Hügelkultur Experiment - Burying Logs, Leaves and Other Organic Material in our Raised Beds - #6

It's time to fill our raised beds with a "hügelkulture" inspired mix of logs, twigs, sticks, leafs, mulch, soil and compost. To feed the soil, increase moisture retention - and reduce the amount we need to spend on compost - we're filling our rustic raised beds with all sorts of organic matter before sowing some seeds and planting some plants.
Time will tell if this approach works - and whether our crops produce an abundant harvest or barely grow at all. We love experiments and there's lots of them happening in this video. Among other things we try: sowing carrots in a bed full of rotten logs and leaves, planting potatoes using the "wrist method", transplanting strawberries in three different types of garden bed and more. We'll even outline all the details of what these full raised beds cost.
Join the MAKE. DO. GROW. club for a full project plan for these raised beds and many more practical projects (and recipes) for your home, kitchen or garden: makedogrow.com

[@rachelfrees1268]

Your beds are perfect. Love your approach to doing it right. I’m 82, don’t know if I’ll be here to see your asparagus in 3 years, but I hope so. Raising asparagus always fascinates me. I love to eat them raw as most of my vegetables. Keep close to each other and the land. Greetings from hot Texas.

[@janeycollins3618]

Have used this method myself. The best thing about it is it turns piles of non-productive rubbish into productive garden beds. Brilliant.

[@lesleysmith8300]

I'm watching now. Lol.🤣🤣 Kylie needed paid for all her hard work 🤣😂🤣

[@ildagalvao4040]

Love watching your garden! You have a huge variety of veggies, but on your list you didn’t mention string beans. I grew up in Porto, my father rented a small Quinta so much like yours even the house! We always had lots of green beans (flat pod), onions, potatoes, lettuces, tomatoes, squashes, but we were not very successful with carrots and peppers! I emigrated to Canada when I got married and miss spending time in the garden. Canadian winters are too long, gardening season too short. Looking forward to visiting Portugal this June and spend some gardening time with my 91 year old dad.

[@MsCorrier]

Love seeing your cat walking around in the background! He/She looks like it’s enjoying the life!

[@karennewberry4694]

❤️ love watching Mark from Self Sufficient Me. His property is about 35 minutes from me so our growing conditions are almost identical.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We were just checking last night to see how close our conditions are .... we definitely get colder winters and less rain, but sees the highs are not too dissimilar

[@thisorthat7626]

@Karen Newberry, you can leverage Mark's knowledge better than most of us. While we get the heat he gets in Queensland, we don't get the rain. Still I have learned a lot from Mark. Happy gardening!

[@MsFlipper1969]

I enjoy watching Mark too but I'm in UK so as far as one can get! I just watch and get jealous lol

[@markduncan6690]

Now this is what I call making use of the land! Nice Work!

[@paesDalmeida]

I'm convinced you will harvest lots and lots of good strawberries 🍓🍓🍓

[@reinerhohn325]

Hard-working Bees!👍

[@ziptie4061]

Really have missed you two. Welcome back

[@kmparadice6254]

I admire the frugal way you use what's on hand to accomplish your project - the felled trees, the old limbs and vines, etc. I do much the same thing, the concept being not to spend money on a project if you have on hand things that can be used. May not be the most beautiful, but it works. Your project has a "homey" rustic charm to it. Great job!

[@outoftownr3906]

Brilliant idea - great to have all the background bird song too

[@tucker476]

Hello from Tiffin, Ohio!!! USA.............

[@marialaing7130]

From Lima, Ohio here. Hello neighbor! Small world! 🤗👍🏼 Joe parker

[@SwimCoach8]

Looks wonderful. You'll be surprised how well this works. Secret for planting tiny seeds. My dad always kept some agricultural grade sand in his planting shed. He would place a couple of handfuls of the sand in a canning jar. Add the tiny seeds, carrots, beets, what ever. Shake it up gently. The seeds mix with the sand. Then shake the sand in the prepared rows. Gives a nice distribution of seeds. Taters might be pushing your raised beds but everything else will do just fine! Good luck! BTW...If you enjoy hot peppers, your warm climate and extended growing season should work wonders for most varieties.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Ohh, that sand truck sounds great ... we will only be able to get normal sand but I imagine it will work just as well. We grew peri peri and cayenne last year, they definitely love the climate 😀

[@markduncan6690]

Power Work! I am exhausted just watching!

