how do you set up a keyhole garden

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How do you grow a garden in a keyhole garden?

Water your keyhole garden in the center, directly in the compost cage. This allows the water to filter down through the compost and then seep outward, carrying nutrients to the soil every time you water. Add kitchen scraps when the level of the compost drops.

How do keyhole garden beds work?

By watering the keyhole garden at its center, the water drains through the compost and then into the rest of the garden bed, offering a constant source of nutrients. Stacked stones are traditionally used to create keyhole garden beds, but bricks, concrete blocks, and other materials can be used as long as it’s sturdy enough to support the soil.

What is needed to build a keyhole garden in Uganda?

This video shows, step-by-step, the construction of a keyhole garden in Uganda. It lists the materials needed: Cleared ground near a kitchen, bricks or stones, topsoil, compost, straw/leaves, wood ash, sticks, and string.

What is a keyhole garden made of?

The cage is constructed from a perforated material, such as chicken wire, which allows water to flow easily out of the cage and into the garden bed. While the original keyhole garden shape is circular with a wedge-shaped cutout, there are no set rules.

How do you layer a keyhole garden?

0:218:04Building a Keyhole Garden - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMatter here. And then we have our central compost pile in the middle. Now. As this all breaks downMoreMatter here. And then we have our central compost pile in the middle. Now. As this all breaks down it will shrink a little bit but we'll continue to add compost to the center island.

What do you put in a keyhole garden?

A keyhole garden is a round raised bed with a pie-slice cutout for access to a composting basket in the center. The bed is filled with rocks, yard waste, decomposable plant material, and a thick layer of soil/compost on the top for planting. The center basket collects kitchen waste and other biodegradables.

How big should a keyhole garden be?

six feetKeyhole gardens are relatively small—six feet in diameter, or less—in order for the gardener to be able to reach all areas. The outside wall is two to three feet high, and the compost cage in the center is often one to two feet taller.

What is the purpose of a keyhole garden?

A keyhole garden is a two-meter-wide circular raised garden with a keyhole-shaped indentation on one side. The indentation allows gardeners to add uncooked vegetable scraps, greywater, and manure into a composting basket that sits in the center of the bed.

Do keyhole gardens really work?

Keyhole gardens hold moisture and nutrients due to an active compost pile placed in the center of a round bed. Although most helpful in hot and dry locations, a keyhole garden will improve growing conditions in just about any climate.

What is an African keyhole garden?

The African keyhole garden was designed by CARE in Zimbabwe during the mid 1990s to encourage people to grow their own food. The design relied on materials that were close at hand—such as bricks, stones, branches, hay, ashes, manure and soil—to create an easy-care garden for disabled people.

What is the lasagna method gardening?

A lasagna garden sits above the ground. But, instead of filling it with fresh soil like you would a raised bed, you stack compostable materials like newspaper, cardboard, leaves, and grass clippings. Over time, worms and microorganisms decompose the material and turn it into a rich, nutrient-dense soil of its own.

How do you layer a raised garden bed?

Wood: Lay a thin layer of small twigs, branches, or bark at the bottom of your raised bed. You can also add other materials like newspaper and manure at this first step. 2. Less expensive soil: Add in a less expensive soil or loam, old potting soil, or native soil mixed with inexpensive soil.

How do you make a keyhole?

0:182:32Cutting Keyhole Slots for Hanging Pictures and Plaques - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSet it up on the router table. And you make a test cut you want to mount the keyhole bit in theMoreSet it up on the router table. And you make a test cut you want to mount the keyhole bit in the router table and raise it high enough so there's enough material to properly capture a screw. Here.

What is a mandala garden?

A mandala garden is simply a garden in broadly circular form. It can include a few, simple raised beds or in ground growing areas, or be much more elaborate in design.

How do you plant a spiral herb?

1:413:58DIY Herb Spiral - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou want the opening of your spiral to be facing north in the northern hemisphere build your spiralMoreYou want the opening of your spiral to be facing north in the northern hemisphere build your spiral clockwise in the southern hemisphere counterclockwise that's the direction the water will drain.

