An overhead view of this type of raised bed would look like a large keyhole in a circular plot with easy access to the center basket where vegetable scraps and other green matter containing water are added. Now that you’ve made a raised garden bed, you might be wondering how best to fill it.Raised garden beds usually need a mixture of soil and compost. The first thing you’ll need to do when building your own keyhole garden is to come up with a plan for it. How do you make one? Most of the hard work is done by the micro-organisms in the garden … The nutrients and enough water supply would allow them to grow healthy. You can get more information on the Gardening Channel blog, here… DIY Cinder Block Keyhole Garden. Building Your Own Keyhole Garden. Rocks, brick, and wood are all great building materials here. (I did water the soil when the plants were very young). Keeping the Garden Growing. An African keyhole garden is basically a small scale intensive raised bed growing system that is fed through a central composting system which is made in the design of a basket to allow water and nutrients to access the soil where the plants are growing. Congratulations! Depending on the size of your area, you'll want to make a garden that's about three feet tall and six feet in diameter. What Plants Do Well in a Keyhole Garden? One originated in Africa, is a raised bed, and incorporates a compost pile in the center. But, the best plants would be root plants such as carrots, beets, radishes, and leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and herbs. All kinds of plants can be planted in a keyhole garden. Consisting of several layers of mulch, earth and other easy to gather materials, keyhole gardens offer a number of important advantages: They are highly sustainable. • Water from washing hands, laundry, or dishes is poured into the basket. Over time this will decay down, and nutrients from it will leach into the garden as you water it or it rains. • Clean water is used on the topsoil. There are actually two different keyhole garden designs. They produce nutrient-rich crops. I really love this type of garden! I made a column of chicken wire to hold the compost, and set it in the middle. I couldn’t find photos of my keyhole garden in Texas, but I can tell you how mine worked. They require very little water, even in dry climates. Maintenance of the keyhole garden Watering • The garden should be watered regularly so that the garden soil is moist. This prevents the water from evaporating as quickly. A short history of keyhole gardening. Initially, you should water the plants until they become established, then you can just water the center basket to maintain your garden over time. A keyhole garden is an ongoing project. Keyhole gardens also provide a significant amount of food for such a small footprint. You can mix the soil in with the compost thoroughly, or layer them, which is known as lasagna gardening. These keyhole garden beds were designed to enable the sick to have a kitchen garden close to the house that was easy for them to work in. Try using gray water, or clean wastewater, to save money and reduce your environmental impact. The basket is built to take in compost over time. If you’re deadset on planting a keyhole garden, it’s probably because you live in an arid climate. Your keyhole garden will now grow delicious, healthy vegetables all year round. Add already composted material, or compostable food waste, to the compost basket in the center of the keyhole garden. The column is also where you should water your garden. Crops Not Recommended For a Keyhole Garden A keyhole garden has the ability to use very little water (only a gallon a day in slightly cooler weather), especially if you make a cover for your composter. 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