Organic Food Gardens
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| What about Food Gardens? | |||
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Food gardens refer to any piece of land that is cultivated with the intention and purposes of producing food, in this case vegetables. The size of the garden is determined by the needs of the consumer or consumers as well as the availability of land and resources and then of course plays climate a big role. For this reason food gardens can range in sizes from very small, to very large. It is possible to produce food in a sustainable way for a family from an area not much bigger than the size of a door frame. Basic requirements to establish a garden is the availability of water, soil of a good quality, plant nutrients that can be either compost or fertilizer and then shelter against birds, animals and sometimes severe weather conditions. The aim of a food garden is to produce food in a sustainable way that is giving consumers access to fresh vegetables on a consistent basis. It can also have a commercial purpose, but one obviously needs a bigger garden then. |
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Composting - Natures Way of Plant Nutrition |
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 “Composting is, in broadest terms, the biological reduction of organic wastes to humus. Whenever a plant or animal dies, its remains are attacked by soil micro organisms and larger soil fauna and eventually reduced to an earth like substance that forms a beneficial growing environment for plant roots. This process, repeated continuously in endless profusion and in every part of the world where plants grow, is part of the ever-recurring natural process that supports all terrestrial life. The entire composting process is difficult to contemplate in its full dimensions. Let’s just say that compost and composting are, like water and air, essentials of life. “ - The Rodale Book of CompostingIn our modern world where everyone is looking for the quickest way to solve a problem we have very much become used to the “fertilizer fix”. This is especially the matter in large scale commercial farming ventures where the labour intensive way of composting has for decades been shoved out of the way. Even small scale farmers and backyard gardeners has become addicted to this fix. Gardeners doing their own composting as an alternative to the fertilizer fix are very rear today. But there is light at the end of the tunnel for those billions of micro organisms hidden in the soil and dying to find any organic material to chew on. More and more gardeners and thankfully farmers are becoming aware of the advantages of composting not only for the crops they grow but also for the environment and then especially the soil. Today there exist several large scale commercial farming ventures all over the world that has shown that it is possible and profitable to farm using compost, in stead of fertilizer.
The Challenge
Most of us lives in an environment where there is an abundance of raw organic material that can be easily, with a little bit of knowledge and effort, turned into those live giving nutrients needed by plants for healthy living. And in the process we become a blessing to the soil, as we by adding compost, brings live back to the soil. This short manual is an effort to create enough interest so that everyone reading it will get out there and start composting for the own, and the environments benefit. Composting is a rather complicated process that is best left to the soil scientist to explain. But for us as gardeners and small scale farmers a basic knowledge will suffice and will set us on a coarse for establishing our own food gardens.
What is compost then?
Compost is the remains of what is left after raw organic material was decomposed by micro organisms. These micro organisms are not visible to the naked eye and therefore referred to us microscopic or micro organism. Raw organic material refers to any material found in in our natural environment like leaves, grass, manure, sawdust etcetera. Compost after the composting process has finished will ideally will consist of 30% organic material. This 30% is the material that were unable to decompose. The rest will be a combination of macro and micro nutrients and micro organisms. It is these nutrients that are needed by plants for healthy growth and that are absorbed by plants during the different growth phases of the plant.
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| N(Nitrogen)P(Phosphorus)K(Potassium) - What Every Plant Needs | |||
| Potassium (K) - Natures Way | |||
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Soil Potassium— Natures “slow” drink for plants!
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Photos of our backyard food garden project using recycled tyres.
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| Using a similar method at Joe Slovo Community Creche. | |||
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| Organic Hydroponics | |||
| Hydroponics refers to the growing of plants without any soil, or soilless gardening. Plants are grown in water to which a nutrient solution is added. We are in the process of developing a prototype making use of recyclable polystyrene containers and buckets. As nutrient solution we are using compost tea that we have "brewed" from the organic compost we have made. It is too early to establish if it is a success but so far results seems promising. If we can get it to work we will expand the system using larger polystyrene, recycled PVC piping and other recycled containers. This is a very low cost system that can provide opportunities for people in poor communities to produce their own food. Vegetables that are typically grown in hydroponic systems are lettuce, tomatoes, herbs and cucumbers. People have even succeeded in growing hydroponic watermelons! So the possibilities are endless. We have managed to grow lettuce and tomatoes successfully using compost tea as nutrient solution. We need to experiment a bit more. Once we are satisfied we plan to expand the system. Visit this page again to see our progress ! |
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| Photos of our organic hydroponic systems. | |||
  Tomatoes grown in a bucket. |
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   Lettuce grown in a modified pvc container |
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| How to do it. | |||
 These are a very simple systems and it works very well. The basic requirements is a water tight container, either a floating system or a lid with holes for the container, an airpump and the nutrient solution. For nutrient solution we use compost tea we make ourselves. You need an airpump to add oxygen to the water for the micro organisms in the nutrient solution (compost tea) to survive. The containers are called netting pots and have slots in the sides and bottom to allow for the absorption of water, and for the roots to growth through. We use Hydroton to support the plants in the water. Hydroton is clay pallets that is water absorbent and do not rot. One do not need netting pots or Hydroton as this can be replaced by suitable plastic containers, and stones for support. Both netting pots and Hydroton are not easily commercially available, especially where we are staying. The root systems of most vegetables will very soon fill up the entire container as it grows so vigorously in compost tea. So the bigger the container the better. We change the water about every two weeks. This excess water goes to the rest of the vegetable garden. There is no wastage. We are still experimenting to find the correct water/nutrient solution ratio for different plants. We have added taps at the bottom of the containers to allowed for it to be drained easily. Removing the lid every time to replace the water disturbs the plants, especially tomatoes as the plant tend to get very heavy. Roots systems of tomatoes are also enormous. Looking at their root systems one understand why tomatoes are so thirsty. We fill up the container by just pouring the water onto the lid and it runs through the containers. As easy as that.
