Having healthy food to eat is essential for people around the world. Onion and garlic, specifically, provide pest protection. Download 5 Phases of a Keyhole Garden today, as our free gift to you, and you will discover how to: Plan, build, plant and maintain your own keyhole garden. Answer Save. I'm Kevin, your friendly neighborhood gardener. Plant your garden. Use large stones to build the garden wall. Keyhole gardens are designed for function but not for looks, so most homeowners choose a backyard location rather than out front. For a circular garden, hold a three-foot string in the center of the proposed garden and use the other end of the string as a compass to mark the perimeter wall location. Each keyhole garden has a composting basket built into its center. The diagram below shows the different layers you should plan out to start your Keyhole Garden. Determine the configuration of the outside wall. This style of raised garden bed is ideal for growing lots of vegetables in small spaces.They can also be very attractive depending on what materials you use to construct them and how you plant them. But a new method of gardening is proving to be less labor-intensive and more affordable for individuals who grow their own food. Tomatoes can be planted near the center of the garden to allow the basket to provide support for the plant. 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. Put three to five inches of rocks or large gravel at the bottom of the compost cage to allow for aeration from the bottom. RELATED: 10 Times You Can Get Nature to Do Your Yard Work for You. The garden uses a number of layers to retain moisture and nourish the soil, making it more productive than a conventional garden. The Keyhole literally uses piles of common organic household waste and converts it into a rich growing enviroment for your vegetables to grow. A keyhole garden is a circular raised garden bed with a compost basket at the center and a keyhole-shaped path that allows access to the entire garden. This will break down slowly, gathering moisture and smothering weeds in the process. Add layers of cardboard and the newsprint between compost and then fill the top half with straight soil/compost mix. This post will cover part 1 of how we drew out, designed and mapped out the garden bed and what keyhole and mandala beds are. RELATED: The Invincible Yard: 17 Ideas for Lazy Landscaping. These beautiful, productive gardens are ideal for small spaces and can accommodate a variety of plants like vegetables, herbs, flowers, etc. Place your compost ring at the center of the bed, and measure out 5-6 feet from the ring all the way around it; this is the typical size of a keyhole bed. I planted 10 tomatoes, 8 spicy peppers and 10 basil in my 6′ x 6′ garden. To create your keyhole bed, measure out your circle of land, and determine how high you’d like the bed to be, and where you’d like to place the pathway. How To Fill A Keyhole Garden (In The Very Best Way) Bonus: all the ingredients - old boxes, newspapers, and leaves - are totally free! As you add fresh scraps from your kitchen to the compost cage, you’ll be constantly replenishing the compost, which will settle as it decomposes. And much more! Consider lining the insides of the growing area with cardboard if the material you’re using to build the wall has large holes; without the cardboard, the soil may filter out or erode. How can I permanently fill a keyhole? Make sure that the soil here slopes downwards from the center of the bed. A keyhole garden introduces a no-dig, permaculture design in the form of a raised bed with a continual feed at the top for manure, vegetable scraps, paper and other brown and gree… Follow these step-by-step instructions to start keyhole gardening. When watered, the nutrients from the compost spread through the soil, fertilizing it without the need for added commercial fertilizers. Be sure to leave yourself an access point so that you can get to your compost ring throughout the season. The origin of the “keyhole” structure lies in Africa where the climate requires the most efficient use of water resources. Choose a location where the ground is level and not subject to flooding. This is the key concept to a keyhole garden design. This is called “. During decomposition, the organic matter breaks down and is transformed into dark rich compost—a fertile soil conditioner. Keyhole gardening proved successful in providing a reliable source of food for the people of Lesotho, and the concept has spread across the globe. 4. Aug 10, 2019 - Aside from its aesthetic appeal, keyhole garden beds serve a lot of purposes, too. Square PVC keyhole garden kits, measuring approximately six foot by six foot, are available from DIY centers and online retailers for between $250 and $500 (like this 3-foot-by-5-foot aluminum keyhole garden on Wayfair, which retails at $419.99, or this 6-foot-square cedar option from Gardener’s Supply Company, which retails for $499). For more ideas on building and planting your own keyhole garden, take a look at our Keyhole Gardening board on Pinterest. This basket will be filled with cans/compost to feed the garden. 