Filling Your Raised Garden Beds In Southeast Texas

Gardeners, I think we've had a great week, which makes these gardeners believe that spring might come a little earlier this year. Be careful if you decide to plant early, and be prepared to cover "tender plants" with a blanket of snow.

Planting a spring garden is a real joy, but it has challenges for both new and experienced gardeners. Many of us are ready to replace the harsh colors of winter with the bright kaleidoscope of colors associated with spring and breathe new life into our garden spaces.

Some gardeners may cut corners when choosing plants from their local garden center, nursery or "pop-up" vendor. Every grocery store sells new or trendy plants in the spring.

I completely lost the ability to stop "overbought" crops. In fact, if you're like me, you're now ready to "bring life" to your garden space, enthusiastically arranging plants in hanging baskets, planters or beds; The sooner the better. For this gardener, the concept of self-control is literally summed up. "There is no way to have too many plants.

Okay, enough of my "plant obsession," let's move on to part two of our three-part series on German gardening techniques: hügelkultur.

Establishing a raised Hugelkultura garden begins by removing 2 to 4 inches of topsoil. The removed soil will be used later in the process. So putting it in a tarp or cardboard box will make it easier to go to sleep.

One trick when digging beds is to leave an 8-inch layer of compacted soil, creating a foundation or ridge that becomes the base to support the garden bed walls. Burying bricks or cinder blocks, building an 8-inch perimeter, and reusing bricks and blocks to support bed walls is cost-effective, although leveling the base will prevent subsidence over time.

After removing the soil from the bottom of the bed, dig a shallow trench from end to end in the center of the bed. Fill the trench with 2 inches of fresh grass clippings or compost, leaves, unfinished compost or shredded cardboard. These materials are called "green waste" and add a layer of organic nitrogen when they decompose.

Cover the layer of "green waste" with wood material. Fill in the gaps between branches and branches with more "green waste", filling well and compacting the waste as you work.

Let me quote a gardener here. Before you build your bed, planning your hügelkultur bed goes a long way to ensuring your success. The amount of wood placed in the bed should be less than the midpoint of the height of the bed. This means that a 40" raised bed will have no more than 20" of wood left over, with 20" of soil above the wood. Conversely, a shorter bed, say 15" high, will use 6" of wood, otherwise the existing growing medium will be sufficient for the plant's roots. no

Remember that at least 8-12 inches of garden soil should be available for plant root development and structural integrity, remember more soil is always better.

After laying the wood strips, cover with more nitrogen-dense organic matter, adding at least 2 to 4 inches of this material. For this layer, I used 2 inches of fresh manure and another 2 inches of composted sheep and goat manure. Gradual accumulation of litter is key to success as it prevents the soil from moving and falling between the wood chips while creating a protective layer of nitrogen.

The choice of wood can make a difference in the success of hügelkultur beds. There are several species of allelopathic plants. Some allelopathic compounds can inhibit plant growth and seed germination, which can be problematic when used in vegetable gardens. Using woody materials containing allelopathic compounds can migrate and find their way into the root zone of plants. It is best to avoid such types of wood, twigs and leaves when layering hügelkultur beds.

Some common allelopathic trees to avoid are black walnut, red maple, red oak, sycamore, goldenrod, and elm, but there are many more.

Next week we will have the final part of a three-part series wrapping up the hügelkultur method of gardening. Let's see, fellow gardeners. Let's grow a greener, more sustainable world, one tree at a time.

For gardening questions or specific information, email or email: extension@co.orange.tx.us .

Please mark your calendar. The Orange County Master Gardeners Association's annual spring plant sale is March 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cormier Park, 8235 Farm Road 1442, Orangefield.