Hybrid Hugelkultur bed 2 years on. Time for a tune up!!

It has come time to top of my original Hügelkulture bed. This bed was first dug 2 years ago, filled with wood, sticks, branches and topped with layers of compost, leaves, woodchips, kitchen scraps, and mowed grass. First I started by reinforcing perimeter areas with long sticks shoved into the ground. I then filled in areas inside of it with large logs and branches. After getting center mass filled out, I started building up walls made of branches and twigs to act as an "exoskeleton" for the mound. Once all of the walls were reinforced I started filling with layers of bagged shredded leaves and yard waste (salvaged from neighbors), and spoiled vegetables, fruit from the grocer and compost. A good couple shovel fulls of organic fertilizer with Mycorrhizae was spread across each "brown" carbonaceous layer and all ingredients watered thoroughly in order that they were placed into the mound to make a "wet sponge" consistency. Still one more layer of fresh finished compost and wood chips to go and it is planting time! Planting Suggestions welcome. I already have Comfrey growing in "pockets" on the west side, but that's it. Thanks everyone for the inspiration.

Images of progression.

More progression.

More progression. Top layer of organic fertilizer with Mycorrhizae, leaf mold, woodchips and lawn clippings. I have had time today to take finished compost from the bin and a bunch of woodchips that have been decomposing for a year and throw it over. I will post photos of it finished tomorrow.

Planted out some seeds in different spots around the mount, and a few tomato seedlings.

Thank you for sharing. Is the shade tree on the west side? That can be good to prevent late afternoon sun from stressing plants in the heat of summer.

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I hope you like TOMATOES!

@Hans yes that tree is on the western side of the lot.

@Steven yes, yes I do! Hopefully the Avocado pits will sprout out over time as well.

Your hugel looks a lot like the core of one of those Kenyan keyhole garden beds where they stuff compostables in a central containment area and plant in a bed around the perimeter. They water the compost mound and that feeds an waters the surrounding bed. I would plant that sucker that way (plants around the outside and water heavily on the mound). Squash, melons, tomatoes, and corn all love that sort of system, and anything that grows on the mound is just butter!

Did a quick google search and came up with this video for what I was talking about: