Keyhole Garden – How to make an African style raised bed
www.sendacow.org.uk Keyhole Gardens are a great garden to make – here is one being built in Uganda. This organic technique is part of Send a Cow’s training in sustainable agriculture and is a great home garden idea too. Keyhole gardens survive floods and arid conditions well as the raised bed holds moisture and is ‘fed’ via a central compost basket. Help more African families learn how to make these gardens and buy the charity gift of a Keyhole Garden for a friend at www.sendacowgifts.org.uk www.sendacow.org.uk
25 Responses to Keyhole Garden – How to make an African style raised bed
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Now that’s funny!!
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 4:22 am
I thought this video was on how to make an african bed…it’s just a garden…thing
canon5dmarkiiii
February 2, 2013 at 4:48 am
Amazing that women are doing this work…
H30ea
February 2, 2013 at 4:54 am
This is a good method in certain circumstances and the soils in many African countries are thoroughly depeleted, so the integrated compost is very helpful and easy. The raised bed is good for older people and people suffering from HIV as well as in floods. It’s also about the max surface area and soil depth for trapping moisture in arid regions. Be great if someone out there did a study, we’d welcome that, but please bear in mind these gardens were primarily designed for east African contexts.
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 5:42 am
Lots of work, small producing area in the garden, I don’t think this is the best idea for a small garden. I would look at square foot methods and a separate compost bin. I wish we could see the production of both this method and square foot gardening using same soil components and compare the results.
broadwayFan28
February 2, 2013 at 6:14 am
Works really well in the UK. You don’t need a roof, but a bit of old carpet over the compost basket helps it to not get too wet. You also don’t need most of the dry matter as this is to retain moisture in arid regions. Most important is siting it so that the keyhole entrance faces north so that you get max sun from the south on the garden.
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 6:25 am
How did it work in the UK?
Do you have to alter much from what is shown in this video?
amunneheh
February 2, 2013 at 6:45 am
How did it work in the UK?
Do you have to alter much from what is shown in this video?
amunneheh
February 2, 2013 at 7:04 am
Thanks!
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 7:16 am
youtube nerds start taking notes, THIS is how you make a how-to video!
jordanaya
February 2, 2013 at 8:13 am
It was. We make these gardens in the UK with pupils too and they do actually work pretty hard!
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 8:57 am
That was wonderful seeing every one helping the way they did, even the children. Try to get today’s kids to work like that and they would faint.
Saddle Trail
February 2, 2013 at 8:57 am
They also plant into the ground and add lots of manure and green compost, but keyhole are an addition to plots especially where good soil is scarce. These gardens are to grow plants that add extra nutrients into diets and extend the growing season. They can also survive floods and droughts well. It is African technology btw 🙂
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 9:26 am
Very cute garden but it looks like they are doing a much better job growing right in the ground. At least they are able to have a bigger harvest with less work than what this like it will offer. It would be good to do a follow up to actually show the success of this garden because I see the stuff in the background producing much better. Maybe the Africans can teach us a thing or two.
designbyeloine
February 2, 2013 at 10:17 am
it holds a bit of extra moisture in the dry season. Thanks.
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 10:42 am
hi, i read some people wondering about the wood ash, well i just learned wood ash was used for potassium i believe, in other words “potash”
the “old timers” used to take wood ash, boil in water, and when all that was left was the residue, that was the potash and added to gardens as a nutrient, hence the name potash=POT ash
i may be wrong but thats what ive been reading
dramey03
February 2, 2013 at 10:43 am
is the bottom layer of straw for drainage or?
great video, beautiful work
dramey03
February 2, 2013 at 11:07 am
It’s a compost basket to feed the plants on an ongoing basis.
Send a Cow
February 2, 2013 at 11:40 am
What is the purpose of the center piece?
arbonac
February 2, 2013 at 12:36 pm
This is incredible! How clever and practical!
Klara Wieck
February 2, 2013 at 1:32 pm
Love it!
MimiSupreme
February 2, 2013 at 1:52 pm
wow, what a fantastic way of growing your plants and vegies, everyone bogs in to help, and it seems to be easy enough to do! I hope thyey all catch on to this idea, and we can learn from this too. Help them help themselves! donate!
VanessaMisty
February 2, 2013 at 2:47 pm
i fined that raised bed quite smart to do, as the rest of it is just a raised bed the middle of the bed will turn to fresh compost through out the season and give the plants slow release food with out adding anything else as the materials rots and decomposes. also i think by water just in that spot the water could spread out and water the bed for you but i might be wrong but heck i fined it cool still.
bloodangelmike
February 2, 2013 at 3:26 pm
wood ash is also one of the best ways to get rid of soil pests. and the straw/ compost also keeps the soil loose and you do want loose soil in a veggie garden.
cobainzlady
February 2, 2013 at 3:37 pm
a very cool piece of low tech. where did this design originally come from?
cobainzlady
February 2, 2013 at 3:42 pm