Turn Your Old Tree Stump into Supercharged Soil

Give youy Raised Garden Bed a Lift

Looking to level up your raised garden bed this year? Here’s a clever and sustainable trick: give that old tree stump in your yard a second life—as the heart of a nutrient-packed garden!

We love raised beds because they make pulling weeds and harvesting veggies a total breeze. But even the most beautiful bed won’t produce much if the soil isn’t rich and healthy. Sure, compost can help—but there's another natural method that’s perfect for repurposing yard waste: it’s called hügelkultur (hoo-gul-culture), and it’s been practiced in German gardens for centuries.

What’s Hügelkultur?

In a nutshell, hügelkultur is all about building soil from the bottom up using old wood and plant materials. Instead of tossing banana peels into a compost bin, you can use logs, branches, leaves—even that half-rotted stump in your backyard. The buried wood slowly decomposes, releasing nutrients, holding moisture like a sponge, and creating the perfect home for worms, fungi, and good bacteria. Think of it as a living soil system that improves over time!

And the best part? You’re recycling natural materials from your own yard.

How to Build a Hügelkultur Garden with a Tree Stump

Got an old tree that’s seen better days? Perfect. Chop the stump and trunk into chunks, and let’s put them to work.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A sunny 4x8 foot patch of land
Tree stump pieces, logs, and branches
Yard waste like grass clippings, leaves, or even straw
Topsoil and mulch

Step-by-step:

Pick your spot: Choose a sunny area and clear it out. You can mow over any existing plants or pull them by hand.
Smother weeds: Lay down a thick layer of mulch.
Dig in: In fall, dig out shallow holes or trenches in your garden bed. Each should be around a foot deep.
Pile it up: Add tree chunks, then layer in branches, leaves, and soft plant matter.
Pack and cover: Press down the pile, cover it with the soil you dug out, then top with mulch.
Water well: Give your new garden bed a good soak to help everything settle in and begin breaking down.

Let the pile rest over the winter, and by spring, you’ll have a rich, vibrant bed ready to plant.

Pro tip: Start with legumes like beans or peas in the first year—they help restore nitrogen while the wood continues to break down. Vining crops like cucumbers, squash, and melons also love the loose, airy soil.

A Few Quick Tips

Use natural wood like apple, oak, maple, or alder.
Skip treated lumber—it can leach chemicals into your soil.
Avoid walnut and other trees that release toxins into the soil.

Ready to try hügelkultur in your garden?
Whether you’ve got a tree stump to recycle or just want to turn your garden into a mini-ecosystem, this method is a win-win. At Worm Farm Portland, we’re all about working with nature to build healthier gardens and better soil. If you’re ever short on organic materials, we’ve got fantastic and rich garden organic compost, all kinds of certified soil amendments and worm castings ready to roll.