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Would hugelkultur in a pot work?

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posted 14 years ago

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One of the downsides of growing is pots is that you have to water more often. I was wondering if using hugelkultur in a pot would work? Use big pots, laydown some wood, fill with dirt, and the advantages should be the same shouldn't they?

Ken Peavey

steward

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Location: FL

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posted 14 years ago

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Part of what makes hugelkulture work is the diversity of life in the area and the depth of that life. A plant pot is a microbiotope with reduced interaction with the surrounding. It takes time for the life to develop within the hugulkulture environment, so annual plants may not be practical in a hugelpot.

If the pot was big and deep, I'd think there may be some advantages. Try it out.

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Jordan Lowery

pollinator

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Location: zone 7

posted 14 years ago

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how big a pot are we talking about

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Ken Peavey

steward

Posts: 2482

Location: FL

151

posted 14 years ago

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I'm thinking a couple of feet deep at least would be needed. A hugelbed would be made with a foot or more of woody debris with a foot or more of soil on top. Where is that thread about alternative uses for 55 gallon drums?

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Paul Cereghino

gardener

Posts: 866

Location: South Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Cascadia, North America

posted 14 years ago

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What about the wick in a pot trick... some kind of fabric in the pot, out the bottom, and then into a basin of water. Capillary action wicks water into the soil.

Paul Cereghino- Ecosystem Guild
Maritime Temperate Coniferous Rainforest - Mild Wet Winter, Dry Summer

Posts: 5

posted 14 years ago

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Check out this post

https://permies.com/permaculture-forums/9297_0/organic-sustainable-practices/building-planterbox-need-advice

Dave Miller

pollinator

Posts: 453

Location: Zone 8b: SW Washington

I like...

posted 14 years ago

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I transplanted about 70 seedlings into 1-gallon pots recently. I don't have much topsoil so I used rotting wood chips in the bottom half and compost in the top half, with a thin layer of peat moss on the top. So far the plants seem happy, and there a lot of mushrooms sprouting up.

So yes I think hugelkultur in a pot would work as long as the wood is fairly well decomposed.

Brenda Groth

pollinator

Posts: 4437

Location: North Central Michigan

posted 14 years ago

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i have read somewhere..not sure where..that filling pots with compostable materials before adding soil, even just leaves, is helpful, but I haven't tried it as I don't do well with containers..(too lazy to water them)

Brenda

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