Hugel beds and hugel mounds are both types of raised garden beds that are constructed using logs and other organic matter. Hugel beds are typically shallower and wider, while hugel mounds are taller and narrower. The primary difference between the two lies in their intended use and the specific needs of the gardener. Hugel beds are ideal for planting shallow-rooted plants, while hugel mounds are better suited for deep-rooted plants that require more soil depth. The choice between hugel beds and hugel mounds depends on the gardener's goals, available resources, and gardening needs.

You must be wondering, hugelkultur worth it? Should you be choosing hugelkultur in your gardening area or should you go for normal irrigation gardens? Well, I was wondering the same. Then I started researching about it.

Friends, let me tell you, Hugelkultur is the real deal! It's simple, it's space-saving, it's resource-efficient, and it produces exceptional gardening results. And isn't that what we all want in the end? Top-notch gardening results?

Hugelkultur is the crème de la crème of gardening techniques, and let me tell you, it's been around for a while. Now, it's making a comeback in today's world, and for good reason. It's the most perfect and beneficial technique out there, hands down.

What Is Hugelkultur?

Hugelkultur is an art of gardening that uses decomposing wood and other biomass to create a raised bed, which is used as a fertile bed for plants and trees. It requires little to no irrigation and provides amazing responses over time. Aha! I said, right after reading about it, since water is something our planet needs more than us and thus less water would mean conservation, which is eco-friendly as well, so this was an immediate win for me and it should be for you too.

The types of hugelkultur techniques are divide into two main parts, which I’ll list down.

· Hugel Beds

· Hugel Mounds

I’m going to discuss the pros and cons and everything in between, whatever I was able to research so that it may help you all, and you don’t have to spend hours like me to find the right solution for your gardening needs.

Hugel Beds

Hugel beds are raised beds of soil and dirt placed upon a trench dug and filled with upright logs, covered by branches and twigs that act as decomposing bodies that fill the soil with nutrients and provide plants with the essential growth nutrients and food that they need.

Although irrigation is not necessary, to fasten the growth process, people including me, have made holes in the bed and filled with water. Now I’ll give you all a few steps of making and maintain Hugel beds.

How do I cultivate a hugel bed?

Well, first off, we need to dig a trench, not too deep. Then we fill the trench with decomposing logs placed all over, these logs soak up water from the ground and then release the water for the growth of the plants.

Then, we simply cover it with twigs and branches which will work as nutrients for the plants as they’ll break down easier, which will then be covered by dirt.

The dirt will be mulched so that plants could be planted over it. If mulch sounds like a tough word to remember, use compost instead. Then create barriers between the sodded dirt where the plants will be needed. And then in due time, the plants will grow and the flowers will bloom and Voila! You’ll get your desired garden with lesser hassle than normal gardening.

A few pros and cons of building a hugel bed using hugelkultur techniques are given below,

Pros

Lesser Effort than conventional gardening

Irrigation-less gardening

Limited Space Requirements

Cons

Requires more effort than hugel mounds

Requires biodegradable masses

Hugel mounds

For the people, who don’t want any of the digging and all of the benefits, hugel mounds are a very interesting choice. Well the name suggests the structure. These are just mounds of biomass under soil used for planting.

The logs soak up all the water from the ground and then release it when the plants are in need, the water is then accompanied by the nutrients and then energy is provided to the plants and other organisms planted on the mound.

How to cultivate hugel mounds?

Logs must be positioned horizontally, they should be preferably decomposing, if so you’ll be glad since the process of growth will boost and the garden will be ready sooner than usual. Then, cover the logs with smaller branches, and then they should be covered with twigs and so on. Finally a layer of dirt over all of this, and sod over the dirt. Then the same process repeats and plants are seeded.

This mound will then be covered with plants and in some time, the plants will grow enough to create your ideal garden. Pros and Cons of choosing hugel mound technique for your garden are listed as follows,

Pros

• Lesser Effort than conventional gardening
• Easier than creating hugel beds
• Plant growth is boosted
• Less spacious requirements

Cons

• Requires decomposing biomass
• Expertise in horticulture

Conclusion

Finally, what I’ll be suggesting is after personal experience, of using both hugel bed and hugel mound techniques of permaculture, and I believe that hugel mounds require lesser effort and causes lesser problems in building. If you’re in a different situation as me, or you prefer different techniques then, surely you should go for your own thing, but since I’ve been consulted and I have experienced gardening in its most diverse form, I noticed that digging trenches for the beds and then using the same materials used for the mounds didn’t show a much bigger difference in yield.

Therefore, the most cost-effective and time-efficient process of hugelkultur building a hugel mound, for growing plants not having to dig trenches and spend time on that specific bit, other than that Hooray! You’ve reached the end of the piece, I hope I was able to give you enough insight and now you’ll be able to make the right gardening decision. By considering the pros and cons of either of these gardening techniques, choose one that suits your needs and get ready to reap the benefits.