Step 1. Choose Your Location
First, decide where to build your hugelkultur mound. Look for an area that gets sun for most of the day. If there's a slope nearby, situate your hill mound perpendicular to it, so as to catch as much rain runoff as possible.
A site at least 8 feet (2.4 meters) long by 4 feet (1.2 meters) wide is ideal; you want to give the hügel a wide base to prevent collapse.
Step 2. Create a Clean Base
Once you've chosen the spot, clear it of grass and weeds. Just piling the brush on top likely won't be enough to prevent weed re-growth, so make sure you smother any existing foliage with cardboard or newspaper.
Step 3. Dig Your Pit and Begin to Fill It
Once the soil is clear, dig down about a foot (0.3 meters), setting aside the topsoil to use later. In the pit, start to pile logs, branches, twigs and other wood, keeping the pile as tight as possible. It's recommended you use a mix of softwoods — think pine, fir, cypress and other conifers — and hardwoods like maple and red oak.
Try to limit the use of woods like cedar and redwood, which take a long time to break down. Avoid pressure-treated or painted lumber, which can leach toxins into the garden and its plants; be cautious about using black walnut wood for the same reason.
Step 4. Create Alternating Layers of Material
Once the mound grows to a few feet, start to layer in soil and compost such as grass clippings and straw. Keep alternating with layers of wood until the mound is close to the desired height; that might be anywhere from 2 to 6 feet (0.6 to 1.8 meters) tall, but keep in mind that it will shrink considerably as the wood composts.
Top it off with a final layer of soil and then cover the whole thing in mulch. Finally, water it well, and keep it very moist for at least the first few weeks.
FAQs
Really, any green, nitrogen-rich compost material will do! Follow that with a thick layer of topsoil and top it off with mulch.
What is the downside of hugelkultur? ›
Hugelkultur beds while awesome do have some disadvantages. Takes a large amount of energy and time to construct. Similar to building any large raised bed. Requires a source of wood and ideally large pieces of wood.
How do I make the perfect garden soil? ›
Some organic gardeners use 50 percent topsoil, 30 percent high-quality organic compost, and 20 percent organic materials, such as shredded leaves, mineralized soil (check with a landscaping supply company), worm castings, ground bark, wood-based fire ash, and completely composted cow or chicken manure.
What wood not to use in hugelkultur? ›
Avoid black walnut logs and branches, as walnut trees are allelopathic, meaning they leach toxic chemicals to neighboring plants.
Does hugelkultur attract termites? ›
Do Hugelkultur Beds Attract Termites? Well, they can. Termites have no interest in small pieces of wood, like wood chips or buried brush, but they are natural scavengers of buried pieces of wood large enough to support a colony. This is why hugel beds always should be located at least 30 feet (10m) from your house.
Can you use cardboard in hugelkultur? ›
start with cardboard- A single layer is enough to keep the weeds at bay. Im building this raised bed around a subpod but that's something for another video back to the Hugelkultur. add large logs - Make sure you leave small gaps (about 2 between the large pieces of wood so you can get some soil between them.
Can you use grass clippings in hugelkultur? ›
Hugelkultur, pronounced Hoo-gul-culture, means hill culture or hill mound. It's literally a raised garden bed that is built from the bottom up with logs, sticks and branches, wood chips, grass clippings, manure, leaves, food scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds… everything you would put into a compost heap.
How deep should hugelkultur beds be? ›
Make the pit or trench 12 to 18 inches deep, keeping the same depth as the full length of the bed. Beds need to be narrow enough that you can reach the center; we'd suggest no more than 4 feet across. Next, lay the woody material into the dug-out area, starting with large logs or downed trees.
How do I make super soil for my garden? ›
Build Your Own Super Soil
- 8 x 1.5 cu.ft. bags of organic soil (Roots Organic or Ocean forest works the best)
- 30 lb bag of Wiggle Worm Castings.
- 5 lbs of Steamed Bone Meal.
- 5 lbs of High Phosphorus Bat Guano.
- 5 lbs of Blood Meal.
- 3 lbs of Soft Rock Phosphate.
- 3/4 Cup of Epson Salts.
- 1/2 Cup of Dolomitic Lime.
- Enriched Vegetable Garden Mix: 50% topsoil, 50% composted horse manure.
- Premium Garden Mix: 50% topsoil, 25% Purple Cow Compost, 25% fine sand (in ground gardens)
- Premium Raised Bed Mix: 50% topsoil, 25% Purple Cow Compost, 25% coarse sand (garden beds raised above the ground)
- As a Soil Amendment.
If your garden soil has poor tilth, it can be improved by adding organic matter, such as compost, manure, sawdust, leaves, lawn clippings, or peat moss. Be careful to avoid excessive amounts of organic matter: for example, large quantities of manure can cause excessive salt build-up.
What is the hugelkultur technique? ›
Construction Process. Hügelkultur utilizes a lasagna gardening or sheet composting process, meaning one layer of material is stacked on top of another, alternating carbon and nitrogen sources of organic material that will decompose over time. Basic Material List: Tree logs, branches, and leaves.
How to layer hugelkultur? ›
After digging down, we layered logs and branches on the bottom, followed by layers of compost, soil and mulch followed by more layers of compost and soil. After my seedlings grow up, I'll spread a bit more mulch on top of the soil. Mulch retains moisture and reduces the need to water.
What is the best soil for elevated bed? ›
Topsoil should be dark and crumbly with an earthy smell. Do not purchase soil that is very high in sand or clay, foul-smelling, or has grayish mottling or a chalky, sticky, or rough texture. Some sellers have a mix of topsoil and compost which can make an excellent growing media for raised beds.
What is the best soil for root growth? ›
Root crops grow best in well drained, loose soil. Drainage is important because these crops are among the earliest planted and the least harvested. If the soil is heavy (clay), you might want to build a raised four to five inches high and 12 to 24 inches wide.
What is the best soil for a native garden? ›
Ideal soil for natives
Sandy loams or good garden soils are generally suitable. In areas with heavy clay, many natives grow better in raised beds which assures drainage. Many natives do best in a slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5-6.5), but there are some that tolerate alkaline soils.
Will hugelkultur grow in clay soil? ›
It's entirely possible to use hugelkultur practices with clay soil as long as you keep it moist and mulch, mulch, mulch.