[@mikeportell2870]

Planting strawberries with my mother I found that strawberries propagate very fast and can take over an area very quickly

[@sunnyrockvictor373]

Love the way you said I’m not very precise,I have never seen anyone more precise, great work guys love your channel you perfectionist s you.

[@angik4777]

Greetings from Appalachian mountains in the US. I have use the hugleculture raised beds in my garden with great success (what Bambi and Thumper didn't eat). Its a great way of getting rid of yard waste. Enjoying the videos and best of luck.

[@margaretstanton7567]

Right, all my gardening efforts go to feeding the deer in the Blue Ridge Mts. area!

[@originalsupermommy]

Nice, in twelve years it will be awesome!

[@afrikasasa6754]

I've started my composting and composting tea a month ago and I've been watching these kind of videos for a while. As a young small scale farmer this is exciting

[@Drogenkurier88]

The african dust brings free minerals to your garden. And it looks cool!

[@Drogenkurier88]

My car was dirty like i came from the sahara but if my crops enjoy it then im fine with that

[@kutrabilada8865]

The orange trees are so beautiful!

[@sharolfowler2859]

Your garden areas are beautiful. Loved watching

[@gavinhall3669]

Really enjoyed this episode of "Spot the Cat"

[@SunnyHillHoney]

Very nice videos guys:) In hugelbeds it is important to alternate between browns and greens. Brown material will add carbon and green material adds nitrogen. Hugel will make a lot of sense in a dry climate as it act as a sponge and will hold water throughout the dry periods. Great job 👏🏻

[@giseleaubin148]

Clay is very rich in nutrients but sticky and if mixed with compost creates air bubbles and good earth if you want to use up your clay. However, remember that you must always add compost to clay afterwards. I love what you are doing and its all beautiful. The boxes will be reused until they break down and you are creating future rich soil so it will only get better and better.

[@annaapple7452]

Also chiming in to say that clay is rich in nutrients. It is sand that is nutrient poor.

[@keithaspin5160]

loved the project!!!!!! you should be radio hosts too...your voices are very listenable to

[@patmos68]

Your raised beds look great, you two always work so hard and accomplish so much. I only have one suggestion for your beds, you may want to add some support on the outside of the long log sides of your beds. Just a few short fence posts driven into the ground. I think that will take care of some possible problems as more materials are added to your beds.

[@cindybickford9939]

I just love how neat and organized you both keep things. Even the rotten logs and things were so neat in the raised beds. Hope things grow well

[@luce]

They must be writing good code too!

[@judyking241]

Really great mulching method, so enjoy your vlog

[@mariapelleya7410]

Best of luck with 'experimental' planting beds.

[@melanieallen3655]

Inspiring to watch! Im just starting 1of my garden beds now.I cater for1onion each day of the year for me &3kids.

[@klazyy641]

Now I like my salads---but you two are taking it to a whole new level! I feel your enthusiasm and like your "non scientific" approach. It's good to have some knowledge of hugelkultur and then to adapt it to Portugal's (to me, at least) strange climate and soil composition. I look forward to following this aspect to your projects. Thanks for catching this on camera for us.

[@janewolfe9137]

It is s enjoyable watching you plan, prep & plant your gardens. Thank you for sharing. Have you considered keeping a garden journal? I learned from my Gram that maintaining a garden journal helped plan, head off problems, predict yield, & to use as a guide to future planning. She even kept processing notes: drying, canning, jam & jelly recipes, freezing, family preferences, etc. I followed her lead & my kids are as well.

[@jpmcc]

You owe your Eco and Beyond community a reason about the dormant channel. Don't ghost your subscribers. On a positive note, you and Kylie are married. She was always referred to your partner on your E&B channel.

[@gardeningfishingjimw9364]

Great to hear you have watched Mark and understand the how and why. I have 4 of those Birdie beds here and they are just wonderful; I am running with the Hügelkultur method but with the soils I am running with permaculture layers. One thing is you can always increase the height of your beds at a later date seeing you have the high posts on each corner.

[@Ogma3bandcamp]

Huge respect for your hard work.

[@StephenSmith-ge1qf]

I found that the "Hugelkultur" method was particularly effective for perennials rather than annual crops. But very helpful with water regulation. (I'm in the Lake Maggiore area of Italy and it's been the driest winter for 140 years so we're very dry at the moment, but will most likely get some huge storms through the summer.) Soil pH is pretty crucial too for some crops. My soil is very acidic so I need to use quantities of wood ash and compost to increase the pH to get onions, brassicas etc. to grow. I shall watch with interest to see how well your crops do - I think you'll do very well. great video and very informative!

