Hügelkultur – When Logs and leaves have a Garden Party

Just because Hügelkultur was started in Eastern Europe, and it’s a really old technique, doesn’t mean that we cant benefit from it here in the desert.  Every year we get the monsoons, and every year you see trees knocked down.  Instead of crying when your favorite Palo Verde Tree tumbles to the ground, use it for something good.  Use it to fill your Garden Beds.

Hügelkultur is a sustainable gardening practice, it uses decomposing organic matter like tree stumps, branches, twigs and other debris to form the base layer of your garden bed.  Since decent soil is expensive and yard waste is cheap it does a wonderful job of filling the bottom of your bed.

While Hügelkultur can be used on it’s on to form mounds, the focus of this will be for use in raised bed gardening.

How to Hügelkultur:

No matter where you start, location will be key.  Make sure that you find an area that has enough sun for the plants you want to grow.  After that, it’s all about that organic matter mentioned above.  All of that stuff is layered on the ground inside of your raised garden bed.  Typically the thickest materials are placed down first, followed by the lighter material.  Together, these form your base layer.  The base layer (or material) serves several purposes that we will discuss in a bit.  The next layer is where additional organic matter is placed.  This can range from leaves, to grass clippings, to compost and manure.   Generally speaking, it’s good to have at least a foot of “soil” for your plants to grow.

So what are the benefits? 

• The base layer creates an environment that builds soil fertility.  As the organic matter breaks down it releases it’s nutrients benefiting microorganisms that live in the soil. 
• It helps with water conservation. The base layer, since it is mostly wood, acts like a sponge and it absorbs and stores water.  When needed, this water is released into the soil where the plant roots can use it.  
• When the temperature drops, Hügelkultur can actually increase the growing season of some vegetables.  Much like a mulch pile, as the base layer decomposes it releases heat that can help keep some cold sensitive plants alive a little longer.  
• It’s sustainable and economical.  Rather than having all your yard waste go to the trash, it can be repurposed to help fill your garden beds.  When you consider Phoenix soil is usually pretty poor in quality we usually have to spend quite a bit on amending the soil, or outright making our own soil (something like Mel’s Mix).  

I wish I had thought of that!

A couple things should be considered before starting this adventure.  It would probably be best to avoid poisonous plants or diseased plants when choosing your material for your garden.  Second, expect that your base layer is going to settle as things compress.  It’s kind of like cooking down spinach, you start with a ton of it and it barely fits into the pot, and by the end of cooking you wonder where it all went.  One last thing to consider, besides the settling is that  while Hügelkultur is good at retaining moisture, it is in no way a substitute for an irrigation system… without regular watering, in Phoenix, your plants will certainly die.

My final thoughts…

Overall, I am very happy that I filled up my beds using this method.  By reusing the things that were already around in my backyard, I was really able to level up my raised garden beds.  Hügelkultur will save you money, it will help to create a thriving ecosystem in your soil, and it will create happy plants.  Whether you choose to try this method, or not, I really hope that you get outside and garden 🙂