Explore possibilities. Most compost cages are about 4 feet tall and 1 foot in diameter. Always plant a variety of plants to optimize the outcome of your harvests. Keyhole gardens are popular in hot, dry environments, as these places are otherwise unfavorable for growing. I'm Kevin, your friendly neighborhood gardener. There’s no need to add store-bought nutrients or fertilizers. The idea can be credited to CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere). Gather free, readily available materials to create the keyhole garden walls. It’s used as an access point for food waste, gray water, and manure. Let the pathway end in the center of the circle, and leave yourself a circular space of 18 to 24 inches so … This will help preserve the plants while keeping pests away. While you will need to make amendments to your keyhole garden compost pile, this is far easier and less expensive than adding commercial fertilizers. Here’s what the keyhole … In essence, a keyhole garden is a raised planting area, complete with a basic drainage component and a composting bin in the middle, to ensure equal distribution of nutrients. Place your posts in a square-shape arrangement in the center of the plot. A keyhole garden is a remarkably adaptable element that works in a range of garden styles. Welcome to my website where I write about growing your own organic food in a limited space. The compost basket in the middle is designed to handle your kitchen waste, turn … Make a habit of adding food scraps to the compost cage in the center of your keyhole garden. Most garden experts recommend creating a 6-inch base. While keyhole gardens were designed to sustain struggling Africans, they’re now popular with gardens around the world. This way, if one plant succumbs to a pest, the others still have a chance. Does that sound too good to be true? A collection can hardly be complete without including some amazing tips from Better Homes and Gardens. What is a Keyhole Garden? Focus on adding a floor, a growing base, and an outer perimeter. Don’t stress about the placement of your keyhole garden. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. Since keyhole gardens utilize easily acquired materials, they are affordable and easy to make. Add to cart Quick view. Add to cart Quick view. Vita 8'X12' Keyhole Garden Bed Garden Bed: 144 in. Purchase some red wrigglers and add them to the bottom of your compost cage. Don’t forget to add a garden floor. Description Inspired by the African keyhole gardening technique, the Classic 4x7 Keyhole Composting Herb Garden lets you compost household waste and grow vegetables in the same garden. W x 48 in. 4×4 Raised Bed. Let your curiosity lead you! Gardening is about the adventure, not the destination. L x 10 in. The keyhole-like indentation isn’t there for aesthetic purposes. Hi. Just be sure to wash your plants before eating them! L x 97 in. Did you know that onions and garlic can be used to fend off pests? Read along to learn all about these resilient raised garden beds. Spray soapy water on your plants to fend off the pest. The strong odor of these plants serves as an organic deterrent. They were intended to empower individuals to feed themselves. Herbs that do well when grown in containers are herbs that lend … Clear the area of plants, rocks, and roots. If you are looking for a medium-sized raised garden bed, this garden bed might fit … This enables gardeners to feed their plants while reducing their waste. But you can combine readily available supplies to create a keyhole garden of your own. Each keyhole garden has a composting basket built into its center. They can host dense plant vegetable and herb arrangements. Try to plant both leafy greens and root crops. Use old newspapers, yard clippings, broken clay pots, and aluminum cans to line the floor and walls. These tiny gardens ingeniously combine a growing foundation and compost pile to create a self-sustaining system that can survive in adverse conditions. We cannot stress the importance of planting a wide variety of vegetables. You'll find useful information here whether you're growing vegetables in an apartment, patio, or a raised bed. CLASSIC Cascading Keyhole Composting Garden. The concept of keyhole gardens began in Lesotho, Africa. Keyhole gardens were part of a vast humanitarian effort. The container should allow moisture and nutrients to leech into the nearby soil. This gives the garden a keyhole shape when viewed from above. Keyhole gardens offer the potential for year-round gardening. The natural rocks used to make the walls of this keyhole garden are lovely too. $399.99. Keyhole gardens provide unlikely abundances to growers with small yards, community garden plots, or rooftop gardens. You could fit as many as 70 tomato plants in a single 6-foot diameter keyhole garden. Examples extend from thickly woven, wooden beds (a great … It doesn’t matter which materials you use. The soil mixture should slope down from the composting cage to maximize drainage and nutrient dispersion. You can read all about keyhole gardening at Grow Real Food and learn how to create your own! Keyhole Beds:To create a keyhole garden bed, start with a circle of soil about 8 to 12 feet in diameter with a path coming into it on one side. There is a wide range of plants that are suitable for a keyhole garden. Keyhole Farm was one of the earliest pioneers in the United States to adopt this concept, which is a near-perfect gardening system. Keyhole gardens, which originated in Africa and now are available in kits from Costco, could unlock an efficient, Earth-friendly new way of gardening for Coloradans. Properly maintained keyhole gardens are very moist and nutrient-dense. Keyhole and spiral garden designs are two great permaculture techniques for maximizing limited space when making a medicinal herb garden. Stake out the perimeter and the center. As the compost decomposes, it releases rich, beneficial nutrients into the soil. There is another kind of raised keyhole bed that has