Are you in urban areas but tired of spending more money on the rising costs of fresh food? Start practicing urban vegetable farming using the little space around you. In Uganda, urban farming has increasingly gained popularity; a number of people in urban areas are feeding their families with healthy food grown in containers, sacks, backyards, and even on the rooftop. Foods like tomatoes, eggplants, carrots, spinach, sukuma wiki, amaranthus, and more can help you minimize your food expenses.
Benefits of urban farming
Urban farming has several benefits not only ensures food security, and these include:
Saving
The availability of vegetables like tomatoes, amaranth, spinach, and sukuma wiki helps a farmer to save the money he/she would have used to buy these vegetables.
Fresh, healthy food
Urban farming gives assurance of fresh, healthier, chemical-free food safe for human consumption. Independently, you grow your crops using organic fertilizers instead of harmful chemicals.
Reduces environmental pollution
In urban farming, composted wastes like banana (matooke) peels, Irish potato peels, dry leaves, and charcoal ash are turned into fertilizers for boosting soil fertility, hence reducing environmental pollution.
Vegetables you can grow in small spaces
Start with first growing crops that don't require deep soil and have no taproot. Below are some of the good choices to start with.
Spinach (nakati)
Amaranthus (dodo)
Sukuma wiki
Tomatoes
Eggplants
Green onions
All these crops can be grown in containers and raised beds. They are easy to
maintain, mature fast, and they can provide more than one harvest throughout mostly the leafy greens.
Materials you need to practice urban vegetable farming
This is a low-cost type of farming that doesn't require much to begin. Most materials used are found at home.
Containers
Containers include old basins, jerry cans, plastic buckets, sacks, and more. Ensure they have drainage holes to avoid waterlogging.
Soil and manure
Seeds or seedlings
You can buy the seeds directly from the farmer or the agro shop near you, depending on your choice.
Source of water
Prepare your source of water. Whether a tank or jerrycans, keep them filled with water to support irrigation during the dry season. Tap water can not be relied on as it comes and goes.
Shade and sunlight
Crops must have access to sunlight for chlorophyll. Place your containers where sunlight can reach them.
Steps of how to plant and care for your vegetables
Planting or sowing
Sow your seeds or transplant seedlings in your prepared containers with enough space provided not to overcrowd.
Watering or irrigation
Consistently water your crops on a daily basis, either in the morning or evening. This will help in keeping the soil moist to support plant growth.
Weeding and mulching
Handpick the weeds and use dry leaves or grass for mulching to help plants grow healthier and maintain soil moisture.
How to control pests
Apply natural pesticides like wood ash or neem juice to control pests. Natural pesticides are both human and crop friendly and effective compared to chemical pesticides.
Harvesting.
In 4 to 6 weeks, most vegetables are ready for harvest. Gently harvest ready ones withoutharming or damaging the remaining crops.
Replant new seedlings in the emptied containers or wooden box to keep the flow of food supply for domestic use or earnings if in excess.
Conclusion
Urban farming is a simple way of boosting your food supply; it needs low input to start but delivers greater output. With little effort and consistency, whether on a small scale or rooftop, urban farming can be rewarding.