growers know
a long-term drought, you may never even
need to water. Smaller beds made with
only sticks and debris will probably still
need to be watered regularly, however.
It is also a good idea to cover your bed
with mulch, which will help conserve
even more water.
Since the wood in the pile is decom-
posing, a hugel bed is warm enough to
extend your growing season. You can
successfully plant earlier and later in the
year. Also, you can plant immediately
after building your hugel bed. While you
will get a good crop the first time around,
expect your harvest to multiply by five
times within three years. This is the kind
of garden that improves with age.
What’s more, you won’t have to till the
soil in your hügelkultur bed. Not only
does the shape of the hill prevent soil
compaction, but the decomposing logs
and beneficial fungi break up the earth
for you and improve aeration. The result
is rich, loose, black dirt.
If you have physical issues that make
it uncomfortable to bend over, the height
of hugel beds allow you to stand while
you harvest your veggies. The height
and shape of the beds also increase the
square footage of available planting
space compared to a flat garden bed.
How to Make Your Own
Hügelkultur Bed
To create your own hügelkultur bed,
you must first choose your location. A
6x3-foot area is ideal, but you can make
your bed smaller or larger. Just note that
in smaller beds may need you to add
wood should be on the bottom and the
smaller pie ces on top until the bed
reaches your desired height.
Then, take the sod you removed
and place it on top of the pile, grass
side down. Cover the sod with the
dirt that you set aside when you dug
the trench, compost, and topsoil until
there is a two to six-inch layer of soil
covering the bed. Finally, finish with
a layer of mulch, such as leaves,
woodchips, or straw. You could also
plant clover immediately to serve as
living mulch. That’s all it takes. Your
hügelkultur bed is ready for planting,
which you should do immediately so
that wild plants don’t take over this
prime real estate.
There are a few variations of this
method to note. If you like the look of
raised beds in your garden and don’t
want to dig a trench, you can pile
your woody materials into a raised
bed and cover with compost and soil
for the same results. You can also
take advantage of this technique
when planting trees and bushes. Dig
the hole deeper than you normally
would so that you can put logs in
the bottom of the hole beneath the
tree and fill in the crevices with dirt.
As the logs decompose, the tree will
have constant access to nutrients and
water—and you don’t have to install
an additional irrigation system.
If you love growing your own food and
but don’t have a lot of time to work in
the garden, hügelkultur beds are a
great solution. After the initial set up,
nature will take over and all you will
have to do is harvest your yield.
COMPOST/SOIL
“
LEAVES/GRASS
Hügelkultur beds
use the concept
of a nurse log to
create a prime
environment
for growing.”
138
more material to them over the years.
Also keep in mind that gardeners using
this method claim that the fruits and
vegetables grown on the north side of
the bed taste sweeter and those planted
on the south side. So, plan accordingly
with your crops.
If your chosen site has grass, dig up
the sod. Next, dig down one foot into the
earth to create a shallow trench. This is
where you’ll bury your wood and leaves.
You’ll need wood that is already
decomposing as freshly cut wood will
leach nitrogen instead of releasing it.
Look for fallen trees, branches, twigs,
and leaves that have been lying around
for one to three years. Keep your eyes
open for mushroom growth, which is a
sign of decomposition. You’ll want to
use hardwoods because they take longer
to decompose and can feed your hugel
bed for 20-30 years. For best results,
choose alder, apple, aspen, birch,
cottonwood, Douglas fir, hemlock, maple,
oak, poplar, and willow. However, avoid
cedar, locust, and walnut trees because
they are slow decomposers and inhibit
the growth of other plants.
Once gathered, place the largest
chunks of wood on the bottom of the pile.
Next, push vegetative material in the
crevices and corners between the wood,
and then top with organic materials
such as manure, compost, straw, or
hay. This adds nitrogen to the pile and
helps to maintain a proper carbon to
nitrogen ratio during composting. Just
take care not to use invasive plants as
the vegetative filler or else they may
take over your new bed. Continue adding
layers, alternating wood with organic
materials. Again, the larger pieces of
grow cycle
BRUSH/TWIGS
ROTTEN WOOD
OLDER/SOFTWOODS
NEW LOGS/HARDWOOD