keyhole garden compost

[jdlondon]

So I found out about keyhole gardening from here and on the web, where you have a composting pit in the centre of a circular raised bed and you just add your waste in and it feeds the plants.

Send a Cow | Keyhole Gardens - raised bed - kitchen garden design - school grounds ideas

http://www.rice.edu/energy/research/...0ENGLISH-2.pdf

Anyone tried it? Suggestions?

I was thinking of doing it for my L-shaped raised bed on my balcony. It's more appealing than keeping a separate compost bucket as space is limited, and well, it just sounds simpler.

Another question - meat waste? Some say don't put it in compost, but then when I see some planting instructions, sometimes they say put a piece of liver etc into the planting hole for the seed/plant to eat. And surely you can use meat because there's fertiliser that's bonemeal or fish?

[chris]

Great idea

edit: ^ not related to meat in the compost

[perkin]

Sounds like an option if you're stuck for space. The recommendation not to put meat waste into compost is because it can attract vermin. Depending how big your 'compost pit' in your raised bed is, it could take quite a while to breakdown properly (as volume of material and heat generated/retained will affect rate of decomposition). But in theory it's possible.
I've never come across the 'put a piece of liver in the planting hole' advice before. Doesn't appeal to me (as a vegetarian) but I guess it may work in a very slow release nitrogen/iron kind of way.

[jdlondon]

I'm hoping since I'm on a high-up balcony that vermin won't be a problem, and also, if I mince up the meat waste, shouldn't that help the breakdown process?

The smell could be a problem though, I suppose, and possibly tempt any vermin wandering around the flat to stick around and try its luck. Might be best to chuck the meat waste down the chute instead then.

[allotment grower]

Try and find a local garden center or large diy depot b&q buy some bagged farm yard manure it even may come pelletized.

add to compost.

alternativly chicken manure pellets are sold in tubs...

[singleseeder]

I used to dig holes between the shrubs in the border of my old garden. Bunging in the kitchen waste and covering when full worked well. It just cut out the middle man.

Edit: Just a thought....... isn't it the same principle as the old fashioned (still current for some) bean trench

[donnakebab]

On a hot summer day the meat might start to smell like a decomposing body and could attract flies/maggots. I have never come across this idea before and would not want to try it myself unless I was guilty of a very sinister crime.

Also it takes a lot of resources to raise meat so I would say it's a waste. You should be eating the meat/liver yourself. Fish, blood and bone is a different kettle of fish....excuse the pun! As in it's a bi product of the meat and fishing industry.

[taff]

yup, I was wonderinh why you'd spend money on meat to throw it away again.
Bones I can understand, but meat, nope.
Ask for some thrifty tips
otherwise, regarding the rest of your post, yup, good plan. Will your balcony actually support all this extra weight?

[Two_Sheds]

It's more appealing than keeping a separate compost bucket as space is limited, and well, it just sounds simpler.

I've tried compost pits on the lotty (like a bean trench, but smaller). It was problematic, tbh. The stuff didn't rot down as quickly as it does in a heap, and the soil level kept dropping as the 'stuff' sank and reduced in size ~ I ended up with very uneven ground.

Of course in a raised bed that's not so much of a problem.

surely you can use meat because there's fertiliser that's bonemeal or fish?

The plant can access the nutrients in liquid feed through its roots, but it can't access nutrients from a lump of liver.
Composting also kills pathogens and smells.

it could take quite a while to breakdown properly (as volume of material and heat generated/retained will affect rate of decomposition). But in theory it's possible.

It is possible: JDLondon, have a read of this

[veggiechicken]

[
Another question - meat waste? Some say don't put it in compost, but then when I see some planting instructions, sometimes they say put a piece of liver etc into the planting hole for the seed/plant to eat. And surely you can use meat because there's fertiliser that's bonemeal or fish?

JD, that is one of the most revolting things I've ever read!!! Feeding your plants with liver -Yuk
Was this on some website that advises you how to dispose of your victims? Imagine the smell on your balcony? Do you want to be raided? Eat your meat, don't bin it!!
The rest of your proposal seems like a good idea, especially as you probably don't want a great big Dalek on your balcony. Maybe you could put a load of wormery worms in with the compost and let them chew it up a bit.

