Gardening can be many things: fun, rewarding, educational, and sometimes frustrating. Easy, it is not. If your soil is anything like mine, digging up plots of the earth means hitting rocks and roots. Then, more rocks followed by more rocks. Even with cultivators and rototillers, digging can still be quite daunting. Mound gardening is the perfect solution to a variety of soil quality problems. Its simplicity makes it suitable for any skill level. With little effort, you can produce abundant vegetables without the hard labor often associated with traditional gardening.
Growing in mounds (or hilling) is not a new practice. When European settlers arrived in the New World, they found Indigenous growers cultivating their land using this mound-gardening technique. For centuries many tribes had been interplanting the much-studied “Three Sisters” this way. This trio of corn, beans, and squash flourished together, sustaining their people by providing a relatively nutritious diet from this combination planting. The corn, which offers support to the beans, was planted first. As the small seedlings grew, the farmers returned to hill soil around the plants, eventually creating a mound one foot high by two feet wide. The mounds were arranged in rows about two feet apart. A couple of weeks later, the beans were planted in the same hills contributing nitrogen to the soil. Between the rows, farmers planted low-growing crops such as pumpkins or squash whose leaves shaded the ground, conserving moisture and hindering weed growth.
Mound gardening is, as it sounds, literally growing in a pile of soil. The mound creates a small-scale raised bed for cultivating plants and seeds. It’s especially good for root crops requiring loose soil and space below ground. For those with small gardens, it’s a great way to optimize space. And in areas with poorly draining soil, the mound can provide better water removal than traditional planting because excess moisture drains quickly. Amending the soil in the mound with compost will enhance its quality and aid with drainage.
Create hills in mounds or rows. Start with a layer of newspaper or cardboard to act as a weed barrier, then take several shovels of quality garden soil and form a mound. Mix in a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure. Plant your seeds or seedlings, and water well. To hill rows, shovel four to six inches of soil in a row the length you desire. Use a hoe to smooth the row and dig a furrow. Mounds tend to dry out faster than a traditional garden bed, so frequently checking your plants is good practice. Using a natural mulch such as chopped, dried leaves or straw can help keep moisture in and keep weeding to a minimum.
A wide variety of crops can be grown in mounds. In addition to the corn, beans, and squash mentioned earlier, plant root vegetables such as potatoes, beets, turnips, radishes, and carrots, as well as cucumbers and melons
Another old-world mounding technique gaining popularity is the hugelkultur, pronounced hoo-gul-culture. Originating in Germany but practiced throughout Eastern Europe, the word means “hill culture.” This gardening method creates a raised hill from rotting logs and plant debris topped with compost and soil. This produces a rich, fertile environment into which plants or seeds can be sown. Since the mound generates nutrients and holds moisture, it’s a low-effort, effective, sustainable gardening method. These mounds usually begin five to six feet in height. Then as the wood decomposes, it settles down to about two feet after several years.
Mound gardening is easy and economical. It’s a raised bed without a bed. It’s suitable for novice and experienced growers and a great way to introduce children to growing their food. Even those with little time and little space can grow vegetables this summer.
Rose King is a Penn State Extension Master Gardener from Columbia County.
FAQs
Create hills in mounds or rows. Start with a layer of newspaper or cardboard to act as a weed barrier, then take several shovels of quality garden soil and form a mound. Mix in a generous amount of compost or well-rotted manure. Plant your seeds or seedlings, and water well.
What are the benefits of a mound garden? ›
Hard woods will take longer to decay than soft woods. An added benefit of the mound method is that it doesn't require tilling. No-till gardens are better for the creatures that live in the soil, like earthworms, so, ultimately, they are better for soil health. Mound gardens also mean less bending for the gardener.
What grows best on a mound? ›
Beets can withstand lots of dry weather, so they are excellent for the mound. Potatoes like well-drained soil. Carrots are good, since they root deep, and sweet potatoes simply go wild if the mound is properly fertilized.
What is mound gardening? ›
Mound Gardening is literally gardening in mounds. It is ideal for root crops that need the room below-groud. The reason for doing this is to maximize space, and ensure the crops don't drown in high-water regions. Plants sincerely love water; they thrive on it and will result in bearing you the best of fruits.
What does mounding mean in gardening? ›
Mounded - Plants with a rounded appearance, they are usually wider than they are tall. Spreading - Plants that grow low and spread along the ground, rooting at nodes along the stem. Trailing - Plants that trail along the ground or out of pots but do not root at nodes along the stem.
Why do people plant in mounds? ›
It's especially good for root crops requiring loose soil and space below ground. For those with small gardens, it's a great way to optimize space. And in areas with poorly draining soil, the mound can provide better water removal than traditional planting because excess moisture drains quickly.
What is the advantage of mound? ›
The mound system enables use of land that would otherwise be unsuitable for in-ground or at-grade onsite systems. The natural soil utilized in a mound system is usually the top layer, which is typically the most permeable. A mound system does not have a direct discharge to a ditch, stream, or other body of water.
Should tomatoes be grown in mounds? ›
Tomato plants require abundant moisture for best growth, so arrange for easy watering. The area selected should be well drained since poor drainage promotes root loss. Tomatoes grown on heavy or poorly drained soils should be planted in raised beds or mounds four to six inches high.
How tall should garden mounds be? ›
Here's a quick overview of the best raised bed height based on plant types: Leafy greens and herbs: 6 to 12 inches. Root crops: 12 inches. Fruiting plants: 12 to 18 inches.
Can you plant on top of a mound system? ›
Traditional lawn grasses, such as common Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass, can be planted on a mound and regularly mowed. Mowing will increase evaporation from the mound and aid in rodent control.
Beetroot generally needs nothing added. If sandy or clay soil are your lot, spread a layer of compost. Make a mound in the case of poor drainage, or grow your beetroot in pots and keep working on your soil for another season.
Should cucumbers be planted on a mound? ›
Make a hill before planting the cucumber. Just a small rise in the ground is adequate. Build the hill, or mound, about a foot in diameter and about three inches high; this is to drain water from around the stem. Plant the cucumber in the mound.
What is the downside of hügelkultur? ›
Cons. Hugelkultur raised beds take up more space than traditional ones, and the decomposing wood can temporarily tie up nitrogen, a nutrient essential for plant growth. The nitrogen issue can be mitigated by adding high-nitrogen materials like manure or grass clippings to the mound.
What are the benefits of mounding? ›
Mounds provide microsites that are warmer, better aerated and lead to better drainage and nutrient availability (Fig. 2). Figure 2. Advantages of mounding on mesic and wet sites.
Should squash be planted in mounds? ›
Squash grow well in mounds, so hill up some soil and plant three to five seeds per mound. plant seeds 1 inch deep in mounds set 4 feet apart after all danger of frost has passed.
What is the purpose of a mound system? ›
The main purpose of a mound system is to provide sufficient treatment to the natural environment to produce an effluent equivalent to, or better than, a conventional onsite disposal system.
What is the benefit of using a mound instead of a typical septic field? ›
Mound systems are one of a number of alternative systems that have been developed to overcome site conditions that limit the use of a conventional drainfield, including soils with slow or fast permeability, shallow soils over bedrock, or a high water table.
What are the benefits of a walled garden? ›
The shelter provided by enclosing walls can raise the ambient temperature within a garden by several degrees, creating a microclimate that permits plants to be grown that would not survive in the unmodified local climate.
