As I am the proud builder of two hillbeds this year (one small, one big) I wanted to create a new thread about this topic.
Both beds inhabit only garlic cloves at the moment who haven't sprouded since I planted them (beginning of October). I love garlic and it's necessary to keep the mices away who want to start big families in my cosy hillbeds. As they find garlic disgusting, I did not have problems with them since I planted garlic allover. In my pallett beds too. They come into the raised beds, even if I put close-meshed wire on the bottom. They find a way on the side to slip in. The garlic is the best anti-mice weapon ever, I experienced.
Do you build these special beds too?
If yes, I would like to hear your experiences and maybe see pictures too. Next time I go to my patch, I take some and put them in here.
There is a kind of trend in Germany since some years where hillbeds became fancy. Last year I had a rather little one where I planted 1 tomato and several peppers on top, garlic allover and potatoes on the side. The crop was very good but I couldn't find the new potatoes right away. They grew deep into the bed. When I finally found them, the hill was destroyed, of course, but I wanted to build a new one anyway and take the soil from this one to build a much bigger one.
Thanks for sharing your hillbed stories with me!
PS: I found this link in English and found it quite good. There are pros and cons of building a hügelbed, which these guys here explain very thouroughly.
https://www.ecofarmingdaily.com/eco-...tur-gardening/
This is an extract from the link:
Hügelkultur Pros
Hügelkultur beds can be labor-intensive to build, depending on their size and scope. This is remedied by building smaller beds or by constructing classic raised beds using the hügelkultur principle of starting with a woody base.
Both beds inhabit only garlic cloves at the moment who haven't sprouded since I planted them (beginning of October). I love garlic and it's necessary to keep the mices away who want to start big families in my cosy hillbeds. As they find garlic disgusting, I did not have problems with them since I planted garlic allover. In my pallett beds too. They come into the raised beds, even if I put close-meshed wire on the bottom. They find a way on the side to slip in. The garlic is the best anti-mice weapon ever, I experienced.
Do you build these special beds too?
If yes, I would like to hear your experiences and maybe see pictures too. Next time I go to my patch, I take some and put them in here.
There is a kind of trend in Germany since some years where hillbeds became fancy. Last year I had a rather little one where I planted 1 tomato and several peppers on top, garlic allover and potatoes on the side. The crop was very good but I couldn't find the new potatoes right away. They grew deep into the bed. When I finally found them, the hill was destroyed, of course, but I wanted to build a new one anyway and take the soil from this one to build a much bigger one.
Thanks for sharing your hillbed stories with me!
PS: I found this link in English and found it quite good. There are pros and cons of building a hügelbed, which these guys here explain very thouroughly.
https://www.ecofarmingdaily.com/eco-...tur-gardening/
This is an extract from the link:
Hügelkultur Pros
- The foundation of a hügelkultur bed is built using free and recycled resources that often otherwise end up in landfills or burn piles.
- As wood breaks down, worms, fungi, beneficial bacteria and microorganisms work to create and release nutrients to plant roots for up to 20 years, depending on the type and density of wood.
- Hügelkultur naturally sequesters carbon in the soil.
- Decomposing wood generates heat, which is helpful for season extension.
- Hügel beds warm up faster in the spring, allowing for earlier planting.
- Traditional hügel beds have more overall planting space because of their three-dimensional nature and require less space in the garden because fewer garden paths are needed.
- Tall hügel beds are easily tended while standing, making them a good solution for those with limited mobility.
- Rotting wood acts like a sponge, absorbing and releasing moisture to plant roots as needed for many years. Beds may need watering in extreme droughts, but water is retained longer—a good solution for areas with periodic or chronic drought.
- Hügels are naturally aerated and don’t need tilling or turning.
- If covered with straw or wood chip mulch, weeds are easily kept in check.
Hügelkultur beds can be labor-intensive to build, depending on their size and scope. This is remedied by building smaller beds or by constructing classic raised beds using the hügelkultur principle of starting with a woody base.
- The breakdown of the raw, woody base can rob nitrogen for the first year or two. Avoid this problem by adding a heavy layer of manure to the wood base during construction, avoiding growing nitrogen-hungry plants for the first two years, side-dressing plants with compost, or supplementing with organic nitrogen-rich fertilizer.
- Very steep-sided hügel beds might allow mulch and unmulched soils to slide or slump. Problems related to height will naturally resolve themselves as the woody base breaks down and the hügel shrinks.
- Tall plants growing on steep-sided beds may fall over or be difficult to tend. Grow shorter, sprawling plants until the hügel shrinks a little.
- Because of the exposure, plants grown on tall hügel beds may be more susceptible to wind and frost damage.
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