How to Build a Hugelkultur Bed: A Step-by-Step Guide

Earth Moves are the first people in Wirral to build large Hugelkultures. This was partly to rectify the situation at our site, which was experiencing flooding and poor soil, and in some areas, very shallow soil. Hugels also greatly increase growing areas and are more accessible for gardening by people with disabilities.

Hugelkultur is a traditional land-use technique with powerful modern applications. By recycling natural materials such as logs, branches, cardboard and plant matter into raised mounds, hugelkultur creates fertile, water-retaining growing spaces.

At Earth Moves, we’ve been developing hugelkultur beds on our 4-acre site as part of our mission to support community wellbeing, biodiversity, and climate change resilience. This guide will show you how to build your own hugelkultur bed, whether in a garden, allotment, or community field.

What Is Hugelkultur?

The word hugelkultur comes from the German for “mound culture.” The technique involves layering woody material, organic matter, and soil to create a raised bed that mimics the natural process of a forest floor. As the buried wood breaks down, it enriches the soil, holds water like a sponge, and provides nutrients for years.

Hugelkultur offers several ecological benefits:

Water management - acts as a reservoir during droughts and prevents flooding by absorbing heavy rainfall.
Soil health – enriches poor or shallow soils by adding organic matter.
Biodiversity – supports fungi, insects, birds, and pollinators.
Climate resilience – locks up carbon, reduces waste, and provides a sustainable growing model. Using cardboard also recycles a waste product.

For us, hugelkultur is not only a gardening technique but also a demonstration of low-tech, nature-based climate solutions.

Why Hugelkultur Works on Shallow or Poor Soil

On our site, the field soil is shallow and not ideal for deep-rooted plants. Hugelkultur overcomes this by providing a layered growing medium that accommodates roots more effectively. The decaying logs and branches at the core of the bed gradually turn into rich humus, improving fertility for many years. Plants that would otherwise struggle in thin soils can thrive in this environment.

Materials You’ll Need

You don’t need expensive equipment – hugelkultur is all about using what you already have.

Cardboard – as a base layer to suppress weeds.
Logs and large branches – the “bones” of the structure. Avoid treated wood.
Smaller sticks and twigs – fill gaps between large logs.
Green material – fresh cuttings, weeds, or grass clippings to add nitrogen.
Topsoil – to cover the mound for planting. (or soil from your site you have from creating ponds, ditches, etc).
Optional mulch, such as wood chips or straw, to reduce evaporation and weed growth.

By recycling organic matter that would otherwise go to waste, hugelkultur turns waste into food plants.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Choose Your Site

Select a location with ample sunlight and easy access to water. Consider the bed’s shape and orientation – long mounds aligned east-west capture the sun best.

Step 2: Mark Out the Bed

Decide on the size. A standard width is approximately 1.2 metres (4 feet), allowing for planting and harvesting from both sides. The length depends on your space. Hugelkultur beds are typically 60–150 cm high, but you can adjust the height according to your accessibility needs.

Step 3: Prepare the Ground

Lay down a thick layer of cardboard to block weeds and grass. This also recycles packaging and creates a clean base. You can dig a shallow trench to sink the first log layer partially, especially if you want a lower mound profile.

Step 4: Add the Logs

Place the largest logs and woody material at the bottom. These act like a sponge, slowly releasing water and nutrients over time.

Step 5: Fill with Branches and Twigs

Add smaller sticks and branches to fill spaces between the large logs. This prevents collapse and allows airflow.

Step 6: Add Green Material

Layer in grass clippings, freshly cut plants, or garden waste. These nitrogen-rich materials help balance the carbon-heavy wood and speed up decomposition.

Step 7: Add Soil and Compost

Cover the mound with a generous layer of soil. This is where your plants will root. If available, mix in compost or leaf mould for extra fertility.

Step 8: Shape and Mulch

Shape the mound so it has sloping sides. Mulch with straw, leaves, or wood chips to conserve moisture and protect the soil.

Step 9: Plant Your Hugel

Start with pioneer plants – fast-growing species such as beans, peas, or squash – which thrive in new hugel beds. Over time, perennial herbs, shrubs, and even fruit trees can be planted as the mound stabilises.

Planting Ideas

A hugelkultur bed can be planted in creative ways using interplanting.

Vegetables – squash, beans, kale, courgettes.
Herbs – Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Mint, Chamomile. Passion Flower
Flowers – pollinator-friendly species like Calendula and Sunflowers.
Perennials – rhubarb, berries, or asparagus.
Shrubs, blackberry, raspberry

At Earth Moves, we incorporate sensory and healing herbs selected by our community,

making the beds not only functional but also inclusive and welcoming.

Hugelkultur and Climate Change

Hugelkultur is more than a gardening technique – it’s a climate adaptation model.

Mitigates drought by storing water in decaying logs.
Reduces flooding by absorbing heavy rainfall.
Captures carbon in woody material.
Encourages biodiversity, making ecosystems more resilient.

As climate change intensifies weather extremes, hugelkultur offers a practical, local solution that communities can adopt anywhere.

Accessibility and Community Benefits

One of our priorities has been designing hugelkultur areas that are inclusive for people with physical disabilities. By adjusting mound height, creating level access paths, and choosing herbs for sensory qualities, hugelkultur becomes a therapeutic and social resource as well as an ecological one.

Working together to build a hugel also builds community. Collecting logs, layering materials, and planting create shared ownership of the land and its bounty. For many participants, it is a hands-on way to connect with both nature and each other.

Creative Community Uses: We created our first Hugel in the Chinese year of the dragon, so we designed and decorated a community-inspired dragon head to make it fun and artistic.

Maintenance Tips

Mulch annually to retain water and reduce weeds.
Add compost annually to maintain high fertility.
Water is needed during dry periods in the first year; later, the hugel will self-regulate moisture.
Experiment with different plants and notice which ones thrive in each layer and on each side.

Over time, the mound will slowly settle as the wood decomposes. This is natural and part of the cycle – simply top up with soil or compost as needed.

Final Thoughts

Hugelkultur demonstrates how we can work with natural processes to regenerate land, recycle organic matter, and adapt to the challenges of climate change.

By layering cardboard, logs, branches, green waste, and soil, anyone can create a thriving, water-wise, wildlife-friendly growing space. Whether you’re gardening at home or part of a community project like Earth Moves, hugelkultur turns waste into nourishment, builds resilience, and deepens our connection with the earth.

Why not gather some cardboard, logs, and plant matter and give it a try? Even if it's only a small example, your hugelkultur bed could become a living model of how to maximise organic growing, recycle waste and guard against climate change.

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