We have been working on preparing a site in the clear cut area of land for a future permaculture installation.
Our plan is to adopt some hugelkulture techniques to plant some permaculture food. To do this, we’ll create raised mounds that have layers. We’ll start by digging trenches, then lay a base layer of logs, followed by wood chips, compost, subsoil, topsoil, and then mulch. By keeping the beds tall and lofty it will create an aerobic environment for microbes to begin breaking down all of the organic material buried within the hugelmound. That material will break down over time creating a heaping pile of topsoil jam packed with amazing nutrients for years to come. This technique has been coined with the name hugelkultur, and has been used by thousands of people to create permanent perennial/annual garden beds.
Here is a photo of the site we had clear cut in October last year. We cover cropped it with rye grass, oats, buckwheat, & white clover. I used a string trimmer and brush cutter to cut everything in a hundred foot squared area.
Here is a closer look at the site. We started by taking post with orange flags to determine our four corners. Then we cut the 5ft ryegrass and tree re-growth out. We piled up all loose branches, sticks, logs, and bushes that will be used in the making the hugelmounds.