3m squared. 4. Make sure the layer of cardboard or newspaper spreads all the way to the edges of your raised bed plot. You shouldn’t need to add a lot of scraps, just a few now and then to keep the top of the compost level with the soil or slightly above. A keyhole garden allows a family to grow enough food for three meals a day – even in the face of an extreme climate and poor soil. Compost needs air in order to decompose. Keyhole garden beds are called as such because they resemble keyholes. A keyhole garden is a round garden bed with a compost pile in the center. You may find that the soil starts dropping as the compostable materials you included inside of the raised bed start to decompose over time. This allows the water to filter down through the compost and then seep outward, carrying nutrients to … A keyhole garden is a raised, circular garden bed with a keyhole-shaped indentation on one side. A keyhole garden is a large, raised garden bed. In addition, permaculture keyhole gardening can be easily adapted to fit the individual needs of the gardener. Choose the best location and the right plants for your climate and space. How to build a keyhole garden: MATERIALS . 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. Grade the soil to slope down away from the compost cage so water runs to the outside edges. Fill the garden with a layer of cans (for drainage), then soil/manure/straw/ash as you build upwards to waist height. Locate a suitable site for the keyhole garden area, without overhanging trees or obstacles; Assemble the keyhole garden with the structural materials you have chosen; Fill in the area with a mix of soil and compost to the level required; Fill in the center well with organic material such as grass cuttings and kitchen vegetable cuttings Planting Bed Fill: Use the same materials as for a lasagna garden, or compost pile, such as cardboard, paper, manure, leaves, straw, hay, old potting mix, or wood ashes, then finish the surface for planting with top soil. Plant leafy greens next to root vegetables. Rotate crops annually. Typically, the walls are made of stone to give the garden a rigid shape, and to help trap moisture in the bed. Fill your keyhole garden with greens and roots plants and enjoy a neverending harvest of nutrient-dense delights. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Glenda Taylor, The Invincible Yard: 17 Ideas for Lazy Landscaping, 10 Times You Can Get Nature to Do Your Yard Work for You, A post shared by Scott Dalton (@scotted123), 10 Houseplants That Thrive Where Others Die. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. Place a layer of cardboard or newspaper down. Photo: instructables.com via rollincaswell. Clean out the compost cage once every three to four years to remove depleted compost and then start a new compost cage. Gather materials like bricks and rocks to make a circular wall with a diameter of 6 feet and a wall that measures 3 feet in height. This post will cover: Keyhole garden permaculture designs If you’d like to speak to one of our qualified landscape designers, gives us a call at 317-867-4811 or simply fill out the form below. They were first established in the 1990s for residents of Lesotho, a small nation in southern Africa subject to frequent droughts and soil erosion. I really look forward to sharing part 2 once the garden beds fill out this summer! Keyhole gardening is ideal for children, people with ambulatory considerations, and in areas where soil is hot, dry and hard to work with. Towns People are Moving to in 2020—and the Big Ci... 10 Genius Gadgets to Bring on Your Next Road Trip, Our 12 Favorite Farmhouses Across America, 10 Tips for Effectively Cleaning Your Home During a Pandemic, 12 Outdoor Rugs to Fit Every Budget and Style, 7 Reasons Homeowners Switch to Radiant Heating. Build the centre ‘basket’ of the garden with the sticks and string. I loved the idea of creating a mix of a keyhole garden with a mandala design. Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team. While the original keyhole garden shape is circular with a wedge-shaped cutout, there are no set rules. Keyhole garden designs are quite similar to the raised garden beds which many people are familiar with. Featuring a drainage layer, a soil layer, and a planting area, keyhole gardens combine all the necessities that plants need to thrive. Some gardeners are completely devoted to one type of plant, while others have a set purpose in mind, such as growing and harvesting herbs and vegetables. More space to grow in with less effort. Examine the garden in the spring and make any necessary repairs, such as replacing loose stones. 