Keyhole Raised Bed with Compost Bin

[PaulZone8b]

I just saw a post about a keyhole garden design with the compost bin in the center....which makes a lot of sense to me. Lots of positive comments about lots of people already doing this for many years and other countries too...so I am ready to try that out here in my backyard garden. Any thoughts or feedback with somebody doing one of these?
I will attach the photo that I saw and saved

 

[Meadowlark]

I haven't done it but it sounds interesting. If I were to do it, I would go Hügelkultur style on the garden soil.

There is an interesting thread here:

Keyhole Gardens (how to & design)

The structure of the keyhole gardens is to create a circular compost pile. Around the compost, soil is to be surrounded in a U shape built up using stacked rocks or another barrier to hold the soil around the compost. As rain falls through the compost, the nitrogen and other minerals from the...

www.gardening-forums.com

 

[Sheal]

The only drawback I can see is with the basket. How do you remove the compost? If it has to be lifted out first it can be awkward and heavy.

 

[PaulZone8b]

I drew up this (see JPG) using bricks for all of the walls. Space the center/compost section with gaps between the bricks for max air flow and easy for worms to get through (although if compost is too warm in the center, they will not be heading that way...but you get my point. I am thinking 3ft x 3ft in the center so the compost would get toasty and the soil ring to be about 30 inches wide (arms reach).

 

[PaulZone8b]

Update - I have the first one done (except for the finished soil at the top which I will "angle" up to the compost wall.) I will then put leaves on top of that to decay over the winter...so this will be ready to plant in come spring. The 2nd bed (to left of first one) I decided to pour a concrete footer and mortar the bricks in so its more stable and wont move. The first bed I used a spot of liquid nails on each brick since I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and if I was going to tear the whole thing down. Now that I am loving the design and concept, I will make concrete footers for the future ones. I added some Hügelkultur to it too. Rotting logs at the bottom, then wood chips, branches, dirt, leaves and finished compost at the top. I will add more leaves for mulch layer and some amendments (wood ash and azomite) so they can break down over the winter too. The final soil at top will be angled down a bit to cover the holes in the compost wall. See attached images.

I will get "into" the center compost from time to time to turn, add goodies, water if too dry, etc.. and will be able to get inside to remove the finished compost to take over to the "sifter" so I can layer the fines to the top of the same bed. The bigger articles will get put back in the compost bin to continue decomposing.

 

[scarecrow garden in China]

Update - I have the first one done (except for the finished soil at the top which I will "angle" up to the compost wall.) I will then put leaves on top of that to decay over the winter...so this will be ready to plant in come spring. The 2nd bed (to left of first one) I decided to pour a concrete footer and mortar the bricks in so its more stable and wont move. The first bed I used a spot of liquid nails on each brick since I wasn't sure what I wanted to do and if I was going to tear the whole thing down. Now that I am loving the design and concept, I will make concrete footers for the future ones. I added some Hügelkultur to it too. Rotting logs at the bottom, then wood chips, branches, dirt, leaves and finished compost at the top. I will add more leaves for mulch layer and some amendments (wood ash and azomite) so they can break down over the winter too. The final soil at top will be angled down a bit to cover the holes in the compost wall. See attached images.

I will get "into" the center compost from time to time to turn, add goodies, water if too dry, etc.. and will be able to get inside to remove the finished compost to take over to the "sifter" so I can layer the fines to the top of the same bed. The bigger articles will get put back in the compost bin to continue decomposing.

Your hands-on skills are amazing!