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GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

2 The 2-Week Cycle System


In the following we will introduce a system Or 25 meters if you are just 5 people.
of Garden Farming that ensures that you For every person you must plant 5 meter
always produce the vegetables you need. of beds every week the year round.
The plan is made to supply vegetables for
a group of 10 people. 3 seasons with different 2-week
To do this it is necessary to plant 50 me- cycles
ters of planting beds every week.
%W ]SY RMWL WSQI GVSTW JSV I\EQTPI Not all crops can grow well the year round,
when you harvest your carrots, you plant and for the conditions of Southern Africa,
a new crop instead of the carrots. we therefore have three cycle types.
And you continue this system EVERY There is a 2-week cycle for the period
;))/2SXSRP]XLIVWXGSYTPISJ[IIOW from February to July. This is the end of
but the whole year round! the rainy season and the cold season.
There is a 2-week cycle for the period from
This means every week! August to October the hot period.

One week, you plant 50 meters according


XSXLITPERJSVXLIVWX[IIO
Next week you plant the 50 meters ac-
cording to the plan for the second cycle.
The third week you plant 50 meters with
XLIWEQIGVSTWEWXLIVWX[IIO
And you continue this system until the
last week of the periods you are in for
example from February to July.

Adjust to the number of people


As the world heats up and water resources be-
If you are more people for example 20 come more scarce, small farmers will increasingly
need affordable irrigation systems, such as this
then you must plant 100 meters every
rope rump for garden irrigation in Zambia.
week.

4
THE 2-WEEK CYCLE SYSTEM

%RHREPP]XLIVIMWE[IIOG]GPIJSVXLI Farming is that it makes it easy to always


period from November to January the use companion planting.
main part of the rainy season.
So what is companion planting?
Advantages of the system It means that you grow two crops together
SRXLIWEQITPERXMRKFIHXLEXFIRIXIEGL
One advantage is that this system is easy other.
to follow. This can be that the one kind of plant is
You or the people you employ to do host to some insects which eat other in-
some of the work will know exactly what sects that would harm the other crop.
to do every week. By doing the same thing Or it can be that the smell of one of the
many times, you do it better and faster. plants for example garlic or onion
keeps harmful insects away from the other
Companion planting crop.
Good companion plants also have different
One of the very important reasons for requirements of nutrients or take nutri-
using the 2-week cycle system of Garden ents from different layers in the soil.

5
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

One crop such as peas will take its nu- Experiences at Las Pulgas
trients from the top of the soil, while the
carrots will take nutrients deeper down The Garden Farm at Las Pulgas introduced
in the soil. the system of 2-week cycles with beds of
On the other hand the peas will provide companion plants after having used the
nitrogen to the soil, because the pea plant traditional system in the beginning.
is a legume living together with bacteria on With the system of growing four rows of
its roots that are able to make use of the one crop and then four rows of another
nitrogen in the atmosphere. crop, there were many problems with
pests and diseases.
The principle of companion planting has These problems have been greatly reduced
been used in making the 2-week planting after changing to companion planting.
plans for all the three seasons described
in this booklet. (MZIVWMIHJSSHXLI]IEVVSYRH
The crops have been paired so that they
benefit or at least do not harm each Another principle that has been used in
other. making the described 2-week cycles, is that
the Garden Farm must provide a variety

6
THE 2-WEEK CYCLE SYSTEM

of vegetables the whole year round and You will probably need to adjust the sys-
MRWYJGMIRXUYERXMXMIW tem, as you get more experiences.
The 2-week cycles therefore have more =SY[MPPRHXLEX]SYRIIHXSTPERXQSVI
of some crops than of others because of one crop and need less of another but
we eat more carrots or onions than for start with this proposed two-week cycle
example garlic. system.
It is also different how long time the plant
will give vegetables. All the rest of us would very much like to
When the carrots are ready, you harvest be informed of your experiences with the
them in one go, and you will need to plant 2-week cycles and how you adapt them
a new crop. along the way to suit your local condi-
But the eggplants, the tomatoes and the tions.
green pepper will continue to give veg-
etables for some months. Enjoy the Garden Farming.
8LMWEPWSMRYIRGIWLS[SJXIRXLIHMJJIVIRX
crops appear in the 2-week plans.