These systems can easily be done at home, and it is sustainable. This is what you will need;
* A container. * Good quality compost. * Clean water. * Air pump and hosing similar to those used to aerate a fish tank. * Vegetable Seedlings. * Netting pots or any pot that will allow water to reach the root system of he plant. * Clay pebbles or gravel to stabilize the seedlings. Here is the recipe: Take the compost and put it in a stocking. Submerge the stocking in the water for about two days where after it must be removed. Start aerating the water once you put the stocking in the water. Plant your seedlings in the pot and ad either the gravel or clay pebbles to stabilize the seedlings. The container should be filled up to the level where the entire root system of the plant is covered in water. After about 3 days the water should have the color of very strong tea, and it should be clear. If the water stays murky rather change the water again. The water can be changed after about two weeks. Carefully watch the plants. After about two weeks you should have a very good indication that your system is working or not.
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| Grow Together | |||
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Grow Together is our initiative to help people to establish and maintain organic food gardens in a sustainable way. Here is a photo of our recent exhibit at the “Anibrand Festival” (www.anibrandfess.co.za) in Uitenhage. Our exhibit formed part of the Agri Expo. We can provide valuable information to help people to start their own food gardens. But we also realized that we still need to learn a lot ourselves. We nevertheless believe it is possible for everyone to start producing their own food in a sustainable way. It takes a bit of work and dedication but it is possible. Make it part of your daily and weekly program, and see how you grow together!
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| Online Resources | |||
| Wanting to know more about compost tea, the organic alternative to plant nutrition? Following are two articles that gives more insight into the use of compost tea. These articles are provided courtesy of Acres USA. Compost Tea - Just What The Doctor Ordered, by Mary-Howell R. Martens. "While chemical pesticides work by killing microorganisms, both the pathogenic and the beneficial ones, compost tea works on a very different principle. Dr. Ingham explains that when compost tea is sprayed on a plant, the leaf surface is occupied by beneficial organisms, forming a physical barrier against the pathogenic species and providing a competitive environment in which the pathogenic species lose out. Additionally, the compost tea stimulates healthy plant growth as a foliar nutritional source, helping the plant to further resist attack. Read the full article here... Compost Tea - Promises and Practicalities, by Elaine Ingham, Ph.D. "There is great interest among sustainable growers about the use of compost teas for increased crop health and fertility. Years of research and results in the field have demonstrated the power of this technology, which is growing in popularity. In this article we will examine the nuts-and-bolts of compost tea — how is works, how it’s made, and what to look for in a specific tea." |
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| Something Fishy - Take The Plunge in Aquaponics |
 Aquaponics is fast becoming a sustainable way of providing food security in third world countries. Aquaponics is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture. It produces both protein (fish) and vegetables in the same system. Aquaponics combines both systems, and in doing so cancels out the negative aspects of each. Instead of adding toxic chemical solutions to grow plants, aquaponics uses highly nutritious fish effluent that contains almost all the required nutrients for optimum growth. Instead of discharging water, aquaponics uses the plants and the media in which they grow to clean and purify the water, after which it is returned to the fish tank. This water can be reused indefinitely and will only need to be replaced when it is lost through transpiration and evaporation.For someone to be able to be successful at aquaponics farming one needs to have a basic knowledge of both these systems. The more difficult one is aquaculture, growing and breeding fish. It is therefore advisable to acquire first hand knowledge and experience about fish farming before trying to combine aquaculture with hydroponics. nevertheless it is more and more proving to be a viable option for providing food security. Here are some valuable websites for those interested. Why not take the plunge? |
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Aquaponics (Website) Resources
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| Backyard Aquaponics (Australia) Friendly Aquaponics (Hawaii) Aquaculture Innovations (South Africa) |
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