THE BIO-INTENSIVE URBAN GARDENING SERIES – EPISODE 14

How does a well-prepared nursery bed benefit the Bio-intensive farm?  Follow this link for an expert’s opinion and guideline on nursery preparation. However, for episode 14 we are bringing you tips on how to plan and plant your crops for a bountiful harvest.

Planning and Planting Crops.

Over the years, farming has been considered a hobby by many people due to reasons best known to them. Cursory studies have shown that some ventured into farming because many are flocking into the space and/or due to lack of stable jobs in the country.

That said, it should be noted that no matter what your farming motivations are, planning which involves setting up a farm as a business is key to achieving success as soon as possible.

First off, it is advisable to take quality time out in a month, or year for adequate planning, the timing largely depends on the planting pattern. Meanwhile, it should be in the planting season but when activities are not at its peak.

The aforementioned is necessary to save a lot of time and resources because it is easy to coordinate various activities involved in starting a garden or farm the following year.

Many people plan their farms based on only what is in demand in the markets while neglecting other factors. In real terms, as much as market demand is an important factor, it is not enough to go into farming with. An astute farmer should know that when a crop is in high demand, a lot of people go into its production and eventually leads to a price crash for the crop.

It is also important to note that a farmer cannot plan his profits based on initial sales when most people have not ventured into the production of the same crop.

Planning Procedures

To plan on what to grow, the following are needed:

• Excel sheet
• A current calendar of the year in planting
• A list of crops you want to grow
• A calculator

How to make a garden plan

To make a garden plan create excel sheet with the following headlines;

• Crop and crop variety
• Square feet of the area you want to plant
• Planting distances
• Number of plants per 100 square feet
• Maximum number of plants per actual area
• Number of seeds pack needed for actual area
• Weight of seeds per actual area
• Number of seed trays or number of nursery beds needed in a column for each month.

In addition to the above, a section for remarks to take notes of important things is needed e.g., the phone number of a seed company, information about what is happening on the field, pest and disease issues or other remarks or observations that you might notice on the field.

I hope you have found this particular piece helpful. If you have any question or clarification, kindly get across to us. As we bring you another insightful read, please don’t stop being safe

Thank you!