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permaculture - RE: keyhole beds?

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Subject: permaculture

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  • From: John Schinnerer <John-Schinnerer@data-dimensions.com>
  • To: 'permaculture' <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: keyhole beds?
  • Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 09:47:16 -0700


Aloha,

I use rectangular beds in a small front yard - bed width varies from 3 to 4
feet. I keep the paths down to about 12 - 16 inches wide to minimize
"wasted" space - just enough room to walk through or work from. Never could
see how keyholes would minimize path space, since if they were narrow enough
for me to reach all the way across from the keyhole the path/bed ratio would
be poor and if they were wider I'd have to have paths to the other side...

In a part of the yard that isn't beds I built an herb "snake" - an east-west
aligned multi-curved rock wall/pile with sun/shade scoops (the curves of the
"snake") and a raised planting area in part of the center. Provides various
microclimates, suits the space better than a spiral and was less work...

If you're gonna till in prepping your beds, I recommend the Biointensive
digging method, which minimizes both mixing of soil layers and destruction
of soil critters. If you're gonna use drip irrigation, set it up somehow to
soak the whole bed - water the soil, not the plants.

John Schinnerer





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