How do you make a raised bed by hand?

1:265:27How to make Raised Beds in the Garden - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd take that and use pull your rake along. And flatten it out to kind of do a little back and forthMoreAnd take that and use pull your rake along. And flatten it out to kind of do a little back and forth motion let me see if I can show you if I get back far enough from my rake.

Do keyhole gardens smell?

In theory the compost basket in the center of your keyhole garden shouldn't smell, but there's always a chance it gets a little stinky if it's out of balance. (Don't worry, it's easy to fix!) “A foul smell is a sign that your compost pile is out of balance,” explains Dimitrov.

What is the lasagna method gardening?

A lasagna garden sits above the ground. But, instead of filling it with fresh soil like you would a raised bed, you stack compostable materials like newspaper, cardboard, leaves, and grass clippings. Over time, worms and microorganisms decompose the material and turn it into a rich, nutrient-dense soil of its own.

How do you make a compost garden bed?

How to Trench Compost in a Raised Garden Bed:1 – Dig your trench. First you will need to dig out a trench from end to end of the bed. ... 2 – Break up & layer your materials. Now break open on the straw bales and place a thick layer of straw in the bottom of the trench. ... 3 – Insulate & water the bed.

How do you compost a garden bed?

5:397:27How to Build a Garden Bed Composting & Deep Watering HoleYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMake sure you break them up into little pieces. Just go ahead drop it in there whole apple core. AndMoreMake sure you break them up into little pieces. Just go ahead drop it in there whole apple core. And then for bigger pieces like these are bananas. You could put them in whole.

How A Keyhole Garden Works

A keyhole garden is a round garden bed with a compost pile in the center. The garden has a notch in the front, so gardeners can easily add to or tu...

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This video shows Deb in action, piling pounds and pounds of wet cardboard for the filling of the garden. She is demonstrating at one of her keyhole...

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This video from the non-profit Send A Cow shows, step-by-step, the construction of a keyhole garden in Uganda. It lists the materials needed: Clear...

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Here in part one, host Casey Hentges shows the finished product and explains the keyhole garden concept. Next, she shows the materials to use—straw...

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Resources For Building A Keyhole Garden

Sloping the soil away from the center well allows better transfer of water and nutrients and adds to surface area. www.sendacow.org.ukA two-page, p...

What is the first step in creating a keyhole garden?

The first stage in creating a keyhole garden is determining details of the design. It is important to consider the size and shape of the bed you will build.

What is important to consider when building a keyhole garden?

It is important to consider the size and shape of the bed you will build . Early in the design process, you will need to decide whether the keyhole shapes will be for access only, or whether your keyhole garden will have a central compost bin.

Why Make a Keyhole Garden?

One of these raised beds can be used to grow a substantial amount of food. It maximises the yield that can be obtained from a given amount of space.

Why do keyhole beds have a composting area?

In keyhole beds that incorporate a composting area at their heart, yield is also increased by the high-fertility provided by the compostable materials added at the centre. Since water is also added through the central composting area, one of these beds can also reduce the water use in a garden.

How does a keyhole garden work?

Any keyhole garden can maximise yield by minimising pathway, and maximising the amount of usable growing space. When making any growing area, it is important to make sure that the gardener can easily reach all areas without standing on the beds.

Why use a keyhole bed?

A keyhole bed can be a great way to maximise space and productivity in an organic garden.

How deep should a circular garden be?

The circular garden 2m in diameter mentioned above is typically made as a raised bed, at a height of around 1m (or a comfortable depth for easy gardening). This depth of bed is ideal if you plan to create a central composting bin at the heart of your keyhole garden.

What Is A Keyhole Garden

The term ‘keyhole garden, comes from shape of the garden area itself. This is basically a round structure roughly about 9 foot in diameter with a wedge cut into it – just like slicing a cake!

Building A Keyhole Garden

First of all you create a structure similar to the one in the picture. This can be made from bricks, concrete block, timber, corrugated iron, in fact anything that you may have to hand that is suitable for this structure.

