Translating to ‘hill culture’, hügelkultur is an old German and Eastern European method of creating raised beds consisting of woody material buried beneath layers of biomass, compost, and soil in a mound shape. In addition to the benefits of pest suppression and improved drainage that are gained through any raised bed, the woody biomass in the centre of a hügelkultur bed, gradually decomposes, building soil, retaining water and slowly releasing nutrients over time.
