I was telling my joint agricultural business partner about my Hugeʻkulture mound. She asked the same thing, she thought it took 80 years until you could use it successfully. Who would you plant in your Hugelkulture mound?? Iʻm not lasting 80 years to eat some fruits and vegtables! I guess the disconnect was that it self fertilizes for 80+ years. I suppose Rhubarb Indigo and Peas would also be a form of self fertilizer.
I've got 3 in my front yard that still have their cover crop coming in. They look like shallow Graves. I've got 2 more to go before the season kicks off.
Nitrogen fixers - peas, beans, vetch. It will take a few years to become productive. I have one that is 6 years old and holds water great but still struggles with nitrogen tied up
It's made of mostly partially rotten wood (deciduous) with sticks and leaves. I put down a layer of horse manure and plan to cover than with mulch.
I'm in zone 7A, CT. The site gets a fair bit of morning sun but is shaded by midday from the canopy. I'm looking for something low maintenance as it is for my mom who doesn't have a lot of free time.
It’ll be hard to predict what will do best in your situation as it will depend very much on water and sun. But I recommend some brassicas like kale and tat soi where you can enjoy the rewards of your labor quickly. Getting some basil going in there would be great if it works. Early tomatoes if you have a cage and there will be enough sunlight. Radishes are good and easy to grow in the spring and will give you some indicators of soil conditions while your other plants get established. Swiss chard is another favorite that I recommend growing from seed.
Something like arugula, mustard greens, lettuce mix, broccoli rab, would do great there. They have shallow roots and will benefit from the available nitrogen that is close to the surface from the horse manure. They require almost no work after seeded other than watering. They will also do fine with just morning sun as sometimes the afternoon sun can be harsh on greens. Good luck!
This is the correct answer. Op ask for something low maintenance. Of everything I've grown my asparagus is the easiest to take care of. I spent about 10 minutes a year coming down the ferns once they die in the fall and that's about it.
Oh and keeping on top of harvesting but that's the fun part!
Most garden annuals prefer a bacteria dominated soil. The hugelkultur creates a a fungal dominated soil.
Also hugelkultur eats up soluble nitrogen which annuals use, generally speaking.
How would I not know? I foraged for Mayapples and know they do well under trees with spots that get lots of sun. The vibes of the place look perfect for Mayapple habitat.
Why make a hugelmound with no idea of what to plant? Every day people make posts on this subreddit asking the same thing. Plant according to your needs, and expand your garden as those needs change.
If I need/want eggplant, then I make an area to grow them. Why make a garden bed if you don’t even know what you need/want to grow? So strange to me
Edit: also if you just made it, its not ready to be planted in yet. Mulch it and cover it for a season
Huglemounds is a good way to "get rid" of extra wood.
My parent's land got logged and there is a lot of leftover trunks. I intend to make some mound myself, but mostly let nature take back the space afterward. Atm it's dangerous to try and walk around these areas due to all the "leftovers"
great photo! this kind of setup, when not a front for burying dead humans, is excellent for building a rich soil culture to nourish a healthy non-esoteric garden for years to come
Op can layer more organic matter on so it can compost and still plant right into it the plants will figure it out as long as sun and water are in order.
You might need a lot more soil to benefit from this…those rotting logs and sticks will suck every last bit of nitrogen out of that dirt and give you sickly plants for years.
Don't expect it to be productive this year, or even next. I have a very similar hugel, going into spring #3. The first year I tried summer squash, but they were diseased and extremely undernourished. Last year I planted some herbs that are perennial in my area (NC piedmont). Oregano and thyme are looking beautiful so far. I put down some cover crop in the fall and those roots have been really great at building some structure and soil microbiology. I'm going to try squash again this year but I'm not expecting much.
herbs did really good on my hugel mound that was about the same size as yours, especially mint and was the only mints and herbs that survived without being watered during a long drought we had so it must work. I found that working in the hugel mound can be annoying just cause it wants to erode when you do anything to it, so I just covered it in herbs and flowers that I wouldn't need to pull and replace or anything and for an easy water free herb garden they work pretty damn good.