Keyhole Gardening On Amazon

The general idea, is that you have access to the center well at all times as this is the ‘engine room’ of your keyhole garden.

Filling a Keyhole Garden

Once the structure has been formed it is time to fill it in. This can be done exactly the same way as you would fill in a deep raised bed garden. To take up some of the volume you would throw in a variety of old wood or organic detritus such as fallen leaves at the bottom of the bed.

Maintaining A Keyhole Garden

This is a simple matter of watering the well area especially on a regular basis as you do not want in to dry out completely. These worms need a moist area to work in and do their composting magic!

What Can You Plant In A Keyhole Garden?

A keyhole garden is basically just another form of Raised Bed Garden, with a few subtle differences. So you can in fact grow almost anything that you could in a Raised Bed or Square foot garden.

What is a Keyhole Garden?

A keyhole garden is just like any other raised bed, but it has a unique shape to it that allows the gardener to access any part of it — either from inside the "keyhole" or from around its edges. Most keyholes have circular or horseshoe-like shapes. Most keyhole gardens are also equipped with built-in composting bins, which makes the entire composting process easier on you. As if all that weren't enough, keyhole gardens are also great at retaining moisture. This can be especially beneficial if you live in a hot and dry area, which is why this concept is already so popular in places like Africa, Texas, and Arizona.

What to put in keyhole compost bin?

Throw food scraps, coffee grounds, lawn clippings, small amounts of paper, and other compostable materials in here. Just make sure that the first layer you put down in ths tube consists primarily of rocks, which will improve the drainage of the bin and allow water to seep back into the soil.

How to cover a garden with tarp?

Set up some poles around it and drape a tarp over them to cover the garden, give yourself a longer growing season, and provide the bed with shade during the hottest months. You can also add a roof to your compost bin to help funnel water towards the garden’s soil rather than into the already-moistened compost.

How to keep raised bed level?

You may find that the soil starts dropping as the compostable materials you included inside of the raised bed start to decompose over time. To keep the level where you’d like it, simply add in some more soil.

What to stock up on before building a garden?

You'll find it helpful to stock up on newspaper, cardboard, and other composting materials before building your garden so that you’ll have more than enough when it comes time to get started. Line the bottom and walls of the garden with those same materials.

Do keyhole gardens retain moisture?

As if all that weren't enough, keyhole gardens are also great at retaining moisture. This can be especially beneficial if you live in a hot and dry area, which is why this concept is already so popular in places like Africa, Texas, and Arizona.

Can you keyhole garden in raised beds?

Keyhole gardening has a lot of benefits to offer those that love working with raised beds. One of the most frustrating things about raised bed gardening is that it can often be hard to reach the plants that are growing in the middle of each bed. Luckily, there’s a great solution you can employ if you want to be able to easily access the insides ...

What is a keyhole garden?

The traditional keyhole garden is a raised circular garden bed with a wedge-shaped cutout along one side that allows easy access to the center of the garden, where a cage serves as a compost pile. The cage is filled with yard and kitchen waste, which decomposes and releases vital nutrients into the rest of the raised garden.

What to plant in keyholes?

What you choose to plant depends on what your family likes to eat, but good choices for keyhole gardening include lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, kale, onions, spinach, herbs, and tomatoes. Add a two-inch layer of dried leaves or shredded bark around the base of the plants.

How to keep compost cage from collapsing?

The compost cage in the center (if you’re making it from chicken wire) may require staking to hold it in place, and to keep it from collapsing when you add soil to the surrounding garden.

What is the purpose of watering a keyhole garden?

By watering the keyhole garden at its center, the water drains through the compost and then into the rest of the garden bed, offering a constant source of nutrients.

Why are keyhole gardens important?

Keyhole gardens, so named because they’re shaped like an old-fashioned skeleton-key lock, were developed to help folks with less-than-super soil grow nutritious produce . They were first established in the 1990s for residents of Lesotho, a small nation in southern Africa subject to frequent droughts and soil erosion. Keyhole gardening proved successful in providing a reliable source of food for the people of Lesotho, and the concept has spread across the globe. Read on to understand how these small, smart gardens work—and all it takes to start one of your own.

