Brandon Greer wrote: What is the long-term benefit of having deep beds?
Brandon Greer wrote: it makes sense to me to put the hugel beds on contour.
would it make sense to put a swale uphill of the mound? My main concern with swales on my land is the fact that my soil is terrible at absorbing water. But perhaps the soil will be improved on the swale over time and uptake water better?
I'm also interested in creating a lasagna style bed on top of the mound. . Are there any considerations for lasagna gardening on top of a hugel bed?
Another question I have is depth. What is the long-term benefit of having deep beds?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
Brandon Greer wrote:I do intend to have some hugels filled with fruit and nut trees in my plan. But right now the majority of my plans center around annuals
But your reply does bring a question to mind that I hadn't considered before: Are hugels suitable for annual type crops or are they better used for trees and other perennials?
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
Montana on the wrong side of the divide, zone 4 sometimes 5. Cold and dry with clay and rocky (baseball size) soil.
Roberto pokachinni wrote:
Brandon Greer wrote:I do intend to have some hugels filled with fruit and nut trees in my plan. But right now the majority of my plans center around annuals
But your reply does bring a question to mind that I hadn't considered before: Are hugels suitable for annual type crops or are they better used for trees and other perennials?
Planting huguls with trees is not really recommended as the mounds are not stable, and they shrink over time. If you want to plant trees plant them on the side, at the base or on the ground level downslope from the mound. They will benefit from the mound's moisture and probably put roots over to it, but will not topple over as they eat the ground from under themselves.
The mound itself is a perennial system, but it lends itself well to annuals. The issue is that with steep sides, mulching is essential. The more plant cover (perennial or otherwise) that is on the mound, the less erosion potential. Perennials add to the stability of the mound, produce more stable ecological systems, but also tend to be a bit more fungal in their soil profile rather than the bacterial needs of many annuals. But don't let that concern you too much. Plant them with everything. The more you polyculture your plants the better your soil communities will be.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
To understand permaculture is simply to look at how nature has been growing things for thousands of years. The 'secret' is simply to keep the soil covered with plants or mulch.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."-Margaret Mead "The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision."-Helen Keller
Brandon Greer wrote: So since all of the woody material is above ground, then I am guessing that hugels work best on fairly flat ground. I can't image a woody mound being very stable on a slope. Is this correct?
If I decided to build mini hugels (which would be due to limited materials), will this reduce the water retention properties?
As for orientation of the beds, they can be in straight lines placed wherever is convenient correct? I had just began to wrap my head around the whole contour idea so now I'm having to reevaluate everything. Is there anything that should be considered to maximize the amount of water that enters the beds?
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