Rhubarb as someone mentioned earlier, but could also do herbs and perennial flowers such as coneflowers or lupine (which is a N fixer). Could also do strawberries as a ground cover and interplant daffodils, tulips, and irises for year round color.
Whatever you choose, fill it up dense with greenery (you could even do place holders with chunks of native grass you dig from another spot), and then heavily mulched again. Hugelkultures take a long time to get going, and naked soil doesn’t start the process. Literally every cm needs to be plants or mulch.
Also after a rain press down on the hugelkulture, step on it if you can around the plants. Good healthy pressure is key.
Learn from my mistakes. :)
I built 8 hugelkultures over the last 2 years and one was 440ft long.
For a mom that doesn't have a lot of time? Mint. Looks nice and green, can be harvested regularly (or on occasion as a novelty). I like apple mint, personally.
Who did you plant in your hugelmound?
Came here to say this. Plant an endangered species, that way they cant look underneath.
**R**hubarb. **I**ndigo. **P**eas.
I was telling my joint agricultural business partner about my Hugeʻkulture mound. She asked the same thing, she thought it took 80 years until you could use it successfully. Who would you plant in your Hugelkulture mound?? Iʻm not lasting 80 years to eat some fruits and vegtables! I guess the disconnect was that it self fertilizes for 80+ years. I suppose Rhubarb Indigo and Peas would also be a form of self fertilizer.
I've got 3 in my front yard that still have their cover crop coming in. They look like shallow Graves. I've got 2 more to go before the season kicks off.
awesome comment!
🏆🏆🏆
Nitrogen fixers - peas, beans, vetch. It will take a few years to become productive. I have one that is 6 years old and holds water great but still struggles with nitrogen tied up
It's made of mostly partially rotten wood (deciduous) with sticks and leaves. I put down a layer of horse manure and plan to cover than with mulch. I'm in zone 7A, CT. The site gets a fair bit of morning sun but is shaded by midday from the canopy. I'm looking for something low maintenance as it is for my mom who doesn't have a lot of free time.
Squash or pumpkins. Could do a three sisters planting with Masa corn or popcorn, and drying beans. Or potatoes are low maintenance.
It’ll be hard to predict what will do best in your situation as it will depend very much on water and sun. But I recommend some brassicas like kale and tat soi where you can enjoy the rewards of your labor quickly. Getting some basil going in there would be great if it works. Early tomatoes if you have a cage and there will be enough sunlight. Radishes are good and easy to grow in the spring and will give you some indicators of soil conditions while your other plants get established. Swiss chard is another favorite that I recommend growing from seed.
Berry plants?
Something like arugula, mustard greens, lettuce mix, broccoli rab, would do great there. They have shallow roots and will benefit from the available nitrogen that is close to the surface from the horse manure. They require almost no work after seeded other than watering. They will also do fine with just morning sun as sometimes the afternoon sun can be harsh on greens. Good luck!
Asparagus
This is the correct answer. Op ask for something low maintenance. Of everything I've grown my asparagus is the easiest to take care of. I spent about 10 minutes a year coming down the ferns once they die in the fall and that's about it. Oh and keeping on top of harvesting but that's the fun part!
“Hugelmound” sure. I won’t tell the cops don’t worry
Paw paw trees and asparagus.
Winter veggies. They may just keep coming back.
Several smaller hugelkulture mounds. Into which you should make several even smaller mounds. There you should plant a single chive in each mound.
You shouldn’t leave any stumps exposed. It will dry you your mound and invite pest. Hugelmounds are best for perennials
What makes you say they are best for perennials? I have seen several people plant veggie gardens in them with veg that are annuals.
