Keyhole gardening unlocks big crop in small space

By Barrie Hudson - 2 September 2022

CommunityHome and Garden
  • Prof Pryce and his Keyhole Garden

    Prof Pryce and his Keyhole Garden

A Swindon gardener's experiment with a space-saving growing technique has yielded an excellent crop.

  • The garden under construction

    The garden under construction

John Pryce, a retired professor of mathematics and computing, first heard about so-called Keyhole Gardens through Practical Action, a charity he supports and which works to promote smallholder farming in much of the developing world.
One of the techniques involved is Keyhole Farming, in which each growing space is a small circular plot with a 'slice' cut out, allowing access to a central area where composting is placed so it can nourish the soil.
Prof Pryce's keyhole garden, in spite of only being about two metres in diameter, has supported four huge tomato plants, three courgette plants, eight lettuces and about half a dozen bean plants.
He said: "I would recommend it to anybody who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty, but you do not need to be a good woodworker.
"The idea originated in Africa. It is designed for places where water supply is limited, and whole communities wonder how to put food on the table
"I started it at the beginning of February. It's all built from found wooden pallets - my neighbour helped me gather together nine."
Two metres is the usual diameter for a keyhole garden, and the composting section at the centre can be fed with everything from kitchen scraps to pruned vegetation from elsewhere in the gardener's plot.
When Prof Pryce began his Keyhole Garden, Russia had yet to invade Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis had yet to get into full swing. The professor believes being able to grow produce, even in limited spaces, might help to reduce at least some worrying household expenses as grocery prices rise - and minimise water use while maximising garden productivity.
Keyhole Gardens can be constructed from a broad range of materials, and further information can be found at https://practicalaction.org/news-media/2021/08/19/how-to-create-your-own-keyhole-garden/
 

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