The Charlotte Jewish News- February 2026- Page 16
Where Tu B’ Shvat Begins: Building a Garden from the Ground Up
By Ellie Kunkes
At this time of year, every gardener you know is out in the yard first thing in the morning, bundled in a coat with a steaming coffee mug in hand, peering into the soil and hoping to catch the first signs of life.
Those crocuses and daffodils may not have shown their colorful faces just yet, but the season still offers something to celebrate: Tu B’ Shvat is upon us.
For many, it’ s a reminder that sustainable, organic gardening is one of the most tangible ways we honor the Earth and practice tikkun olam.
Rather than depending on quick fixes and chemical additives, organic gardening begins beneath the surface. It starts with healthy soil and a nutrient-rich foundation that feeds everything that grows from it without the need for chemical additives.
The best way to grow a successful garden is to set yourself up for success from the start, and that begins with the soil. And Tu B’ Shvat, the“ New Year of the Trees,” is the perfect time to begin preparing the ground for spring.
Whether you’ re planting directly in the earth or building raised beds, one of the most effective ways to create a healthy, sustainable foundation is through a technique called hügelkultur.
Translated from the German word, hügelkultur or“ mound culture,” involves layering organic materials such as branches, logs, leaves, and other yard waste beneath your planting bed. Over time, the slowly decomposing mound becomes a builtin nutrient bank, feeding and watering plants from below. In essence, your garden is growing on top of a living compost heap and the benefits are remarkable.
Hügelkultur beds retain moisture, release nutrients gradually, and improve drainage. In addition, this technique is an excellent way to recycle discarded yard refuse like branches, logs, leaves, as well as cardboard boxes!“ How To” Hügelkultur 1. Start by laying cardboard( or collapsed cardboard boxes) over your planting area, whether directly on the ground or at the bottom of a raised bed. If you are using shipping boxes, remove any tape, labels, or other materials that won’ t decompose. Not surprisingly, those labels, tape and other packing products are coated in chemicals that will breakdown over time and leach
into the soil.
2. Next, cover the cardboard with a generous layer of wood, placing larger logs and branches first, then smaller sticks and twigs. On top of that, spread a thick blanket of fallen leaves. This natural mulch helps retain moisture while returning essential nutrients like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to the soil.
3. Finish by covering everything with your preferred mix of compost and soil.
4. With the foundation in place, you are ready to plant.
I love to cook, and something about hügelkultur satisfies the same impulse as making lasagna, constructing one layer on top of another until the whole becomes greater than its individual parts.
A bed built with this method can nourish plants for up to 20 years. As the wood breaks down, it generates gentle heat that supports germination. Over time, the decomposing layers also improve soil aeration, while the logs and branches act like sponges, retaining moisture during dry spells and helping conserve water.
Hügelkultur offers a way to garden sustainably while putting
yard waste and leftover cardboard to meaningful use.
Bal tashchit is an ethical principal in the Halacha( Jewish law) and it bars senseless damage and waste. Today, it is often understood as a call to environmental responsibility and mindful consumption.
Rather than setting the impossible goal of eliminating every needless Amazon delivery, we can begin smaller by turning boxes, branches, and other natural debris into a resource that enriches the garden instead of filling trash bins. It is a simple, practical expression of bal tashchit and of caring for the world entrusted to us.
Gardening has always been central to our relationship with G-d. In the Torah, Adam’ s first task was to tend the Garden of Eden and to care for what had been created. In that spirit, tikkun olam often begins close to home, and hügelkultur offers a simple, meaningful way to start.
Happy Tu B’ Shvat.
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