#hügelkultur

[taimio]

Revitalize Your Garden with Hügelkultur: A Sustainable Gardening Method to Boost Plant Growth and Soil Health

Gardening is a great way to brighten your home and make the most of your outdoor space. Do you want to learn a new and exciting gardening technique while saving time, money, and potentially the environment? Hügelkultur, an ancient and eco-friendly gardening technique, could be just what you're looking for. It involves building raised beds with wood and other organic materials, such as straw and compost, to create a multifunctional planting space. This approach enables gardeners to minimize water consumption while optimizing nutrient-rich soil and helping to reduce waste. Let's learn more about the Hügelkultur and how it can help to transform your garden.

Transform Your Garden With Hügelkultur

Looking to revamp your garden in a sustainable and efficient way? Consider trying Hügelkultur, a traditional German gardening technique that involves creating raised beds using organic materials. I was skeptical at first, but after giving it a try, I was amazed by the results.

Hügelkultur not only helps to improve soil fertility and water retention, but it also reduces the need for frequent watering and weeding. Plus, it's a great way to upcycle organic waste from your garden.

To get started, simply gather a variety of organic materials such as logs, branches, leaves, grass clippings, and compost. Layer these materials on the ground to create a raised bed, making sure to vary the size and type of materials for optimal decomposition.

After constructing your Hügelkultur bed, plant your favorite fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers directly into the mound. The decomposing organic matter will provide a steady supply of nutrients to your plants as it breaks down over time.

Monitor the moisture levels of your Hügelkultur bed regularly, especially during hot and dry weather.

Consider adding a layer of topsoil or mulch to the surface of the bed to help retain moisture and prevent erosion.

As the organic materials decompose, you may need to periodically add more layers to maintain the height of the bed.

Not only does Hügelkultur benefit your garden, but it also promotes biodiversity by creating a rich habitat for beneficial insects, microbes, and earthworms. It's a win-win for both your plants and the environment.

So why not give Hügelkultur a try in your own garden? It's a simple, cost-effective, and sustainable way to transform your outdoor space into a thriving oasis of greenery and abundance. Trust me, your plants will thank you!

For more tips and inspiration on Hügelkultur, check out this informative article. Happy gardening!

Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

[plantpest]

my little mound reaches up to my knees, but that'll do. in the bottom is last year's christmas tree (branches sawed off and used), surrounded by branches from red pine and birch. on top of that is p much whatever i have removed when cleaning the garden; leaves, pinecones, branches and stems from various bushes and flowers, and grass clippings. i've used the dirt clumps i dug up for the hedge to shape it a bit. gonna cover it in the last grass clippings in the covered compost before covering it in dirt

i think i'm just gonna plant strawberries on it tbh

[garden-gnomewiz]

Raised bed agriculture

[gnostix1]

What to do with a ton of bricks.... Roughing in a hügelkultur spiral for next year's herb garden.

[stumblngrumbl]

i'm not amused

i bought a few currant plants

i tried for a year and a half to find them locally but tbh we're not in the best climate for them, but i love currants and want to give growing some a try so i had to order them

of the four plants, two came semi-desiccated (one looks to be reviving well so far overnight, hoping for the other) and one came semi-decimated by these little fuckers

currants are little berries which are closely related to gooseberries; we have a few wild gooseberries here so i'm hopeful that i can plant the currants in a similar situation - morning sun, partial/full afternoon shade (we have relatively hot summers - too hot for me, though thankfully not moist, and definitely not nearly as hot as Red Bluff or Houston)

the berries are very tasty fresh, and make absolutely amazing raisins which are to die for in a salad so 🤞

[hedgehog-moss]

I bought a roll of chicken netting to fence off my vegetable garden—which I haven't planted yet because it's been raining every single day for like two months and I didn't want my young tomato plants to rot, but the weather is finally improving. I'll plant my garden next week, and I wanted to trim the grass around it and clear the area of weeds, but then I remembered I have animals that can do this job.

So I opened the pasture in front of the (future) garden. Currently it looks like a long pile of dirt, because that's what it is (well, compost + llama manure + dirt)—but look how long it is! I'm feeling ambitious this year and I have quintupled the length of my initial hügelkultur mound.

You might be surprised to learn that Pirlouit was the first animal who noticed the opening in the fence and got out. It's not actually surprising because Pirou has a fresh grass-dar—but Pampe was very much surprised & vexed.