a central compost system. The best part is that these gardens can be built by anyone anywhere! You want your base to be stable since this is the most “structural” part of your bed and lots of soil will sit on top of it. Use mesh wire, sticks, or string to create a dense layer around the wooden posts. You might not want to use toxic stuff because if it does degrade over time, the water that runs through from your bed can wash toxins into surrounding areas. You can always start with a low foundation and add height as your garden grows. The keyhole bed is almost 2' high (great for those with a bad back or sore knees). Concern Worldwide goes into further details of how the keyhole raised beds works. We realized that keyhole gardening could do much to enhance the experience of gardening … Keyhole and spiral garden designs are two great permaculture techniques for maximizing limited space when making a medicinal herb garden. According to the Baker Institute, the following leafy plants do great in keyhole gardens: The following root crops also do well in keyhole gardens: The structure of keyhole gardens makes them poor environments for wide-spreading plants, such as: First, identify a suitable space for the keyhole garden. However, it is a good idea to add new soil to avoid depleting the system of quintessential nutrients. google-site-verification: … Keyhole gardens are a type of permaculture. Place your garden in a flat, sunny spot. This is what our keyhole bed looked like yesterday just before I fed the remaining vegetables to our chickens and the compost pile. Because of their impressive yields, keyhole gardens have gained popularity with gardeners around the world. These delectable root plants are also welcome additions to any keyhole garden. CLASSIC 4×4 Keyhole Composting Garden With Garden … Keyhole gardens are designed to stay moist when little precipitation is available. Disclosure. Fill your keyhole garden with greens and roots plants and enjoy a neverending harvest of nutrient-dense delights. Consider planting a “salad garden” to ensure that well-paired plants are ready to eat at the same time. Place the building material around the perimeter of the circle you created. Introducing the 4X7 Keyhole Herb garden. There are a few things you can do to improve the outlook of your keyhole garden. It’s used as an access point for food waste, gray water, … $349.99. Build your garden in layers, rather than working from the outside in. Mix and match if you need to. As this recommends, using recyclable materials that break down into soil to improve the raised vegetable bed’s soil condition and stifle weeds at the same time is a very earth friendly approach. You want to create a basket-like container that can hold composting materials and water. URBAN 3x5 Keyhole Composting Garden. In stock. W x 22 in H Enclosure Helps to Keep Out Animals and Can Be Used For Climbing Plants Enclosure Panels Have Hinges For Easy Access to … This will help the plants to develop healthy root systems. The walls should extend to the wooden posts in the center, offering easy access to the future compost cage. Just be sure that there is sufficient space for 6 1/2 feet of garden. Keyhole gardens let you grow dense plantings with high success rates. Try using gray water, or clean wastewater, to save money and reduce your environmental impact. The wall needs to be strong enough to contain soil and plants. So the pre-existing soil conditions have no impact on the plants. You can use your keyhole garden year after year. Manure is a great source of carbon. This method requires you to stack materials so that they extend just beyond the base of plants. With a constant source of revitalizing nutrients and plenty of moisture, keyhole gardens have the potential to yield bountiful crops. Keyhole gardens originated in Lesotho, Africa. Extensive root systems have the potential to starve your garden of essential nutrients. Just use the supplies you have on hand or repurpose discarded building materials. You want the ground to be level and have good drainage. Space your garden apart from tall trees and plants. Place root crops next to leafy crops. If your family makes a lot of food waste, make your cage extra large. Make sure to slop the sides of the floor and soil to ensure optimal aeration. Keyhole gardens are made from bricks, concrete blocks, rocks, and other inexpensive stackable materials. If you live in a hot, arid climate, growing a vegetable garden can be impossible. Once you establish your compost cage, you may wish to rearrange the outer wall of your keyhole garden to offer better access. $269.99. Commit yourself to plant at least four different types of plants. Cover the soil in a biodegradable material or rug to protect your garden from damaging frosts. Add a Makeshift Cold Frame to Your Raised Garden Beds. H White Pre-Galvanized Powder-Coated … Coffee grinds, fresh grass clippings, and paper bags are just a few solid options. Keep in mind that you need a lot of material to make the base. The keyhole-like indentation isn’t there for aesthetic purposes. Visiting other people’s gardens is a lovely way to peek into their passions and interests. These compounds are used to fortify the compost bin located in the center of the garden. You want the soil to be compact to ensure proper drainage and moisture retention. CLASSIC 4x7 Keyhole Composting Herb Garden. If this is the case, you will need to water your garden frequently. It can be hard to find the space and resources that you need to create a sustainable garden. If you’re deadset on planting a keyhole garden, it’s probably because you live in an arid climate. In stock. Using these materials, create a slope that extends from the compost cage to the garden walls. Keyhole Beds: To create a keyhole garden bed, … These African container gardens have their own built-in drainage system and they are raised off the ground. Add to cart Quick view. You may also wish to add to the foundation of your wall as your plants grow. After that, you’ll need to add a thick layer of potting soil and manure. 