Gardening can be a blast, especially when you get beyond the basics.
TikToker Ali (@aligrowsthings) posted a video showing raised garden beds that she made using an ancient gardening technique called hügelkultur. All sorts of plants can thrive in beds like these, which provide an ecosystem for the garden instead of just placing plants in dirt.
@aligrowsthings Hugelkultur! 🪴 👩🌾 🥒 🌻 We’ve built out a pretty sizable garden this summer with 5 vego raised beds (a few of them quite large) and one of the most difficult/expensive elements of growing food in raised beds, beyond actually buying them, is filling them with soil. I really like using the hugelkultur method for two main reasons: (1) the health of your soil. When you buy soil, it’s hard to know how good it is, even if you’re buying organic. From what I’ve seen, the soil we buy in bags varies tremendously, which is why I like to build an ecosystem for my soil that is going to help it improve over time in a natural and organic way. The hugelkultur method imitates nature by creating an environment where logs of wood, twigs, branches, leaf mold and other organic matter are going to decompose, creating a healthy habitat for your plants to thrive in. This method helps improve soil structure, increases water retention, helps with nutrient cycling (decomposing wood and organic matter release nutrients into the soil), naturally helps weed suppression and can also increase soil temperature to extend your growing season. You are essentially creating your own healthy, little ecosystem, inviting good bugs into your garden (which you want!) (2) the financial element. Filling beds with soil is expensive! First of all, it’s shocking how much soil is needed to fill just one bed. So, this technique helps reduce the cost by a lot, and you’re using organic matter you likely already have in your garden (old untreated logs, branches, grass clippings, old leaves: collect these things when you can, they are garden gold) Things to look out for/ avoid: My soil was quite dense, and I had to work hard to get it to fill out the gaps around the log/branch base. Make sure you’re nestling everything in nicely so your soil level doesn’t drop down later on. To adapt, I mixed soil into each layer to help with this, rather than just lay it on top. Many people will use the hugelkultur method a month or longer before planting, to make sure that if their soil level does drop, they can replenish it and it doesn’t affect their plants. I planted everything in right away, since there was no time, so we’ll see how it all turns out! So far it’s all going well. Will update soon! *** Always use untreated wood, (untreated everything!) and if you have wood that is already rotting, even better. Also, don’t make the mistake of filling a raised bed with a huge amount of wood, and then just covering that with a little soil/compost. Too much wood and not enough if everything else will negatively impact the growth of your plants. It’s important that wood is only the base, followed by twigs, grass clippings, pine needles, leaf mold —> all of this organic matter from your garden is excellent for your plants. It will feed them in a healthier, more sustainable way than any synethetic fertilizer. Happy planting! 🌱 🪵 🍂 🪴 #gardentok #garden #gardenvibes #homegarden #hugelkultur #inthegarden #raisedbedgarden #organicgardening #growfood #gardenwithme #gardenproject #planttok #kitchengarden #growfood #gardendesign #gardendiy #vego #gardeningtips #organic ♬ Hey Lover – The Daughters Of Eve
The scoop
It’s pretty easy to build a hügelkultur bed of your own. While Ali used these inside raised beds, some gardeners simply set them up as mounds in their garden area.
Start by placing large logs at the bottom of the bed. On top of those, put smaller branches. On top of that, put in a layer of things like grass clippings and pine needles. Add dried leaves and leaf mold on top of that, then cover it all with topsoil and compost. Finally, place your plants in the soil and watch them thrive.
The internet is a treasure trove of gardening tips, from free ways to get started to more advanced tips, like companion planting.
How it’s helping
According to the University of Oklahoma, hügelkultur has been used throughout Europe for centuries. It conserves water and is low-maintenance, meaning you spend less time keeping your plants hydrated and happy.
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Permaculture Magazine also notes that hügelkultur beds decay slowly, providing years of nutrients for the plants they support.
Whether you’re growing your own food or creating beauty, gardening is also good for the planet because it improves soil quality, lowers toxic carbon emissions, and can even help lower temperatures.
What everyone’s saying
People who saw the video seemed enthusiastic about trying the technique.
“Love this! Your plants look very happy with this method too!” one commenter said.
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“It’s awesome and makes it so much healthier,” another person added.
Someone else who uses this method shared, “We did the same! Each of our beds has remnants of our Christmas tree and months worth of kitchen compost.”
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