Everyone looked really happy to have access to this new little area!

Initially I thought I would be able to continue preparing the garden while they were eating, but I quickly realised I was too paranoid for that. I mean, it's Pampe vs. a small temporary fence meant for chickens. Enough said. I didn't dare to turn my back on her even for a minute, so I ended up just sitting in the grass next to them with a book, which was really nice.

Pampe decided to lie down in the grass to eat more comfortably, something Pirlouit still deeply disapproves of.

Poldine however thinks it's a brilliant idea.

Update: all my llamas are now horizontal, eating like three Roman emperors. Only Pirlouit continues to mind his table manners.

Of course this peacefulness couldn't last, and after stuffing herself with new grass for half an hour, Pampe remembered there was also a new fence to think about.

She decided to lie down again 5 centimetres away from it, so she could inspect it and strategise while maintaining a demeanour of relaxed innocence.

I was not relaxed.

You are exhausting.

At 7:30pm I started feeling torn, because I don't like to miss apéritif time but—could I run to the kitchen to get a glass of apéritif and some biscuits and run back before Pampe had time to do anything? (The kitchen is 15 metres away.) (I feel like this detail doesn't change anything and if I inserted a poll here everyone would massively vote "Pampe will have time to escape")

But you would be wrong!! When I returned from my quick and suspenseful dash to the kitchen, guess who was on the verge of doing something illegal...?

PAMPOLDINE. Bad llama!! She was interested in tasting the flowers on the other side and she was pretty bashful when I shooed her away.

I believe the only reason Pampérigouste didn't escape is because she assumed her daughter was about to, so her family's reputation was maintained, she would get to see me run and curse llamakind and straighten the fence grumpily, and she didn't even have to get up.

Which goes to show that she doesn't escape due to a deep and unquenchable thirst for freedom, but to aggravate me personally.

I settled on my ash wood throne to have apéritif, comfortably seated in full view of all the animals—

—so of course Pampe immediately got up and went to inspect the fence on the other end of this little pen, behind the hazel tree that was blocking my line of sight, in the one place that I couldn't see from my seat.

I had to get up to see what she was doing (and angrily wave a stick in her direction until she moved away) and when I returned to my tree stump there was a little insect swimming in my wine. Pampe lay down again, pleased with herself.

When it was dinner time and I kindly invited everyone to return to the pasture (Pirlouit & Pampelune complied without fuss), Pampe suddenly lay completely flat in the grass, in what was clearly an attempt to make herself invisible and be forgotten all by herself in this barely-fenced area, kind of like children who dream of being locked in a toy shop overnight.

I haven't taken my eyes off you all evening. Of course I can see you.

I had to poke her with my stick until she deigned to get up and leave (Poldine followed), but all in all it was a very successful little outing. I might do this regularly throughout the summer to keep the grass trimmed in this area, although the difficulty level will be greatly increased when I have to patrol the fence and protect my vegetables at the same time.

I'll add that when I went out later in the evening to close the chicken coop, Poldine & Pampelune were far away, grazing together under the plum trees, meanwhile Pirlouit and Pampe were still queueing in front of the part of the fence that was previously open. Both waiting for me to let them access this heavenly garden again (but with different motivations)

[maxwellatoms]

And a good executive dysfunction to you!

My stomach hurts.

I don't want to draw right now, but I really do want to draw in general. Just not now. Maybe... now?

No. Not yet.

There's a wasp's nest on the catio. I should be looking up how to remove it, but instead I'm in here writing this nonsense. I should be drawing.

It still smells like burning metal in here, so I probably am better off with the wasps. Did I mention that my bathroom caught fire this morning? Like an actual fire fire. I may have buried the lede on that one. I used to think it was "buried the lead", as though you'd skipped the information you meant to lead with. Fun that it still works.

Fire dept. said that there was a timer on the wall switch in the bathroom where we're having work done from the flood that happened after my birthday. When the timer tripped, a heating mesh coiled up by the wall caught fire. Thankfully, my fiancee' smelled the burning metal and we caught it early.

It's hard to make cartoons when your house keeps attacking you. Also, when you're not employed making cartoons. I'm trying some indie stuff, but again... can I get a break here? Let's just tone down the apocalypse. I'd like to get some stuff done. And my insurance runs out in two weeks.

But HA! Fincee'! So I still get insurance. Happy accidents. Suck it, world-- Oh hang on. Contractor is here...

