Gardener shares ancient method used to grow healthy plants: 'This year has been the best ever'

There's much to be said for ancient wisdom, and there's a good reason some methods are passed down generations: They work. 

TikToker Joshua Toddy (@josh_toddy) shared his method for achieving healthy soil that requires almost no maintenance — a centuries-old practice from medieval Europe.

@josh_toddy Replying to @Susie Lavell #greenscreen #garden#gardener#gardenersoftiktok#gardentok#gardening#tomato#tomatoes#highdesert#newmexico#nm#indigenous#navajo#over30#millenial#homestead#homesteading#growingfood ♬ original sound - Joshua Toddy

The scoop

In the short post, Toddy explained that his beautiful green tomatoes growing in the raised beds are the result of a method called hügelkultur. 

"That's where the bottom of the beds are filled with logs, wood branches, weeds, just all types of carbon material."

The middle layer consists of native soil and the top with compost. The wood at the bottom "acts as a sponge," making the plants more resilient. He rounds off by saying: "This year has been the best ever for my tomato plants."

As the name implies, hügelkultur comes from Germany and means "mound culture." It's a little like a garden lasagna, with a base layer of wood, middle soil, and compost at the top. It is a permaculture with many advantages, including water conservation and soil enrichment.

Because it retains water so well, hügelkultur works well in arid climates, and the natural materials used in its construction are cheap and freely available. 

How it's helping

Hügelkultur is sustainable and reduces dependence on industrial agriculture. Most produce in supermarkets in the United States travels over 1,500 miles from farm to table. 

Pesticides used in industrial agriculture also have a major impact on the environment; runoff contaminates the soil and surface water. Additionally, most farms use tilling to treat the soil, which releases harmful pollution into the atmosphere.

Growing your own food is a great way to reduce waste and your pollution footprint. A small investment can pay dividends for years to come. Not only that, homegrown veggies are significantly more nutritious than store-bought produce. 

Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening? Getting outside more Growing healthy food Making my yard beautiful I don't garden Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

What everyone's saying

The commenters chimed in with a mix of grateful comments, a couple of questions, and some pledges to try it themselves. 

"Wow those arch trellis [sic] are amazing, your whole garden is amazing," one commenter said. 

Another added: "Thanks for this! I'm in SW CO and really hoping to grow a few things successfully this year."

Another appreciative commenter said: "I will do my best to replicate this process, and I'm enjoying learning to compost again. Thank you so much."

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