How To Make Your Own Hügelkultur
Last Updated: Apr 13, 2025How To Make Your Own Hügelkultur
When you think of gardening, do you visualize straight rows of crops bursting from the ground or beautiful standing boxes with vegetables draped off the edges? What if you could do both, and cut down on cost and time working in your backyard? If that sounds intriguing, read on: Hügelkultur may be for you.
What is hügelkultur?
Hügelkultur(pronounced "Hoo-gul-culture") is an Eastern European agricultural technique dating back hundreds of years. Its name comes from Germanic "Hügel-" meaning mound or hill and "-kultur" meaning culture. It all starts with beds of wood and compostable materials that come together to create an optimal environment for plant and soil life. As the mound matures, its decomposing organic materials release nutrients that become readily available for plants. The term was coined in 1962 by Herrman Andrä but has become more prevalent in recent years thanks to the work of Austrian permaculture advocate, Sepp Holzer.
Table of Contents
- Why use a hügelkultur?
- How Do I Make A Hügelkultur
- When do I make a hügelkultur?
- What are some risks to consider with hügelkultur?
Why use a hügelkultur?
Hügelkultur benefits you and your garden in many ways. Here's how.
1. Less watering
The core of the mound is made up of dried out logs covered in woody branches and finally nitrogen-rich compost. This wooden core acts as a sponge, soaking up water and nutrients from the surrounding mound. Then, during drier times, water and nutrients are slowly released back to the roots of the plants. The larger you construct the hill, the more capacity it can hold, cutting out unnecessary irrigation after the first year of maturation.
2. Extended growing season
As the wood begins to break down in those early years, it generates heat under the soil, slightly extending the growing season and creating a beneficial environment. Imagine the energy produced by wood in a bonfire. Now imagine that same energy slowly releasing over the years to the roots of plants and soil life. That's taking advantage of the second permaculture principle of catching and storing energy. The sun once fueled the tree's growth, and the tree is now feeding the mushrooms and indigenous microorganisms sharing the hügelkultur.
3. Less soil tilling
As it decomposes, spaces between the branches form and aerate the soil, meaning no tilling is necessary.
4. Take better advantage of the sun and wind
You can also take advantage of the microclimates one hügelkultur can create. You can place sun-loving plants on the sun-facing side (south side, if you're north of the equator) and shade tolerate ones on the opposite. You can even position the hügelkultur in a way to direct wind or push it over tender crops.
5. Larger garden
When building this hügelkultur, you're also increasing the surface area you can grow on, compared to flat ground.
6. Less strain on your back
Because you now have a mound to work with, you are decreasing how far you have to bend to harvest.
How Do I Make A Hügelkultur
There are many types of hügelkultur designs, with some built into the ground and others in raised beds. Though they can be any size, the Permaculture Research Institute found the most beneficial mounds to be roughly 2.1 meters tall (nearly seven feet). Start with the core, and pile it up with massive logs or thick branches. Then, continue building the outer part by layering on small pieces of twigs and branches that would otherwise go unused. Fit the wood firmly together, limiting gaps between the logs.
Tanner Sagouspe
Tanner Sagouspe has a Masters in Environmental Management and is a Permaculture Designer who promotes tackling the climate crisis at home.
