Bed position: North/south? east/west?

Mar 19, 2015 21:56:44

The title says it all.

What's everyone's thoughts on what direction the hugelkultur beds face?

Is it better to go north/south so both sides get sun? Or east/west for more sun on one side, more shade on the other?

What else makes you decide how to face the beds?

Mar 20, 2015 07:23:44

I have wondered about this too. Watching some of Paul's HK videos he even goes so far as to use seemingly "corn maze" designs.

Mar 20, 2015 08:23:40

I am the worlds biggest fence sitter. Most of mine runs predominantly northwest to southeast, although both ends wander into a more north south orientation before they blend into the rest of the terrain. It may be another option for those who have trouble choosing in a false dichotomy. Remember, these are Hugel beds and are supposed to be organic things. They are not Lego bricks that snap down on only two axes. Orienting them along topographical lines IMHO is way more important than cardinal lines.

Mar 22, 2015 07:43:03

Matthew McCoul wrote:The title says it all.

What's everyone's thoughts on what direction the hugelkultur beds face?

Is it better to go north/south so both sides get sun? Or east/west for more sun on one side, more shade on the other?

What else makes you decide how to face the beds?

it depends on the lay of the land and soil structure , each set up is unique to it's self. [we have a 1''-10'' fall off]
our hills are approximately north and south for drainage purposes.
most of the water in the area runs on top of the bedrock [12-24''deep] in the spring were the bed's are.
the bed's will get all the water it can hold and pass the rest on down the hill.
as for sun,our season is short so we will take all we can get on both sides of the hill.

Mike

Mar 22, 2015 17:28:54

Matthew McCoul wrote:The title says it all.

A very juvenile part of me completed your title as...

Bed position: North/South? East/West?... On top/or not?

But you are talking about hugelkulture... I'll go and sit on the naught step now and try and do something about my filthy mind!

Mar 23, 2015 04:19:09

Matthew, I seem to recall Sepp Holzer mentioning placing them at least roughly perpendicular to the prevailing wind. You might want to factor that in as well. I am located far enough north that orienting the hugelbeds north-south solved the wind problem and maximized sunlight for the beds.

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