Herbal spiral & herbal snail: this is how it's done

A herbal spiral can already be a visual highlight in the garden. However, the herb snail also has practical advantages as it resembles a raised bed.

Herbal spiral: definition

Whether herb spiral or herb snail - in both cases the principle is the same. It is a raised bed in several stages, so it can be used wonderfully for cultivating numerous varieties and produces a higher yield.
The spiral arrangement creates different levels and thus also different distances to the floor.

Note: Herbal snails can be made from stones or gabions. The use of stones alone requires more effort, but also creates a more natural look. Gabions can be set up faster and give a more modern look.

Gabions

Gabions are frames made of a strong and rigid metal wire that are filled with stones. As a spiral for herbs or other plants, they serve as a frame in which the earth can be filled. Due to the filling with stones, this frame is well permeable. So waterlogging is prevented.

There are also other advantages. These include:

• easy to set up
• large selection of stones
• high stability
• quick implementation
• simple dismantling possible
• numerous variants available

The following steps are required to erect the scaffolding:

Leveling the subsoil

To ensure that the gabions are stable, it makes sense to dig a shallow pit. This should be. If there are already stone slabs or an intact concrete surface, this step is of course not necessary.

Solidification

For a level and stable subsurface, it is advisable to consolidate the soil after excavating the earth. A vibrating plate is suitable for this.

Bring in the foundation

Before the gabion herb spiral can be set up, the excavated pit is first filled with crushed stone, then gravel and finally with sand. The layers should each have the same height. When everything is filled in, it can be compacted again with the vibrating plate.

Set up and fill gabions

Once the preparations have been completed, the frame is positioned as desired. There is a wide variety of colors and sizes of the stones. You just have to make sure that the stones are big enough not to fall through the gabions. For every other factor, personal taste can decide.

Bring in soil

Before the substrate is put in, the stones should be rinsed off thoroughly. This removes dust and impurities. It is then recommended to add special herbal soil. In any case, the substrate must be matched to the respective crop.

Note: Since they can be easily dismantled, they are also ideally suited for rental properties. Because they do not represent permanent change.

Stone spirals: advantages

A brick herb snail is more complex to build, but also more durable. In addition, such a variant is perceived by most people as more decorative and natural. Another advantage is that creativity can be given free rein here.

This applies to:

• Delimitation of the areas possible
• colour
• shape
• size
• height
• Combination of stones
• Course of the herb spiral

It is important to ensure that all herbs can still be harvested without any problems, especially with regard to the size and height. A radius of 70 centimeters is usually still within the reach of an adult. As a result, the widest diameter is 1.40 meters. An alternative to such large dimensions is to design and build several herb spirals. This can be useful anyway if you want a particularly large selection of plants.

Because this makes it possible to cultivate incompatible plants at the same time. This is by far not only true for herbs. Cocktail tomatoes, snack peppers or chilli suitable for outdoor use can also find a place here.

Tip: Brick herbal spirals made of stone can be a permanent change and are difficult to remove. Written approval should therefore be obtained in advance for leased or rented gardens.

Create a brick herb snail

Before creating the herbal spiral made of natural stones, a foundation must be prepared. There are two ways of doing this. However, the first steps are always the same.

They are:

Excavate, consolidate and fill the foundation

As with the gabion variant, a suitable foundation should be dug.

Concreting or not

With a brick herbal spiral, it makes sense to lay a concrete foundation. This ensures a high level of stability and simplifies construction.

arrangement

determine

It can sometimes be difficult to find the correct spacing and arrangement, especially with coarse natural stones. It therefore makes sense to determine and determine the desired shape of the spiral in advance. The first row of the individual elements is designed so that all stones are in the desired formation and the joints are as small as possible.

Seal the joints

When the first row has been laid out and aligned, the stones are first fixed to the substrate with mortar. The joints are then also filled with it.

Apply layers

As soon as the mortar has hardened, the second layer can be started. For this purpose, the binding material is applied both on top of the first layer and on the lower side of the second layer. Proceed in the same way for every further row.

Tip: Number the stones, for example with sticky notes or written painter's tape. This makes it easier to put the individual pieces together to form a suitable frame.

planting

Gabions can be planted immediately. With a brick herb snail you should wait several days or even longer depending on the weather and humidity. It is important that the concrete and mortar can dry out completely. Otherwise, substances from it could penetrate into the soil and negatively affect the growth of the plants.

size

The size depends on several factors. These include:

• own height
• desired number of plants and varieties
• Available space Important criteria to be observed include:
• Select the width so that access to the entire herb spiral is guaranteed
• Harvesting and changing soil must be possible
• Inserting herbs directly into the pot makes it easier to take them out for the winter
• different sections are beneficial

to shape

There are no limits to the imagination when it comes to the shape. The herb spiral can be high or low, compact or extensive and, for example, have a tapering end. Suggested letters with spirals as a conclusion or the reshaping of musical notes are also possible.