Gardeners are taking notice of an ancient gardening technique said to reduce watering, need less fertilizer, improve soil diversity and quality and sequester carbon-all while saving them time and money. Called hügelkultur (hoo-gull-culture)a German phrase which translates roughly as hill, or mound, culture-its central principle combines soil and wood to create a sustainable, low-input growing system that can be adapted to suit various scales and climates. As the wood decomposes it acts like a sponge, supplying the plants with water.
The original purpose of this centuries-old practice was to make use of woody material to help build soil in cold climates. Popularized by Austrian permaculture expert Sepp Holzer, it has been widely embraced in the permaculture community. Now, mainstream gardeners are discovering its benefits, too, amid the challenges of climate change and the rising costs of soil, building materials and fertilizer.
HOW IT WORKS
The typical use of hügelkultur is as a self-sustaining raised bed, edged or not, built from materials you can likely find at little to no cost. You start with layering logs and branches at the base, interspersed with higher-nitrogen material like grass or weed clippings or manure, and topped with highquality soil or compost. A commonly cited ratio is 70-percent woody material to 30-percent green material, such as grass clippings, non-invasive weeds or compostable kitchen scraps.
This story is from the March - April 2024 edition of Horticulture.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March - April 2024 edition of Horticulture.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WEEDING OUT WORRY
Two books give perspectives on gardening's importance to mental health
Prized Perennials
GAPS IN THE GARDEN? TRY ONE OF THESE AWARD-WINNING PLANTS AS A SAFE-BET FIX
A TOAST TO CORK
A trip to Portugal inspired Greg Coppa to peel back the botany of the cork oak
THE GARDEN CENTER'S GRIP
SOMETHING WEIRD HAPPENS when gardeners enter a garden center. We change. Suddenly, somehow, we're overcome with this vague yet powerful, transcendental feeling of liberation, and we become aware of money we probably have and hopefully won't otherwise need.
OUTSIDE OF THE BOX
AS BOXWOOD BLIGHT DAMAGES THIS STAPLE EVERGREEN, IT'S TIME TO LOOK AT WORTHY ALTERNATIVES
NEW MOUNDING ANNUALS
Also known as summer snapdragons, angelonias produce spikes of outward-facing flowers throughout the hottest, most humid time of the year.
AN ANNUAL AFFAIR
Combine a designer's best advice with the year's new varieties for a summer's worth of showstopping containers
A Big Role for SMALL GRASSES
The unexpected benefits of small native grasses
GOLDENSEAL
A woodland herb worth guarding
RICHARD HAWKE
Try and try again