Deutscher Name: Porzellanblümchen, Gattung: Saxifraga, Art: x urbium, Sorte: 'Clarence Elliott (veg.)'
Follow our companion planting chart and plans in your vegetable garden to attract pollinators, increase yields, natural pest control and more.
Electroculture gardening is all over the place right now, but we're about to dive a bit deeper into the science and how to try it out at home
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Once you have assembled your Vego organic gardening raised beds, the next task is filling the raised garden beds before planting. One of the most common questions we get from new gardeners is how to fill a new raised bed and still save money. There are many different methods out there that work well! From our experience, the Hugelkultur method is the easiest and most cost-efficient method to use. Summary Hugelkultur is the process of layering organic garden waste inside the raised garden bed, before adding soil to save on costs, in addition to attracting and preserving moisture. Of German origin, hugelkultur translates to “mound or hill culture.” It is especially applicable in areas where soil retention and drainage are poor, which is typical of soils found in urban areas. The materials used include large rotting logs, sticks and other debris that are layered with grass clippings, coffee grounds, compost, and other organic matter. As the material breaks down, it creates a flourishing environment for beneficial fungi and microbes that mimics the natural landscape of a forest. There are many advantages to the Hugelkultur method, including soil quality improvement, minimal maintenance, and water retention. The Hugelkultur Method to Fill Raised Garden Beds To create a bountiful garden bed, organic matter such as rotted hay, plant waste, and compost is added to the soil. Wood debris decomposes slowly, making it a stable source of organic matter. The optimal kind of wood used is one that is starting to rot, which can be obtained from branches cut from a dead tree or logs from an abandoned wood pile. This organic matter will decompose over time, and plant roots will travel deeper into the raised garden bed soil to obtain the nutrition. It will also work as a big sponge, retaining water to maintain an ideal moisture level. In the Hugelkultur method, for filling a raised garden bed, the large pieces are laid at the bottom as they will take the longest time to decompose. In the picture above, the piling logs may take up to 5 years before the base sponge breaks down into rich, wonderful raised garden bed soil. The smaller pieces are placed on top of the larger pieces to fill space, such as branches and sticks, and then grass clippings, leaves and kitchen scraps. Compost and topsoil are on the top two layers for your raised garden bed so you can start planting as the organic matter beneath decomposes. Some Considerations While Filling a Raised Garden Bed Using Hugelkultur Method Pests: Something to be aware of are termites, especially if you live in a wooded area with a high termite distribution, which can be attracted to the large amount of buried wood. However, most termites tend to live in dead trees that are still standing, rather than buried logs found in hugel beds. Garlic can be grown for pest control. Make sure to be vigilant against pests such as slugs, snails, and pill bugs. You can use organic pest control such as beer traps if slugs become a problem. Various Hugelkultur Methods: The classic method requires you to dig a deep trench around 2 meters and fill it with large logs, adding progressively more logs until it becomes mound-shaped. Most gardeners dig a shallower trench that is about 1 meter. Vego raised garden beds provide a convenient alternative that only requires you to fill the container on the ground with the appropriate contents. They provide structural integrity through an enclosed terrain that is easy to manage and will last for many years, making it the perfect framework. That way, you don’t have to spend time digging a trench or placing a fence around it, which can be burdensome and labor intensive. Additionally, it is more aesthetically pleasing than just a mound on the ground, which is unsightly to some. Wood Type: The right type of wood is important to consider. Hardwoods are recommended as they break down more slowly and hold water longer. However, softwoods are also acceptable. The woods that work best include birch, alder, maple, cottonwood, willow and oak. Avoid allelopathic trees like black walnut, red oak, and sycamore, as they contain chemicals that inhibit plant growth, as well as rot resistant trees like black cherry and black locust. Preparation: Be sure to add a fresh layer of compost on top prior to planting. The combined layers of organic material above the wood should be as deep as the wood base. This means a 30" bed can have up to 15" wood in it, while a 15" bed will have 6" wood to allow enough space for the growing medium. Moisture