I'm back! Where was I?

My fuchsia is on the rebound, I think. Passed it on the way back in. I don't want to call it a comeback, but it's flowering. I think maybe the pot retains too much water. We'll see how it goes. Thankfully it doesn't need much compost because I blew through the whole pile yesterday refiling the garden beds. I did the beds Hügelkultur style, but I used cacti in one of them, so the soil drop was insane after the first year. Free garden tip for ya' there.

Where was I?

To be fair, there's a lot of residual adrenaline going on this morning too.

Work.

Right...

Gotta get these drawings done. I said I'd do it by tomorrow. I only said it to myself, but I should maybe listen. Can I be trusted?

Just draw, dude.

It smells like cheese and apocalypse in here. Nothing I can do about the fried metal, but the cheese is from the toaster oven. I should go clean that now. Hang on. I'll be back.

[bitchesgetriches]

It never ends. There is always another drought-resistant native penstemon to plant, another hügelkultur to build, another compost heap to turn, another $528 to spend at the garden center. Who cares? This might as well happen! The plants own your money now! Embrace the Sisyphean beauty of it all and stay hydrated.

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

For the record that person who mentioned "shoveling up into a mound" may have been referring to hügelkultur, it's a German style of gardening that utilitizes the sides of the mounds for growing space and is a bit more structurally stable than a simple mound of compost. Still not sure if that would help re: knees and ankles, but I just thought I'd put in my two cents

Hugelkultur tends to create long mounds, not the steep-sided structures I want, and also wouldn't work at the angle I'm building (directly down the sides of a very steep hill with high rainfall). I'm gonna do stairstep-shaped raised beds with sides.

I do plan on using hugelkultur mounds in the larger area of my yard to build gardens that can properly manage the water flow because right now it's just a wild zone of periodic mud and dust out there depending on the weather, but it'll be a few years before I can afford to get the big trees cut down that I want to use for it (they're mostly dead and if I don't get then cut down they will eventually fall on my house). But these beds are for higher maintenance vegetables and in a fairly limited and uncooperatively-shaped space so I want them high up and reachable without bending over or climbing anything. I've decided to build them out of sleepers (for framing) with tin sides, which seems to be the cheapest and most easy-to-assemble option. In a decade or so I might be able to put together something better but I have too many house maintenance tasks to pay for to be fancy right now.

[rederiswrites]

Thinking about growing some potatoes Ruth Stout style this year rather than spending a bunch of energy trenching to grow a vegetable that I love but currently can't even eat on this diet. Anyone else here done no-dig Ruth Stout potatoes?

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, thinking that if I have to dig down a foot to get out all the grass roots anyway, and if I have piles of woody detritus around because of course I do, maybe I should build a couple hügelkultur beds and get to watch those age.

[taimio]

Elevate Your Garden with Hügelkultur: A Sustainable and Innovative Gardening Technique

Gardening is a great way to brighten your home and make the most of your outdoor space. Do you want to learn a new and exciting gardening technique while saving time, money, and potentially the environment? Hügelkultur, an ancient and eco-friendly gardening technique, could be just what you're looking for. It involves building raised beds with wood and other organic materials, such as straw and compost, to create a multifunctional planting space. This approach enables gardeners to minimize water consumption while optimizing nutrient-rich soil and helping to reduce waste. Let's learn more about the Hügelkultur and how it can help to transform your garden.

Transform Your Garden With Hügelkultur

Have you ever heard of Hügelkultur? No, it's not a new dance craze or a trendy diet. It's actually an ancient gardening technique that can revolutionize how you cultivate your plants and create a thriving ecosystem in your backyard. Trust me, once you try it, you'll never look back.

By building mounds of decaying wood, leaves, and organic matter, Hügelkultur mimics the natural process of decomposition and nutrient cycling. This creates a fertile environment for plants to grow, thrive, and resist pests and diseases.

One of the biggest benefits of Hügelkultur is its ability to retain moisture in the soil. This means less watering for you and a more resilient garden during dry spells. Plus, as the wood breaks down over time, it releases nutrients that feed your plants for years to come.

Curious about how to get started? It's as simple as gathering organic materials like branches, leaves, and compost, and layering them to create your hügel bed. Top it off with soil, plant your favorite veggies or flowers, and watch them flourish.

