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Home garden technology leaflets

Home garden technology leaflets

Improve family nutrition by developing your home garden

What is the purpose of these leaflets?

The purpose of the leaflets is to help farmers improve family food supplies and nutrition year round through home gardening.

This package contains 15 technology leaflets with ideas and technical recommendations on how to improve family food supplies and nutrition through home gardening.

Each leaflet provides information on a technology option or on the type of improvements farmers can make in their home garden to increase food production, to provide a greater diversity of plant foods and to add nutritional value to the family's daily diet.

Who are the leaflets for?

The leaflets are intended for use by agricultural extension workers and farmers who are able to read. The leaflets should be used in situations where a farm family wishes to:

How should the leaflets be used?

The leaflets provide basic information, ideas and suggestions on different technology options or home garden improvements. They can be used either singly or in combination with one another, depending on the type of improvements farmers wish to make. Agricultural extension workers should assist farmers in selecting the technology they want to adopt in accordance with the kind, variety and quantity of home garden crops they want to grow.

Farm families should always contact their agricultural extension worker if they need help or advice with technical farming issues such as crop management, pesticide use, water management and many other topics.

Home garden technology leaflet 1: The home garden

WHAT IS A HOME GARDEN?

This leaflet aims to help you understand the many different things that make up a typical home garden. When you know how the home garden is made up (its structure) and what it does and produces (its functions or outputs) you will be able to improve the home garden's output to suit your own family's needs.

The home garden is an integrated system which comprises different things in its small area: the family house, a living/playing area, a kitchen garden, a mixed garden, a fish pond, stores, an animal house and, of course, people. It produces a variety of foods and agricultural products, including staple crops, vegetables, fruits, medicinal plants, livestock and fish both for home consumption or use and for income.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS OF THE HOME GARDEN?

The home garden compound has different areas and functions. There are three main areas within the typical home garden. Each of these provides different things for the family that lives there. The areas are shown in Figure 1, divided only by dotted lines because, in reality, the functions of the areas overlap the imaginary dotted boundaries.

Figure 1 Basic home garden map

The social area

Location: in front of the house, incorporating the clean-swept courtyard.

Use: mostly a place for social activities - meeting and talking, children's play, display gardens and also for drying grain.

The utility area

Location: around the house.

Use: mostly a place for physical objects or activities - living, washing, storage, animal house and latrine but also kitchen garden.

The production area Location: the rear part of the garden.

Use: mostly a place for growing food and cash crops and raising animals (e.g. fish, chickens, pigs).

WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE HOME GARDEN AMONG THE FAMILY'S FARMLANDS?

Most families have more than one area of land for farming. Usually a family has a home garden area and a food cropping area near to the village. Together, these areas of land make up the family's farmlands. The family divides its working time and resources between these two areas. Each area of land is used in a different way but, together, the two areas must provide all the family's needs.

The home garden has a special significance because among a family's most important basic needs are food and shelter. If developed well, the home garden can provide:

HOW TO APPRAISE YOUR HOME GARDEN

Before trying to improve your home garden, you have to find out more about it; particularly why it is not producing more food or income or providing inputs for farm development. There are many things to find out because the home garden has different functions, i.e. social, utility and economic functions. You should allow at least one hour for the appraisal.

Step 1: Get the right people to participate

Different people know different things about home gardens. The farmer and the housekeeper are the most important because they know the home garden's history and what the home garden provides for their family. The local agricultural extension agent will be able to help identify plants and to assess the soil and other technical aspects. You may want to ask other people to participate, for example your neighbours, relatives or women's farmer group members.

Step 2: Make a map of the home garden

Make a map of your home garden with the help of the others. One way of doing this is by drawing a "mud map" on the ground with a stick and using stones, leaves and other materials to represent the locations of major features such as trees and areas for food crops, vegetables, herbs, buildings and activities. Mark areas where the land is sloping or swampy. You can use Figure I, Basic home garden map, as a guide.

Step 3: Make a copy and keep it

Copy the map as clearly as possible on to paper with your notes. The map will make it much easier to think about the chances and improvements you want to make.

Figure 2 Discussing and drawing the home garden map

Home garden technology leaflet 2: Planning improvements to the home garden

Every home garden can be improved to fulfill your family's needs better. A well-planned and well-tended home garden can provide nutritious food, income, medicines, seeds and seedlings for the family's other land areas. At the same time, it will be a beautiful place to live in. To improve your home garden, you need to know four things:

STEP 1: KNOW YOUR HOME GARDEN

Make sure you have a good idea of the structure and main functions of your home garden. A map of your home garden will help you and others assisting you to visualize exactly what your home garden is and what it can do (making a home garden map is described in Home Garden Technology Leaflet 1).

