Learn how to build super easy, fast, and attractive raised garden beds! This is a 30-minute DIY project & is perfect for growing your own vegetable garden!
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 the last 5-10 years gardening with raised beds has seemingly been the most popular method of backyard gardening. It has been purported to solve…
Do you know that you can recycle some old items and build a beautiful raised garden bed for your flowers and veggies? The best part is that won't break the bank.
Get the inspiration & know-how to build your own raised garden bed with these six inexpensive raised garden bed ideas!
If you’re like me you have a small backyard covered in concert with only a few options to plant a garden. Planter beds are the go-to for people with limited space or just want more control. In this post, I will show you how I built some simple garden boxes. Below are some supplies and […]
I’ve had a lot of gardens over the years. My early gardens consisted of mainly raised garden beds. When I say raised…
Want to know the secret to beautiful garden containers? These plant lists tell you exactly which plants you need to create these eye-catching planters.
Learn how to build a raised garden bed for less than $15 per box. With just a few materials and a little time, you can make these cheap raised garden beds.
Grow your own fruit and vegetable garden on a budget with these cheap and easy DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas for backyards, porches, and patios.
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
Grow your own fruit and vegetable garden on a budget with these cheap and easy DIY Raised Garden Bed Ideas for backyards, porches, and patios.
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
How to Make a DIY Raised Planter Box: Planter boxes are a classic Springtime project and we’ve always wanted to design and build one in our own style. At the time of writing this, Jaimie is 8 months pregnant with our second child...which makes gardening...difficult. So, doing a DIY Rais…
Best DIY raised garden bed ideas and designs with easy tutorials and plans. Learn how to build raised beds or vegetable and flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
How to Make a DIY Raised Planter Box: Planter boxes are a classic Springtime project and we’ve always wanted to design and build one in our own style. At the time of writing this, Jaimie is 8 months pregnant with our second child...which makes gardening...difficult. So, doing a DIY Rais…
how to DIY garden bed cover for your raised bed to protect your vegetables from animals. DIY garden cover witth chicken wire for a garden enclosure with fence.
HOMEGROWN VEGGIES FOR DAYS! This blog is going to be lengthy! I've found that my previous purchase of a garage full of tools has been a blessing and a curse. We now have some neat, farmhouse additions to our suburban house, however, the honey-do list is neverending! Our latest project idea was to build something so we could have a garden at the house. If you know Jessie at all you'll remember how much she loves having fresh fruits and veggies in the house! So, we decided to give this "home grown" idea a shot and build some sort of raised garden beds. Now, if you know me (Clint) at all, you'll realize how particular I am about projects, especially woodworking. I've inherited all my skills from helping my grandpa through the years which have really given me the ability to come up with some neat ideas since we became homeowners last year. We researched around and found some neat plans from Ana White Counter Height Garden Beds (pictured below). I decided to build two 2'x8' boxes, two 2'x6' and one 2'x4'. I also tweaked the design a bit to add more stability to each box so I've included the materials and cut list. Here's what we ended up purchasing: Materials List (all boards 8' length) - Total Cost Approx. $650 4x4 - 11 1x8 - 12 1x4 - 24 Garden Zone Hardware Cloth (24" wide x 50' long, 1/4" square holes) 2 1/2" ring shank pneumatic framing nails or 2 1/2" deck screws Sta-Green Premium Landscape Fabric Fabric Pins 9/16" Heavy Duty Staples Heavy Duty Staple Gun Heavy Duty Scissors (to cut hardware cloth) 12x12 Grey Patio Stone - 21 Brown Brick Paver - 17 Cedar Mulch - 20 bags The reason we chose cedar mulch over regular mulch is because cedar is naturally insect repellent and doesn't fade in color near as fast. It's about the same price depending on which brand you purchase. We chose Texas Native because it's 100% cedar, meaning it doesn't have crummy filler pieces like pine or oak. The same goes for cedar boards - plus it looks and smells AWESOME! Douglas Fir is also a good choice because of the same properties but it's a decent amount cheaper than cedar, but we don't have much of that available in southeast Texas. Whatever you use to build the garden boxes, make sure it is NOT pressure treated wood. Over time, the chemicals used on that wood can soak into the soil and contaminate edibles. A few days and heavy rains later, I finally got to hammer down on the box builds. Let me tell ya, having a sliding miter saw makes a world of difference and cuts