5 Answers. You can construct your own keyhole garden in any shape you like—circular, oval, square, or octagon—just be sure to include a compost cage in the center. Composting is the method by which accumulated organic matter decomposes. Choose a flat area approx. A ‘compost basket’ made of wire (chicken wire or a more heavy duty gauge) is at the center as you build your layers. Just fill out the form to begin your download now. For the best results, year after year, check out the following tips. You can purchase bags of “garden soil” or make your own optimal growing blend by combining equal amounts of sand, topsoil, and compost. Keyhole garden beds are a bit different from more common raised garden beds, which are usually filled with only soil. Tie the wire or twine around them several times from top to bottom, to create the basket outline and hold the canes or sticks together. Making the Keyhole Garden. By building keyhole beds raised to hip or waist level and using disease-free soil to fill your bed, you can quickly get back to growing your favorite veggies in your new keyhole bed. By Glenda Taylor. Water your garden by pouring water through this well. Visiting other people’s gardens is a lovely way to peek into their passions and interests. This is the number one reason why I love the keyhole method. Place the canes in the middle of the keyhole garden circle, pushing them down into the soil to anchor them. Fill in … Copyright © 2021 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. The cardboard helps retain the loose soil but will also allow water to drain away. You can build a keyhole bed that functions as an enclosed garden … How to Make a Keyhole Garden. A keyhole garden is a circular raised bed with a compost basket in the center and a notch "cut" out for easy access (from above, it looks like a keyhole). Diy Garden Urban Garden Garden Design Gardening Tips Keyhole Garden Landscaping Tips Raised Garden Garden Projects Garden. The compost basket provides a handy place to toss kitchen scraps and fallen leaves, where they’ll turn into additional food for the garden. Some plants have shallow roots while others have deep roots that draw more nutrients from 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. This basket will be filled with cans/compost to feed the garden. Planting the traditional method would have taken twice that space and double the effort to prepare. Irrigation and crop rotation are some of the ways farmers and gardeners have addressed drought in arid regions in the past. Build the centre ‘basket’ of the garden with the sticks and string. You'll need about 4 to 6 overlapping layers regardless of which choice you use. The garden has a notch in the front, so gardeners can easily add to or turn over the pile. Leave an area wide enough to stand in while tending the garden. Corrugated metal or old fencing are suitable as well, as long as it’s strong enough to retain the soil. Building your own keyhole garden is a simple process and no special construction skills are necessary. Fill the growing area with the best soil you can get. This allows the water to filter down through the compost and then seep outward, carrying nutrients to the soil every time you water. Because the soil is highly nutritious, you can grow more plants than you can in a traditional garden. Add a two-inch layer of dried leaves or shredded bark around the base of the plants. Aside from the fact that it looks great as a garden design, it serves several purposes. A keyhole garden is a remarkably adaptable element that works in a range of garden styles. 1 decade ago. Plus, some plants contribute various nutrients to the soil—peas, for instance, add nitrogen—so by rotating the location of your plants every year, you’ll maintain a healthy soil balance throughout the entire garden. 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. 1.2k. The … Can be built in just a few hours. Use stacked stones, bricks, or concrete blocks to form the perimeter wall of the keyhole garden. African Keyhole Garden Tomato and Basil ~ Looking Good! Keyhole garden beds are commonly seen in permaculture gardens. If you opt to purchase a kit, it will come with all the instructions you need to assemble the panels; if you prefer to build a traditional keyhole garden from scratch, the following tips will help. Maintenance of the keyhole garden Watering • The garden should be watered regularly so that the garden soil is moist. In Lesotho, where almost 1/4 people are sick with HIV/AIDS, it is especially important that grandmothers are able to grow vegetables to keep themselves and their orphaned grandchildren healthy (especially if they are HIV+ and require nutritious food to help digest their ARV medication). Old