STEP 2: SET OBJECTIVES

Make a list of the main things you want your home garden to produce. You should also identify the major constraints you need to overcome, such as wild pigs, poor soil or sloping land. Some examples of objectives are listed in Table I. Keep your list simple at first; you can add to it later.

TABLE 1

Examples of home garden objectives

Provide daily nutritional needs for the family

Provide more income

Increase food production

Diversity food production

Make the garden easy to care for

Provide a place for farm animals

Keep out pests

Reduce weeding

Provide a nursery for estate crop's

Make use of all area available

Planning improvements and changes to your home garden requires some thinking. Deciding what you want to do depends on your situation, such as soil type, sloping land, and how much time and money you have available. Your wife or husband and maybe a friend should participate in the planning. Also ask your agricultural extension agent for technical advice to help you make the right decisions.

STEP 3: SELECT TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS

Choose those technology options in Table 2 that meet your needs and situation. Note that you can choose either a single technology option or a combination of several options, depending on the type of land and resources that you have.

Using the home garden map, identify where the technology options should be located. The technology options sometimes overlap, for example Living fences (Home Garden Technology Leaflet 10) are useful around an Intensive Vegetable Square (Home Garden Technology Leaflet 12). Walk around the home garden with the map and try to imagine how the technology options you have selected will fit together into a system.

TABLE 2

Technology options in the Home Garden Technology Leaflets

Leaflet number

Technology option

Leaflet number

Technology option

3

Growing plants for daily nutrition

10

Living fences

4

Planting crops for a continuous food supply

11

Multiple cropping

5

Soil improvement

12

Intensive vegetable square

6

Use of sloping land

13

Multilayer cropping

7

Cover cropping

14

Growing fruit- and nut- trees

8

Using wetland

15

Home garden nursery

9

Safe and effective crop protection

    

Each of these technology options are briefly described in the respective leaflets, and you can probably recognize many of them in the home gardens and farmed land of your village. For more detailed information and advice, ask your agricultural extension agent or a neighbour who has a well-developed home garden.

Use the map as a vision of the garden you want to create. Everyone who works in the garden, including advisers, should refer to the map. In this way it is easier to ensure that each step in the completion of the garden is thought about, discussed and understood.

Figure 1 Example of home garden map with different technology options

Home garden technology leaflet 3 :Growing plants for daily nutrition

Nutrition is about all the aspects of food and how it is used in the body. Most people eat because they are hungry. However, while the feeling of hunger tells you to eat, it does not tell you what to eat. This leaflet gives a brief description of some of the main nutrients that make up food, why each nutrient is needed and which kinds of home garden foods provide healthy meals.

FOOD IS MADE UP OF A COMBINATION OF NUTRIENTS

Food is made up of nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Nutrients are needed for energy (working and playing), for growth (building and maintaining the body) and for protection against infection.

Many foods contain several nutrients; for example, rice, groundnuts and soybeans contain carbohydrates and fats for energy, protein for body building and small amounts of vitamins and minerals for protection. Green leafy vegetables such as pumpkin leaves and orange fruits are very rich sources of vitamins A and C for protection. Animal foods such as fish, chicken and eggs are also rich sources of nutrients, especially protein and carbohydrates, and some vitamins and minerals.

NUTRIENTS ARE NEEDED TO KEEP THE BODY HEALTHY

Plants require certain types and quantities of nutrients in the course of their life to keep them alive and healthy. In the same way, people need a sufficient variety of nutrients from conception to old age. Small children and pregnant or lactating mothers, especially, must have enough nutritious food to ensure proper growth, mental development and health.

It is essential to eat a variety of plant foods every day in order to remain healthy and well-nourished. Also, animal foods such as fish, chicken and eggs should be eaten as often as they are available. Table 1 (p. 120) shows a list of foods and the nutrient in which they are particularly rich.

MAKE A KITCHEN GARDEN TO PROVIDE A VARIETY OF FOODS

The easiest way to get a variety of nutritious foods on a daily basis is from a kitchen garden (Figure 1, p. 120). Located near the kitchen, the garden can be watered and fertilized with kitchen wastes very easily. When a mother is preparing a meal, she need only take a few steps outside to pick herbs, green leaves, spices, vegetables or fruits from the garden.

EAT A VARIETY OF NUTRITIOUS FOODS EVERY DAY

Green leaves, vegetables or orange and yellow fruit and vegetables should be eaten every day. Most fruit and vegetables taste better and are more nutritious when they are fresh. Children especially like ripe fruits. These taste better because they are full of sugars and vitamins. Beware, however, because soft, ripe fruits (e.g. papaya) and tender green leaves are easily damaged on a trip to or from the market. Handle and wrap produce carefully and store it in a cool place.

