Kitchen Gardening Report

Course Title: English for Employment

Presented to: Sir Sohaib Khalid

Presented by: Mohsin Ali (2047), Abdul Rahman (2056) and Meesum

(2861)

Class: BS Botany 7th (Morning)

Layyah Campus
Kitchen garden demonstration and training started on 11 April 2016 to 13° May, 2016. The
training aim at setting the Laisamis traditional vegetable crops production on the growth path.
Training emphasized on crop production technique, kitchen Gardening and Multi-story garden
(MSG) crop production as means of improving nutrition status, eradicating poverty and achieving
food security. The training identified kitchen gardening as the leading productive sector for
nutritional recovery. In addition, the session recognized that involvement of kitchen garden
production operation and investment in agricultural promotion and extension were critical and
essential for sustainable agricultural growth. The training was the launching pad for revitalizing
the kitchen garden productivity in Laisamis. Training identified key areas for actions necessary to
spur the recovery of the area productivity based on strengthening group management.
Farmers were sensitized on the development of multi story garden and aspect of high value
traditional vegetable crop production to meet the objective of alternative and diversification of
livelihoods, these was due to high stress periods, the natural resource base (water, pasture)
becomes insufficient to support and sustain livelihoods.
Recovery from drought is a significant challenge because the impact of drought leaves household
assets critically depleted. Hence, the need exists for a strategic long-term, pro-active approach
for food production to increase the resilience levels of communities in the target areas and to
promote best production in order to minimize the losses of household assets.
To demonstrate actions that can be taken on the ground to increase resiliency in the ASALS of
Laisamis, a project was launched in the sub-County of Laisamis. The project seeks to demonstrate
how an integrated approach that brings together to improved knowledge of agronomic practices,
greater access to traditional vegetable seeds, livelihood diversification can strengthen the
capacity of rural community to cope with drought today and in the future to improve nutritional
standard. It is driven by a participatory process through which the women of Laisamis have
identified their priority concerns and desired responses, and linked with technical knowledge and
support provided through the World Vision and County government. By bringing these groups
together, the project aims to demonstrate measures at the field level that can be taken to reduce
the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate variability and climate change. It also aims to
feed this knowledge to practices at each household.

Laisamis Ward is characterized by sunny and sandy and rocky soil, the water is saline and have
adequate water source shallow wells scattered around the village, Communities are pure
pastoralist, the need to diversify livelihood means to increase food security, build resilience and
improve nutrition status of the children and elderly. The potential of the area in sack gardening
is good due to availability of fertile soil around the foot slope of the hills and plenty of farm
manure. The communities buys their vegetable from town centers which comes from Meru. The
potential of the production in the area will create opportunities in creating income and reduce
vulnerability of the climate change.
The most Important of these is kitchen garden development. The rising population in Laisamis
areas is a boost to vegetable farmers. However, as the demand rises. Community don’t have
knowledge on vegetable production due to their nature in pastoral lifestyle and aridity of the
area. This compounds the food insecurity problem and malnutrition. Appropriate technologies
for growing of vegetables like kale in Water scarce area, therefore, should be adopted. One such
technology is bag culture, also referred to as sack gardening, multi- story or vertical farming, Bag
culture improves nutrition status, food security and incomes of the Laisamis community. It
facilitates growing of vegetables in areas without suitable soils or adequate water, promotes
efficient and effective utilization of available water and nutrients and provides fresh, safe and
clean vegetables.
Objective of the kitchen gardening training and demonstration:

