Hügelkultur (Hugelculture)

Sepp Holzer? Yeah that's the guy who grows Citrus in the Alps in over a 1300m altitude without the help of greenhouses. One of the principles he uses is the so called Hügelkultur he "invented".


Hugelkultur
Is simply rotting wood. Therefore a woodpile is covered with twigs and soil, additionally you can
fixate the whole Construction with L formed Branches you stick in the pile with the long end.
Now you can plant a vast variety of plants shrubs and trees.
The rotting woodpile easily absorbs and stores moisture for a long period, making this technique usable from the mountains to the desert, as water means life.
Fungus and all kinds of Creatures now start decomposing the nutrients stored in the wood over a long period of time.

one month

one year

two years


Take Care in choosing the right wood, as some varietys hardly rott. The more resinous and harder the wood, the longer it takes.

For more Information

LINKS:
http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/
http://www.permies.com/forums/f-117/hugelkultur