Hoogle Garden

Hoogle garden

Hügelkultur (pronounced “hoogle-culture”) is German for “hill culture.” Hügelkultur entails growing crops on a raised, earthen mound that consists of a foundation of fresh or rotting logs and branches covered in layers of manure, compostable materials and soil.

How do you make a hugelkultur garden?

Building a Hugelkultur Bed

Step 1: Digging up the sod*
Step 2: Adding large logs that are decaying. ...
Step 3: Fill in the air gaps with composted wood chips* ...
Step 4: Add lighter wooden materials, smaller rotting logs, branches, etc. ...
Step 5: Add other nitrogen rich matter. ...
Step 6: Add top soil & rich compost. ...
Step 7: Plant! (

What should you not put in hugelkultur?

Avoid wood from allelopathic trees like black walnut (for its juglone toxicity); high-resin trees like pine, spruce, yew, juniper and cedar; and hard, rot-resistant woods such as black locust, Osage orange and redwood. Any type of wood with sprouting potential (such as willow) should be completely dead before using.

How long do hugelkultur beds last?

Expect Hugelkultur beds to provide rich, fertile soil, increased harvests, larger plants — and savings — for up to 20 years.

Does hugelkultur really work?

Hugelkultur beds are exceptional at providing moisture to plants throughout the growing season. The gradual decay of wood is a consistent source of long-term nutrients and moisture for the plants, and the composting wood generates heat which can extend the growing season.

Can you use any wood for hugelkultur?

Overall, hardwoods are ideal for hugelkultur. Logs from hardwood trees – including oak, apple, beech, alder, maple, sweetgum, ash, poplar and acacia – will decompose slowly and therefore supply nutrients to your hugel bed over a longer period of time.

How deep should hugelkultur beds be?

To create a hügelkultur garden, Masabni said a trench about eight to 10 inches deep and two to three feet wide must be dug to hold larger material such as logs that will create the base support for the mound. Logs should be covered with progressively smaller woody debris from small tree limbs to twigs.

How deep should a hugelkultur raised bed be?

Make the pit or trench 12 to 18 inches deep, keeping the same depth the full length of the bed. Beds need to be narrow enough that you can reach to the center; we'd suggest no more than 4 feet across.

Can you use grass clippings in hugelkultur?

One can build a hugelkultur bed using wood waste, leaves, needles, and grass clippings and let the compost break down naturally, planting it once the process is almost completed.

What grows well in hugelkultur?

For example, a hugelkultur mound in the right position could be ideal for growing tomatoes (on the sunnier side) and their companion plants. You could also grow squash or pumpkins, corn and beans (the three sisters), or other warm weather crops in the summer months.

What vegetables should not go into compost?

Fruit and Vegetable Scraps Some fruits and vegetables that you should compost with caution are those with high acidities, such as citrus fruits, pickles, and tomatoes. The acid content of these foods can kill the good bacteria in your compost pile and slow down its decomposition.

What plants should not go in compost?

Plants or Wood Treated with Pesticides or Preservatives Never add any plants to your compost that have been treated with insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides. The residue of chemicals used in the garden to kill insects and control plant diseases can unintentionally kill the beneficial composting organisms.

Are termites a problem in hugelkultur?

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.

Does hugelkultur rob nitrogen?

Nitrogen immobilization technically happens in hugelkultur, but not to a degree that will cause problems for the grower. The decomposition that takes place in a hugelbeet (a bed created through the process of hugelkultur) is dominated by fungi, which are more efficient with nitrogen than bacteria are.

Can you put too much compost in a raised bed?

If too much compost is added to the soil, nutrients including phosphorus and potassium can leach past the root zone and move beyond your garden. The nutrients may leach into surface and ground water from rain or irrigation.

Is rotting wood good for soil?

Decaying wood provides homes for countless organisms including insects, worms, fungi and birds. As it rots it slowly enriches the soil adding loads of carbon-rich organic matter.

Which is better for garden leaf mold or compost?

Also, leaf mold is a much better soil amendment than compost. In fact, if you just leave a pile of leaves in a corner of the garden it will break down over a few years on its own. The process is faster if you first chop the leaves by running them over with a lawnmower.

What happens when you bury logs in the veggie garden raised bed?

The wood in the system provides the main benefit which is the retention of moisture. The wood absorbs water, holds it for a long time, and slowly releases it to plants, thereby reducing the need for irrigation.

How long does untreated wood last in soil?

Untreated wood deteriorates more quickly in contact with soil and will have to be replaced, possibly every two to five years, though heat-treated wood may last a bit longer. Redwood and cedar are more rot-resistant and last longer, but are also more expensive.

Can straw be used in hugelkultur?

The best part about a hugelkultur bed is that you can utilize and recycle organic materials from your property. You can use fallen trees, branches, or twigs that are lying around your yard; garden waste from the last growing season; rotting hay or straw; and manure from your farm animals.