Levels: Maintaining moisture is an important aspect of hugel garden beds, as dryness is a commonly reported issue. Therefore, it is important to shift the soil into crevices to eliminate any dry pockets. One way to accomplish this is to continuously water the bed during construction to make sure there are no gaps. You should also use a good quality organic mix soil, which improves water retention. productarticletag_emailll[email]emailll_productarticletag Hulgelkultur Method Advantages Using the Hugelkultur method for filling raised garden beds has many advantages and has been proven to work. If you are seeking to cut down on costs, or looking for a sustainable gardening technique, then this method is for you. The vertical nature of the mound helps maximize surface area, which is useful in compacted, urban areas. Therefore, it is a method that is suitable for farmers, gardeners, and homeowners. Cost Efficient: Buying bags of soil from a store is quite costly, which can amount to over a hundred dollars for large garden beds. The Hugelkultur method turns garden and kitchen waste into useful material for filling raised garden beds, allowing you to save a substantial amount of money. You can also repurpose fallen tree branches or dead branches cut from trees instead of carting them away or burning them. The organic waste will decompose over the years, enriching the soil and providing steady nutrition for plants to use. Environmentally Friendly: When branches are burned, gasses and nutrients are released into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming. By retaining them in the ground, they undergo carbon sequestration, a process that reverses CO2 pollution and mitigates climate change. Water Retention: Hugelkultur tends to hold water very well since the garden waste works as a sponge to hold moisture, releasing rainwater into the soil during dry seasons. This allows gardeners to save on water costs by reducing the frequency of watering. In addition, you don’t have to worry about overwatering your plants to the point they become waterlogged, which is detrimental to root growth and can choke out oxygen. Soil Temperature: While compost is decomposed by bacteria, hugel beds are primarily decomposed by fungi. As the organic matters decompose, they will heat up and create a microclimate under the plants, and warm the raised garden bed soil, which can be very helpful in colder climates. Soil Improvement: Hugelkultur also creates a mini biosphere consisting of microorganisms, fungi, and insects, emulating the natural landscape of a forest, with its spongy, nutrient rich soil teeming with microorganisms. Because the soil is naturally aerated, it employs a gardening technique known as no-till gardening. Plants grown in this manner are more resilient to disease, pests, and environmental stressors. They are also more flavorful due to the abundant nutrients. Minimal Maintenance: Although the initial setup takes some effort and preparation, there is not a lot of maintenance involved in these garden beds once they have been constructed. You only need to minimally maintain the garden bed by occasionally adding a couple inches of compost and fertilizers to the top to replenish it. They also require minimal weeding compared to conventional beds. Below is diagram for Hugelkultur in our Extra Tall 32" Raised Garden beds. You can use the same concept to fill your 17" tall garden beds or any other beds. You can build the garden in a sunny or shady location. Hugel beds are very versatile and can support many types of plants, including vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Make sure to match the plant to the appropriate growing conditions. Vegetables grow best when exposed to full sun. Greens like lettuce and spinach and root crops like carrots and beets will tolerate partial shade. You should try to plant a wide variety of crops, including both perennial and annual plants, as diversity offers more opportunities to harvest and results in a more plentiful yield. It is important to note that root vegetables such as carrots may have difficulty growing in Hugelkultur beds due to the depth requirement of at least a foot of soil. Tubers like potatoes can also disrupt the structure. For more detailed information, consult plant tags and garden catalogues for the climate requirements of other plants you plan to grow in your Hugelkultur garden. productarticletag_article[academy/difference-between-garden-soil-and-raised-bed-soil,academy/how-much-soil-do-i-need-for-a-raised-garden-bed,articles/how-deep-should-raised-garden-beds-be]article_productarticletag
For garden designer Alison Jenkins, our green spaces should be beautiful, fruitful and sustainable, and her Somerset smallholding is the perfect example, with abundant beds of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers.
Come learn all about hugelkultur: the pros, cons, best materials and wood to use, and how to make a hugelkultur garden bed.