[@KerriEverlasting]

I have a similar situation usually in NSW with water restrictions (currently it's all flooded) but it caused me to start digging swales which lined with sandstone and river pebbles look spectacular and naturally harvest and redirect rainwater. Good luck, I feel your pain with lack of water!

[@reannejarvis9464]

Looking goood

[@gailwarrington3841]

Looking great 🤩. Love your projects, looking forward to the next garden chapters 👍

[@carlosvictor8679]

that looks awesome,rewards coming up soon :-)

[@seriouslyjoking2]

I wanted to point out that strawberries will grow runners & they can be planted into the ground with the mother. You will find that the space you planted in the ground is too small as they tend to take over everything. I planted one plant in a container near a climbing rose..the runner planted it self around the rose...so I am now off to dig them out...lol. FYI, rainwater is full of nitrogen.

[@lisawoods9391]

You can always can up the potatoes too, if you get too many of them , for those times during winter, (if you get winter there) so you'll always have them :) You can also dehydrate onions for onion powder, :) Your garden looks amazing! can't wait to see what all you do with it!

[@patbrady9531]

You can very successfully grow potatoes in those compost bags. Harvests are amazing.

[@tamitng]

Niiiiiiiiiice! 🍀

[@Quinta-Entre-Aguas]

happy YT showed me your new channel. was wondering why E&B did not post in months...good going and happy to see your well and going forward :)

[@shannonmann5501]

WOW!!!! It looks fantastic!

[@shirleyrice7093]

When I planted potatoes (my only time) I cut the potatoes so there was one eye (if I remember) in every piece. Each eye produced a potato plant with several potatoes each. It was my favorite crop as it was so exciting to dig up lovely potatoes. Good luck with your new garden. I am sure it will be superb.

[@douglasewan]

I like your planning. Thanks. I hope to try. I live in South Africa.

[@jeantriplett8478]

Good one, enjoy your banter.

[@quicknumbercrunch8691]

I have the same sized property in France, and I also use "Self Sufficient Me" idea of burrying waste. I burry a lot of kitchen waste rather than compost. No need to turn compost. No need to spread compost as the waste is spread around the garden. Digging the holes also lifts out weeds. Thus far, no negatives. Plants look good.

[@louisecooper4803]

Such good progress. You certainly deserve to be “living the dream”.

[@hansmueller8986]

nice

[@marilizevandermerwe8343]

Hi we are currently taking classes from a soil scientist to get us sorted out having so many issues in our garden. Every problem in a garden we do have currently, due to mistakes we made the past 10 years and we are also in a very difficult area for crops. Two things that might help others as well what we have learned currently, is that if the compost you buy come in plastic bags and if they are also dry, it means the compost is dead already. We were taught now to put bark over such compost in the beds. And to wet it well before planting. The bark make the compost alive again and bring moist back for the release of nutrients as the growth happens. I believe that will happen differently after applying in different areas and with different crops. We saw it happen in two weeks time in our dry arid area. The bark will also regulate the acidity of the soil for the crop you have in the soil. Just never dig the bark into the underground. Then it becomes poisonous to the plants. It must stay the layer on top. So in short, bark corrects the mistakes the dump gardener makes. ( we are so glad nature can survive us.) The past 3 years I've used bark among my roses and trees and I cant believe in just two years how many earth worms, healthy bugs returned to the garden and how suffering plants got smiling again.. I can see how the bad bugs are getting less in the garden. So the bark will only release what is necessary in the current soil. It is such an amazing product. Very necessary in my area. I share this just for interest sake reading the comments. Not to let you change anything you are doing.....We also learn a lot from you. Thank you so much!! We love your vlogs. Keep going.

[@LCamp-cr7fs]

This is looking great! As a matter of fact, the whole garden looks like a ... garden! One critique: you can never have enough onions! Here is another idea: Square Foot gardening which relies heavily on companion and succession planting. I tried it for about three years on the smallest space (space is not your problem in general) like the limits of raised Hügel beds.

[@melissamasters8936]

Love watching y'all.

