Hugulkultur (woody bed) alignment

[philbert]

As part of the 13 Skills challenge, I am going to put in a hugelkultur (or woody bed).  I have listened to a lot of podcasts about them from both TSP and Paul Wheaton, but it's not clear to me whether they should be aligned north/south, on contour, or along contour?

I am envisaging two of them, perhaps 12' long and 3-4' high, so this is not a Sepp Holzer 1000 yard long affair.

Our land is more or less flat pasture, with a very slight slope (maybe 1:300 or less) running downhill from north to south.

I am in the southern hemisphere, so things are north facing to catch the sun, rather than south facing as in the northern hemisphere.

[95bravo]

I think it matters on your climate and what your trying to grow and when. I live in North America. For example; for me I would put cool winter crops on the south side of the Hugal in the winter to catch the low angled sun. In summer on the north side to keep them cooler. What direction does your wind blow? Do you want to cool stuff down, or heat it up with a sun trap. I plant a double row of corn on the north and west side of my garden. The rows on the west side slows down the wind that blows from the west. The rows on the north side makes a sun trap.

[CopperKnight]

The point of the wood is mainly to hold water and in the near future provide nutrition for the plants.  As for the alignment, you would want to consider what you are planting and how the shadows of taller plants will affect smaller plants.  Maybe if you have a wind problem, have a higher bed and plant hardy things on the wind side and have a slightly shorter bed and plant more delicate things on the lee side?

[philbert]

Thanks guys, I have got a little further with this in my 13 skills log

After seeking some advice on permies.com, I have come up with a "design" (well, concept) for the garden bed.

[Nicodemus]

"North (Sunny Side)" hurt my brain for a moment. I really should still be sleeping. Doesn't everyone live in the Northern Hemisphere?