Flowers Teresa from Meadowbrook Farm knows her zinnias! Her favorite varieties are Magellan and State Fair. Another variety she like is Cactus. Click here to see her other must have annuals. photos from Meadowbrook Farm Year Round Lettuce and Spinach in Containers How to Grow Lettuce - Easy Methods For Success Indoor Vegetable Gardening - Virginia Cooperative Extension - scroll down for section about growing indoors A Winter Container Garden - great article from Mother Earth News I'm dreaming of: I'm dreaming of... defined, non-muddy, weed-free, spacious pathways like the ones shown here from My Everyday Graces. Her post tells how she got the mulch for free. I'm dreaming of... raised beds, arranged with a plan in mind, in an enclosed area to keep out deer - and it should be pretty. I can't remember my source for this picture, but I'll keep looking Here's another good wonderful example found on Home Design Decorating. ... and another found on Sunset. Also see Sunset's Perfect Raised Bed. I'm dreaming of... a garden the deer can't get to. Here's an interesting idea from The Tucson Gardener. I think a high fence would be more practical for us. Beekman 1802 has a ton of ideas about Raised Bed Covers. I am really enjoying browsing their site... lots of good ideas! Also from Beekman 1802 - a post on trellises I'm dreaming of... fun, interesting, pretty trellises. Here's a good one found on Garden in a Minute's Flickr page. Lots of people sink PVC pipe in 2 or 4 spots in their raised beds to use as trellis supports. I found this example from lantanascape on Garden Web. Her trellis is made from electrical conduit. I'm dreaming of... a neat and tidy composting system from Clifford Country B&B Gardens - their raised bed garden is pretty, too. I'm dreaming of... a welcoming entrance to the garden. This one is at the Ash Lawn home of our 5th president, James Monroe. We may need two entrances. Of course Martha Stewart has gardens suitable for anyone's dreams! Her fence would certainly deter the deer . Raised Bed / No Till Gardening: "Soil compaction can reduce crop yields up to 50 percent. Water, air and roots all have difficulty moving through soil compressed by tractors, tillers or human feet. Plows, tillers or spades are the usual answers to this problem. But gardeners can avoid the problem by creating beds narrow enough to work from the sides. Organic matter can be increased greatly without getting bogged down, because raised beds drain better." Planting a Garden the No Till Way - from Jami at An Oregon Cottage "...I have very few weeds the entire remainder of the season. Honest! I don't need to cultivate, I never have any problem finding the seedlings because of weeds, and I can leave for a week and not come back to chaos." Raised Bed Vegetable Garden Design and Planning - Vegetable Gardening Online No Till Gardening - Oregon State University "...the no-dig method... Not only does it use less water, she says, it discourages weeds, improves the soil, and reduces labor for tilling and weeding." Build Your Own Raised Bed Garden - from The Pioneer Woman "...I have raised vegetable beds around my house, and I love them so much I add a couple every year." A Simple Raised Garden Plan - from Raised Bed Gardeing Blog "...Raised beds produce a variety of benefits: they extend the planting season; they reduce the need to use poor native soil; and they can reduce weeds if designed properly. Since the gardener does not walk on the raised beds, the soil is not compacted and the roots have an easier time growing. The close plant spacing and the use of compost generally result in higher yields with raised beds in comparison to conventional row gardening." Block Style Layout in Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens - Colorado State University Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens - Squidoo "...it is relatively easy to attach a framework of flexible PVC tubing to a raised garden bed over which you can place either clear plastic to create a greenhouse effect to extend your growing season even more, or some netting to prevent pests from getting to your vegetables..." How to Build a Raised Bed - interesting plan from Erin Covert Planting Guides and Charts: Central Alabama Planting Guide - a great guide for zone 7b, which is the same as Atlanta. Southeast Planting Zones Crop Rotation Chart - The Yankee Gardener Crop Rotation - Garden Organic Crop Rotation - Your Organic Gardening Blog Typical Harvest Dates in Georgia - good chart How to Plant Just about Everything - from Kitchen Stewardship Seed Starter Containers: Make Seed Starter Pots From Newspapers, Method 1 - Slide Tutorial Make Seed Starter Pots From Newspapers, Method 2 - Get the newspaper moist, using two containers that are the same size, line one with the newspaper and press in with the other container. Remove the second container and let the newspaper dry. Use this to plant your seeds, and when your plants come up and are ready to plant in the garden, you can plant the newspaper pot and all. The newspaper will decompose over time. Save eggshell halves for starting seeds. Use a tack to poke a drainage hole in each half then place the eggshell halves into an egg carton. Fill each shell with potting soil then add seeds and water.When it is time to plant seedlings, squeeze the eggshells to crush them then put the whole thing into the ground. Cardboard or Styrofoam egg cartons can be used to start seeds. Fill each cup with soil then plant seeds. If you use a Styrofoam carton poke a hole in the bottom of each cup for drainage. Yogurt Containers Cardboard coffee takeout trays are perfect and work well as seed starter pots. Source 1 Reminders for Next Year: Hang the trellis fences higher so it will be easier to weed. Dad wants to try Romano beans. Try at least two no-till raised beds. Space the rows further apart!!! Space the plants further apart. Mulch when planting. Plant less. Do something about the deer. Garden Markers: Fun Idea from Scraps and Scribbles Worm Farms (Vermiculture) Vermiculture Blog - I found lots of info on this blog including many of the videos below Setting Up the Worm Factory - YouTube video Cheap and Easy Worm Farming Worm Bin Temperature - lots more info on this site Temperature Extremes Have Their Challenges - another good info site Wood Worm Farms - supposedly better for outside use... year round Setting Up a Simple Bed: Global WORMing - love this video Vermiculture - plywood bin at blog - Mesa Lane COW Unwrapped - picture set showing how to set up Can of Worms bin Composting With Worms, Earth 911 - Ordering Seeds: Southern Exposure Seed Exchange - Virginia Johnny's Selected Seed - Maine Heirloom Seeds - Pennsylvania - They only sell open pollinated seeds - no hybrids! :-D -special page for Southern Favorites Seeds of Change - New Mexico Seed Savers Exchange - Iowa - non-profit, heirloom seeds Renee's Garden - California -some heirloom & open-pollinated Bountiful Gardens - California - heirloom, open-pollinated Amazon - a variety of vegetable seeds, some heirloom, different brands MISC: Thrifty and Money Saving Gardening Ideas and Tricks Cheap Tricks for Seed Starting Winter sowing - in plastic jugs and bottles - click here for explanation Edging and Compost Talk - from Donna at Funky Junk Interiors Fabulous Tomato Cages - also see recommendation on blog, Four Hills of Squash - here and here When to Pick and How to Ripen Pears to Perfection - great article!