2-DIY Keyhole Garden. Select plants that match up to our approved plant list in the section above. There’s no need to purchase pricey or new materials. Make sure that your garden is no more than 6 feet in diameter. Some gardeners are completely devoted to one type of plant, while others have a set purpose in mind, such as growing and harvesting herbs … Think about this when selecting materials to wrap around the wooden garden stakes. Create a notch-like indent on one side of the circle. Vermicompost systems create nutrient-dense compost. Just add old food scraps or manure to feed the compost pile in the center of the garden. Keyhole garden beds are a neat permaculture design. It also helps aerate the soil to prevent runoff. It needs to be able to withstand adverse weather. Stones, cement blocks, and used tires are just a few examples of commonly used building materials. With the keyhole being in the center, you’re able to access the entire garden, along with the compost area, in a few short steps. The keyhole is a small aisle on one side of the circular garden that enables … No hunching, no kneeling, no kneeboards – just … Our keyhole garden … A traditional keyhole garden is just a few feet in diameter but it can house dozens of plants. The Walls: Think about the construction of a Herb Spiral. How to Grow Lettuce From Scraps Step-By-Step, 28 Medicinal Herbs You Need to Have in Your Garden, Choosing Plants for Your Garden – Everything You Need to Consider, How to Harden Off Plants and Some Tips to Do It Right, Growing Apple Trees: The Complete Guide to Plant, Grow, & Harvest Apples, Deadheading: How to Do It Right to Keep Your Flowers Gorgeous Longer, Watering Your Plants: How Often, When to Do It, and 10 Things to Know, Fall Garden Pests & Diseases: Keep Your Garden Healthy Through Fall, Tips for Starting a Successful Community Seed Bank, How to Get Rid of Potato Bugs: 11 Steps to End the Infestation, Growing Dandelions: How to Plant, Grow, and Take Care of Dandelions, Downy Mildew: Identification, Plants at Risk, Prevention, and Treatment, 32 Free DIY Tomato Trellis & Cage Ideas to Grow Your Tomatoes Big and Healthy, How to Get Rid of Chipmunks in Your Garden, 4 Best Methods to Dry Basil and Preserve Your Harvest, Growing Yams: Varieties, Planting Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest, Common Ice Plant: How to Grow This Unique and Tasty Veggie, Grafting Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started, Black Currants: Varieties, Growing Guide, Care, Problems, and Harvest, Growing Peanuts: Planting Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest, Growing Chia: Planting Guide, Care, Problems and Harvest, 37 Free DIY Bat House Plans that Will Attract the Natural Pest Control (and Save Their Lives), A broken picket fence panel (previously destined for the landfill), Four-inch diameter poplar posts that I felled with a folding saw for this project, A run of 4-foot wide weed mat that I recently pulled from my pathways, Rocks, branches downed in recent winds, junk mail, paper feed bags, A few cinder blocks we had left from other projects, A run of welded wire fence left over from building a duck paddock. Keyhole gardens enable growers to stack plants unusually close to one another. In stock. Simply put, keyhole gardens … Most growers prefer to plant a variety of leafy and root crops. For now, feel free to continue reading. Save yard clippings, newspapers, and paper bags to ensure you have enough material to fill your garden. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Later, these stakes will be used to support the compost cage. This will optimize the distribution of nutrients from the internal compost cage. This post will cover: What is a keyhole garden? Without it, essential plant foods will leech into the soil beneath your keyhole garden. Whatever space you have available, whether deck, small yard or several acres, medicinal herb gardening is possible and fun! It is called a keyhole garden, and it has a compost bin built into the middle of the raised bed. If you live in an area that experiences extreme winters, consider winterizing your keyhole garden. Now stack the outer perimeter of your keyhole garden until it is about 3 feet high. we are growers of lavender, garlic and herbs, michigan herb company grows and sells seed Garlic, culinary Garlic, Lavender, Herbs and we sell retail. The keyhole garden is essentially a round raised bed garden built on a compost pile with a central compost basket. A keyhole garden is a round garden bed with a compost pile in the center. You need to stack stuff in such a way that water can run through from your bed to the ground and move away from your bed. Ignore the large pot–that’s a future solar powered fountain that will be incorporated in a new vegetable garden we’re working on. They made it possible for homeowners to grow gardens in otherwise unsavory conditions. We love this keyhole … ... How To Start An Indoor Herb Garden … Herb spirals, kitchen gardens, keyhole gardens, and shade tunnels allow for dedicated space to grow both culinary and medicinal herbs. All you need is a 6-foot space to get started. Keep in mind that keyhole a keyhole garden should measure 2 meters or 6 1/2 feet in diameter. A keyhole gardening bed is raised to either hip or waist level, with a semi-circle center, allowing you to easily reach all areas of the raised bed. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Break up your compost pile with layers of brown and green biodegradable materials. If you live in an area with lots of wilderness, you may need to reinforce or cover your compost cage. The garden uses a number of layers to retain moisture and nourish the soil, making it more productive than a conventional garden… Be careful not to add overly moist manure, as it can kill your seedlings. We’ve organized these into leafy crops and root crops. 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