Hügelkultur

thumb|A schematic image of a Hügelkultur mound.

(Not shown is the top layer of mulch to protect against erosion and drying out.) Hügelkultur (, alternative spelling without umlaut: Huegelkultur), literally mound bed or mound culture, is a horticultural technique where a mound constructed from decaying wood debris and other compostable biomass plant materials is later (or immediately) planted as a raised bed. Considered a permaculture practice, advocates claim that the technique helps to improve soil fertility, water retention, and soil warming, thus benefitting plants grown on or near such mounds.