Hügelkultur Gardening: What Is It and What Tools Do You Need to Make It Work?
Hügelkultur gardening is a trend that’s becoming increasingly popular in
the United States after centuries as a staple of German agriculture.
The premise is simple: Establish raised beds on a foundation of logs and
branches that function as both a water retention and nutrient-delivery
system. The building of hügelkultur beds, while not complex, does
require a bit of elbow grease, so be sure you have a shovel, saw,
wheelbarrow, and a sturdy 2 wheel dolly on hand before you get into it.
How to Establish Hügelkultur Beds
The core of the hügelkultur concept (literally) is the use of logs as a water-retention and soil nutrient delivery strategy. It’s an exceptionally versatile process that can utilize a wide variety of planting media. Basically, you dig a trench the size of the bed you’re establishing. Keep the soil and sod handy. Fill the trench with logs and branches. The larger logs can be placed either horizontally or vertically in the trench with smaller logs laid horizontally across them. Stack the wood one or two feet lower than the final height you want the bed to be. Keep in mind that as the wood and compost decompose, the bed will settle and its height will decrease.
On top of the wood layer, add anything compostable: grass clippings, leaves and twigs, manure, straw and hay, compost, even newspaper and cardboard. Then take the sod you removed from your garden and lay it on top. Make sure the sod is grass- and plant-side down so that the plant material composts instead of growing up through the soil. On top of the compost stratum, lay down all of the soil you dug out from your trench with extra bagged topsoil if you need it. Then plant away!
The Benefits of Hügelkultur Gardening
The chief benefits of hügelkultur beds are, as mentioned, their incredibly efficient water-retention capacity and consistent delivery of nutrients to whatever you’re growing. In fact, after giving hügelkultur beds a good soak the first year, they are so efficient at retaining water, many say they only require watering once a year. However, there are a series of benefits beyond that.
They’re an excellent resource for recycling scrap wood you have around the house. Branches from tree-pruning, or entire felled trees, don’t have to be hauled away or burned. They can be returned to the soil to feed future edible and ornamental flora. Piles of leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, and anything else organic and compostable can be likewise utilized. Additionally, since composting creates heat, hügelkultur beds extend the growing season by creating hotbeds: raised beds with heated soil.
The Tools You Need for Hügelkultur Gardening
One of the draws of hügelkultur gardening is its accessibility. Anyone capable of moderately strenuous labor can build hügelkultur beds. However, that moderately strenuous labor necessitates the use of a number of tools. Shovels, spades, trowels, and other digging instruments are a must.
If the logs and branches you’ll use for the base of the beds are not yet cut into sections, you’ll want a chainsaw. Small electric chainsaws are relatively inexpensive and a must for heavier-duty cutting and pruning around a property. You might also need a lopper, pruner, and shears. Finally, you’ll likely need a sturdy, lightweight aluminum hand truck and a wheelbarrow for moving logs, sod, compost, mulch, soil, and other materials.
About Magline
Magliner products are some of the most well-known and trusted in the material handling industry. A hand truck of any make is often referred to as a “Magliner,” no matter the actual brand. There is, however, no substitute for the Magline brand when it comes to quality. Magline has designed, innovated, and produced the most reliable, durable, and trustworthy material handling equipment available for more than 70 years. While famous for their industry-standard two wheeled dollies, Magline also produces a variety of specialized equipment like platform trucks, u boat carts, and motorized hand trucks to reduce employee injuries and increase efficiency.
To learn more about how Magliner products can help your business, visit Magliner.com
How to Establish Hügelkultur Beds
The core of the hügelkultur concept (literally) is the use of logs as a water-retention and soil nutrient delivery strategy. It’s an exceptionally versatile process that can utilize a wide variety of planting media. Basically, you dig a trench the size of the bed you’re establishing. Keep the soil and sod handy. Fill the trench with logs and branches. The larger logs can be placed either horizontally or vertically in the trench with smaller logs laid horizontally across them. Stack the wood one or two feet lower than the final height you want the bed to be. Keep in mind that as the wood and compost decompose, the bed will settle and its height will decrease.
On top of the wood layer, add anything compostable: grass clippings, leaves and twigs, manure, straw and hay, compost, even newspaper and cardboard. Then take the sod you removed from your garden and lay it on top. Make sure the sod is grass- and plant-side down so that the plant material composts instead of growing up through the soil. On top of the compost stratum, lay down all of the soil you dug out from your trench with extra bagged topsoil if you need it. Then plant away!
The Benefits of Hügelkultur Gardening
The chief benefits of hügelkultur beds are, as mentioned, their incredibly efficient water-retention capacity and consistent delivery of nutrients to whatever you’re growing. In fact, after giving hügelkultur beds a good soak the first year, they are so efficient at retaining water, many say they only require watering once a year. However, there are a series of benefits beyond that.
They’re an excellent resource for recycling scrap wood you have around the house. Branches from tree-pruning, or entire felled trees, don’t have to be hauled away or burned. They can be returned to the soil to feed future edible and ornamental flora. Piles of leaves, wood chips, grass clippings, and anything else organic and compostable can be likewise utilized. Additionally, since composting creates heat, hügelkultur beds extend the growing season by creating hotbeds: raised beds with heated soil.
The Tools You Need for Hügelkultur Gardening
One of the draws of hügelkultur gardening is its accessibility. Anyone capable of moderately strenuous labor can build hügelkultur beds. However, that moderately strenuous labor necessitates the use of a number of tools. Shovels, spades, trowels, and other digging instruments are a must.
If the logs and branches you’ll use for the base of the beds are not yet cut into sections, you’ll want a chainsaw. Small electric chainsaws are relatively inexpensive and a must for heavier-duty cutting and pruning around a property. You might also need a lopper, pruner, and shears. Finally, you’ll likely need a sturdy, lightweight aluminum hand truck and a wheelbarrow for moving logs, sod, compost, mulch, soil, and other materials.
About Magline
Magliner products are some of the most well-known and trusted in the material handling industry. A hand truck of any make is often referred to as a “Magliner,” no matter the actual brand. There is, however, no substitute for the Magline brand when it comes to quality. Magline has designed, innovated, and produced the most reliable, durable, and trustworthy material handling equipment available for more than 70 years. While famous for their industry-standard two wheeled dollies, Magline also produces a variety of specialized equipment like platform trucks, u boat carts, and motorized hand trucks to reduce employee injuries and increase efficiency.
To learn more about how Magliner products can help your business, visit Magliner.com
Comments
Post a Comment