Hugelkultur raised garden beds in a nutshell:

• grow a typical garden without irrigation or fertilization
• has been demonstrated to work in deserts as well as backyards
• use up rotting wood, twigs, branches and even whole trees that would otherwise go to the dump or be burned
• it is pretty much nothing more than buried wood
• can be flush with the ground, although raised garden beds are typically better
• can start small, and be added to later
• can always be small – although bigger is better
• You can save the world from global warming by doing carbon sequestration in your own back yard!
• perfect for places that have had trees blown over by storms
• can help end world hunger
• give a gift to your future self

The verbose details about hugelkultur raised garden beds

It’s a german word and some people can say it all german-ish. I’m an american doofus, so I say “hoogle culture”. I had to spend some time with google to find the right spelling. Hugal, hoogal, huegal, hugel …. And I really like saying it out loud: “hugelkultur, hoogle culture, hoogal kulture ….” – it could be a chant or something.

I learned this high-falootin word at my permaculture training. I also saw it demonstrated on the Sepp Holzer terraces and raised beds video – he didn’t call it hugelkultur, but he was doing it.

Hugelkultur is nothing more than making raised garden beds filled with rotten wood. This makes for raised garden beds loaded with organic material, nutrients, air pockets for the roots of what you plant, etc. As the years pass, the deep soil of your raised garden bed becomes incredibly rich and loaded with soil life. As the wood shrinks, it makes more tiny air pockets – so your hugelkultur becomes sort of self tilling. The first few years, the composting process will slightly warm your soil giving you a slightly longer growing season. The woody matter helps to keep nutrient excess from passing into the ground water – and then refeeding that to your garden plants later. Plus, by holding SO much water, hugelkultur could be part of a system for growing garden crops in the desert with no irrigation.

I do think there are some considerations to keep in mind. For example, I don’t think I would use cedar. Cedar lasts so long because it is loaded with natural pesticides/herbicides/anti-fungal/anti-microbial (remember, good soil has lots of fungal and microbial stuff). Not a good mix for tomatoes or melons, eh? Black locust, black cherry, black walnut? These woods have issues. Black locust won’t rot – I think because it is so dense. Black walnut is very toxic to most plants, and cherry is toxic to animals, but it might be okay when it rots – but I wouldn’t use it until I had done the research. Known excellent woods are: alders, apple, cottonwood, poplar, willow (dry) and birch. I suspect maples would be really good too, but am not certain. Super rotten wood is better than slightly aged wood. The best woods are even better when they have been cut the same day (this allows you to “seed” the wood with your choice of fungus – shitake mushrooms perhaps?).

Another thing to keep in mind is that wood is high in carbon and will consume nitrogen to do the compost thing. This could lock up the nitrogen and take it away from your growies. But well rotted wood doesn’t do this so much. If the wood is far enough along, it may have already taken in sooooo much nitrogen, that it is now putting it out!

Pine and fir will have some levels of tanins in them, but I’m guessing that most of that will be gone when the wood has been dead for a few years.

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What is a Keyhole Garden?

Each keyhole garden has a composting basket built into its center. This gives the garden a keyhole shape when viewed from above. The garden uses a number of layers to retain moisture and nourish the soil, making it more productive than a conventional garden. The composting basket replenishes the soil’s nutrients as well. The garden is made from materials that are all available at low cost.

Benefits of the Keyhole Garden

Soil enrichment
• The layers of organic materials decompose over time, adding nutrients to the soil.
• The central composting basket continuously replenishes the soil.

Moisture retention
• The layers soak up moisture, so the garden requires less water to remain moist.

Year-round vegetable production
• The stones of the keyhole garden wall absorb heat from the sun, protecting crops from cold winter temperatures.

Labor saving technology
• The soil re-nourishment and moisture retention reduce the amount of time required to maintain the garden.
• The garden shape makes it more accessible to sick or elderly gardeners.

Low-cost design
• All construction materials should be readily available (at no cost) to gardeners.
• Gardeners might need to purchase seeds for planting, however.

Steps in Construction of a Keyhole Garden

• A circle about 6 1/2 feet across is cleared.
• Four corner posts are secured into the ground.

• The outline of the garden is marked with stones.
• The outline dips inwards at the center.

• The basket is encircled with rope and lined with thatching grass to allow water that is poured into the basket to flow into the garden soil.

• The first layer of the garden is iron scraps such as empty food and beverage cans, aloe leaves, dry animal bones, broken clay pots, which can be substituted with fist-size stones
• These materials provide minerals to the soil as well as drainage in heavy rains.

• The first layer is covered with soil that gives nutrients, thatching grass that retains moisture, and wood ash that provides potassium.
• Every layer should slope downwards from the basket so water can flow properly into the soil.
• Soil is added on top of the wood ash.

• Soil is added on top of the wood ash.
• A thick layer of mixed soil and dry manure is added on top. Using wet manure will kill young seedlings
• Add stones to the garden walls as the layers grow taller.

• Seeds are planted according to the season.
• During the winter, protect plants from the cold with thatching grass or old carpet. During the day, plants should be uncovered so they receive sunlight.

Planting Keyhole Garden

Space, soil nutrients, and pest management are key considerations in planning your garden. Companion planting is planting different kinds of crops together in the same garden in order to best satisfy those needs. Different methods include planting leafy crops next to root vegetables or planting pest-resistant vegetables(like onion or garlic) next to regular crops. To best ensure that your garden will
stay fertile and resist pests, plant a minimum of four vegetable types.

Preferred Crops For Keyhole Gardens

Root Crops

• Carrot
• Onion
• Beetroot
• Radish
• Turnips
• Garlic

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