7
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Planting Crops February - July

Even week numbers plant the Odd week numbers plant the
following ten double rows: following ten double rows:
 'EFFEKI   3RMSR  'EYPMS[IV  'IPIV]
 +VIIRTIEW  'EVVSXW  6ETI   3RMSR
 7[IIXFIER  7TMREGL  8YVRMTW   'EVVSX
 1YWXEVH   +EVPMGLIVFW  &VSGGSPM   &IERW
 'YGYQFIV  'EVVSXW  8SQEXSIW  &IIXVSSXW
 4MKISR4IE  0IXXYGI  0IXXYGI   )KKTPERX
 HSYFPIVS[WSJ7[IIX4SXEXSIW  +VIIR4ITTIV  3RMSRW
 7UYEWL   1EM^I
 4YQTOMR   1EM^I
 HSYFPIVS[WSJ-VMWL4SXEXS

8
THE 2-WEEK CYCLE SYSTEM

Planting Crops
August - October

Even week numbers plant the Odd week numbers plant the
following ten double rows: following ten double rows:
 3OVE   )KKTPERX  'IPIV]   &IERW
 7[IIXFIER  7TMREGL  6ETI   +VIIR4ITTIV
 1YWXEVH  +EVPMGLIVFW  8YVRMTW   'EVVSX
 'YGYQFIV  'EVVSXW  &VSGGSPM   &IERW
 4MKISR4IE  0IXXYGI  8SQEXSIW  &IIXVSSXW
 +VSYRHRYX  &YXXIVRYX  0IXXYGI   'EYPMS[IV
 HSYFPIVS[WSJ7[IIX4SXEXSIW  ;EXIVQIPSR  1EM^I
 HSYFPIVS[SJGEWWEZE  &IERW   1EM^I
 4YQTOMR   -VMWL4SXEXS
 7UYEWL   -VMWL4SXEXS

9
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Planting Crops
November - January

Even week numbers plant the Odd week numbers plant the
following ten double rows: following ten double rows:
 'EFFEKI   3RMSR  'EYPMS[IV  &IERW
 3OVE   'EVVSXW  6ETI   3RMSR
 7[IIXFIER  7TMREGL  0IXXYGI   'EVVSX
 8SQEXSIW  +EVPMGLIVFW  &VSGGSPM   &IIXVSSXW
 'YGYQFIV  'EVVSXW  8YVRMTW   )KKTPERX
 4MKISR4IE  0IXXYGI  +VIIR4ITTIV  3RMSRW
 +VSYRHRYX  &YXXIVRYX  ;EXIVQIPSR  1EM^I
 VS[WSJ7[IIX4SXEXSIW  &IERW   1EM^I
 4YQTOMR   -VMWL4SXEXS
 7UYEWL   -VMWL4SXEXS

10
STARTING UP YOUR GARDEN FARM

3 Starting up the Garden Farm


Making the planting bed germinating or the seedlings grow. The
compost will improve the health of the
)EGL FIH WLSYPH FI EX PIEWX Q LMKL plants since it will make more nutrients
This will ensure that the soil is well pre- available.
pared and loose so that the plants will The compost will also reduce the need
grow well. for water since more water will be kept
)EGLFIHWLSYPHFIQ[MHIWSXLEX in the soil.
you can reach the crops from the path and
have space for two rows of crops. How to produce compost
In between the beds is a walking space of
half a meter. Compost is the product made of decayed
plants and animal dung. You can make
What are the advantages of compost according to how big your gar-
raised beds? den farm is.
You should make the compost in a pit
The raised beds reduce the risk of plants in the dry season. This will reduce the
dying from water logging during and after
heavy rains.
The soil will not be compacted, since
people will walk in the pathways only and
do not step on the beds.

Spreading compost on a new


planting bed

Compost is spread on the soil before mak-


ing beds. The compost should be at least
1 inch high on the bed, it is then mixed If the soil is poor, it is a good option to make a
trench bed, where you dig out under the bed,
with the soil.
TPEGIPIEZIWKVEWWERHQERYVIERHXLIRPPYT
The advantage is that the compost is al- with soil to make the raised bed.
ready in the soil when the vegetables are

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GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Planting distances