TABLE 1

Nutrients from home garden foods

Energy

Protein

Fat

Vitamin A

Vitamin C

Avocado

Cashew nut

Avocado

Fruit

Cashew fruit

Banana

Cowpea

Cashew nut

Banana

  

Breadfruit

Eggs

Coconut milk

Bitter cucumber

Custard apple

Canna root

Fish

Coconut oil

Canistel

Guava

Cashew nut

Groundnut

Groundnut

Mango (ripe)

Litchi

Cassava

Koro bean

Milk

Papaya (ripe)

Longan

Coconut flesh

Long bean

Butter (ghee, etc.)

Pumpkin

Mango

Coconut oil

Meat

    

Papaya (ripe)

Groundnut

Milk

  

Leaves

Pineapple

Jackfruit

Mung bean

  

Amaranth

Rambutan

Maize

Pigeon pea

  

Bitter cucumber

Soursop

Rice

Sesbania grandiflora

  

Cassava

Tomato

Sugar cane

Soybean

  

Drumstick tree

  

Sweet potato

Wing bean

  

Gnetum gnemon

  

Taro root

    

Papaya

  

Yam

    

Pumpkin

  
     

Katuk (Sauropus sp.)

  
     

String bean

  
     

Sweet potato

  
     

Taro

  
     

Water spinach

  

Figure 1 A kitchen garden

PREPARE A NUTRITIOUS MEAL FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Start with a common starchy staple food (e.g. rice) and combine it with one or more foods from each of the various food groups shown in Figure 2.

FIGURE 2 Family mixed meal guide

The guide shows how you add foods to the staple. Try to add one or more foods from each part of the guide. From the left: legumes and/or food from animals; from the right: fruit and/ or vegetables; from above: some energy-rich foods; from below: some flavouring foods.

Home garden technology leaflet 4: Planting crops for a continuous food supply

YEAR-ROUND FOOD SUPPLY

Every family should have access to enough nutritious food to ensure that all its members stay active and healthy. Food can be produced on the family's land or bought with money from sales of crops, or earned from an off-farm job. However, the best security is a home garden which always produces food for home consumption year round.

SAVE CASH BY GROWING YOUR FOOD

Many villages are located at some distance from towns and markets. Food supplies coming from outside are often expensive and difficult to transport, especially if heavy rain has flooded or damaged roads. A well-developed home garden can supply sufficient food for consumption on a daily basis. Growing your food at home saves money and effort and ensures a regular supply of food when roads are cut off. Table 1 (p. 124) is a guide to the minimum plantings that are needed for regular daily harvests.

SELL EXCESS FOR CASH

Off-farm employment can provide cash income. However, it is not a reliable source of income. Activities such as road construction and tree felling are available for a limited period of time only. Your home garden can provide cash from sales of crops such as fruit, vegetables and processed foods made from soybean, cassava and coconut year round.

AVOID TOTAL CROP LOSS THROUGH PLANT DIVERSITY

Farm crops are sometimes ruined by wild animals, drought, flood, pests or diseases, especially if they are in a monocropping system. Crop diversity in the home garden reduces the spread of plant diseases and ensures that many food plants survive even if there is a flood or drought. Root crops, fruit- and nut-trees should be interplanted with staple food crops, legumes and vegetables. Crops that take longer to mature are mixed with shorter-maturing plants in the multiple cropping method of farming. Fill the home garden by mixing plants of different heights for multilayer cropping, and use all available areas, even swamp or slopes. For more information, see Home Garden Technology Leaflets 6, 8, 11 and 13.

HOME GARDEN FOOD RESERVES

It is very important to have reserves of food or money (or both) so that your family can live through emergencies or special occasions. For example, if you fall sick and cannot work or your staple food crop is ruined somehow, you may need to raise some money quickly.

Fruit-trees can give a continuous supply of food throughout the year or in different seasons. Find out the harvest times of different fruits in your area and plant in such a way as to have fruit all year.

Root crops are living food stores which can be left in the ground until you need them. Many also provide nutritious leaves (e.g. cassava, sweet potato, amaranth).

Chickens and other animals can be fed on household scraps and home garden plants. You can keep them for sale or for eating when you need to.

TABLE 1

Suggested minimum target plantings for the home garden

Crop

Minimum number

Frequency / Every three months

Root crops

    

Sweet potato

100

+

Taro

150

+

Yam

50

+

Cassava

300

+

Legumes

    

Groundnut

600

+

Soybean

600

+

Mung bean

600

+

Long bean or French bean

    

Vegetable crops

    

50

  

+ (upland)

Water spinach

  

+

Pumpkin

4

+

Amaranth

25

+

Rape or jute

50

  

Katuk (Sauropus sp.)

