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Add to garden mounds?

 
Posts: 95
Location: Hot, humid, sometimes hurricane drenched west central Florida
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Hi all, I did a hugelkultur experiment in my 4x12 bed last season using rotten and semi rotten logs. My question is should I add more to the mounds? They've shrunk alot and won't be there at all in a few more months.
 
steward
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I do! Hugels shrink a lot, especially if you don't fill between the logs when you make them. And, even when you did fill in between, there's still a lot of decomp that makes things shrink. I tend to top mine off with duck bedding to act as both a mulch for the current growing season, and new soil when it composts down.
 
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Top off the garden bed with whatever mulch you have available.  If you have any dirt to fill in the gaps and raise it if needed then put that first then top it with mulch.
 
Leslie Russell
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Thank you! I'm delighted you two were the first replies:)
When I made the beds I did fill in the gaps with leftover soil and compost. I've got more of both again this season (i'm in Florida) to use. I planted strawberries on about 6' so I'll tuck a little compost around them where I can without getting too close to the crowns.  This is fun and I love a new method after 35 years of flat rows lol
 
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As Nicole brought up, hugels shrink and settle so you do have to make additions for at least the first few (read as 3-5) years.
Depending upon how much wood you used to build the hugel, you might be making these additions for up to ten years.

As both Nicole and Michelle brought up, compost and soil are the items to use for this build up and then you mulch.
Once this is all done you can plant right through the mulch layer.

Redhawk
 
Leslie Russell
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Got it. Soil and compost to refill the gaps and add to the mound, then mulch and plant into that.
Thank you all three! I'm going to have a bang up garden this season!!
It's so good to be an old gardener learning new ways. Wait...I'm only 60!!
 
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