If you've ever looked at a raised garden bed and thought, "How am I going to afford all that soil?" — hugelkultur is the answer.
Hugelkultur (pronounced "hoo-gul-culture") is a centuries-old gardening method that uses layers of decomposing wood, branches, and organic matter to fill your raised bed from the bottom up. The result? A self-sustaining ecosystem that retains moisture, feeds your plants naturally, and costs a fraction of what you'd spend filling a bed entirely with purchased soil.
In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly how the hugelkultur method works, the correct layer breakdown, how to build a hugelkultur raised bed step by step, what to plant in it, and how to orient your bed for the best results.
What is the Hugelkultur Method?
Hugelkultur — German for "hill culture" or "mound culture" — is a gardening method that involves burying decomposing wood and organic materials beneath your growing soil. Originally practiced as open mounds in Eastern European and German farming traditions, the technique works beautifully in modern raised garden beds.
Here's the basic idea: instead of filling your entire raised bed with expensive topsoil, you pack the bottom 60-70% with logs, sticks, leaves, and other organic matter. As this material slowly decomposes over months and years, it does three things:
- Acts like a sponge — decomposing wood absorbs and holds water, releasing it slowly to plant roots during dry periods.
- Feeds your plants — the breakdown process creates a steady supply of nutrients, reducing or eliminating the need for fertilizer.
- Saves you money — you're using free materials (fallen branches, yard waste, leaves) instead of bags of premium soil mix.
The hugelkultur gardening method is especially effective in raised beds because the contained structure holds everything in place while the decomposition process works its magic underground. Over time, the organic matter breaks down and the soil level will settle a few inches — which is normal. Simply top off with compost each season.
Think of it as building a living foundation for your garden.
The Hugelkultur Layers
1. 40% Logs: Building the Foundation
- Begin by laying down a sturdy foundation of logs, constituting 40% of the total bed. This layer provides structure to the mound and acts as a reservoir for moisture.
2. 20% Sticks and Branches: Layering the Framework
- The next layer involves adding sticks and smaller branches, contributing to the framework of the Hugelkultur bed. This layer ensures optimal aeration and further enhances water retention.
3. 25% Vegetation and Plant Waste: Nourishing the Soil
- Introduce a layer of vegetation and plant waste, comprising 25% of the bed. This can include leaves, garden debris, and other organic matter. As this layer decomposes, it releases valuable nutrients into the soil.
4. 10% Compost: Boosting Nutrient Levels
- Layer in 10% compost, providing an immediate nutrient boost to your garden. Compost enriches the soil and accelerates the decomposition process, fostering a nutrient-rich environment for plant growth.
5. 5% Topsoil: Finalizing the Planting Surface
- Complete the Hugelkultur mound with a top layer of quality topsoil, making up the final 5%. This layer serves as the immediate planting surface for your garden, offering the perfect environment for seeds or transplants.
How to Build a Hugelkultur Raised Bed Step by Step
Building a hugelkultur raised bed is straightforward. Here's the process from start to finish:
Step 1: Assemble your raised bed. Set up your raised bed in its final location before filling. With a Gro-Rite raised garden bed, this takes about 10 minutes using the Pop 'N Slide system — no tools needed. Make sure the bed is on level ground and positioned where your plants will get adequate sunlight.
Step 2: Lay down cardboard or newspaper (optional). If your bed is on grass, place a layer of cardboard or several sheets of newspaper at the base. This suppresses weeds and will decompose over time. Skip this step if your bed is on bare soil or a hard surface.
Step 3: Add logs and large wood pieces (bottom 40%). Place your largest logs and chunks of wood at the very bottom. Hardwoods (oak, maple, ash) decompose slower and provide structure for years. Softwoods (pine, fir) break down faster, which means quicker nutrient release but more settling. Avoid using treated lumber, painted wood, or black walnut (which releases a chemical toxic to some plants).
Step 4: Fill gaps with sticks and branches (next 20%). Layer smaller sticks, branches, and twigs on top of the logs. Pack them into the gaps. This layer improves aeration and drainage throughout the bed.
Step 5: Add vegetation and plant waste (next 25%). Pile on grass clippings, fallen leaves, straw, kitchen scraps (no meat or dairy), and garden trimmings. This green material is rich in nitrogen, which balances the carbon-heavy wood layers below and accelerates decomposition.