It is very important to plant vegetables


with the right distance between them.
If they are too close, they will not develop.
If they are too far apart, you waste some
space on the planting bed, and you will
need to do more weeding.
Roughly, vegetables can be divided in three
groups.
Compost, such as produced here in a Zimbabwean Those with a distance of 15 cm, those with
Garden Farm, improves soil fertility and enables
GQERHXLSWI[MXLGQFIX[IIR
the soil to better hold water and nutrients.
Some of the seeds with 15 cm distance are,
carrots, onions, beetroot, lettuce, peas,
evaporation and therefore speed up the garlic, celeries, etc
process. 8LSWI[MXLGQHMWXERGIFIX[IIRXLIQ
In this case we are going to make compost are, rape, spinach, etc.
by digging a pit 1m wide and 1.2m long and 8LSWI[MXLGQHMWXERGIFIX[IIRXLIQ
1m deep. are, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, broccoli,
First make a layer of plants about 2 inches. GEYPMS[IVIXG
Then make a layer of animal dung. Then
again you put a layer of plant material and Soaking seeds
then dung. And so on.
;LIR]SYLEZIRMWLIHXLMWXLIRWTVMROPI Soaking seeds is a way to get the seeds to
some water over the compost and cover emerge faster and grow faster as well.
it with soil or clay. If the climate is hot, It is not all the seeds that can be soaked.
then this compost will be ready after one Some can, but some cannot.
month. Those that cannot be soaked are for ex-
It will sometimes take longer time, and ample lettuce, melons, tomatoes, carrots,
you can then make the process go faster onions mainly the small seeds.
by turning the compost after one month. Those that can be soaked are maize, beans,
In the wet season it is best to make the peas mainly larger seeds.
compost in a heap on the ground. We put the seeds into cold water during
In both pits and heaps, it is important to XLIRMKLXSVJSVEQE\MQYQSJLSYVW
end by covering the compost material After soaking the seeds, you taken them
with a layer of soil or clay, so that the out of the water. They should then be
right conditions of heat and humidity are sowed the same day.
kept inside.

12
STARTING UP YOUR GARDEN FARM

If it is not possible to sow them, then you Root crops, beans, spinach and herbs can
must dry the seeds and store them, so that be sown directly.
they will not germinate too early.
How to produce seedlings
How to sow seeds
You can produce seedlings with two dif-
Before sowing you need to prepare the ferent methods.
ground to make sure that there are no
large lumps of soil or stones. Using a planting tray
Work over the surface to give a fine One is to use a planting tray. If you cannot
smooth surface with the soil broken down buy the kind they use in nurseries, then
into small particles. you can use any tray or box of plastic or
Seeds that can be sowed directly are for wood.
example rape, cabbage, tomato, onion, You will need to make many holes in the
pepper, lettuce. bottom, so that the water can run off and
With small seeds it is an advantage to mix not drown the seedlings.
XLIQ[MXLWSQIRIWERHXSEZSMHYWMRK You can also roll pieces of banana leaf or
too many seeds in the planting row. paper into containers of about 2 cm in
Scatter the seeds into the planting row diameter for the seedlings.
with your hand. Rake gently and then wa- 8LIRI\XWXITMWXSPPXLIFSXXSQSJXLI
ter the ground carefully. tray or box with a layer of prepared mate-
rial for the seedlings to grow in.
Tomato, green pepper, eggplant, beet The material can be good topsoil mixed
root, cauliflower, cabbage are usually [MXLVMGILYWO[LMGLMWFYVRIHVWX
transplanted. Or you mix equal parts of top soil with
washed river sand.
You need to cook the mixture to avoid
spreading diseases to the seedlings.

Or you can place some grass and twigs


over the soil and burn it. The heat from the
VI[MPPXLIROMPPQSWXSJXLIQMGVSSVKER-
isms which could spread diseases.

Do not mix sawdust in the material, since


Treatment of the material to use for planting this will take the nitrogen from the soil.
WIIHPMRKW8LIVIQYWXFIELSXVIXSIRWYVIXLEX
damaging microorganisms are destroyed.

13
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Producing seedlings directly in ing the tray out in the sun at least two days
the soil before planting. In this way the seedling
EHETXWXSXLIQSVIHMJGYPXGSRHMXMSRWSYX
If you do not have a planting tray or a suit- MRXLIIPH
able box, you can produce your seedlings
directly in the soil. Transplanting should be done in the late
Again, you need to ensure that the soil afternoon or evening or on a cloudy day.
is suited for the seedlings. It should not The seedlings should be 6-8 weeks old
be too rich, since the seedlings will then when transplanted.
develop a larger root system. It will then Do not touch the roots and do not ex-
FIQSVIHMJGYPXJSVXLIQXSWYVZMZIXLI pose the roots to the sun, when you
transplanting. transplant
Therefore, you should mix some washed Hold the plant above the primary leaf and
river sand into the topsoil. plant it in a way that it is level with the soil
You will also need to place some grass surface. Make the hole large enough so that
and twigs to burn the soil before sowing the roots hang free and are not bent.
the seeds.

