VERTICAL GARDENS: VERTICAL INCOME

Vertical garden innovation has brought about major breakthrough in urban agriculture. Land remains a key factor in production, however with increasing population and that land as a factor of production is limited in nature makes its access and utilization dwindle with time. Land use conflicts have formed African history from time of scrabble for Africa by white settlers to modern day conflicts. This calls upon innovations and creativity in land utilization both in rural and urban areas

Vertical gardens have brought about such needed solution whereby farmers in urban areas or those with limited land can still be able to farm of the space. The innovation makes use of PVC pipes in which crops are planted on holes made of the PVC pipes and then crops planted. Depending on the size of the PVC pipes and the strength of the base, different numbers and variety of crops can be planted

PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING VERTICAL GARDEN

Stage 1

A PVC pipe of different size and shape is acquired and trimmed to required size. It’s then corked from both sides to ensure that no leakage of soil water and manure. Holes are then made on one side of the pipe, the spacing of the holes is dependence of crops to be planted on the vertical garden. The PVC pipes can be easily acquired from hard ware stores and super markets.

Stage 2

Strong support system for the pipes is developed. This can be made from metal bars or wooden posts. This ensures that the PVC pipes are suspended horizontally on the space and irrigation can be carried out without water flowing out. Drip irrigation kit is then established with water tank of convenient size place above the vertical garden and drip lines passed through the PVC pipes with tiny opening for ensuring convenient water drops to irrigate the crops. In case the drip line system is not convenient then the vertical garden can be irrigated manually.

 Stage 3

The PVC pipes are then filled with mixture of manure and soil. However the soil mixture needs not to be compressed to allow easy root penetration for the crops. Crop seeds or seedlings are then planted on the holes made on the PVC and irrigated depending on their water requirement

Advantages of vertical gardens

1.     There is maximum water efficiency because water is only put at the crop base either through drip system or manually

2.     Does not require much space since the garden takes vertical extension instead of horizontal extension

3.     Requires minimal maintenance costs because once it has been properly installed no much work is needed in future

4.     Materials for establishing vertical gardens are easily available i.e. PVC pipes, soils, manure, metal bars and wooden posts

5.     Does not require skilled labour for its development and it’s not labour intensive

Conclusions

Vertical gardens have proofed to be convenient innovation for household vegetable requirement. In urban settings, they can be developed on balconies and verandah while on rural areas they can be established within the homestead compound. In public utilities such as schools, hospitals and churches such garden can provide convenient subsidies for vegetable requirements and save the money which would have otherwise been spent to acquire such vegetables. Inades Formation Kenya has supported two groups in Mwala and Matinyani who have installed similar vertical gardens and have lauded then innovation as the future for small  scale farmers in arid and semi arid areas and urban population      

Article by

Andrew Muendo Nyamu

Project Officer- Inades Formation Kenya

Email: nyamu1895@gmail.com

Phone number: 0722962986   

www.andrewnyamuconservation.blogspot.co.ke