100

  

Cassava leaves

100

  

Fruit

    

Papaya

5

  

Coconut

1 5

  

Banana

1 5

  

Jacktruit

5

  

Guava

5

  

Citrus

5

  

Spices and medicinal plants

    

Lemon grass

5

  

Chili

5

+

Slack pepper

10

+

Garlic or onion

20

+

Ginger

10

+

TABLE 2

Suggested crop locations In the home garden

Plants for moist areas

Plants that cover the soil

Taro

Gourd

Water spinach

Vine legumes

Sugar cane

Sweet potato

Banana

  

Lemon grass

  

Plants to grow on a trellis

Plants as living fences

Wing bean

Leucaena

Koro bean

Drumstick tree

Long bean

Sesbania sp.

Pumpkin

Cassava

Gourd

Pineapple

Passionfruit

Lemon grass

Yam

Gliricidia sp.

Pepper

  

Bitter cucumber

  

Plants to grow under a trellis (shade)

  

Most leafy plants

  

Some root crops, e.g. taro, sweet potato

  

Home garden technology leaflet 5: Soil improvement

WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN SOIL?

Good soil is essential for a good harvest. Soil must have all the nutrients necessary for plant growth, and a structure that keeps plants firm and upright. The soil structure must hold enough air and water for plant roots, but must allow excess water to drain away.

THE LIVING SOIL SYSTEM

Most nutrients are naturally recycled from the soil through plant roots and back to the soil through fallen leaves and other organic matter. Worms, insects and tiny organisms such as fungi feed on organic matter and change it into humus which makes topsoil dark and gives it a good structure. Humus is quickly lost or washed away if the soil is left exposed. Subsoil is usually less fertile.

FIGURE 1 Topsoil is the best part

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL

Some soil is naturally fertile (such as river plain soil or volcanic soil) but, in many places, the soil is naturally infertile or has lost nutrients through clearing, regular burning or continuous cropping without the application of fertilizer. Some features of common soil types are shown in Table I (p. 128). To grow good crops, a farmer must improve soil fertility and structure.

TABLE 1

Common soil types and treatments

Soil type

Features

Methods of improvement

Sand

- Poor structure

- Regularly add organic matter and fertilizer, use green manure crops

 

- Poor fertility

  
 

- Cannot hold water

  

Silt

- Poor structure

- Add coarse organic matter

 

- Good fertility

  

Clay

- Dries hard

- Add organic matter, compost and gypsum

 

- Holds too much water

  

Acid subsoil

- Subsoil layer is toxic to some plants

- Keep soil inundated (rice paddy)

   

- Grow shallow-rooted plants (vegetables)

   

- Apply ground limestone (3 kg/10 m2)

PLANT NUTRITION

Good crops will only grow if there are enough nutrients in the soil. Table 2 shows the three main chemical nutrients that plants need.

TABLE 2

Nutrients and their functions

Nutrient

Function

Deficiency symptoms

Sources

Nitrogen (N)

Growth in leaves and stems

Pale green or yellow leaves

Urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium phosphate (MAP or DHAP), NPK or other nitrate fertilizer

 

Green colour and pest/disease resistance

Poor growth

  
   

Leaf fall

Animal waste

   

Pest problems

Compost

     

Green manure crops

Phosphorus (P)

Beans, seeds and fruit(early maturity)

Stunted growth

Superphosphate, MAP, DHAP, NPK

 

Root formation

Diseases

Chichen manure

 

Drought resistance

Poor formation of side shoots and flowers

Ash Ground animal bones

Potassium (K)

Strong roots and stems

Curled, wrinkled or burnt leaves

Potassium chloride (muriate of potash), potassium nitrate, NPK

 

Fat seeds and fruits

Uneven ripening

Ash

 

Helps move nutrients around the plant

Poor growth

  
     

Manure

     

Banana leaves and stems

     

Maize cobs

     

Compost

HOW TO MANAGE SOIL FERTILITY

Some chemical nutrients in the soil are stable (e.g. phosphorus) while others are quickly lost or consumed (e.g. nitrogen). A farmer needs to make a basic application of enough nutrients to start a garden and then maintain the supply of nutrients by regular applications as the crops grow. Poor soil will become productive if properly managed. Manure and compost are needed to improve soil structure while chemical fertilizer is needed for a higher production. The general method is to dig compost, organic matter, manure or chemical fertilizer into the soil just prior to planting. This is the basic application. After planting, apply small amounts of manure, compost or chemical fertilizer alongside plants about every two weeks until harvest.

Fertilizer

The quickest way to put plant foods into the soil is to use chemical or mineral fertilizers containing one or more of the three chemical nutrients needed by plants (see Table 2). Fertilizers can wash away quickly so do not apply them too early before planting. Fertilizers cost money and are very concentrated so you only need to apply about one handful for every 4 m2. Never put fertilizer in a heap too close to a plant or it may burn the roots or stem of the plant. It is better to spread the fertilizer out and lightly mix it into the soil surface.