Sowing the seeds

Depending on crop, one to three seeds


are placed into each hole.
The larger the seed, the deeper it has to
FITPERXIH XMQIWXLI[MHXLSJXLI
seed).

How to manage seedlings

Take care when you give water, that the


water does not destroy the thin layer of
soil over the seeds. Therefore it is best
XSYWIE[EXIVMRKGER[MXLZIV]RILSPIW
or a sprayer.

How to transplant seedlings


When transplanting the seedling, make sure the
hole is large enough, so the root will not bend and
Before transplanting the seedlings, they hold the plant on the small stem.
must be hardened. This is done by plac-

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MANAGING YOUR GARDEN FARM

4
Crop rotation
Managing your Garden Farm
bring up nutrients from deeper down in
the soil.
Crop rotation is the practice of growing ;LIR]SYKVS[PIKYQIGVSTW]SYMR-
different types of crops in the same area crease the amount of nitrogen in the soil,
What are the advantages of crop rota- since the bacteria on the legume roots will
tion: \RMXVSKIRJVSQXLIEMV
1. When you grow a new crop after the
old one, you avoid building up of diseases In your crop rotation you should always
and pests in the soil. The pests that attack include deep rooted crops. This will bring
for example maize will not be the same as nutrients up from further down in the
the ones that can attack groundnuts. soil and the need for tilling the soil is re-
2. Crop rotation improves the soil duced.
structure and fertility. When you grow
deep-rooted crops, such as okra, cassava, It is advised to use marigold as a rotational
groundnuts, tomatoes, beans, cow peas crop once a year on each of the beds. The
or carrots, they will open up the soil and roots of marigold will send out some plant
chemicals that will repel nematodes - a
kind of very small worm that often be-
comes a pest.

Weeding

The removal of weeds is useful because


these unwanted plants compete with the
crop for space, water and nutrients.
It should usually be done in an early crop
stage, as this is more practical (the weed
plants are smaller) and more effective.
It is important to use crop rotation, also in Garden Often, the weeding has to be repeated 2
Farming, in order to avoid getting depleted soils.
Diversifying also reduces the risk of losses. SVXMQIW[LIRIZIV[IIHWWXEVXXSKVS[
again.

15
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

8LIQYPGL[MPPEPWSQEOIMXQSVIHMJGYPX
for weeds to appear.
The cover should never touch the plant
stems as this can cause rot.
You should never cover with material that
is infected by disease or contains insects.

Watering

Roots of legume plants normally have nodules with In the dry season, or if it does not rain, leaf
RMXVSKIR\MRKFEGXIVME-JXLI]EVIVIHMRWMHIXLIR vegetables need at least 6mm a day and the
they are active, and the bacteria can be trans- SXLIVZIKIXEFPIWEXPIEWXQQEHE]XLEXMW
JIVVIHXSSXLIVWF]QM\MRKXLIWSMP[MXLWIIHW
XSWE]ERH[EXIVMRKGERWVIWTIGXMZIP]
per bed of 10 square metres.
Besides helping to get a healthier crop, It is best to water in the late afternoon, and
weeding has some other advantages. It RSXHYVMRKLSYVWSJIVGIWYRWLMRI
helps to change the microclimate below
the plants. Sun and wind can penetrate Making manure tea
deeper in a weeded crop. This will reduce
the humidity, which again can prevent Manure tea can be made from animal
some pests and diseases. manure or green plants. It is good for the
Weeding also helps to loosen the soil. production of healthy crops.
Water can infiltrate more rapidly and Reasons why manure tea is important:
roots of the cultivated plants can develop
in a better way.
The growth of weeds can be prevented or
delayed by using mulch.

Mulching

The soil surface should not remain ex-


posed to wind, sun and the direct impact
of rain. If you keep the soil under a cover
of mulch you will preserve moisture in
the soil and avoid damaging temperatures.
Use the crop residues and place as a mulch to
Mulch is a layer of dead plant material such
reduce the impact of the sun while providing
as grass or dry leaves. organic material for the soil.

16
MANAGING YOUR GARDEN FARM

When watering crops with the manure


tea, it is important to make sure you only
water the soil and do not splash the tea
onto plants.

Cultivation of sweet potatoes

There are different types of sweet potato


with red, yellow or white tubers. The red
one is becoming common because it is
There is much nitrogen in cattle dung, but if it is very nutritious.
left as here in the enclosure instead of transformed
Sweet potatoes like sandy soils, lots of sun,
to compost or manure tea, then most of the N
disappears. and lots of space between each.

