Hügelkultur: If You Build It, It Will Grow!
What on earth is hügelkultur? Originating in Germany, it’s translated as “mound or hill culture” and some refer to it as an in-ground compost pile with a garden on top of it that decomposes very slowly. A natural mound shaped raised bed that can be easy to build in only a few steps. But first, let’s dive into some of the benefits of a mound culture.
Hügelkultur Benefits
Hügelkulturs are no-dig raised beds that hold moisture, build fertility, and provide a great space for growing fruit, vegetables, and herbs. They also can be cheap, built with fallen debris, lawn cuttings, kitchen scraps, and cardboard.
Because hügelkultur mounds are a living compost pile of nutrients, there’s no need to buy expensive plant food. They’re a great way to dispose of fall foliage that has fallen and even better for the environment. Depending on what you include in your mound culture and the size of the materials, it can continue to compost down for up to 20 years.
Due to the process of decomposing, these beds typically warm up and can thus give you a longer growing season than an in-ground bed. And, since the mounds can be as high as 6 feet high, there’s little to no bending when it comes to maintaining and harvesting your crop!
How to Build a Hügelkultur Bed
There are several different variations of hügelkultur beds, but let’s focus on building the most common type: a traditional bed built above the ground. Here are the most important steps to creating one:
First, clear out any sod or weeds on the site where you plan to create your mound culture so that only soil is present. I suggest that you do not exceed a 4-foot-wide bed, in order to avoid harvesting issues.
Next, dig down a trench at least a foot deep and fill the trench with logs then branches. Keep in mind: the larger the log, the longer it will take to compost down. There are also several types of tree logs to avoid, such as black walnut and black locust.
After the logs and branches are laid down, it’s time to make some lasagna. Not the delicious Italian dish, but the garden technique we’ve grown to love! On top of the wood, add the first layer of soil to your bed to fill in the spaces between your logs and branches. You can also add manure or other nitrogen-rich material at this step. Just make sure it’s aged and not fresh to avoid potentially burning your plants. If you need to use fresh manure, it’s ideal to start building your bed in the fall, let it start to decompose over the winter, then plant in it during the spring.
Now that your mound is coming along nicely, add some grass clippings as another nitrogen source.
Next, add some of the fallen leaves from around your yard or that you’ve collected from nearby.
Top of your pile with some more organic material, such as scraps from your kitchen that you’ve been saving just for this purpose.
Lastly, top off the bed with a few inches, of topsoil and a layer of mulch.
There you have it…unless you’re using fresh manure in step 3, your hügelkultur bed is ready to go!