MOIST GARDENS OFFER MUCH NEEDED RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Introduction

A moist garden refers to a farm establishment which provides micro climate which enable farmers to grow crops not suited for their natural environment. Through establishing a moist garden family farmers from arid and semi arid areas are able to grow crops otherwise suited for areas receiving heavy rainfall.

These gardens can be contained, such as when you build a wood or stone /concrete/reinforced plasticine structure to keep the bed intact, or they can be more free form, with soil and amendments merely piled several inches high. You can plant anything from vegetables to perennials and shrubs in a raised bed. Fruits, such as strawberries, grapes, blueberries, and , also do very well in a this type of bed. In Kitui and Machakos through support of Inades formation Kenya, farmers have been able to establish moist gardens where they have planted arrow roots which previously was perceived to suited for wetlands

Materials for construction

Ø A polythene bag

Ø Sand       

Ø Course stone 

Ø Small stones/gravel

Ø Dried grass, 

Ø Top soil

Process of establishing a moist garden

Step 1

A hole of different length and width but of between 45 to 60 cm is dug depending on soil type. During the digging process the top soil is put on one side while the sub soil on a different side. This is done to ensure the top soil does not mix with the less fertile sub soil. The hole is then covered with polythene paper; this paper acts as barrier to prevent water from leaching

Step 2

The hole which has already been dug is filled with ballast on the bottom layer and sand on the second layer. Both the ballast and sand act as reservoir for water which the crops access through evaporation during sunny days. This ensures that the crops have access to water and there is minimal evaporation

Step 3

The moist garden is then filled with biomass which act as barrier to protect crop root system from penetrating the infertile sand and ballast component and with time decomposes to form organic manure

Step 4

Finally the moist garden is filled with a mixture of top soil and manure. The ratio for the top soil and manure is dependant of the prevailing fertility condition of the top soil. Once the Moist garden has been planted mulch is applied to ensure efficient water utilization.

Advantages of a Moist Garden

Moist garden have proved to have many

• It conserves water- a polythene bag lined beneath prevents seepage and hence water is retained
• The soil in raised beds doesn't get compacted, because they are constructed with accessibility in mind.

• It's easy to tailor the soil for your raised bed to the plants you plan to grow there.
• After the initial construction process, less maintenance is required than there is for conventional garden beds.
• It is easy to construct-don’t require ant specialized skills
• Materials for construction are readily available
• Source of income-you can sell the produce and earn cash
• It is a source of nutrient supplement- green vegetables are source of nutrients for a healthy living

·        Higher yield from intensive gardening -Moist bed gardening gives a better yield than plants grown on cultivated flat ground. Factors like good soil aeration and root run contribute to this, but an intensive culture is the main reason. In moist gardens, a variety of vegetables are planted closer than you would in the ground.

·        The rich soil with higher content of compost and organic matter from other sources can support more plants. They are expected to completely fill in the bed as they grow, their leaves nearly touching one another. This also eliminates competition from weeds

Maintaining a Moist Garden

1.     Moist gardens require very little maintenance,  it's a good idea to top dress with fresh compost and manure, or, if the moist garden only holds plants for part of the year, dig the compost or manure into the top several inches of soil. As with any garden, mulching the top of the soil will help retain moisture and keep weeds low

2.      Don't ever -- ever! -- walk on the soil.

The biggest advantage of moist garden is the light, fluffy, absolutely perfect soil you're able to work with as a result. When you build your moist garden, build them so that you're able to reach every part of the bed without having to stand in it. If you already have a raised bed, and find that you have to walk on parts of it, consider installing strategically-placed patio pavers or boards, and only step on that rather than on the soil.

Article by Andrew Nyamu & Gabriel Musyimi

Inades Formation Kenya