down on time! From the materials list above I started cutting everything I needed before I started to actually build them. Cut List 4x4 32 @ 32" 4 @ 7 3/4" (middle bed) 1x8 4 @ 96" 4 @ 72" 2 @ 48" 10 @ 24" 2 @ 60", 1 @ 10", 1 @ 20" (middle bed) 1x4 4 @ 96" 4 @ 72" 2 @ 48" 62 @ 24" The plans from Ana White's website says to use all sorts of pre-drilling, guide screws, etc., but I didn't want to waste time using that so I went with a pneumatic nail gun and framing nails. The ring shank type hold just as well as screws but if you don't have access to a nail gun then deck screws work just as well. The build process went relatively smoothly, however the hardware cloth was a bit difficult to maneuver and staple down. I bought 24" wide hardware cloth so I would only have to cut the length and not have to mess with the width. Once I got all the boards cut I began to piece it together. For the 8' boxes I used four 4x4 on each side with twelve 24" 1x4 underneath. I cut and stapled the hardware cloth then nailed the 1x4 boards for added stability. I also nailed 1x4 boards between each leg 24" from the top of the box to make them more stable. The 6' boxes took three 4x4 on each side and eight 24" 1x4 underneath (pictured behind the 8' box). The 4' box was the easiest to build with four 4x4 and six 24" 1x4 (bottom picture). We really only had one area of our backyard that made sense for a garden and that happened to be the most complicated, unlevel, non-square (go figure) section of the yard. Our backyard is graded in a way that rainwater flows toward the house, levels out about 12 feet from the back of the house, then flows around each side to the drains by the street. So here I discovered problem numero uno. From here it took several attempts placing the boards and finished boxes to figure out where I needed to cut out the grass. If it wasn't one thing it was another - story of my life! We knew we wanted some sort of paver separating the garden area from the rest of the yard, and this ultimately led to the most backbreaking part of the project. I know if I just put pavers on top of the grass it would cause water to puddle up and eventually backflow toward the house - no bueno! I knew my only option was to dig down the height of the paver to allow water to flow over everything and out to the street. I ended up renting a sod cutter and flatbed trailer from Home Depot. The sod cutter has depth options so I set mine to 2" (the height of our pavers) and went to work building up a nice pile of grass and clay. The garden area measured roughly 9' wide in the rear, 12' wide in the front and approximately 18' deep on the sides. After I piled it all up I started to kick myself - why didn't I wheelbarrow it around to the trailer as I pulled it up?!?! *Sigh* lesson learned! Cooper was obviously laughing at my mistake! Now that I got all the grass and weeds out I wanted them to stay out. I put down some Sta-Green Premium Landscape Fabric and tacked it all down with fabric pins that way the grass and weeds wouldn't grow up through the mulch. I brought the garden boxes to the back yard so I could place pavers and stepping stones where I wanted them. After I placed the stepping stones and brick pavers I realized I bought WAY too many, so back to Lowe's it was to return them! We originally had a vision to fill the garden bottom with gravel, but, after seeing the cost and how many trips with a wheelbarrow it would take me, we decided against that (Hallelujah!) and instead picked out some cedar mulch. The cedar mulch has the same insect repellent properties as the cedar boards, and again, it smells amazing! Once I got all the mulch put in and leveled, I went ahead and built the middle garden bed. We chose to have this one sitting on the ground so it would be easier to maneuver around and give some contrast to the taller boxes. Jessie decided it will be filled with different berries (yum!). The corners aren't 100% square on this one because I wanted it to be the same shape as the whole area but that's not a big deal - it will hold up just fine. I put all the raised boxes back inside, leveled them in the mulch and VOILA! Finished! I'm extremely happy with how this turned out. Without counting the days I got rained out, it took about 3 days to finish it all, including my numerous trips to Lowe's and Ace Hardware. Here's the finished project (a fence and gates are soon to come!) - it's obvious Cooper loves it too. Garden bed, dog bed, it's all the same. Thanks for reading!
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
28 Best DIY raised bed garden ideas: easy tutorials & designs to build raised beds or vegetable & flower garden box planters with inexpensive materials!
If you're planning a raised bed garden for the first time or adding to your existing beds, avoid these 7 mistakes common in raised bed gardening.
UPDATE: To see photos of my completed beds with lots of veggies and flowers, follow me on Instagram ( 33shadesofgreen ) where I use the...
Do you know that you can recycle some old items and build a beautiful raised garden bed for your flowers and veggies? The best part is that won't break the bank.
