hugelkultur raised beds

hey folks. I've been studying these bed designs for awhile and loved the whole hugelkultur idea but noticed that keeping your soil in place was a issue so i modified it in a wooden raised bed about 18in high sides 5' by 12ft beds. laid cardboard on the bottom then some 6in. poplar logs on the bottom filled in with comfrey, food scraps then a 4in layer of grass clippings , manure and small sticks.  the last 6in. is homemade amended top soil. its mounded about 8in. higher than the sides. grew in them last year and this year with no fertilization. it has rotted down some. nearly level with the top of the bed. had no issues keeping soil in place. anyone else try it this way? seems a little easier to control your bed but do sacrifice growing space compared to a conventional hugel. never have to water either.

Well I do it all the time. It is like a standard raised garden bed design for me. Top soil or compost is very expensive over here, so other then the very top 2-3 inches (which is reserved for my precious compost) it is branches grass clippings etc (like a foot deep). It works very good other then a huge settlement at the end of season. If there are logs in the bed, they cause uneven settlements, which might be problematic.

s. ayalp wrote:Well I do it all the time. It is like a standard raised garden bed design for me. Top soil or compost is very expensive over here, so other then the very top 2-3 inches (which is reserved for my precious compost) it is branches grass clippings etc (like a foot deep). It works very good other then a huge settlement at the end of season. If there are logs in the bed, they cause uneven settlements, which might be problematic.

we have the same problem here and our cold weather is hard to make compost fast enough. i have settling also. may have to add more soil/ compost next season to build them up and level it off.

steve bossie wrote:our cold weather is hard to make compost fast enough. i have settling also. may have to add more soil/ compost next season to build them up and level it off.

It depends on what you plan on growing in it

Me I layer spent pigeon poop cardboard and flyers with  hydrangea and thimbleberry clippings, as well as all the other branches and leaves and junk,

no top dressing at all, throwing spent brown forage peas and sunflower seeds and wild red clover heads in near the top

even if the hydrangea and thimbleberry stalks don't come up the rest will, and you dont have ro worry about losing your top dressing