Compost

Compost is easy to make and does not cost anything if you have the time, some space in your garden and access to materials such as animal and kitchen waste, leaves and grasses. Compost pits are common but they take time to dig and nutrients are lost in the ground below the pit. It is better to make a compost heap. Make the compost in layers and add kitchen refuse every day. Turn or mix the compost heap every month to help it rot and break down. It takes three to four months to become dark and ready to use. Keep the heap in place with logs, banana stems or bricks around the edge.

Figure 2 Example of a compost heap

FIGURE 3 Hedgerow use

Green manure and compost crops

Another way to feed the soil is to grow green manure crops and dig them into the soil after cutting. These crops are also very good for compost, especially legume plants (such as leucaena, Flemingia sp. pigeon pea and centre) which collect nitrogen. Legume trees such as leucaena can be grown above or near the food crops and their branches occasionally pruned off and left on the ground as manure. Low legume plants can be planted with a food crop to help improve the soil and keep out weeds.

TABLE 3

Green manure crops

Hedgerow green manure crops

Green manure/compost cover crops

Leucaena

Grasses

Flemingia sp.

Centro (Centrosema sp.)

Gliricidia sp.

Puero (Pueraria sp.)

Pigeon pea (Cajanus sp.)

Water hyacinth (swamp)

Guinea grass

  

Setaria sp.

  

Using compost and manure

Manure can be dried in the shade (for example under a stable) and stored for later use. Fresh manure may burn plants if placed too close. Compost is best when it is crumbly like forest litter and not heavy or sticky. Compost and manure can be mixed into the soil in a hole before planting a tree or dug into a garden before planting vegetables or food crops. A compost trench (Figure 4) is useful for a row of new crops or for feeding established crops. Compost and manure can be sprinkled on the soil surface, but it is better if it is protected from full sunlight. Fully rotted compost is good to mix with sandy soil for use in a nursery.

Figure 4 Compost trenches

Mulch

Another way to feed the soil is using mulch, which protects soil from erosion and reduces weeds.

Mulch materials such as straw or green manure cuttings should be spread about 4 to 6 cm thick around plants.

Figure 5 Mulch

Home garden technology leaflet 6: Use of sloping land

All of the home garden area can be used to grow useful plants, but sloping land needs special care to keep the soil in good condition.

PREVENT EROSION

The best part of the soil is the dark layer of topsoil, which takes many years to develop.

Topsoil is rich in plant nutrients and beneficial soil organisms such as worms. Under the topsoil is the yellow or light brown subsoil which may be very acid and is harder for plants to grow in. Humus is a layer of rotting plant debris which feeds the topsoil. These two layers are lost easily through erosion by rain, wind, cultivation, foot traffic and by the ground being swept clean every day.

Figure 1 Topsoil is the best part

Cover the soil

Soil can be covered with mulch (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 5) or with living c over crops. Covering the soil reduces weeds and prevents the soil from washing away when it rains.

A straw mulch or humus layer also prevents soil from sticking to your feet and "walking" out of the garden, taking fertilizer and nutrients with it. Figure 2 (p. 134) shows how to use cover crops.

Figure 2 Cover cropping

Plant hedgerows

Hedgerows planted horizontally across the slope stop rainwater from moving fast over the soil and carrying off the topsoil. Figure 3 shows how to use hedgerows while useful plants for cover crops and hedgerows are shown in Table 1.

Figure 3 Hedgerows

TABLE 1

Cover crops and hedgerow plants

Cover crops

Hedgerow plants

Food crops

Food hedgerows

Sweet potato

Pineapple

Water spinach

Salak

Pumpkin, cucumber, melon

Lemon grass

Cassava

  

Other

Multipurpose trees

Grasses

Pigeon pea (Cajanus sp.)

Puero (Pueraria sp.)

Cailiandra sp.

Centro (Centrosema sp.)

Flemingia sp.

Stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis)

Leucaena

Calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides)

Sesbania grandiflora

Mucuna sp (lives 4-7 months)

  

Cowpea

  

Make barriers to catch soil

Logs, banana stems and horizontal channels (Figure 4) catch soil when it moves down hill. Paths wear down quickly, and sloping paths should have wooden steps, otherwise steps cut into the soil may be washed away by floods.

Figure 4 Channels and barriers

Terraces

Terraces can be found in many home gardens. The most important thing is to protect the sloping part of the terrace by planting grasses or hedgerow crops, otherwise the terraces will slide downwards with erosion. When making a terrace, keep it flat by using an A-frame (see Figure

5). Terraces are an excellent long-term way of increasing the cultivated area of a home garden.

Figure 5 Terraces

Do not attempt to start making terraces by yourself if you have not had previous experience. It is advisable to ask the agricultural extension workers in your village or a neighbour who has constructed terraces before to show you what to do.

Home garden technology leaflet 7: Cover cropping

COVER THE SOIL

Covering the soil reduces weeds and prevents the soil from washing away when it rains. Erosion of the humus layer and topsoil from your home garden greatly reduces crop growth and yield at harvest. Soil can be covered with living cover crops or with mulch (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 5). Cover cropping is the long-term technique for weed control in the home garden. Mulching is a short-term technique to keep weeds from getting established.