[Kaiya]

Re: burying meat (which is effectively what planting liver etc. into holes is), I have about 9 deceased guinea pigs and hamsters in my garden, as I'm sure many owners of small pets do. Plus a pigeon my cat thought he'd drag home after it had evidently been killed by a car (no way did that cat kill a pigeon). Result - after a while the plants growing over each...site, were the best plants in the garden. The pigeon also resolved a particularly bad patch of lawn - it had probably needed re-turfing, but under-pigeoning worked instead.

The down side to burying meat is that foxes (and other scavengers if the meat is more shallow) will dig it up. Also if you're in pots and don't have larger invertebrates to assist in decomposition I would be concerned it would putrify instead of decomposing. Personally, I think if I sprinkled unwanted mince 6-12 inches down in the soil it really isn't going to attrach that much wildlife or cause an issue, however I wouldn't be keen on depositing lumps of meat in a pot.

My housemate has buried her deceased pet rat in a pot. The plant on top looks lovely but I'm trying not to think about what's going on in there.

[marchogaeth]

Would the mini worm composter in this month's magazine be an option? You could maybe put soil in the keyhole til it was half full and then sit the pipe in on it.

Just searched and found this video which looks fairly useful.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIyEQoxgocY

[jdlondon]

Meat WASTE, people! No, I will not be buying meat to feed my plants since I can barely afford to buy them to feed me!

I'm talking things like chicken skins etc - and yes, I eat liver too; that was me quoting some advice I found online.

Thanks for the links - desperate for sleep now, so will check them out tomorrow and feedback.

[jdlondon]

Will your balcony actually support all this extra weight?

It's a solid old cinderblock building, balcony inbuilt rather than hanging out. Also, no soil, mixing up coir and compost and bark/paper mulch. Light material building the bed, not heavy wood etc. I'm thinking it will actually be lighter than having a whole bunch-a-pots/containers in the end.

It is possible: JDLondon, have a read of this

Thanks! Excerpts -

".....I follow the book's advice and throw all (spoiled) meats, diary products, fats, veggie oils with other kitchen "waste" in the raked back compost...."

"....moved to Maui and am composting beef, pork, chicken and fish plus prepared foods, bakery and produce from a local grocery store interested in keeping the stuff out of the landfill...."

I never even thought about yoghurt or fats (apart from the fatty chicken skins), so that's interesting. I knew about poop (animal and people) because I was in India a while back and the 'outhouse' was in a banana grove for a reason...

Was this on some website that advises you how to dispose of your victims?

How did you know?!!!

I can't link you all to a website because I came across it during one of my endless google treks over every single plant that interested me. Since I got interested in gardening and joined here, not a day has gone by where I haven't been trekking online, so you know, that's a lot of reading.

Maybe you could put a load of wormery worms in with the compost

I only learned about buying worms to just plop into your compost recently, so yeah, I've been thinking of that too. I've never come across them where I shop, but maybe that was because I wasn't looking for them. I'll have a deeper peruse when I go to B&Q next. Might finally venture down to that proper gardening place in Clapham if B&Q is a bust.

My housemate has buried her deceased pet rat in a pot. The plant on top looks lovely but I'm trying not to think about what's going on in there.

That's basically the same theory behind people who want to be buried au naturale with a tree planted on top, isn't it? Circle of life and all that. Yeah, don't think too deeply though! *g*

QUOTE]Just searched and found this video which looks fairly useful.
How to make a WORM TOWER - YouTube[/QUOTE]

Basically adding worms to the keyhole idea. And just using a pipe just makes it even simpler. I was thinking of using a role of chicken wire, but yeah, the pipe and her lid solution would actually make the thing smell better, I'm thinking. Thanks!

[Two_Sheds]

buying worms ...B&Q

Doubtful. Try angling (bait) shops ~ you want tiger/red/brandling/compost worms (not earthworms)