Has anyone else tried hugelkulture?

[Kikiriki]

My sister did this along the front of their barn which was right by a paved road. People kept driving on that little section and making it smaller and smaller, so she used logs and branches, then piled on manure and dirt. The snow melt got logs good and wet so she did not have to water and she did flowers and shrubs appropriate to upstate ny. The first year things went slowly as roots established, which is typical for that area, but nothing died. The plan of a built up mound kept the drivers off the property and on the road. Then the second year...holy smoke! It was lovely! Everything took off like mad! She did not do any food stuff since the runoff was from the road...just ornamental. In another are she did it with a garden area that quite slopped. I was very jealous of her perennial plants that were amazing and other plants volunteered from seeds...lots of herbs: parsley, dill, chives... It worked for a grape vine, and a border of the roses for rosehips, gooseberries, and plum trees. They did it along the property line for wind break/privacy hedge. Did not get to see that, grow up, though...she got cancer and they had to move to a more managable place. They sold to an a young Amish couple and I hope they are enjoying the edibles she left for them! Someday I'll go to look, but it is only a little over a year since she passed away and I just would get too sad.

So YES! It works! Do it!

 

[City Chicken]

Yes! I am building these. Just planted spinach in one that is actually in a raised bed, so you can't tell it's hugelkulture... And am building 2more which will be done soon... Need another layer of dirt. I am really excited about it because it is supposed to improve my soil over the long run and I have clay soil which isn't awesome for growing. It also helps with drainage issues when combined with a swale.

 

[daddykirbs]

A few days ago I pulled back the mulch and put in a bunch of chicken poop. I cleaned out the coops and didn't want to waste the resources. I have also heard that all the wood in the bed can cause a shortage of nitrogen. The chicken poo helps with that.

 

[Kilsharion]

A few days ago I pulled back the mulch and put in a bunch of chicken poop. I cleaned out the coops and didn't want to waste the resources. I have also heard that all the wood in the bed can cause a shortage of nitrogen. The chicken poo helps with that.

So does planting clover around whatever you're planting. It's one reason I try to do clover paths between my plantings. Especially since once things are established, I don't want to rip them up. But, by combining keyhole and hugelkulture concepts, I get to dump most of the bird waste into the compost shoot and it is leeched into the soil as well. It works out as a pretty good combination so far, anyway.