[@pauc9596]

As an experiment, make another raised bed but just toss in the wood randomly and other chipped and part composted material without tamping it down and just top it with mature compost. This will leave lots of gaps and air pockets for lots of lovely creepy crawlies to move around and make homes. Water it well for a couple of weeks to settle, top up as necessary with more compost before planting. Then see how that compares to the boxes you’ve already done. Also to get the benefit of other minerals, sieve some of your general house spoil pile and scatter the finer material thinly over half of this experimental box. Good luck.

[@SpanielshuntingtrialingNZ]

Kia ora Kylie and Guy, thanks for being such an inspiration to MAKE. DO.GROW. Your tikanga mahi is astonishing. 😀

[@cindyconnour446]

Neat planter ideas

[@Italianhome]

Just signed up! Showing support for the type of people that understood what really matters in life and work on sustainable living. Congrats guys!

[@judiehavard4903]

Add some pretty hanging flower pots down the grape vine walkway. Marigolds or something to draw the bees. And bugs. And a few more around the garden and roses.

[@judiehavard4903]

The flower pots can be hung on the outside of the short arms sticking out. Will be so pretty. And something to have the rose hips. Which are very high in Vitamin C.

[@glennwall552]

It works well Grandad had a wood heap soul heap. In Nepal I saw a block converted from waste land into rich fertile soil full of veg use a modified system but only use twigs chopped fine. Well done.Nice tresses for grapes in those archs

[@backwoodsbungalow9674]

At 11:50 try planting potatoes in the plastic bags. Turn them inside out to hide the writing, then make drainage holes with a soldering iron. Put some small wood in the bottom of the bags for drainage, then add rough compost for a planting layer. Add wood chips, leaves or grass cuttings as a thick mulch.

[@lewih7135]

Good job guys!! 👏🏽 love your channel!!

[@augustinekopa6560]

I love it was great to watch

[@judiehavard4903]

Add some screening in a frame to cover the strawberries. And make it a flip top on hinges. The screen keeps the birds out of the berries.

[@catfunksfabulousfinds]

Add greens or Manure. 2 parts brown, 1 part greens will make it the best when it's done and it will decompose much faster and have more nutrients available for your plants. Mark's beds were 4 years later. We get lots of rain here in Oregon so we need good drainage. I'm adding composted steer manure on top of all the old wood.

[@palace927]

Clay is full of nutrients. It has calcium, magnesium and potassium. Mix it with 50 percent organic matter and you will have beautiful soil that holds in moisture which is what you need in hot climates.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Every day is a school day ... did not know this. We have so much clay, now we need to start experimenting 😀

[@daffs0]

Awesome 😁

[@ShirTuck]

I see wicking beds in your future. Have had great success with them here in Australia. I put a tube down the middle for kitchen scraps and the worms do the rest of the work.

[@SuperAbcdabcdabcdabc]

I enjoy your videos. Thank you

[@pattywest1]

Looking good & neat guys 👏👏

[@peggybreaux8973]

Garden looks great

[@lorimontcalm9086]

As always another video of hard work wit excellent explanations as to what you are doing and why!! Hugs from 🇨🇦

[@scottstephens4587]

Love to see your initial film from your back lot to what it is today. Fantastic transformation. Great work!

[@jeanbroman4814]

Appreciate and enjoy all your planting videos. You two are amazing with all you do on your land. You both work very hard and wish you the best of luck with your gardens.

[@davidbloch5370]

Just found your show and so far I’m impressed so I subscribed.

[@ffionthedog]

Everything you both do is so neatly executed. I really like that about your work. You are giving me inspiration. Living the dream ! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@ArchaicHumansWorldwide]

I'm beginning to appreciate your "orange problem" lol. So many oranges.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

We may have just perfected our orange wine recipe .... if so, the orange problem becomes a real win 🙂

[@terrimccullough724]

You can make potato gnocchi (pasta) with any that start to turn if you have too many. Easy, breezy and freezable if that’s an option for you.

[@deborahwhite2339]

Wow! Lots of work underway to get the garden planted. I am working to get ready, too cold so I can't plant until mid may. I may as well get stuff before it is sold out. I just ordered plastic frost cover from Amazon.🙂👍👍👍👍

[@iaintaylor5585]

Aye, I was in Porto when that dust cloud arrived. Bit surreal.

[@maryellenkrause7126]

Starting raised beds so glad to see your ideas for filing them, Can't wait to get started. Wish me luck.

[@MAKEDOGROW]

Go for it!!!

