Hugelkultur is a method of piling organic farm waste within a raised garden bed before adding soil to save money while also attracting and retaining moisture. Hugelkultur is a German term that means “mound or hill culture.” It is particularly useful in regions where soil retention and drainage are poor, which is characteristic of urban soils.
Large pieces of wood are put towards the bottom of the garden bed in the Hugelkultur technique because they take the longest to degrade. Smaller materials, such as twigs and sticks, are put on top of the bigger pieces to fill space, and then filled with grass clippings, leaves, and kitchen wastes, with compost and topsoil forming the top two levels.