How cover crops work

By covering the soil with trailing vines and leaves, cover crops shade the soil surface and protect it from the impact of falling rain which wears away the soil. A dense mat of cover crop provides strong competition against any weed seed which finds its way into the crop. The competition and the shade make the cover crop the winner over most weeds. For example, cowpea will climb up and smother alang-alang.

Figure 1: Vegetable cover crops

Figure 2 Cover cropping between tree crops

Two kinds of cover crops

Food plants can be used as cover crops (see examples in Table I). Many other plants can act in the same way. For example, taro plants can be planted close together to become a cover, especially in wet or swampy areas. Another method is multiple cropping (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 11) where different food crops are planted together, covering the soil.

Most other kinds of cover crops (grasses and creeping legumes) are not food crops. Legumes have friendly bacteria in their roots which provide nitrogen nutrient for the soil. Both grasses and legumes can be cut for green manure (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 5), although legumes should not be cut very close to the ground.

TABLE 1

Cover crops

Cover crops

Establishment and care

Food crops

  

Sweet potato

- Feed these with compost to help growth of cover and food parts

Water spinach

- Most of these can be interplanted with other food crops

Pumpkin, cucumber, melon

  

Other

  

Grasses

- Grasses: Uproot a clump and split it into pieces (splits) that include roots and leaves. Plant about 30 cm apart (closer for mall grasses like Manila grass)

Komak

  

Puero (Pueraria sp.)

- Broadcast legume seeds or dig them 2 cm into the soil 30-50 cm apart. Hard, dry seeds may need to be scarified before planting

Centro (Centrosema sp.)

  

Stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis)

  

Calopo (Calopogonium mucunoides)

  

Mucuna sp. (lives 4-7 months)

  

Cowpea

  

How to establish a cover crop

For a food cover crop such as sweet potato or pumpkin, you need to cultivate the soil and mix in some rich compost to feed the growth of the crop. Weeding will need to be done once or twice in the first month until the crop is established.

Plant sweet potato and water spinach using 12 to 20 cm vine cuttings (best with roots), placing them upright or angled with 10 cm of the cutting buried in the soil. Water spinach can also be grown from seed planted I cm deep. The top 2 cm of a sweet potato tuber with shoot buds can also be planted in the same way.

Sweet potato cuttings about 30 cm long (with roots) or the tops of the tuber (with shoot buds) are planted about 30 cm apart. It is best to plant the sweet potato in rows and to dig in a compost trench under the row before planting to help the tubers grow.

For pumpkin, plant three or four seeds for each planting hole. Mix in two handfuls of compost per hole and place the seeds 4 cm deep. Pumpkins should be planted about I m apart to make a good cover crop.

Pumpkin, cucumber and melon are grown only from seed, planted 2 cm deep.

Legume cover crops such as cow pea will not usually require weeding and can survive without compost on reasonable soil. Ask your extension agent for advice on where to get planting materials and how to treat seeds.

Figure 3 Planting sweet potato cuttings

Home garden technology leaflet 8: Using wetland

Low-lying and swampy land can be very productive for many crops, including rice. In a home garden, even a very small area of wetland, such as the banks of a drain, can be used for growing food all year.

THE SURJAN SYSTEM

Management of water is the key to home garden development in low-lying areas prone to flooding. Soils that flood frequently can be made more productive with good water drainage. Figure I shows a home garden using the "surjan" system, which is made by digging soil from wide water channels and piling it up into flattened mounds (beds). In the channels, wet rice, wet taro and water spinach can be grown, sometimes together with fish. On the raised beds, annual food plants and/or tree crops, especially citrus, can be grown.

Figure 1 Surjan system

THE SWAMP GARDEN AND FISH POND

Where there is a gully or small creek, a pond can be dug out and allowed to fill with water. If it is necessary to make a small dam, use clayey soil (subsoil) in the dam wall because topsoil and any organic matter, such as sticks and plant stems, will let water through. Also make sure there is an overflow channel which guides water around the dam wall if there is very heavy rain and the pond floods. Without an overflow channel the dam wall may weaken and collapse.

Cover the banks of the pond or channel with useful crops (see Table I, p. 142) to prevent the soil from washing into the pond and to make use of the land. Depending on the water depth, set some plants in the bottom of the pond. Climbing plants, especially pumpkin and gourds, can be grown on a trellis over the pond to shade the water and keep it cool.

