Hugulkultur...A different kind of "Composting"

[boggybranch]

http://hubpages.com/hub/Hugelkultur-Using-Woody-Waste-in-Composting

 

[hoodat]

That's interesting. Few places have more life in the soil than the floor of a growing forest.

 

[thistlebloom]

I wonder though about planting it immediately. Seems like all that wood would take years to decompose and wouldn't it tie up an awful lot of nitrogen in the process? We have about 8.5 acres in woods and there are lots of decaying logs, which I'm certain support tons of life, bugs and micro-organisms, but it's seems counter intuitive to think of planting a crop in them. Maybe i missed something....think I'll read that again...

 

[big brown horse]

I used (in this order) green logs, old rotted logs, branches, yard clippings, horse manure, dirt, leaves and compost. Then I heavily mulched with straw. Ideally you should build one in the early fall so it will be ready to plant in by the spring.

I started late so mine may not be ready to plant "whatever", for the first year I'm planting nitrogen fixing legumes.

Hugulkulturs have lasted over 20 years, and if maintained correctly, you don't have to till them.