Step 6: Add compost (next 10%). Spread a layer of finished compost. This introduces beneficial microorganisms that kickstart the breakdown process and provides immediate nutrients for your plants.
Step 7: Top with quality topsoil (final 5%). Finish with 2 to 4 inches of good topsoil or a topsoil/compost blend. This is your planting surface. Make sure it's deep enough for seeds to germinate and transplants to root into.
Step 8: Water thoroughly. Give the entire bed a deep soaking. The wood layers need to absorb moisture before they can start working as a water reservoir. Water generously for the first few weeks.
Pro tip: If possible, build your hugelkultur bed in the fall and let it sit through winter. This gives the wood time to absorb moisture and begin decomposing before spring planting.
What to Plant in a Hugelkultur Bed
One of the best things about hugelkultur is that almost anything grows well in it — but some plants thrive more than others, especially depending on the age of your bed.
Year 1 — Best crops for a new hugelkultur bed:
In the first year, the decomposition process generates heat and consumes nitrogen. Plant nitrogen-fixing or less nitrogen-demanding crops:
- Squash and zucchini — vigorous growers that love the warm, moist conditions
- Tomatoes — thrive in the nutrient-rich, well-draining environment
- Peppers — enjoy the warmth generated by decomposition
- Cucumbers — benefit from the consistent moisture retention
- Beans and peas — legumes fix their own nitrogen, so they won't compete for the nitrogen being consumed by decomposing wood
- Potatoes — love the loose, well-aerated soil structure
Year 2 and beyond — Expand your options:
As the wood breaks down, it releases more nutrients and the nitrogen balance stabilizes. You can grow virtually anything:
- Leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, kale) — which need more nitrogen
- Root vegetables (carrots, beets, radishes)
- Herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley, dill)
- Flowers — hugelkultur works great for flower beds too, not just vegetables
- Strawberries — love the moisture retention
What about a hugelkultur flower bed?
Hugelkultur isn't just for vegetables. If you're building a raised flower bed, the same layering method works beautifully. Perennials especially benefit from the long-term nutrient release and moisture retention. Coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, lavender, and native wildflowers all do well in hugelkultur beds.
Hugelkultur Bed Orientation and Layout
How you position your hugelkultur bed matters more than you might think.
Direction: Orient your raised bed so the long side faces south (in the Northern Hemisphere). This maximizes sun exposure across the full length of the bed. If you're growing a mix of tall and short plants, put taller crops on the north end so they don't shade the shorter ones.
Location: Choose a spot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for vegetables, or 4 hours for shade-tolerant crops like lettuce. Avoid placing your bed directly under trees — the roots will grow up into the nutrient-rich soil, and fallen debris can introduce disease.
Slope and drainage: If your yard has a slight slope, position the bed so water flows toward it rather than away from it. Hugelkultur beds are excellent at absorbing runoff, but they shouldn't sit in standing water.
Multiple bed layout: If you're setting up multiple raised beds, leave at least 2 to 3 feet between them for walking and wheelbarrow access. A common layout is parallel beds running north to south with paths in between.
Tip for modular beds: With a Gro-Rite 6-in-1 modular bed, you can experiment with different configurations. The 2 ft x 6.5 ft arrangement works especially well for hugelkultur because the narrow width makes it easy to reach the center of the bed from either side — important when you're layering materials during setup.
Benefits of Hugelkultur
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Water Retention: The layered structure retains water effectively, reducing the need for frequent irrigation.
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Nutrient-Rich Soil: As organic matter decomposes, it releases nutrients, creating a fertile soil environment.
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Sustainability: Hugelkultur beds require minimal maintenance and promote long-term soil health.
Conclusion
The hugelkultur method is one of the smartest ways to fill a raised garden bed. You save money on soil, reduce waste by using materials from your own yard, and create a growing environment that gets better with every season. The decomposing layers retain moisture, release nutrients naturally, and build a living ecosystem beneath your plants.
Whether you're filling your first raised bed or your tenth, hugelkultur gives you a cost-effective, sustainable foundation that rewards you for years to come.
If you're ready to get started, check out our Gro-Rite Metal Raised Garden Bed Kit — it assembles in 10 minutes with no tools, giving you the perfect container for your hugelkultur build.
Happy growing!
Justin Lane
Co-Founder, Gro-Rite Garden