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I can't remember his name. I think he was active in the 50's to 70's. His techniques involved creating berms of fallen branches and twigs, and later incorporating the decayed matter into his soils.

Any help would be appreciated!

Jiminion
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1 Answers1

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The berms of branches and twigs practice is referred to as Hügelkultur The technique dates back a few centuries in Germany and Eastern Europe. In the 1960's it gained new life when Sepp Holzer (an Austrian) put it to use along with numerous other techniques to improve farm yields on his land.

GardenerJ
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    Yes it's sepp holzer, though it wasn't just twigs and branches, it was also whole felled trees, especially once they'd gone soft. They help help keep the soil moist, and also warm in the winter time. One of his more famous exploits was being able to raise fruit bearing citrus tree in germany by keeping the core of the tree warm beneath the soil. – Escoce Mar 19 '16 at 01:53
  • Hey! Thank you. No, I wasn't thinking of Sepp Holzer, but your answer gave me the added information I needed. It was Jean Pain. Thank you. I will look into both Jean Pain and Sepp Holzer. (There is a book by Jean Pain available somewhere.) [Anyway, I will give your answer the check.] Thanks again. – Jiminion Mar 21 '16 at 14:16
  • http://www.jean-pain.com/en/charge-mjp.php – Jiminion Mar 21 '16 at 14:19