Cathryn Doney

Well the first biochar hugelkultur bed is underway Now all I need to do is be patient and wait for the wet season to do it's thing. I didn't dig, in the end we just collected burnt wood from a recent bush fire, put a layer of compost on top, then a layer of dirt and leaf litter, then a layer of straw, more dirt, and lawn clippings. Waiting to get enough chook poo and will continue to layer like this. I'm planning to sow a legume mix over the wet season (dont' know if it will stand up to the monsoon and humidity but we'll see) and turn it back in. Hopefully by March 2016 it will be perfect! Thanks for all your suggestions, really appreciate it. Cheers, Cathryn.

That's an excellent point Rogers John about the extra drainage offered by Hugelkultur beds, regardless of the additional nutrients. Thanks, I'm convinced I need to give this a go! cheers, Cathryn

Does anyone have any experience with Hugelkultur in the monsoon tropics, and particularly the incidence of fungal infection? Ie does having the rotting wood under the garden bed encourage fungal (and other) infections? We are approaching the start of our wet season and I'm about to start preparing some raised beds ready for planting with cover crops before the monsoon, and planting out once the rains stop in about March. Wondering if I should incorporate a hugelkultur (plenty of wood available) - also looking for tips on what woods to use or avoid. Lots of paperbarks, eucalypts, cycads and other natives available via a recent burn. Also a fair amount of palms. Perhaps I should do two beds, one hugel and one not and see what happens? Any hints or tips for hugels in the tropics appreciated!