a Hugelkultur (knowingly).
It is 10 x 16 raised bed free form.

First year results were not great, too much wood and too little dirt.
Potatoes were big plants small taters. Beans did well(typical). Squash was a bust as was radishes and turnips. Tomatoes struggled, small plants, few maters. The beets didn't fair well.

The pumpkins were big plants and good production.

It is half planted with root veggies for the fall/winter.

It should get better each year.
A crude soil sample shows; more than 50% organic material. After the first summer there is still alot of soft woody stuff. But, the woody stuff is small and broken down under 1 inch, some are still big and bulk, but nothing over 6 inches, that I've seen. Mostly they crumble or snap with little effort.
Looking forward to next spring.

opabinia51
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 4659
Joined: Thu Oct 21, 2004 5:58 pm
Location: Victoria, BC

Good on you! Thanks so much for sharing! We hope to have a yearly update!

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

That's VERY interesting. 8)
Hm... for comparison's sake, how did the same crop do in your regular veg garden -- trying to factor in the cold wet summer we had this year....

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

Apple,
Tomatos were not great this year but were three times the size in the regular garden and 10 times the production VS the Hugelkulture.

Radishes and turnips did well elsewhere in the garden, in fact turnips did excellent in the other areas.
Except the spot with too much coffee grounds. That was too much UCG for taters and tomato as well

The winter crop got off to a quick start then we had a cold October and they are still small. My gut tells me they are too small and will likely die off.

I believe this area will get better with each passing year as the large amount of OM continues to break down. I am debating whether to fertilize this area or let it go and see how it turns out next year.

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

The HugelKulter bed started fall 2008.
2009 was not great success, although pumpkins, beans and taters were okay.

This year it looks like dirt, digging around you can find some woody stuff 6 inch-1 foot deep. But it is alomost all broken down, that was really fast on the decomposition. Almost no dirt added, just a few shovels of clay.
this is a rich humus dirt, soft, easy to dig/turn. Weeds pull out with no effort, unlike my normal clay.

This year it is going great guns. radishes, beans, pumpkins, potatoes, carrots. Everything is big and strong looking.

So far I've harvested: lettuce & carrots planted late last fall, radishes will be ready in a few days.

I have an Atlantic Giant planted in this bed........plan is for it to be the culmination of a successful Hugelkulter experiment.
No I am not doing the raise a world record. It needed more fertilizer and I didn't have time to get a load last fall.
I am just hoping for a couple of the biggest Jack-o-lanterns on the street. Looking forward to needing multiple candles or put maybe run Christmas lights inside the Pumpkins.

Having fun in the garden,
2cents

I want to thank Paul Wheaton and everyone else who have posted on this topic. It really got me interested. I've had fun with the building of the bed. And the family will reap the benefit for year to come.

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

I started some small scale hugel beds early this spring and have just planted some crops in them, as I was digging to plant I was amazed at how quickly the material had broken down in only 3 months so far, but what I put in was partly rotting already, as that was what I had at the time.

will try larger scale as I'm able to get the work done..but so far I'm pleased.

paul wheaton
Full Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:32 pm

I predict that this year will be good. And next year will be even better.

As the years pass, the wood will decompose and shrink. This will be kinda like gently tilling the soil - but in a way that is not as damaging as actually tilling.

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

I wish I had heard about hugel and some of the other things I've learned about lately back when I originally learned about permaculture, the early books I read then didn't talk about a lot of things I've been learning this year.

I'm very thankful for the forums and the books but esp for Paul as he has been an incredible help to me in learning and in chastising me when I'm on the wrong path..turn around education ..

kinda wish I could rip everything up and start over...but that won't happen..(don't disturb the soil)
but now at least I know better and will be improving things as opportunity presents itself.
More hugel type beds will be having a future here..esp in the woods edges that are still being developed and in the area north of our pond where the pond fill piles still are to be worked over and redone into fertile planting areas.

paul wheaton
Full Member
Posts: 53
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2009 4:32 pm

Chastising is fun. :)

ronbre
Cool Member
Posts: 91
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:34 pm
Location: Michigan

I'm thrilled today my walnuts and apples that hadn't leafed out yet showed leaves all over today, so the walnut guild is now a go..yes yes yes..and my mulberries will arrive tomorrow, 3, so I'll be planting them.
And we fortunately got a decent light rain today, may get a little more, we really needed it so that will prepare for my planting tomorrow.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

That's terrific! :D

Joyfirst
Green Thumb
Posts: 361
Joined: Wed Feb 03, 2010 6:45 pm
Location: Southern California

Now you got me interested. Can you explain it shortly? Is it in Sepp Holzer book(I am waiting for it to come from Europe).

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

It has been so dry everything in the hugel bed dried out....nothing left but a couple weeds....

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

In case it makes you feel better, it's been so dry here most everything in my regular raised beds is done too. It's not the fault of the hugelkulture!

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

I just added chipped leaves on top of the hugel kulture bed. I hope this helps and not hurts for next years veggies.

The Helpful Gardener
Mod
Posts: 7491
Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
Location: Colchester, CT

Hugelkultur might not be the best idea for every crop...

Our row crops do better in a mixed bacterial/fungal soil for the most part. Leaning a touch to the bacterial in many cases (try growing a tomato in woodland soil to see what I mean). Perennial crops like it a touch fungal. Tree and shrub crops like it a lot fungal, and would be great in a wood based soil.

Also what part of the tree are we using? Tops and tips are WAY less carbon intensive than trunks and roots, so leaves are a much more veggie friendly intro to garden soil than stumps...

Still, if we build the wood at the core of a bed and build bacterial soils over and around it, we get a carbon intensive bed that deep roots will access, but shallow rooted row crops not so much; best of both worlds...

The devil is in the details...

HG

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

Hugel(fall 2008) update.
2011 It is dark soft humus filled soil.
last year late drought, everything suffered..died
I did get some potatoes. Lots of tiny ones were left lay.
Planted garlic October, but we had a cold spell early and not much growth.
This spring was an amazing bed. Potatoes(4 gallons) & garlic(1 gallon) & a couple shallots.
Replanted last week and have green beans up. Put in some garlic, marigold, potato mounds. there is a little room for?....?
Anyone thinking of starting a Hugel bed it is worth the effort.

2cents
Green Thumb
Posts: 616
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:04 am
Location: Ohio

The hugel bed has decayed almost to nothing only a few inches of rich soil.
Last year part seemed almost sandy, all of the sandiness is gone.
Deep dark rich soil.
It produces as well as any other area of the garden......BUT.......The deer seem to like to walk right into it and eat at will ????? :x
They aren't that crazy over other parts of the garden.
Probably a coincidence. But this part of the garden is all natural and everything tastes delicious.



Return to “Permaculture Forum”