How to build and plant a herb spiral

Garden soil, sand and humus are suitable for a herb spiral. The herb spiral should be filled with more sand at the top, while humus should be used in the outer areas at the bottom.

How many stones you need for a herb spiral depends on the size of the herb spiral. For a floor area of three square metres, for example, you need 3.5 tonnes of natural stone to build a herb spiral using stones.

A sunny spot in the garden is the best location for a herb spiral, as it offers enough light and warmth.

Almost all herbs are suitable for a herb spiral, as it caters for a variety of location requirements. Mediterranean herbs such as thyme, sage, oregano and rosemary thrive at the sunny highest point of the spiral. Herbs with moderate demands, such as chives and coriander, grow well in the dry central area. Then comes a moister zone for herbs such as parsley, chives and chervil. The wet outer edge of the spiral is suitable for watercress and water mint, for example.

It makes sense to have a pond nearby in order to supply a DIY herb spiral with enough water. It ensures a humid climate in which water-loving herbs such as watercress thrive.

• Branches with a diameter of 7 cm in four different lengths: 8 x 120 cm, 18 x 95 cm, 18 x 70 cm and 15 x 45 cm  
• Measuring tape, 5 m long 
• Stainless steel wire, 1.5 to 2 mm thick 
• Drainage fleece, 4.5 x 1 m  
• 16 fencing clips  
• Rope, a good 4.2 m long, for a spiral with a diameter of 1.2 m on an area of approx. 2.2-2.5 m²  
• STIHL orange lumber spray
• Lumber crayon  
• Top zone: 120 litres of garden soil and 120 litres or 150 kg of sand 
• Middle zone: 80 litres of garden soil and 80 litres of potting soil
• Bottom zone: 50 litres of compost and 30 litres of potting soil 

Total quantities:

• Planting soil, around 110 litres
• Sand, 120 litres or 150 kg 
• Compost, 50 litres
• Garden soil, 200 litres 

• Cordless chainsaw, such as the STIHL MSA 140 C
• Cleaving hammer, for example STIHL AX 33 CS
• Forestry hatchet, for example STIHL AX 6 
• Wire side cutters   
• Sturdy scissors for fleece  
• Hammer   
• Stapler 
• Folding ruler 

Working with high-performance power tools is fun and allows you to broaden your skills, which is great if you can rely on effective and safe protective clothing. Always wear your personal protective equipment when working with your chainsaw. This includes, for example, safety glasses, gloves and more. Find out more in the operating instructions for your product. Before using your power tool for the first time, fully familiarise yourself with it and ensure that it is in flawless condition before each use. On request, your STIHL dealer will be happy to prepare your power tool for its first job, and will also advise you on models and sizes of protective clothing that you can try on at your leisure. Please remember that personal protective equipment is no substitute for safe working. 

First measure the branches provided and mark the sections. Later, you will need four different lengths of wooden pegs for your herb spiral: 8 x 120 cm, 18 x 95 cm, 18 x 70 cm and 15 x 45 cm.

Use a cordless chainsaw such as the STIHL MSA 140 C to saw the first branch to the correct size at the marked position.

Now sharpen the tip of the first branch with a forestry hatchet or chainsaw at one end. To do this, knock or saw off the end of the branch at an angle.

Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all branches until you have 59 sharpened wooden pegs in four different lengths.

Now it’s time to orient the herb spiral. First, determine a sunny area for your DIY herb spiral. Mark the spiral coils on the ground using a rope, which you lay into the planned shape at a distance of 40 cm between the individual rope windings.

For more uniformity, measure the rope distances with the folding ruler and mark the rope windings on the ground with the lumber spray.

Mark the longest peg at 30 cm and drive it into the ground in the centre of the spiral. Now drive in the next peg 1.5 cm deeper than the previous peg to achieve an even slope. Now hammer the stakes in along the ground marking from the inside to the outside until your spiral is complete.  

STIHL tip: When driving in the wood, feel free to place a piece of wood at the impact point so that the edge does not split or deform.  

Once you have driven in all the pegs, it’s time to stabilise them. It is best to use a stainless steel wire that you wind around the longest peg and twist with pliers.  

Shorten the protruding wire with a pair of wire pliers and drive an fencing clip into the twisted wire.  

Wrap the wire around every fourth peg and attach it additionally to every fourth peg with a fencing clip until all the pegs are joined together. 

Lay a drainage fleece on the inside of the spiral to protect it from the weather and to form seepage protection. Tack the drainage fleece carefully. 

Now mark all the designated planting zones in the herb spiral using the lumber spray and a measuring tape.

Now it’s time to fill the herb spiral. Mix the potting soil and compost in a wheelbarrow and fill the lower part of the spiral up to the 40th stake. Fill the middle section of the spiral with normal potting soil. Pour equal parts of a mix of garden soil and sand into the innermost part of the herb spiral. Tap the soil thoroughly.

Finally, cut off any protruding fleece with sturdy scissors. Your herb spiral is now ready for planting.

To plant the herb spiral, you should first select suitable herbs. You can find inspiration for suitable herbs in the section Planting a herb spiral in zones.

Once you have made your decision, thoroughly water the first plant pot in a bucket of water. Pot the plant by gently loosening the root ball with your fingers and pressing it on the side of the ball. After digging a hole in the soil, you can insert your plant. Plant all the herbs until your DIY herb spiral looks nice and green. 

Now all you need to do is water your herb spiral thoroughly with a watering can. In the next few days, you should also supply the plants with enough water while they are taking root. 

STIHL tip: Use the water from the repotting bucket – it is ideal for watering.