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So Many Types of Hugelkultur Beds!
This week's blog post -
5 Hugelkultur Variations and What You Need to Know is the second in a 3 part series all about
hugelkultur beds. This second post is all about the different types of hugelkultur beds and the pros and cons of each. The first post was an introduction to hugelkultur beds and the 3rd will focus on how to build them.
So let's dive into all the types of hugelkultur beds!
If you do a google search for hugelkultur beds you will find a ton of examples. While they all are similar (
wood buried in soil) there is actually a wide range of sizes and styles. It can be confusing to know how which type is going to work.
For this week's post I organized all these various hugelkultur beds into 5 hugelkultur variations. For each variation I give a quick description and then cover the pros and cons. Each variation has its place and can work great but no one variation is right in all situations.
This week's blog post will help you figure out which type is right for you and your
project.
Here are the 5 hugelkultur variations covered in this post:
1. Slash Pile Covered with Soil
2. Buried Beds (Fully or Partially)
3. Small-to-Medium Beds Above Ground
4. Large Beds Above Ground
5. Formal Raised Beds
I have built 4 out of these 5 types of hugelkultur beds on my homestead resulting in over 300 feet of hugelkultur beds. I took the time to figure out which type was best for the specific project and moved forward from there.
What about you? What type of hugelkultur beds have you built?
The Slash Pile Hugelkultur Variation
This type of hugelkultur bed is one of the easiest to build but also the easiest to get frustrated with. It really is just wood covered with soil and can even just be wood and leaves. Basically, just make a slash pile, add some soil/manure on top and call it good.
I used to be fairly skeptical of this variation and I still
think people build this one by mistake and then have problems growing in it. I think some of the criticism of hugelkultur beds come from this situation.
But as Edible Acres explains in the
video, this method can be a great way if you are not in a rush. If you are willing to wait several years before trying to plant and then plant pioneering species and only plant vegetables 6 or so years in then this method works great.
Seeing what they are doing with their
land made me re-think this method. But before you dive into this method make sure you are okay with waiting potentially years to plant. But if you are then this method could be a great and easy option.
Here are the pros and cons of this method taken from
the blog post.
-
Pros: Simple to build; Does not need large pieces of wood; Great way to use up
yard waste; Can build a large amount of soil.
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Cons: Prone to drying out in the short run; Rodent issues; Large amount of settling over time; Takes a very long time to become productive; Needs soil from a different location in order to cover it.
What do you think? Have you built this type of hugelkultur bed?
Pick the Right Type of Hugelkultur Bed for You
*My newest hugelkultur beds--much more formal than my others but that is best for this specific project. This is my in-progress kitchen garden and gathering area.
Make sure to visit the
blog post to get more information on the other 4 hugelkultur variations not covered in this thread.
I think too often hugelkultur beds are discussed in one size fits all terms. My view is that just like we use variations for many other things on our
homesteads it is important to tailor your hugelkultur beds to your specific situation. Don't try to recreate what someone else has made on their homestead if their situation is dramatically different than yours.
If you are new to hugelkultur beds then make sure you
check out part 1 of this series to get a full introduction into hugelkultur beds. This week's blog post will make a lot more sense if you are already familiar with the basics of hugelkultur beds.
Another great resource is the
micro-documentary offered here on permies all about hugelkultur beds. You can buy the micro-doc for just $3 or just 1 piece of
pie.
The micro-doc is part of
Paul's World Domination Gardening series which you can also find on permies.
And don't forget that
building a large hugelkultur bed (Paul's favorite hugelkultur variation) is also part of the
gardening aspect of permie's new PEP program!
I would love to hear what you think! If you are one of the first to leave a comment on this thread there will likely be apples waiting for you. Plus, if you go to the blog post and are the first from permies to leave a "good" comment on the actual blog post I got a piece of pie for you! Just make sure to comment here too so I can give you your pie (if you use 2 separate names please tell me!).
Thank you!
Hugelkultur Beds Series
-
Hugelkultur Beds: The Best Raised Beds for Your Garden
-
5 Hugelkultur Variations and What You Need to Know