8 April 2025 GARDENING 101 KEYHOLE GARDENING IS TRENDING ARTICLE BY JULIE HARLOW The keyhole gardening method was developed in Africa to grow food in severe drought and extreme heat. One raised bed for both growing and composting is created that uses up to 80 per cent less water than conventional gardening beds. The garden is watered through the composting basket. The water and nutrients from the compost flow over a low layer of rocks into the garden’s soil. HOW TO MAKE A KEYHOLE GARDEN Start by clearing a circle in the ground, digging in four posts and making a cylinder in the keyhole for the composting basket. In the garden, rocks and debris form the first layer, with nutrient rich green and brown compost, soil and composted manure also forming layers over top. A garden retaining wall built of rocks, logs or bricks encircles the garden and keeps in moisture, while the bottom layer of rocks and debris drain the excess water. After the bed is loaded with green and brown composting materials, gardeners collect scraps and water through the built-in compost tunnel. This is key to reducing evaporation and allows plants to develop strong, healthy roots that are more resistant to drought. While most common vegetables work well in this raised bed garden, tomato and kale tend to thrive in a keyhole garden in most zones in Canada. KEYHOLE GARDEN MAINTENANCE The two main components of maintaining a keyhole garden are hydration and plant nutrients from compost. THE WONDER OF ESPALIER Fruit trees such as apples, pears, and cherries can be trained vertically against a wall or fence or along wire supports. These trees may be trained to produce single-stems, fan shapes and parallel-branches. The practice is called espaliering. It uses sturdy, horizontal wires strained between fence posts to create the necessary supports for wall-trained fruit. Apples and pears are traditionally used, as their branches are flexible and they fruit repeatedly on the same spurs. Spur-bearing varieties are best for espaliering. Stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines and cherries) are best trained into a fan shape as their more brittle wood is difficult to train horizontally. Espalier is an ancient horticultural technique that involves pruning and training fruit trees to grow flat with support to form a structured two-dimensional shape. Espalier fruit trees were used in European gardens during the Middle Ages to create decorative walls and were also planted along courtyard interiors to protect buds from late-spring frosts. Espaliered trees can be traced back even earlier to ancient Egypt when fig trees were cultivated against walls in tombs. The term “espalier” (ess-PAL-yay) is derived from the French work for trellis or support structure. WHY ESPALIER? Espalier is a space-saving fruit tree training method that provides numerous CRAB APPLE TREE TRAINED TO PRODUCE PARALLEL BRANCHES. TOP: VECTORMINE - ADOBE STOCK | BOTTOM: JOANNE DALE - ADOBE STOCK
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