How tall is a compost cage?

The outside wall is two to three feet high, and the compost cage in the center is often one to two feet taller. The cage is constructed from a perforated material, such as chicken wire, which allows water to flow easily out of the cage and into the garden bed.

What is the best material to use for keyhole garden beds?

Stacked stones are traditionally used to create keyhole garden beds, but bricks, concrete blocks, and other materials can be used as long as it’s sturdy enough to support the soil. Keyhole gardens are relatively small—six feet in diameter, or less—in order for the gardener to be able to reach all areas.

How far into the ground do I dig poplar posts?

I dug my poplar posts two feet into the ground, in the corners, as my anchors. They keep my bed from sliding downhill since I decided to build on a sloped site.

What to do if your garden is weedy?

If your chosen site happens to be weedy, mow them down and build right over them. Bill Mollison, one of the founders of the permaculture movement, and a huge advocate for keyhole beds suggests putting them close to your house. This makes it more likely that you’ll visit your garden often to tend and harvest.

What do you need to do with taller posts?

All you need to do is integrate taller posts into your bedsides and wrap or cover those with fencing, netting, or row covers as needed.

What happens when you put the key inside and turn?

When you put the key inside and turned, everything would click into place, and magical doors would open (or at least beautiful, heavy wooden doors that cost a fortune at vintage markets these days).

What vegetables can I grow in a garden bed?

They work great for annual herbs and cut flowers too. Vegetables that form a root ball like onions, beets, turnips, and round radishes are also good choices.

Can you vine tomatoes over a trellis?

Or…you can run your trellis outwards like a table and vine your tomatoes over the trellis. You may have to leave your keyhole to harvest, but you keep your tomatoes off the ground and limit fungal risks. Now, that you are in the know, unlock the magic in your garden and build yourself a perfect-for-you keyhole bed!

Can you use junk as a keyhole bed?

I don’t know about you, but I feel guilty about all the stuff I throw away. When you build your keyhole bed, you can use your unwanted junk as the base for your keyhole bed. (I’ll show you how shortly.)

How does a keyhole garden work?

Keyhole gardens thus solve a number of problems. An integrated compost pile reduces the amount of food waste sent to landfills. One-third of all food goes uneaten in the United States, 1 and food waste is the single largest contributor to landfills. 2 Decaying food waste in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent ...

What is a keyhole garden?

Overview. A keyhole garden is a type of garden bed with an integrated compost bin. It was originally developed in the southern African nation of Lesotho during the drought-stricken 1990s in order to improve the soil and retain water. It then spread to other arid parts of Africa and the world, including the United States, ...

How to make compost pile with brown and green waste?

Add Topsoil. Place topsoil over the aeration material, then fill your compost pile with a mix of brown and green waste: grass clippings, fallen leaves, mixed in with food waste. Skip meat and dairy products if you want to avoid critters larger than worms from making a mess of your compost pile.

How to slope a garden?

Slope Your Garden. Slope your garden away from the compost pile in the center so that the water and nutrients filter out into your garden. The outer edge of your garden wall should be an two inches or more lower than the outer edge of the compost pile.

How to build a garden wall around a circle?

Roughly lay out your wall-building materials around the perimeter, leaving a pathway to the center of the circle. For materials, use anything that you can stack two to three feet high to create the garden's outer walls to keep in the soil without leaching anything into it. If your outer wall has gaps in it, you can line the inside of the walls with cardboard or other materials to prevent soil from escaping.

What to put in a garden bed?

Fill your garden bed with layers of materials, beginning with well-draining materials such as stone, twigs, or broken clay pots, then a layer of cardboard, newspaper, straw, wood ash, compost, topsoil, or composted cow manure, then a nutrient-rich loam soil. (Optional: Cover your soil with a weed block.)

Is raised garden soil good for gardening?

Since the garden itself is usually raised from the underlying surface, it's well suited for places where the usable soil is non-existent, limited, contaminated, or otherwise not suitable for gardening—especially when you are growing food.