1. To improve the nutrition status of the family involve in the crops production activities.
2. To supply the growing population of the community of food with increasing qualities.
3. To provide a satisfactory income for the farmer and his family.
4. To increase cultivation of High value crops 5. To impart farmers with production
technology
5. Establish practical sack garden
6. Establish coherent farmers group
7. To enable farmers to acquire knowledge on principles of crop productions.
8. The diversification of livelihoods through promoting and using traditional vegetable
9. Crops, training in small-scale farm management.
10. The distribution of a diversified mix of locally appropriate, traditional vegetable seeds at
the community level
11. Introduction of small agricultural equipment.
The project aims to achieve following goals:
➢ Establish the central role of women in agriculture
➢ Enhance technical knowledge of women as practitioners of agriculture
➢ Enhance Productivity and improve Nutrition
➢ Establish farming as a profitable and sustainable livelihood.
➢ Dynamics of each Mother Support Group:
Laisamis area
In sambamba area, the cohesiveness of the women group was perfectly good, they participated
in all activities during the training and demonstration, they have good attitude towards farming
, and have good knowledge of the crops trained on due to their proximity to town center.
These group carried the soil from the foot slope near there manyatta, they have enough manure
in there homestead. Water source is not far from the farm site the distance is within the reach.
These group were exposed with hands skills on how to establish nursery, management of nursery
fund establishment of Multi-story garden. The plot in which group established the Garden as well
fence and well protected against livestock and poultry.

Lontolio area
The group members’ participation turnout was good, the attitude toward alternative livelihood
is generally fair, and the group require close monitoring due to their first involvement in crop
production activities. The group don’t have knowledge on the crops production techniques
trained on, some of the members have never seen vegetable grown in the garden. Their
participation is good during training and demonstration. The soil around the homestead is sandy,
the group collected the loam soil from the hill near the area, and the manure is abundant in the
area due to their involvement in livestock production.

Merilee area:
The group trained have the basic knowledge of the vegetable trained on, they consist of literate
and semi-literate. The participation turnout during training is good, the two groups have one
common land to practice production techniques, their major problem is water for production
purpose, but if they utilizes the kitchen water use efficiently on the multi-story garden at the
household level following the knowledge obtained during training on how to establish sack
garden (MSG), the production will be good, the soil in the area is sandy, the groups collected the
loam soil across the road not far from the site. Manure was collected from the nearby village.

Crops established for all groups trained

➢ Spinach
➢ Kales
➢ Managu (night shade)
➢ Cowpeas
➢ Butter nut
➢ Watermelon
➢ Mrenda (jews mallow)

Construction of a bag garden

The gunny bag is filled with the mixture of top soil and growing media. The cylindrical hollow can
is placed in the middle of the growing media and filled with the gravel. The area around the can
is filled with the growing media up to the brim and the can is gently pulled up, dropping the
gravels in the middle. The can is then placed on top of the gravel in the centre of the growing
media. Refilled with more gravel and the area around it filled with the growing media as
described above. The refilling of the can and filling its surrounding area with the growing media
is repeated until the bag is filled. This process creates a continuous core of gravel in the centre of
the bag mainly for purposes of drainage and infiltration of water during irrigation.
The kale/spinach seedlings are then transplanted by inserting a seedling into each planting hole
starting from the lower portion. More kale seedlings are finally planted in open top area of the
bag, Transplanting is followed by thorough watering of the bag Water is applied on top of the
gravel forming a column or core in the centre of the bag. The plants are watered daily if possible
or on alternate days. The vegetable will be ready for harvesting when the leaves are fully
expanded. To avoid over-harvesting, at least three fully expanded leaves should be left at the
top. The harvested leaves should be maintained under cool conditions until they reach the
consumer.

Nursery establishment and management.

Bed preparation
Bed preparation facilitates the ease in the cultivation operations like sowing and transplanting
and later in the intercultural operations. The width of a bed should not be more than 120 cm and
the length 150 cm or more. This width facilitates weeding and watering without trampling the
bed. The bed is kept raised about 15 cm high so as to provide proper drainage of excess water
and the level of the bed surface is also made slightly raised in the centre with a little slope on the
two sides.
In all the groups trained, demonstration on how to establish nursery were the same, the purpose
of the nursery is a feeder for the sack garden developed by the group’s members at household
level during transplanting. The nursery should be watered by all the group’s members in the
morning and evening until the crop is ready for transplanting. Nursery management and other
cultural practices should be done by all the members. Crops established in nursery include kales,
spinach.