Not only does Hügelkultur benefit your plants, but it also helps the environment by reducing waste and promoting sustainable gardening practices. It's a win-win for you and Mother Earth.

Ready to take your gardening game to the next level? Check out this article for more tips and inspiration on how to transform your garden with Hügelkultur. Your plants (and the planet) will thank you.

Learn more about gardening with Taim.io!

[wateringstone]

Letting the back garden and hügelkultur go to seed because BEES

[thestudentfarmer]

Good day everyone :)

This week's garden update~

The beans and pumpkin that grew with the sunflowers are gone now and I've begun thinning out the sunflowers as the seeds get selected by birds.

I like to leave the smaller heads for the smaller native birds of the area. The heads i save, I've been setting into a drying rack where no birds can get to them.

The stalks I've been discarding the leaves in our cities green barrel (compost) program and I'm saving the stalks to either burn, or to chunk up and try a Hügelkultur grow bed. Not sure 100% what will eb grown in it, might be flowers or herbs, maybe strawberries.

This is currently the biggest sunflower yet! That pole is about 6ft off ground. I'll definatly need a ladder when it's time to take a few of the heads.

The broccoli row, there's some little florets now on most the plants! :D

Cabbages, all four are similarly headed now.

The nasturtium, which i need to go through and clean up a bit. The cold did get one side of em pretty sharply.

The carrots.

This is the batch I used the cornstarch planting method. So far, while they lined up real nice I feel like they aren't growing as well as i hoped. Now weather that's the seed, the planting spot or the season/weather I'm not entirely sure. I think I'll do a summer grow as well, just to test it out again.

The back 'l" bed, ive direct seeded some lentils with the asparagus. I intend to grow the lentils then till them back in to the soil. We were going to dump this bed, but it seems we like it still so we'll likely be doctoring it up for a few more seasons.

Well thats it for now :)

🌱🌻Happy Homesteading and Gardening 🌻🌱

1 18 2024

[plantpest]

started building a (bad) hügelkultur bed as a divider in the garden. last year's christmas tree in the bottom, branches from the birches and red pines over it. twigs and whatnot on that. started putting leaves and grass on it but realized it's too low for my purpose so i'm gonna add more branches etc, but it'll have to wait until i get the energy to remove some bushes i don't want to keep - might as well add them to the mound rather than the compost pile. i'm honestly not too fussy, it's not really a well thought out mound i'm making, but a very spontaneous decision and a way to get rid of some shit from tidying up the garden lol. i figure it'll work no matter what, even if one that's properly built will work better

anyone here that have tried their hands on hügelkultur? well researched or not haha

[butchosprey]

my community elders told me not to give into despair, so im gonna get better about sharing good things.

interest in native / wildlife friendly gardening is at an all time high. Preserving traditional forms of gardening like three sisters and hügelkultur are becoming more popular too! i'm personally trying out three sisters this year.

[havethetouch]

Art Summary 2023~

And I still need to upload some things but ah, it be like that. Another rather good year of art, branching out into other things I love as well as rekindling some love for other things, be it subjects, techniques or mixes. I am moving towards a shift I think, I have some ideas~ I also have big plans for the next year and some battleplans I am currently working on both for the stuff I wanna get to in general as well as for the downtimes I might experience. I took note this year, as I would declare it the first were I am actually doing okay and better with each day despite the shit-show that was 2019-2022. I am also starting to see the memory issues of that timeframe and the fact that a lot of stuff just got yeeted from my brain unless I put effort in to recall and have notes. Certain parts will remain harder for a while I assume, but this year around I managed them better, prepared better. But yeh, overall, I found peace again this year and with that came a new creative wave, I started knitting alongside embroidery, I collected some tools and stuff to incorporate craftings into my works, I got that woodburning tools that is giving me bedroom eyes... and I am eying a big loom on amazon while planning out my gardening in a separate calender (what to prune when, what to plant and when and where and maybe I will set up a Hügelkultur too, I will definitely build a frame to try and vertical grow pumpkins and if i feel adventurous: watermelons.) That is to say, I exploded creatively and branch out and still find my balance with all the hobbies and home renovations and home improvement projects I have going on but everything is in motion it is a perfect little chaotic storm for me to dance and twirl in. After all that has been before 2023 was a wonderful year (a good one overall, indeed) to shake off the final brainfog of grief and breathe and get up and get going - I am alive. I am thriving. Onwards to the next pretty good year. <3 May it treat us all kindly.