Adventures in Hugelkultur

Experimenting in Hugelkultur on our allotment.

We had self set oak, hawthorn and hazel trees in the hedgerow of our allotment that cast loads of shade over the plot. Instead of chipping or burning them, a friend suggested Hugelkultur!

Basically it’s about composting whole trees and improving your soil in the process: Dig a pit, chuck the trunk and branches in first, followed by twigs, leaves, grass clippings, manure, compost etc and then heap the soil back over.

Plant it up with squash, pumpkins, courgettes, salads etc and the heat of the heap supposedly extends the growing season plus there’s less need for watering.