🌿 Raised bed gardening: an ancient technique for a living and self-sustaining soil

Mound cultivation is an ancient technique revived thanks to permaculture. It allows the creation of rich, structured, and fertile soil while significantly reducing labor, watering, and external inputs.
It is a simple approach, accessible to all, that transforms the plant materials available in the garden into a true miniature food forest.

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🌱 A no-till method, respectful of soil life

Unlike conventional gardening, mound cultivation requires no plowing or soil turning.
👉 By letting the natural layers form, we preserve the living structure of the soil and all the microorganisms residing there.

Under the mound, life gradually settles:

• The mycelium of fungi colonizes the wood and connects the roots together through its underground network.

• The earthworms dig tunnels that naturally aerate the mound and improve drainage.

• The decomposer insects (beetles, woodlice, ground beetles…) find refuge in the wood and organic layers.

• The bacteria and microfauna slowly transform matter into rich humus.

➡️ This little invisible world creates a self-sustaining biotope, in which each organism plays an essential role in the fertility and resilience of the mound.

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🌳 Spongy wood, the living heart of the mound

At the center of the mound is a layer of decomposing wood (trunks, large branches, stumps).
Over time, this wood becomes a true natural sponge:

• It absorbs excess water during wet periods.

• It slowly releases this reserve during dry periods.

• It houses fungi and insects that actively participate in matter transformation.

👉 Thanks to this underground “reservoir,” mounds require much less watering, even in summer. This ability to buffer water variations makes mound cultivation particularly suited to climates subject to droughts or heavy rains.

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🔁 A circular and local logic

One of the great advantages of mound cultivation is that it relies on resources already present in the garden.
Rather than taking branches, prunings, and plant material to the dump, they can be directly valorized on site:

• Wood and prunings become the internal structure.

• Dead leaves, grass clippings, and compost pile up to feed the mound.

• Mulches (straw, wood chips, shreddings…) protect the surface and maintain fertility.

➡️ This shifts from a linear model ("produce → throw away") to a circular model where each waste becomes a resource, without unnecessary transport or loss of organic matter.

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🛠️ Key construction steps

1. Choose the location

• Prefer a sunny or slightly shaded spot depending on the crops.

• Trace the outlines (about 1.2 m wide).

2. Install the wooden base

• Place trunks, large branches, or stumps in a slight depression.

• Pack them well to avoid air pockets.

3. Add organic layers

• Fine branches, prunings, dead leaves, grass clippings, coarse compost.

• Finish with a layer of mature compost or good topsoil.

4. Shape the mound

• Form a rounded mound (50 to 80 cm high), slightly compacted but not compressed.

5. Protect with mulching

• Straw, wood chips, dead leaves, or shavings to protect the surface and nourish soil life.

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🌾 A living, productive, and sustainable soil

The growing mound evolves over the years:

• Year 1: very productive thanks to fresh inputs — ideal for hungry vegetables.

• Years 2 to 3: wood decomposition is in full swing, the structure becomes stable, and water retention is optimal.

• Following years: the mound slowly settles but remains very fertile. Simply add mulches and organic matter on the surface to extend its life.

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🌻 A technique suitable for all gardens

Whether it’s a small urban vegetable garden, a sloped plot, or a large area to rehabilitate, mound gardening adapts easily.
It combines generous production, natural resilience, and respect for living beings, without relying on chemical inputs or heavy machinery.

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🌿 In conclusion

Mound gardening is much more than a technique: it is a gardening philosophy in harmony with nature.
It recreates a living, rich, and self-sustaining soil by turning our “green waste” into a valuable resource.
Without tilling, without excessive watering, and with abundant biodiversity, the mound becomes a true nourishing ecosystem, serving both plants and gardeners 🌱✨