A Redditor recently completed a big upgrade of their garden and took to the r/Hugelkultur community for its blessing.
The scoop
“My first hugelkultur bed. These are pics of the process steps. Any feedback would be appreciated,” wrote the original poster. “Bottom layer is hard pear wood logs and decomposing pine pieces. Next, I added a 5″ layer of 90% leaves and 10% pine needles. 3rd layer is 4″ of compost. Topped off with 8 in of organic garden soil.”
Photo Credit: Reddit
Photo Credit: Reddit
The bed that the poster described is based on a tried-and-true German technique that feeds nutrients to nearby plants gradually by way of tall, layered compost mounds.
Other gardeners have had great success with hugelkultur, especially after the mounds have had a few years to settle.
How it’s helping
All-natural techniques like hugelkultur can help gardens reach their full potential without having to resort to harsh fertilizers. Besides their expense, the overapplication of chemical fertilizers can degrade long-term soil quality, obliterate its microbiome, and the runoff can cause algae blooms, which strangle other marine life.
With a little bit of patience and labor, it’s possible to have strong, healthy plants without those negative side effects.
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Hugelkultur mounds also retain moisture, which can be helpful in arid climates that are becoming increasingly susceptible to drought.
What everyone’s saying
Reddit commenters were happy to give this hugelkultur mound their seal of approval.
“This looks great. Perfect even. 10/10. No notes. In 3-4 years this thing is gonna POP,” wrote one community member.
“Thank you for saying that,” replied the original poster. “I am actually really proud of it. I have plenty of trees, leaves, and compost. I am probably going to do 2 more this weekend.”
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“You’re going to love this in the years to come. Be prepared with lots of compost because it will settle several inches by next season,” said the top-voted reply.
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