Importance/Advantages of nursery raising in vegetable production

➢ Its convenient to look after the tender seedlings.
➢ Eliminates the problem of emergence in difficult soils.
➢ Weed control easy
➢ Can achieve close to 100% plant population
➢ Shorter cropping cycle therefore can get earlier planting and harvest
➢ Reduced field management costs
➢ More uniform crop possible
➢ Higher yield possible

Challenges and opportunities

Challenges
➢ Poor soil
➢ Inadequate crop production knowledge
➢ Absentees of some group members during training
 ➢ Distance from water source
➢ Communal land hence Lack land for demonstration due to dynamics • Problem of
handling farm tools
➢ Wildlife/rodents/pests menace( squirrel, birds and monkeys)
➢ Rocky farm site
➢ Cultural beliefs/practices on crop production
Opportunities

➢ Have adequate manure goods

➢ Ready market for fresh agricultural
➢ Land for expansion
➢ Good road infrastructure for transportation
➢ Development partners in activities related to livelihood.
➢ Plenty of water for drip irrigation in some areas eg Lependera, Kamboe, Loglogo, Ngurnit.
➢ Major things involved in kitchen gardening

Kitchen gardening:
“A garden in which plants (vegetables, fruits or herbs) for use in kitchen are cultivated. First
known use of kitchen garden in 1580 A kitchen garden does not have to be right outside the
kitchen door, but the closer it is the better.

Starting a kitchen garden:

Type and size of garden

➢ Preparing the garden site

➢ Choosing garden crops
➢ Planting a garden, where when and how
➢ Starting from seeds or small plants
➢ Garden maintenance
➢ Watering the garden
➢ Fertilizing
➢ Weed control
➢ Site selection:
➢ Near house and water source
➢ Full sun (more than 5-6 hours/day)
➢ Away from competing tree roots
➢ Well drained soils
➢ Protected area (animals or pests).

Garden tools:
 ➢ Spade
➢ Trowel
➢ Yard stick
➢ Bucket
➢ Sprayer
➢ Wheel Barrow
➢ Garbage cans
➢ Storage shed

Selection of plants:
➢ According to the climate
➢ Include plants that you plan to use in kitchen e.g tomatoes, peas
➢ Find seeds/seedlings at local nursery
➢ Try to combine flowers and vegetables.

Planting your garden:

➢ Clear plants or debris from soil
➢ Water before planting to loosen the soil Pay attention to spacing and timing
➢ Add mulch
➢ Water immediately
➢ Continue water regularly.
What’s really easy?
➢ Bitter Gourd
➢ Brinjal
➢ Cucumber
➢ Snake gourd
➢ Pumpkin
➢ Spinach
What’s little difficult?
➢ Water melon
➢ Tomato
➢ Beans
Plants( little requirements)
Sun Plants. Semi Shade Plants Poor light plants
Tomato. Lettuce Radish
Carrot. Spinach Ginger
Beans. Cabbage Mint
Cucumber. Beats. Pineapple

Watering the garden

➢ No water no garden
➢ Hand-held cans or hose
➢ Over head sprinklers
➢ Water Considerations
➢ Water early in the day
➢ Young plants need 1 water/week apply frequently
➢ Mature plants need 2 or 3 water/week in frequently.

Fertilizing
Types of plant nutrients-macro and micro
Macro nutrients:
Primary (N,PK)

Secondary (Ca, Mg, 5)

Micro nutrients:
B, CL, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn
Apply as needed or every 2 or 3 weeks Apply to the side of pot or at the edge of root zone.
Weed control:

➢ Cultivation
➢ Hand pulling
➢ Mulching
➢ Herbicides

Mulching:
“It is a process in which a layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil”

PURPOSE
➢ To conserve soil moisture
➢ To improve fertility
➢ To reduce weed growth.
➢ To enhance the visual appeal of an area.
Types of Mulching:
Organic Mulching • In Organic mulching
Organic mulching:

➢ Pine straw
➢ Leaves
➢ Bark/wood chips
➢ Yard waste
➢ Saw dust
➢ Peanut hulls
Inorganic mulching:
➢ Poly plastic
➢ News paper
➢ Card board
➢ Carpet
➢ Supporting tall plants:
➢ Staking
➢ On fence
➢ Cages
➢ Plant to plants
Climate effects:

➢ Temperature
➢ Rain
➢ Humidity
➢ Light
➢ Wind