TABLE 1

Some useful wetland plants

Plants

Use

Water spinach

Edible stems and leaves

Taro

Edible leaves and root bulbs

Lotus

Edible leaf stems, root bulbs and seeds

Banana

Fruit, leaves for packaging

Rice

Grain

Water hyacinth

Compost

Ginger

Edible leaves

Sugar cane

Stems

Lemon grass

Leaves for flavouring

Fish such as tilapia and nila will grow well feeding on tiny organisms in the mud at the bottom, but they must also be fed daily with soft green leaves such as cassava. Growing plants such as water spinach in the pond will provide a place for the fish to hide from the sun or from predators.

Figure 2 Fish pond and swamp land

Home garden technology leaflet 9: Safe and effective crop protection

WHAT ARE PESTS AND DISEASES?

A good farmer must know how to manage pests and diseases of crops and, to do this, he or she must understand what pests and diseases are. The first skill to learn is how to recognize what kind of pest or disease is causing the problem. Here are some simple points to remember:

TABLE 1

Some common pests and diseases in Southeast Asian home gardens

Pests or disease

Plants attacked

Symptoms

Controls

Root rot (Pythium sp. or Phytophthora sp.) (Fungus)

Papaya and many others

Wilting

Plant in well-drained soil

   

Collapse of plant

Do not replant where root rot has occurred

   

Rotten roots and stem

Avoid introducing root rot in contaminated soil

Bacterial wilt (Pseudomonas solanaceraum)

Ginger, tomato and many others

Wilting and yellowing of leaves

Plant only disease-free seed

   

Blackening inside stem

Do not replant with susceptible crops

     

Plant a legume crop

     

Burn affected plants

Mosaic virus

Papaya

Yellow, stunted leaves

Destroy affected plants

     

Plant only disease-free seed

Mealybug and scale insects (various species)

Citrus and many others

Wilting

Wipe insects off plants by hand

   

Wax-covered insects on stems

Spray with appropriate pesticide or light oil

     

Encourage ladybird insect predators

Tomato grub (Heliothis sp.)

Many vegetables and maize

Holes in fruit

Remove and kill caterpillars

     

Use appropriate pesticide

GOOD FARMING PRACTICES PREVENT PROBLEMS

There are important and simple ways to help plants stay healthy and productive.

PHYSICAL CONTROL METHODS

The safest way to avoid pest and disease problems is to practice good garden hygiene. Remove and burn plants affected by diseases before the disease spreads. Dead branches, fallen fruit and tall, dense weeds can house pests and diseases. Remove and burn or compost materials where pests and diseases live and breed. Keep the compost heap away from growing vegetables. Do not replant the same kind of crop in the same place; plant a different kind of crop instead (read more about this in Home Garden Technology Leaflets 11, Multiple cropping and 12, Intensive vegetable square).

NATURAL PESTICIDES AND DETERRENTS

There are many household items which can deter insects. Sucking insects such as aphids can be deterred by sprinkling ash over the insects. They are usually on the underside of leaves. Ash sprinkled around the base of plants can deter some crawling insects. Soapy water poured or sprayed over sucking insects can also be effective. Slugs and other pests can be trapped in a hall: buried bottle with a little beer remaining in the bottom. Coffee grounds will deter many insects.

Certain plants are known to repel many types of insect, and some farmers plant these as companions to food crops. Garlic, marigold and lemon grass are some of these plants.

Some farmers know how to prepare natural pesticides from extracts of certain plants, seeds or fruit which can be mixed with water and sprayed on to plants. Some common examples in Southeast Asia are tobacco, neem fruits, rotenone and oil from citrus skin. In general, a farmer must experiment a little to find an effective solution which is easy to prepare. Do not forget that these natural pesticides can also be poisonous to animals and humans. Follow the same safety rules as with chemical pesticides.

SAFE USE OF CHEMICAL PESTICIDES

Occasionally, the use of chemical pesticides is the best method of pest and disease control. Many different pesticides are widely available. They cost money, however, and while they are powerful, they may be ineffective and dangerous if used incorrectly. Using them in a home garden is not the same as using them in a field situation such as a rice paddy. Always read the label on pesticide packages and respect the following rules for safe and effective use of pesticides:

Home garden technology leaflet 10: Living fences

PROTECTION WITH PRODUCTION

Food crops need protection from animals and sometimes from people. The idea behind a living fence is that certain plants make good fences and at the same time produce useful things for people, for livestock and for soil improvement. Table I lists some plants for making living fences. Some people make good fences using living plants as well as wood or bamboo poles. In most villages there are home gardens with living fences which can be good examples to follow.

TABLE 1

Plants for living fences

Plants

Notes

- Gliricidia sp., Leucaena sp., Sesbania sp., drumstick tree

- Leaves are useful for animal fodder it cut regularly at 1.5 m from ground

Salak, pineapple, pandanus

Plant in double rows:

Cassava, katuk (Sauropus sp.)

