Gardening
Is This Raised Bed Method the *Key* to Gardening Success?
Experts love keyhole gardens—and you will, too.
Popular on Food52
9 Comments
Kylie H.
April 18, 2021
The timing of the compost bins benefits with the needs of the garden are baffling to me. If you’re not a perennial composter I feel like this set up is asking for stinky trouble. Also you have several composting areas going at once which means dividing up and separating out your green and brown judiciously between the areas? No thanks. I’ll just heap mine ina pile and wait til garden soil amendment time. However I do think the shape of the raised beds is clever and potentially pretty. Doesn’t have to be round either like this one....
FS
April 18, 2021
This seems like a lot of effort for little payoff. I will stick with the regular compost heap and the straw bale garden. SBG is low maintenance, low cost and produces great crops.
Mary J.
April 18, 2021
I love reading these comments because you are all obviously gardeners! Yes, it is baffling how you could turn that compost, and is the author suggesting that the water run-off from the compost is filtering into the planted areas? Possible, I suppose, but since it was suggested that the compost be kept covered so it doesn't get too wet, how much water is moving? I'm with Thomas G.; compost somewhere else...
Thomas G.
April 18, 2021
Honestly the u shape seems like a good idea, bthe composting appendage looks unnecessary and it doesn’t explain how the nutrients might get to the soil from that tube. ..still seems best to compost separately.
Lynn
April 18, 2021
It is an intriguing idea but how do you "turn" compost that is stuffed into a buried tube cage?
Lynn
April 18, 2021
Yes, but my query is in relation to this:
" It’s also important to get in there and turn the compost pile every three or four weeks to ensure proper aeration. "
" It’s also important to get in there and turn the compost pile every three or four weeks to ensure proper aeration. "
Kathy M.
April 18, 2021
I actually disagree with this premise. If you want hot composting, then turn it, but it's really a too small amount of compost to heat up anyway. I do cold composting and just leave it be for a year or two. Less work and you don't "burn" off nutrients into the air. If you have the proper carbon in the mix it shouldn't be an issue. Where it gets hinky is when you have to much "green" in comparison to "brown" contents.
See what other Food52 readers are saying.