In this chapter we talk about urban gardens. A recent explosion of green that has spread to cities around the world. Urban gardens represent a revolution in nutritional level and capable of producing quality vegetables unattainable in the distribution chains such as supermarkets and hypermarkets. An urban garden is also a visual pleasure and nutrition, an educational experience for children and adults. The time devoted to the garden will pay off.
Urban gardens are usually in small spaces like balconies and terraces. In this case we opted for cultivation table made of wood of the Arete Foundation. We chose this option for two reasons:
· Product quality finishes both versatility as growing any vegetable, plant and vegetable.
· We are particularly pleased to contribute our bit by buying a foundation system which makes an important social work.
Once we have decided the location of the table growing is time to get a good substrate. A good substrate for garden should be: Lightweight, coir and worm humus:
1.That the substrate is slightly favors rapid growth of roots in an ideal way for them not excessively fertilized.
2. Coconut fiber provides lightness and water retention capacity
3. The earthworm humus creates an environment that nurtures and promotes organic life in the substrate.
Since we rarely make a monoculturewe are interested get a maximum substrate which is liked by most schools to cultivate. In our case we have looked a substrate apparently away from than usual as to lightness but has given excellent results compared to previous mixes. The advantages of buying a substrate made and can be great if we want to go about doing tests. We particularly recommend: Allmix of Biobizz and Canna Professional Plus. Both substrates are especially good for gardens. Its composition is perfect for urban gardens and guaranteeing excellent substrate rather than compost.
Regard to traditional mixtures richer in coconut we can notice an increase in water retention capacity of the substrate and a reduced need for compost. If take this advantage we can save many liters of irrigation water. We also have a substrate with a perfect ph for most campuses and more compost will save the use of fertilizers with irrigation.
Ok, we already have growing table in place and we have filled with 300 liters of soil. As a special mention among other things cultivate cherry and pear tomatoes, we decided to add to the substrate 250g bat guano. Bat guano provides phosphorus and potassium (highly recommended for fruit trees), two minerals that in flowering stage will be in high demand. Beware of over-fertilization with bat guano, acidify the substrate and can easily a strong fertilization. For the mixing with the soil recommend using a small metal rake. Once all the guano mixed evenly with the substrate following is germinating seeds or get the schools needed to fill our space. We have chosen the schools to accelerate the process, but if we have seeds the process will be the same (having first seeds germinated in seed):
Once the seedlings have the first thing is to draw the placement of these on the table taking into account the position of the table relative to the Sun (knowing that tomatoes and peppers grow lettuce but decided to have lettuce in front to avoid interference . We proceed carefully the campus placement in their respective place of the table: the lettuce should be buried until the birth of the first leaves, tomatoes and peppers is advisable to bury a tad more (burying part of the stem) to promote fortress trunk.
We arrived at one of the most difficult for any farmer: irrigation. How much and how often.
Any plant housed in a precise land changes in humidity of the substrate for evolution properly. Not good a land that is constantly wet in the same way that it is positive that it is always dry. A good substrate must to be watered with the water needed to restore hydration and once at that point, how long it takes to dry depends on weather conditions (strong sunlight, high temperatures or low temperatures and cloudy) and directly on the size of plant. It is more than likely that with growing tables as used (300 liters of soil) in the first weeks of growing hydrate the substrate be precise only once a week or every 5-6 days maximum. These needs will increase as the garden develops and grows by reducing the distance between watering to once a day.
The quality of water used may be another key factor in our ultimate satisfaction. Today the common water cities usually highly treated to prevent bacteria and quite mineralized. In Mediterranean areas and islands can even touch the toxic levels. Having market of water treatment equipment for home, do not hesitate to recommend the use of this type of filtered water for human consumption and irrigation of the garden. The benefits in the short and long term are insured. Our garden will appreciate the quality of the water with unparalleled vitality, better yields and flavors.