Propagating Sweet Potatoes


1. It helps crops which are struggling to
grow in a new garden, where the soil has The quickest and easiest way to grow
still not been made into a rich living soil. sweet potatoes is to use cuttings.
2. Manure tea can also be used as a foliar You cut the top stem of sweet potato of
feed, sprayed onto leaves. GQMRPIRKXL=SYXLIRVIQSZIQSWX
of the leaves. When you remove the leave
How to make manure tea you have to do it nicely,
 *MPPEQEM^ISVJIVXMPM^IVFEK[MXLERM- Leave the small leaves at the very tip.
mal manure from cattle, chicken, goats,
etc.
 4PEGI XLI FEK MR E FYGOIX SV HVYQ SJ
water.
 %HHEPMHSVGSZIVXLEXMWRXXSSXMKLXEW
the brew will ferment and bubble a little.
 0IEZI JSV X[S [IIOW JSV RYXVMIRXW XS
dissolve into the water.
 (MPYXI[MXL[EXIVWSXLIQM\XYVI
looks like weak tea and use to water the
crops.
 /IITXSTTMRKYT[MXL[EXIVEW]SYYWI
Sweet potatoes are planted as vines or runners.
it until the color pales, indicating a new They should about 30 cm in length and left with
addition of manure is necessary. only a few leaves at the tip.

17
GARDEN FARMING INSTRUCTION MANUAL

Cut the leaves from the bottom of the


plant.
Do not cut only a part of the leaf, because
that will stop your vegetable from pro-
ducing more leaves. Cut at the bottom of
the leaf. By doing so your vegetable will
produce more leaves for you and you will
harvest many times.
It is recommended to use a knife, so that
you can make a clean cut. The knife must
Tephrosia planted together with maize (already be clean.
harvested). The tephrosia improves soil fertility
and the leaves can be used against many pests.
Seed production

Removing the leaves helps your sweet If you want to collect seeds from your own
potato to grow fast and produce more plants, you must select healthy plants that
roots. have the characteristics you want. The
Plant the cutting into the soil by covering seeds should be collected when they are
the whole stem with soil. mature.
Only the leaves of the tip should stick out For crops such as maize and beans it is easy
of the ground. to see when the seeds are thoroughly dry
When planting sweet potato, remember and ready for collection.
that it does not like fertilizers that are high Some seeds are inside the fruit such as in
in nitrogen like chicken manure. tomato, eggplant, squash and peppers. The
It makes them grow lots of leaves but then
they will not produce potatoes.

Harvesting leafy vegetables

When you harvest leaves from the veg-


etables you should follow the correct
procedure. By doing so you give a chance
to the vegetable to produce more leaves
and you will be able to harvest almost
every week.
It will be crucial for farmers to be able to produce
You harvest you vegetable when they are
their own seeds and planting material, such as
ready to be harvested. using Open Pollinated Varieties of corn.

18
MANAGING YOUR GARDEN FARM

fruit must here be very ripe, but not over-


ripe, before the seed is collected.
The seeds must be separated from the
pulp. Tomato, cucumber and melon seeds
need to be fermented by leaving the seed
JSVXSHE]WMRGYTSJ[EXIV8LI
seeds that sink to the bottom are for
saving. The seeds on the surface can be
thrown away.

Storing seeds Vermicompost, compost made with worms such


as here in Mozambique, is even better than
normal compost, because of its high content of
Most seeds need to be thoroughly dried. LYQYWERHFIRIGMEPQMGVSSVKERMWQW
If not dried to between 8-15% moisture
content, the seed will not store well and
may have poor germination. Dry all seed
even if it looks dry. Spread the seed on
clean dry paper in a well- ventilated room.
Heat and high temperatures will damage
the seed. When the seeds are dry place
them immediately in airtight containers.
If you need to store seeds for a longer
time you should store them in a glass with
EPMHXLEXLEWFIIRGPIERIH[IPPVWXERH
then sterilized by boiling the glass and the
lid. Store the containers in a cool, dark,
dry room.
This will reduce the risk of spreading dis-
eases to the seeds.

Biopesticides

If you have problems with slugs eating your


vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbages,
then plant some mints or sage. The slugs
The soil needs to be full of life to give a good crop,
do not like these plants.
and to have life, there must be food for the many
organisms that are part of the living soil.

19

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