vita VT17109 User manual

Instruction Manual
The world needs vegetables.
Cascading

Congratulations!
We’re thrilled that you chose to purchase a Vita Keyhole Garden. We’re sure that you’ll not
only grow healthy foods but you’ll have fun too.
Keyhole Gardening is a gardening technique native to many communities in Africa. It’s
used particulary in Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The design is such that it requires
considerably less water than traditional gardens making perfect in drought prone areas. In
addition to using less water, 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 Keyhole Garden purchase you are also supporting a great cause - helping us build
Keyhole Gardens in Rwanda through the Kageyo Garden Project.
Our goal is to build 500 Keyhole Gardens in the village of Kageyo, Rwanda. In 2015 we have
health through the introduction of 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. Growing your own healthy organic foods is healthy, cost effective and fun
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)
7. Far easier on your back
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)
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Kageyo Garden Project

36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0) 3
Box Contents
Before you begin, please check the box for these contents. In the event of missing or
defective parts please call our customer service department at 1.844.880.VITA (8482)
Mon. to Fri. 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM EST.
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’ for unobstructed assembling.
• You should not need to use excessive force when assembling components.
1. Board Wall - Side - Bottom (2) 7/8” x 11” x 30 3/4” (PN: 60033)
2. Board Wall - Side - Middle (2) 7/8” x 11” x 20 3/8” (PN: 60034)
3. Board Wall - Side - Top (2) 7/8” x 11” x 10” (PN: 60035)
4. Board Wall (6) 7/8” x 11” x 33 3/4” (PN: 60036)
5. Keyhole Post (1) 6” x 6” x 33” (PN: 60037)
6. Post - A - Left & Right (2) 11” (PN: 60038)
7. Post - B - Left (1) 22” (PN: 60039)
8. Post - B - Right (1) 22” (PN: 60040)
9. Post - C - Left (1) 33” (PN: 60041)
10. Post - C - Right (1) 33” (PN: 60042)
11. Post - D - Left & Right (2) 33” (PN: 60043)
12. Post Bottom Insert (1) (PN: 10764)
13. Post Trim Cap (1) (PN: 10765)
14. L-Shaped Cap (8) (PN: 60044)
15. 5/8” Steel Screw (64) (PN: 20016)
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Dimensions
36” x 33” x 33” - Planter Bed
Capacity: 16 cu ft
Bags of Soil: 21 - 40 lb bags of soil.
Planting Area: 9 sq ft
4
33 in
36 in
33 in
11 in
11 in
11 in
10 3/8 in
10 3/8 in
12 3/8 in
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)
Warranty
We want you to know that your new Keyhole Garden has a 20 year warranty on
composite boards, and 20 year warranty on the aluminum structure 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, so you can spend more time growing food than maintaining your
garden beds.
If you have any questions about your warranty or about Vita products please call
our customer service deptartment at 1.844.880.VITA (8482), Mon. to Fri. 8:00 AM
to 4:00 PM EST.
Happy Growing!
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36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

Warranty
We want you to know that your new Keyhole Garden has a 20 year warranty on
composite boards, and 20 year warranty on the aluminum structure 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, so you can spend more time growing food than maintaining your
garden beds.
If you have any questions about your warranty or about Vita products please call
our customer service deptartment at 1.844.880.VITA (8482), Mon. to Fri. 8:00 AM
to 4:00 PM EST.
Happy Growing!
5
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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Step 1A
Assemble the four bottom boards as shown.
2x Item #1
2x Item #4
2x Item #6
2x Item #11
Step 1B
Fasten each board with four screws as shown (total of 16 screws)
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36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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Step 2A
Slide posts B - Left and B - Right as shown
followed by two board walls (item #2)
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Step 2B
Fasten each of the additional posts at the ve locations
shown, in addition to the four screws in the inside corner.
(Total of 18 screws)
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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3
Step 3A
Slide Board Wall (item #4) between the two
new posts. With a helper, hold the board flush to the
top of the posts and fasten with a total of four screws.
Step 3B
Slide posts C - Left and C - Right as shown
followed by two board walls (item #3)
Flush
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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4
Step 4
Fasten each of the additional posts at the seven locations
shown, in addition to the four screws in the inside corner.
(Total of 22 screws)
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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5
Step 5A
Slide Board Wall (item #4) between the two
new posts. With a helper, hold the board flush to the
top of the posts and fasten with a total of four screws.
Flush
Step 5B
Pressure t all eight post caps into place as shown.
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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Step 6A
Assemble the post insert as shown.
Step 6B
Place the post insert into the planter bed as shown.
Make sure the solid face is against the back wall.
36”x33“x33” Cascading Keyhole Garden (v1.0)

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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 garden,
compost. We have water based organic inks to print on this box.
2. Fill your 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. Always consult with your local
garden center for ideal soil mixture, and planting advice for your particular region.
Your vegetables enjoy
Peace and Harmony
with this recommended soil blend.
Startup
36”x33“x33” Cascading Planter Bed (v1.0)

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The Composting Basket is key to adding nutrients to your garden bed. It’s here 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
drainage and encourage nutrients to enter the garden bed.
Using the same alternating technique (6 inch layers of Brown - Green) put in
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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!
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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 and
Composting
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2
3
4
Alternating layers
of green & brown
Stones or
broken pottery
Water garden
through the top of
compost basket.
36”x33“x33” Cascading Planter Bed (v1.0)
fluff or mix the compost basket with a pitch fork.

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NITROGEN
CARBON
- 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
36”x33“x33” Cascading Planter Bed (v1.0)

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www.vitagardens.com
The world needs vegetables.