[@mariannebhatia7245]

Well done. Your garden looks good. Water, sun and wearing helps.👍👍

[@WinkyR709]

I saw a few garden shows recommend putting a random board on the carrot seeds to keep them moist until they germinate. (haven't tried this myself yet - you guys are way ahead of me on the garden experimentation :) )

[@ninemoonplanet]

Carrots sprout better if covered with the cloth or a board over them to hold moisture. Alternative is fine mulch. I like the look of your raised beds. Later you could raise one or two a bit higher to get larger plants growing (cuttings etc) .

[@MsFlipper1969]

Loved this video, just stumble upon you guys. I've just buried sticks and small branches and kitchen scraps under my soil in my free standing raised beds. Only a few weeks in and so far things are growing.

[@romainarnoux]

100% free and enjoyable like your videos guys. Thank you.best from France.

[@helviogouveia4164]

good job

[@BritishAnts]

That’s a shallot of onions! You should plant a Charlotte of potatoes to go with them! 🌻😆🇬🇧

[@MAKEDOGROW]

😂🤣😂

[@SailingCartagena]

Hi Neighbour, I have no intention of constructing raised beds, but I still found your explanation very interesting, in particular the base of rotten wood. Plenty of that around here. Just cleared my river land with my new ceifeiro type cutter, fantastic!

[@keyem4504]

You probably know that the German Word "Hügel" means "hill". Funnily the H is pronounced identically. Just remember, a hill is not huge. 😉 Regarding the "ü" I have no idea how to explain how it's pronounced. However, thank you for the great content. I'm so happy you came back with this new channel.

[@rebeccadeane2774]

I dont know about hugelcultur...but we been doing this in Arkansas forever...it works great..I use it myself every year.......love the beds super nice....that little lady is super smart......my god what a hard worker...

[@nazem3079]

Lovely guys and lovely garden there. What about an experiment of beehive ?

[@LaReynedEpee]

Re hot compost and bin size. I have tiny compost bins which I only use to get rid of waste, I don't eat enough to make compost. But last year I left a lot of pernicious weeds in a bucket of water to rot them. This made a very smelly brew. When I judged they were rotted enough, I poured it in my compost bin. A few days later I thought I smelled burning. Lifted the lid off the bin and lo! It was hot and steaming! Never actually seen a cooking heap before!

[@biglakejudy]

Mulch them heavily with straw. They love it and it keeps the water in the ground and the berries from rotting.

[@bosquetropicalec]

the cat is big!!... like a lion.. lol..nice video, regards from Ecuador

[@Wlachancegofordividend.]

I use the Hugelkultur method and it works great Last year I put in peppers, potatoes,chocolate mint and cabbage on my beds and they turned out great. The trick to germinating carrots is water. Keep them moist until they sprout and then water normally. I learned this through trial and error. They take a while to germinate. I just recently started following the Self Sufficient Me and he is a wealth of knowledge. Can’t wait to see your next video. Thanks for sharing 👍😊🇨🇦

[@gkkes]

Terra Preta next guys.... Origins in The Americas so suitable for warmer climes

[@kitsurubami]

i live in a dry climate and tried to hugelkultur a raised bed. it was a disaster. The problem was that the layer of wood separated the soil on top from the ground soil. Like trying to grow in a very shallow clay pot or worse because it didn't hold any moisture. I hope it goes better for you. Also I was using many ash juniper logs and they resist rotting absurdly well.

[@kohtime]

It seems like a fad to me that everyone is jumping on! Far too predictable…. Don’t fix what isn’t broken is my motto

[@seymourskinner2533]

@@kohtime yes nothing new is ever better. All good ideas have already been thought of.🙄

[@LiLBitsDK]

@@kohtime a fad? it's a very OLD way of growing stuff, and done right it actually HOLDS moisture, does it mean you never have to water if you live in a very dry climate? no... just means it soaks up the water and releases it as the plants need it, doesn't mean it holds unlimited water.

[@kohtime]

@@LiLBitsDK that’s great, and yet it wasn’t common knowledge. Now literally everyday a new vid comes out with the same thing…. I follow all these Portuguese farming channels and look forward to them! Unfortunately now they are just doing the rounds…. One after the other after the other all the same

[@LiLBitsDK]

@@kohtime seen "gardening vids" for like a decade now and every year someone "uncovers" something everyone else have done for ages. and the portugal channels all seem very "closely knit" and do a LOT of the same stuff