Download Lesotho Sustainable Agriculture.

Keyhole Gardens in Lesotho
What are the ingredients needed for growing good crops?
You need healthy soil, compost or manure, water, and sunshine.
Why is so hard to grow good crops in Lesotho?
The problem with growing crops in Lesotho is that it is hard to get all these things in the right
measures. The harsh and extreme seasons mean that there is either too much sun or too much
rain and for too long at a time. These conditions also have had a negative impact on the quality
of soil, which dries up in summer and cracks. These cracks are then filled with water in the rainy
season and the soil is washed away. The mountainous landscape of Lesotho doesn’t help either
(remember that the lowest point, at 1800 metres in altitude is higher than Mount Snowden in
Wales!) It makes it hard to keep large livestock and also creates flows of water during the rainy
season which further damages the soil by creating swampy areas at the base of mountains.
This is where keyhole gardens come in…
What is a keyhole garden?
It is a raised, walled vegetable plot that gets its name from
being shaped like a key hole. This is due to the circular
composting basket in the middle, and the gap leading to it
that allows the farmer access. The composter makes a
massive difference, as it spreads nutrients through the soil
to help the crops grow. Farmers put food scraps, leftover
water and manure if they have it into this central basket.
What do you need to build one?
 Bricks/stones – to build a wall to keep it in
 Top soil – for the plants to grow
 Compost – to make the soil nutrient rich, use recycled water and vegetable scraps
 Straw/dried leaves/dried grass – this goes in with the soil to trap air and moisture
for roots, particularly important in hot countries
 Sticks – for building compost basket
 Straw/string – to make a rain cover/roof, again important in countries like Lesotho
that have a dramatic rainy season
 Rusty cans – these add iron to the soil
 Ash – this adds potassium
 Manure – if possible add manure, it works wonders on the soil!
Why are they so useful in Lesotho?
Keyhole gardens are useful in Lesotho because they combat the challenges of the harsh
environment. They work to hold in good soil – something that is scarce and precious in the
Kingdom in the Sky, and they effectively use composting techniques to make more of this
resource. The fact that they can be grown on rock is particularly useful for farmers living on
difficult land, and the required materials are cheap and readily available. All in all perfect for a
country with such high levels of food insecurity and such challenging terrain!