Build a Hugelkultur - PEP BB gardening.sand.hugelkultur

Building a new hugel at Allerton Abby.

The wood was collected from around the Abby site, off cuts from constructing the green house, old weathered logs, broken junk poles and brush. A mix of new wood and rotting wood. The logs were stacked perpendicular to the run of the berm.

I built a hugelkultur up at Wheaton Labs. It was quite a satisfying experience, and using the excavator was super fun! Excited to see how it looks in a year.

I planted the following seeds: Buckwheat, Crimson Clover, Alfalfa, Winter Peas, Alsike clover, Rose clover, Common vetch, Red cow peas, cherry pit, English peas, White dutch clover, Delicatta squash, and the requisite dozen Sepp Holzer grains. I also planted 3 each of comfrey and sunchokes.

The wood was sourced from different brush piles and logs near the Wofati. Some needed to be cut down to size using the chainsaw. I believe that they were all pine logs, since that's the primary tree species on the property.

My mulches were a mixture of grasses that I don't know the name of, knapweed, pine branches, and some barley.

Built a Hugel at the 2021 SKIP event using an Excavator.

This wood came from various cut off left overs that where next to the passive green house or across the road from it.

Here is a list of what was planted:
Sepp Holzer grains
Buckwheat
Mustard
Crimson clover
Alfalfa
Winter peas
Alsike clover
Common vetch
Red cow peas
White Dutch clover
Cherry
Black walnut
Rye grass
Tillage radish
Sun chokes
Comfrey

The mulch was a mix of:

evergreen branches
Mullen
wood mulch that happened to be right behind this hugel spot from a stump.
Sepp Holzer Grass dead standing harvest.
Nap weed
Grass
Sunchoke (transplanted)

Mike Haasl wrote:This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Gardening.

Jump into the full power of permaculture gardening.  Create a garden that will pump out food for decades with no further effort.  

Hugelkultur is laid out very well in this Richsoil Article.

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
  - 7 feet tall, 7 feet wide, 6 feet long
  - mulch it with at least 4 different kinds of mulch
  - seed/plant at least a dozen different species
  - mostly nitrogen fixers (>75% by volume)
  - at least three comfrey plants
  - at least three sunchokes
  - at least a dozen sepp holzer grains (currently available as a prize for anyone who reaches [url=https://permies.com/wiki/144618/BB-Certification-Apply-Boast-Certify]BB20[/url

Can someone please explain the value of insisting on SUNCHOKES which apparently in most cases, according to food facts... it makes you fart?

I think it's because they grow easily in Montana & many other places. They also provide a huge amount of tasty nutritious food for many years with practically zero effort. They are sturdy & help stabilize the soil on the tall hugels. I personally never had any issue with gas from them. Some people might but not everyone does.

Mike Barkley wrote:I think it's because they grow easily in Montana & many other places. They also provide a huge amount of tasty nutritious food for many years with practically zero effort. They are sturdy & help stabilize the soil on the tall hugels. I personally never had any issue with gas from them. Some people might but not everyone does.

Thanks Mike.
Appreciate that.

I looked online but all stocks (NGM or heirloom etc - at least) are sold. So I cant include it.
I wonder if there is a REPLACEMENT that meets the premise BADGE standards?

I don't think any substitute would be accepted for this particular BB. Others have asked the same question. My suggestion is keep looking. Perhaps you could start a new thread asking if anyone has some available to sell or trade.

Hello,  

FOR attempting the H.bed.for the first time.

I have not been able to get NGM /heirloom sun choke tubers. They are out of stock
Is anyone in Australia who has some spare able to sell me/ post me some? If yes please message/email me so we can arrange that.

Also can someone KINDLY list the 12 species or such that I am meant to  add.  It is the last ting on the badge list for Hugel beds.
I went to both the live links in that line, and they did not seem forthcoming with informing me of WHAT those are to know if I can geet any of them here.


I guess I can add them all later,  or whenever i can get hold of the items, its a journey right!
Regardless of completing the fullfillment of this Permiebadge, Im GETTING A HUGEL BED Yay.

Hi Joyce, your 12 species can be whatever you want as long as you satisfy the following conditions:

 - seed/plant at least a dozen different species
 - mostly nitrogen fixers (>75% by volume)
 - at least three comfrey plants
 - at least three sunchokes
 - at least a dozen sepp holzer grains

ADMIN - question please.

In terms of all the plants that must be included in the hugelkulture bed,
1) WHERE IS THE BEST location for each of them?
(out of curiosity and if I could meet the standards to get this badge)

And how do we access them?

2) I finally have seed for Artichoke, but not sure if it is the actual SUNCHOKE you folk expect, or does any variety of Artichoke qualify?
since Artichoke are apparently root-food, then they need to be somewhere on the pile/bed where they can be dug up without disturbing other roots and growth.
So are they best at the base , or what's best?
Thanks.
Joyce.