VERTICAL SACK GARDEN

These are innovative gardens that are made sacks for growing vegetables. These gardens are ideal for both seasons, they only need proper maintenance which is very easy.

Vertical sack garden

Is a simple and space efficient gardening technique where crops are grown in a large sack or bag filled with soil and plants are cultivated both on top and through holes made along the sides.

Benefits of vertical sack garden

Requires locally available materials
Supplies the household with fresh vegetables
Require small space to establish
Requires less labor when weeding or doing management practices
Require little amount of water
Surplus can be sold for income
Achieve dietary diversification

Requirements for constructing a vertical sack garden

Minimum plot area 2ft X 2ft for one
One need to have a protected and well fenced area to construct as many V-S garden as possible
4 medium size fitos 1.5m long each.
Gunny bags or sacks
compost manure.

Top soil
Ballast
Seedlings
Hollow tin

Procedure for constructing the vertical sack garden

Mix manure and top soil thoroughly in a ratio of 1:1
Make holes 15cm apart on the gunny bag using a hot round metal and the size of the hole should not be bigger than one inch
Levelized the selected site for constructing the garden.
Place the hollow tin at the center of the area.
Secure the four poles at each corner of the square area.
Fill the hollow tin with the ballast and cover the tin.
Roll over the sack on the fittos but do not interfere with the tin.
Put the mixture between the hollow tin and the gunny bag or sack being used.
Gradually fill in the mixture making sure not to interfere with the tin
Lift the tin without moving from the center position and refill with ballast.
Do not compact it as you fill.
Fill the soil and manure mixture until the sack or material used is full.
Water the hollow tin through the ballast.
Leave it overnight to set
Plant the seedlings and make the soils around each

Planting

Water the nursery before uprooting the seedlings for planting this will enable the seedling to come out with a clamp of soil.
Use sticks to make planting holes at an angle of 45*(slanting position)
Insert the seedlings carefully and do not damage the roots
With the use of sticks, make soil around the roots of the seedling

Weed control.

Weeds on vertical sack garden should be uprooted by hands however top of the garden can be wed with help of a stick to facilitate water infiltration

Pest and disease control.

Scouting is done by the farmer, to check presence of any pest or disease.
In case of pest invasions such as aphids, mites, thrips, a bio pesticide concoction composed of Mexican marigold, tithonia, hot pepper and garlic is formulated and fermented for a maximum of 4 days and sprayed on the leaves targeting underside of the leaves where pests usually abide or a mixture of milk and water can be used as an alternative. Spraying is done morning hours or evening hours when temperatures are cool, at this time pests are usually inactive.
Spraying should be after every two weeks to prevents more frequent of pest attack.
Diseased crops should be removed or diseased leaves removed to avoid further spread of the disease to other healthy crops.

Top dressing.

This is achieved by use of fresh cow dung solution or tithonia juice to enrich soil with more nutrients. A ratio of 1:5 is used. (1 liter of cow dung solution to 5 liters of water)
Tithonia plant is cut into pieces and put in water for absorption, its juice is ready for used as foliar within a day.
Rabbit urine or vermicompost juice can be mixed in the ratio 1:4(1 liter of juice or urine in 4 liters of water) and sprayed to crops, it acts as pesticide too.

Harvesting.

Pinching of nightshade and amaranth is done 2-3 weeks after transplanting to promote growth of more buds thus increased yield.
With good management, transplanted crops are harvested 3-4 weeks. Care should be taken during harvesting not to uproot the whole crop.

NB; Bag can be re- used only when strong and stable.