Frequently asked questions
A hugel is water efficient, so how much or how little should I water? ANSWER: If you’ve built robust hugel, and you’re growing typical vegetables with a view to regular harvesting, then you would typically water: seed beds – 5 mins, twice per day, the same as a conventional bed. …
For ANSWER: Yes… and no. Technically you can plant anything in a hugel. For pragmatic reasons, that’s not the case: Potatoes have invasive root systems. Baby tubers will penetrate the woody material of your hugel, and will be impossible to harvest or remove without destroying your hugel. Because potatoes have …
You have a place in your garden where you’d like to build a hugel, but a mound is not practical, or would look out of place. Can you build a hugel that’s level with the ground? ANSWER: Absolutely. Contrary to the name, hugels don’t need to be constructed in the …
The taller the hugel, the more efficient it will be, but those steep sides are hard to stabilise. What’s the best way of working with them? ANSWER: Before adding the final compost layer, spread a thin layer of straw just below the crown of the hugel and all up the …
You’ve built a fantastic hugel, exactly three feet tall, and now it’s only two feet tall. Is something wrong? ANSWER: That’s perfectly normal. After building, your hugels will settle and sink a little. The weight of the material will compact the mound, and as water permeates the soil air pockets …
You have a heap of prunings, and you’ve just mowed your lawn. Can you use these materials to build a hugel? ANSWER: Absolutely. Unless they’re poisonous! This might seem obvious, but it’s a very important point. With all that wood breaking down into your hugel and feeding your veggies, it’s …
So you want to build a hugel, but you’re worried about termites near your house. Are termites attracted to hugels or not? ANSWER: There’s no simple answer to this question. I have 85m2 of hugels in my yard, and termites are present in the areas of native vegetation in the …
You’ve built your hugel bed. How long do you have to wait before you can plant? ANSWER: That depends on what you used to build your hugel with. If you use: dead and composted material, then go ahead and plant the next day. mostly dead material, and some green waste …