Did you know that all parts of angelica are edible? Learn how to harvest and use leaves, stems, and roots – plus bonus recipe ideas – on Gardener's Path.
Beginner or a guru growing vegetables, make mistakes. It's important to learn and move on. Here's a list of 8 mistakes NOT to make [LEARN MORE]
Best vegetables & herbs to regrow from kitchen scraps in water or soil. Start a windowsill garden indoors, or grow foods using grocery lettuce, beets, etc!
Great money saving idea to regrow food in water. Perfect if you don't have room for a garden & are trying to save a few bucks! :: DontWastetheCrumbs.com
A great way to recycle toilet paper tubes is to use them as containers to start vegetable and flower seeds for garden plants. This is a guide about toilet paper tube seedling pots.
Chi ha un terreno libero e vuole mettere a dimora un frutteto familiare deve valutare soprattutto due caratteristiche: tipo di terreno ed esposizione. Dopo potrà scegliere le piante preferite.
Along with green onions, garlic is one of the best health-friendly plants you can grow at home. It is super-easy and super-cheap.
Electroculture gardening is all over the place right now, but we're about to dive a bit deeper into the science and how to try it out at home
Look how wonderful ... Let's see how to make a pallet garden. See also the best ideas to have a beautiful and creative vegetable garden at home.
A “soil block” is a square of potting soil that is compressed into a mold forming a block. It is a method of indoor seed starting. Instead of using container to contain the soil as is usually the case with starting seeds indoors, the compressed soil serves as both the container and the soil medium all in one! Usually roots will encircle a container once they reach a certain size. With a soil block, instead of roots encircling a container, they are “air-pruned”. This allows for a seamless transplant with virtually no transplant shock.
Don't throw away your food scraps! Instead, learn how you can regrow your favorite vegetables, herbs and spices for an endless supply of free food.
There has been much publicity about our important honey bees and how they are badly needed to pollinate our crops. But if the bees have passed you by, here is another alternative for your cucumbers.
Read along to learn how to grow radishes, including when to plant, tips for preparing your soil, sowing seeds, proper spacing, thinning, harvesting, and also several tasty ways to use radishes in the kitchen!
Bananas really surprised me.
These fastest-growing vegetables are sure to bring a sense of satisfaction and a burst of flavor to your garden and your table.
Growing cumin will keep you fully stocked on delicious cumin seeds to powder or use whole for cooking. Our growing guide reveals all!
Grow summer squash vertically by trellising or in tomato cages. It saves space, encourages air circulation, and allows the squash to be more visible reducing the chance of overgrowth.
Who knew it was this easy to grow your own food?
Bananas really surprised me.
Planting your favorite herb can often be a true satisfaction. Still, this may turn out to be a complicated process and sometimes get on your nerves. The procedure of planting repeats itself and the waiting
See how to save vegetable seeds from your garden this year to plant next year. Saving seeds is a great way to save money and grow better!
In a world filled with beauty standards and trends, it's essential to celebrate and embrace your natural beauty. Your hair, in its most authentic state, has a unique charm and personality that...
Do you want to grow your own food, but worry about the time it will require? These tips will help you plan a low-maintenance vegetable garden and grow food.
Zu schade zum Wegwerfen: Mit unseren 10 Deko-Ideen werden ausgediente Gegenstände zu individuellen Hinguckern im Garten. Lassen Sie sich inspirieren! Ausgediente Möbelstücke, nicht mehr genutztes...
Best vegetables & herbs to regrow from kitchen scraps in water or soil. Start a windowsill garden indoors, or grow foods using grocery lettuce, beets, etc!
