vita Keyhole Garden VT17101 User manual

4’ x 4’
The world needs vegetables.
VT17101
Instruction Manual
V 3.0 | Feb 21-2018
122 cm x 122 cm

Congratulations!
We’re thrilled that you chose to purchase your Vita Keyhole Garden. We’re sure that you’ll
not only grow healthy foods but you’ll have fun too.
Keyhole Gardening is a native gardening technique to many communities in Africa. It’s
used particulary in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. It's design is such that it
requires considerably less water than traditional gardens making it a perfect garden in
water-consumption sensitive areas. It also allows you to compost and grow in the same
garden. This reduces your daily household waste and in turn reduces greenhouse gases.
With your garden purchase you are also supporting a great cause - and that’s helping us build
Keyhole Gardens in Rwanda through the Kageyo Garden Project. We feel obligated to ‘give back’
for the great Keyhole Garden idea that has made this product successful.
Since 2015 we have built over 500 Keyhole Gardens and the community is already benefiting with
better health through the introduction of healthy greens and vegetables.
Follow the journey at www.VitaGardens.com/Rwanda
A Great Investment
Your new Vita Keyhole Garden is a fantastic investment for many reasons:
1. Grow your own healthy organic foods
2. Reduce your kitchen waste - and greenhouse gasses
3. Create your own garden soil with easy composting
4. Reduce your water consumption
5. Naturally control weeds
6. Plant earlier (the soil warms faster)
2
Kageyo Garden Project
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

3
Box Contents
Before you begin, please check the box for these contents. In the event of missing or
de-fective parts please call our customer service department at 1.844.880.VITA (8482)
Mon. to Fri. 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST. In the UK, feel free to contact us between 1PM
and 10 PM GMT at (44) 2038 687160.
1. Posts (4) (PN: 60051)
2. Side panels - 7/8” x 11” x 44” (2.2 cm x 28 cm x 112 cm) (8) (PN: 60047)
3. Post caps (4) (PN: 60045)
4. Basket side panels (4) (PN: 60008)
5. Basket corner joiner brackets (20) (PN: 60009)
General Info
•Read Instructions through carefully before beginning assembly.
•When assembling components, place on a non-abrasive surface
(i.e. shipping box) to avoid scratching.
•We recommend an area approx 4’x 8’ (122 cm x 244 cm) for unobstructed
assembling.
•You should not need to use excessive force when assembling components.
2
1
3
Not To Scal e
4
5
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

Dimensions
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden
4
48 in
(122 cm)
22 in
(56 cm)
22 5/8 in
(57.5 cm)
44 1/8 in
(112 cm)
44 1/8 in
(112 cm)
12 in
(30.5 cm)
12 in
(30.5 cm)

Warranty
We want you to know that your new Keyhole Garden has a 20 year warranty
against:
1. Yellowing
2. Fading
3. Rotting
Maintenance is non-existent as a simple spray with a garden hose will clean the
bed from dirt. You can spend more time growing food than maintaining your
garden beds.
If you have any questions about your warranty or with your product, please call
our customer service department at 1.844.880.VITA (8482), Mon. to Fri. 8:00 AM
to 4:00 PM EST. In the UK, feel free to contact us between 1PM and 10 PM GMT
at (44) 2038 687160.
Happy Growing!
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden 5

1
Step 1A
Insert one side panel
between the posts as
shown.
Notice that there is a
groove in the board that
cooresponds to the tab on
the post. This locks the
boards in.
Step 1B
Insert another side between the
posts.
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden
6

2
Step 2A
Repeat step 1A with the
other boards and posts.
Step 2B
Insert the post caps as shown.
2
7
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

3
Step 3A
Insert a basket corner joiner bracket
into each end of the basket panel as
shown. Make sure they are all facing
the same way. Repeat for 2 basket
panels.
Step 3B
Connect the four basket panels as
shown.
84’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

4
Step 4A
Position your assembled basket inside
the garden bed.
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4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

Fill with organic layers
The magic of the Keyhole Garden is in it’s composting abilities. The Keyhole literally
uses piles of common organic household waste and converts it into a rich growing
enviroment for your vegetables to grow.
The diagram below shows the different layers you should plan out to start your Keyhole
Garden. This way you can convert all of your yard refuse into nutrient rich soil. This will
right away with this method, but you can expect some settling as it composts.
Brown (Cardboard)
Green (Grass clippings, twigs)
Brown (Loose twigs on bottom)
Compost or Soil
Green (Grass clippings, green leaves)
6 inches (15 cm) of
Compost or Garden
Soil
4 inches (10 cm) of Green
- grass clippings
- green leaves
- green twigs
4 inches (10 cm) of Brown
- lots of twigs
- more cardboard on
bottom
- grass clippings
- green leaves
- green twigs
4 inches (10 cm) of Brown
- cardboard starting with
the box your Keyhole
came in!
1
Startup Option
10 4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden
4 inches (10 cm) of Green

Fill with soil mixture
- or about 1 cubic yard), we recommend following this method:
1. Use the box your Keyhole Garden came in. Lay it on the very bottom of the
eventually compost. We have used organic inks in the use of this box.
2. Fill new garden with organic soil. We usually recommend a mixture of 1/3 Garden
Soil to 1/3 Compost to 1/3 Peat Moss or Coconut Coir. This will create peace and
harmony in your garden
Your vegetables enjoy
Peace and Harmony
with this recommended soil blend.
2
Startup Option
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4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

The Composting Basket is key to adding nutrients to your garden bed. It’s here where you
can continually use up your regular kitchen scraps to nourish your Keyhole Garden. For best
composting success use the same Brown-Green alternating technique as this helps your
compost work the best.
Put some stones or broken pottery at the bottom of the basket. This will help in
drainage and encourage nutrients to enter the garden bed.
Using the same alternating technique (6 inch layers (15 cm) of Brown - Green)
put in layers of compostable materials. For Brown use leaves, small sticks or
cardboard. For Green use green leaves, vegetable clippings and grass.
As the basket begins to compost, it will shrink. Keep adding your kitchen
and egg shells!
Once your garden is established, water primarily through the Compost Basket.
This will encourage the nutrients to travel into the Keyhole Garden bed and the
vegetables to grow deep to get the moisture. If the Compost Basket starts to
smell rotten, it likely has too much water. Reduce the water for a few days.
Daily composting
1
2
3
4
2
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1
12 4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

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CARBON
NITROGEN
CARBON
NITROGEN
- vegetable clippings
- grass clippings
- green leaves
- fruit peels and rinds
(minimal citrus)
- egg shells
- tea bags / tea leaves
- plant trimmings
- apple cores
- green twigs
- lettuce
- house plants
- manure
- seaweed
-cardboard
- shredded paper
- brown leaves
- twigs
- wine corks
- wood ashes
- oatmeal
- cereal grains
- spent grains from beer
making
- sawdust
- torn up cotton clothing or
burlap
Things you can compost
4’ x 4’ x 22” (122 cm x 122 cm x 56 cm) – Keyhole Garden

www.vitagardens.com
The world needs vegetables.