soda cans (crushed up) Large stones/bricks; Long sticks and a strong string; Soil, compost, sand, ash, manure and straw; STEPS. A post shared by Scott Dalton (@scotted123) on Jun 7, 2016 at 11:42am PDT. A garden to nurture the soil and the family. The cage is filled with yard and kitchen waste, which decomposes and releases vital nutrients into the rest of the raised garden. Water your keyhole garden in the center, directly in the compost cage. Read on to understand how these small, smart gardens work—and all it takes to start one of your own. The outside wall is two to three feet high, and the compost cage in the center is often one to two feet taller. As water seeps through the compost, it will carry nutrients to your plants. Add kitchen scraps when the level of the compost drops. 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. Plus, there’s no bending and stooping required to tend plants. Preferred root plants for keyhole gardens include carrots, beets, and radishes. The organic matter in the compost cage at the center of a keyhole garden is continually decomposing—the gardener adds new organic matter to the top of the cage while the layers beneath are decaying and releasing nutrients into the surrounding soil. Keyhole gardening is sustainable, meaning that these structures will provide their own nutrients for years when constructed and used properly. Welcome to my website where I write about growing your own organic food in a limited space. Self-fertilize by using garden waste as fuel to grow vegetables, Allow frail and/or disabled grandmothers to easily access their crops, Keep animals from eating the produce due to the raised beds, Soil, compost, sand, ash, manure and straw. Is there something I could squirt into a few keyholes to permanently seal them up? This style of gardening is very convenient for those who like to engage in the activity, but are not ready to experience back pain. This gives the garden a keyhole shape when viewed from above. The Top 10 U.S. These gardens give fantastic results quickly and add nutritious vegetables to provide a balanced diet. As the organic matter in the cage decomposes, it will become more compact. Because seeds and garden tools are very expensive, keyhole gardens are a sustainable, inexpensive solution to feeding these rural families. A keyhole garden is considered a type of permaculture (permanent agriculture) because it’s sustainable and regenerative. Here are some more tips to help your keyhole garden thrive: When you first build your garden, fill your compost well so it’s level with your bed. Article by Hometalk. Just a slight slope; the soil level at the outside wall should be about two inches lower than the soil around the compost cage. Grow delicious, healthy vegetables. About Me. The name comes from the idea that an access path to the heart of the bed looks a little like a keyhole when viewed from above. 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. Fill the compost cage to the top with alternating layers of. How am I going to get whatever I use into such a tiny opening? It’s the ultimate recycling process—dried leaves, grass clippings, and leftover vegetable waste are placed in a mound or container, and with the addition of water, the decaying process begins. The reason the garden is raised is twofold: It promotes adequate drainage, so the soil remains moist, but not soggy, creating an optimal growing environment. • Water from washing hands, laundry, or dishes is poured into the basket. Hi. Keyhole gardens can come in a range of shapes, sizes, and depths, though commonly they have circular or curving forms. 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. Allow for a 24-inch opening along the perimeter wall that narrows slightly as it reaches the center of the garden. Fill with organic layers The magic of the Keyhole Garden is in it’s composting abilities. • Clean water is used on the topsoil. Water your keyhole garden in the center, directly in the compost cage. 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. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. The very top of the keyhole should be filled with your favorite blend of potting soil and (you guessed it) compost. The composting basket replenishes the soil’s nutrients as well. Click here to support Grandmothers in Lesotho! The indentation allows gardeners easy access to the garden in order to add uncooked vegetable scraps, grey-water, and manure into a composting basket that sits in the center of the bed. And releases vital nutrients into the rest of the plants ’ of the raised garden which. Waste, how to fill a keyhole garden are usually filled with cans/compost to feed the garden has a notch in process., beets, and depths, though commonly they have circular or curving forms BobVila.com! 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