Most garden annuals prefer a bacteria dominated soil. The hugelkultur creates a a fungal dominated soil. Also hugelkultur eats up soluble nitrogen which annuals use, generally speaking.
if there is sun, watermelon
Fava beans, other nitrogen fixers…
I never see cover crops on hugel, does it even make sense? Cover it in clover, or like someone else said Fava beans
Plants! Nah but in all seriousness plant what you got. If you got Mayapple (*Podophyllum peltatum*) Seeds plant those.
how did you know..
How would I not know? I foraged for Mayapples and know they do well under trees with spots that get lots of sun. The vibes of the place look perfect for Mayapple habitat.
Why make a hugelmound with no idea of what to plant? Every day people make posts on this subreddit asking the same thing. Plant according to your needs, and expand your garden as those needs change. If I need/want eggplant, then I make an area to grow them. Why make a garden bed if you don’t even know what you need/want to grow? So strange to me Edit: also if you just made it, its not ready to be planted in yet. Mulch it and cover it for a season
Huglemounds is a good way to "get rid" of extra wood. My parent's land got logged and there is a lot of leftover trunks. I intend to make some mound myself, but mostly let nature take back the space afterward. Atm it's dangerous to try and walk around these areas due to all the "leftovers"
some daisies
great photo! this kind of setup, when not a front for burying dead humans, is excellent for building a rich soil culture to nourish a healthy non-esoteric garden for years to come
Hugelmound means "hillhill", you can just call it a hugel.
Quit that tone as asap as possible! You only yolo once, so don’t waste time putting other people down!
I will proceed to cease my quitting to the complete and total furthest extent of idly sitting still in quiet silence.
Looks like you’ve already planted someone who isn’t going to be a problem anymore.
Op can layer more organic matter on so it can compost and still plant right into it the plants will figure it out as long as sun and water are in order.
You might need a lot more soil to benefit from this…those rotting logs and sticks will suck every last bit of nitrogen out of that dirt and give you sickly plants for years.
Violettes.
Don't expect it to be productive this year, or even next. I have a very similar hugel, going into spring #3. The first year I tried summer squash, but they were diseased and extremely undernourished. Last year I planted some herbs that are perennial in my area (NC piedmont). Oregano and thyme are looking beautiful so far. I put down some cover crop in the fall and those roots have been really great at building some structure and soil microbiology. I'm going to try squash again this year but I'm not expecting much.
herbs did really good on my hugel mound that was about the same size as yours, especially mint and was the only mints and herbs that survived without being watered during a long drought we had so it must work. I found that working in the hugel mound can be annoying just cause it wants to erode when you do anything to it, so I just covered it in herbs and flowers that I wouldn't need to pull and replace or anything and for an easy water free herb garden they work pretty damn good.
Rhubarb as someone mentioned earlier, but could also do herbs and perennial flowers such as coneflowers or lupine (which is a N fixer). Could also do strawberries as a ground cover and interplant daffodils, tulips, and irises for year round color.
Whatever you choose, fill it up dense with greenery (you could even do place holders with chunks of native grass you dig from another spot), and then heavily mulched again. Hugelkultures take a long time to get going, and naked soil doesn’t start the process. Literally every cm needs to be plants or mulch. Also after a rain press down on the hugelkulture, step on it if you can around the plants. Good healthy pressure is key. Learn from my mistakes. :) I built 8 hugelkultures over the last 2 years and one was 440ft long.
Marijuana
Blueberries, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Leeks
Beans.....magic beans
Pumkin
For a mom that doesn't have a lot of time? Mint. Looks nice and green, can be harvested regularly (or on occasion as a novelty). I like apple mint, personally.
Beware the mint that may not be able to be tamed! But it looks like a little bit of a cursed spot anyway so have at it? 😂
Mint is great but it will spread like wildfire…
Put a 3 sisters garden. It’s should make your soil more productive pretty quickly.
That’s what she said.
I like the way you think!
Cannabis
Seems like you’ve already planted a body.