Thank you for this! It has made me re-consider my plans for my first hugel bed (more of a hole in the ground at the moment). I was originally planning to make it quite vertical (6' high x 4' wide ~= 70 degrees, 12' long) using pallets with half the slats removed to keep all that soil in.
After weighing some of the considerations above I am leaning more towards a shorter bed (3' high over 4' width) for the following reasons:
1. The pit has already been dug in a north-south direction and I'd like to use both sides for full/partial sun annual vegetables (don't know why I thought this would work with a 6 foot near-vertical wall 🤦♂️).
2. The plants I'm planning to grow on it initially are primarily a mix of brassicas, legumes and squash, all of which would likely prefer a gentler slope
3. Less earth to move (my footprint will remain the same either way)
4. I prefer the more natural look
I was originally leaning toward a highly vertical bed because:
1. It would provide the most dramatic micro-climate (not so sure it would work in my favor now, I need heat!)
2. Maximize production for a given footprint
3. Theoretically provide better protection from pests (this is all happening in a creek bottom popular with wildlife of all sorts)
Any advice or feedback would be appreciated!
