hügelkultur, is a mounding technique that has been practiced for millenniums. the mounds are mostly built by layering larger material at the core and smaller material towards the surface, of organic matter, biomass. mounding provides many advantages and improves soil, most importantly habitat for microbial life.

every civilization has practiced mounding in some form or other. a mound, most likely is not tilled, reducing the chances of soil disturbance. fungal and bacterial life thrives in the mound, of aerobic conditions. reduction in tillage is important to build good soil.

using locally available tree biomass, helps reduce the need for the tree biomass to be transported, to be processed and our need to build up organic matter in our soil, significantly reducing the use of resources and we get to sequester the carbon, improving the soil fertility.

Indigenous Mound Builders in Uruguay

The Three Sisters of Indigenous American Agriculture