Plant 5 cm apart and strengthen the fence with bamboo strips

Goats usually roam free in the village but they can cause much damage in the home garden. Fences should be erected around vegetable areas and food crops. A living fence of lamtoro (Leucaena sp.) planted close together and bound with strips of bamboo will keep them out at the same time as providing them with fodder. Another kind of fence can be made with sticks of cassava bound with bamboo strips.

Figure 1 Living fences with edible leaves

Wild pigs are smart and they particularly like root crops. One way to deter pigs is with a thick fence of plants that have spines or thorns, such as salak, pineapple or pandanus.

Figure 2 Salak fence

Figure 3 Pandanus around young coconut

Chickens are usually left free to scavenge for food, including insects and seeds, but they will also strip leaves from plants and seriously damage vegetables and young plants.

Figure 4 Plant cassava or use bamboo or other sticks around plants

Figure 5 Protect root crops by placing coconut around the base of the plant

Home garden technology leaflet 11: Multiple cropping

CONTINUOUS SUPPLY

Overlapping the planting times of several different crops in the same place will provide a year-round supply of food crops and vegetables. In large-scale farming, monocropping is common because of the ease of planting and harvesting, but there are problems of weeds and pest attack. Multiple cropping has been practiced for food crops in many countries and is useful in the home garden.

DIVERSITY GIVES HEALTHY PLANTS

Growing different crops together minimizes pest problems and makes efficient use of soil nutrients. Legumes (such as beans) will provide some nitrogen nutrient to other crops such as maize or tomato when planted together. Some plants such as chili, garlic and marigold flowers can keep certain pests away from neighbouring plants. These companion plants and others can be mixed into or around a planted area.

INTERPLANTING AND ROTATION PLANTING

Plants belonging to the same family should not be planted repeatedly in exactly the same place for more than two years, otherwise pests and diseases will build up in the soil. Table I shows some of the family groups of plants for rotating around the garden; for example they may be replanted in the next row. It is best to plant legumes before crops of the other families (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 12 for more information). Cassava, maize and other food crops can be inter planted between other crops.

TABLE 1

Vegetables in the same family

Family

Solanaceae

Cucurbitaceae

Leguminosae

Tomato

Cucumber

Groundnut

Chili

Pumpkin

Soybean

Eggplant

Squash

Long bean

Sweet pepper (Capsicum sp.)

Bitter cucumber

Centro (Centrosema sp.)

Sweet potato

Melon

Cowpea

Water spinach

    

INTERPLANTING WITH TREES

Tree crops such as coconut, citrus and cinnamon can be planted 6 to 10 m apart. The area in between is good for other crops such as coffee or cocoa, but especially for regular interplanting of annual food crops (e.g. groundnuts, maize, cassava) or vegetables. Monocrop tree crops such as oil palm can be interplanted for the first five to six years, after which they can be underplanted with cover crops.

Figure 1 Interplanting

FOOD CROP PLANTING SEQUENCES

The sequence of crops planted should follow the changes in season during the year, especially rainy seasons. As a guide for home gardens where hand watering supplements rainfall, crops should be planted in beds or rows according to the example sequences in Table 2. In the dry season, leaf crops should be planted in the shade and crops such as mung bean and cassava in beds that are watered less frequently.

TABLE 2

Examples of crop sequences

Bed

Month

 

8

9

10

11

12

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1

--Maize-

##### Soybean ###

----Maize---

 

#### Groundnut ##

==== Tomato ===

# Mung bean #

2

>>>Long bean >>>>

==Sweet potato ===

>>>Long bean>>>

==Sweet potato

3

+++ Pumpkin +++

### Soybean ###

++ Pumpkin ++

 

:::: Cassava::::

Home garden technology leaflet 12: Intensive vegetable square

SETTING UP THE VEGETABLE SQUARE

A small area of 30 to 40 m2 can provide a household with fresh vegetables all year. The idea is to grow different kinds of vegetables one after another on well-fertilized beds.

Step 1

Mark out the square into four planting beds, about I m wide and 5 m long. The beds should be as wide as you can easily manage, leaving some room for paths in between.

Step 2

Cultivate the soil in the beds down to at least 20 cm. Break up the soil with the back of a hoe until it is fine and loose. Mix in about 5 kg of good compost per square metre of bed and add some fine topsoil to raise the level of the bed to about 20 cm above the path.

Step 3

Now you are ready to plant. Make a fence around the vegetable square to keep out wandering animals before any seedlings come up.

Figure 1 A vegetable square system

CHOICE OF CROPS

Choose crops that will provide good daily nutrition (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 3) and that the family likes to eat. Remember that tall and ground-level plants can be grown together in a multilayer system, such as long bean on poles above cucumber, or eggplant above sweet potato. Plan the schedule of planting according to the growing time for each type of vegetable (see Table 1). Plant vegetables that can be harvested together in the same place. Alternatively, plant fruit vegetables (e.g. tomato, eggplant, maize, chili, cucumber) with leaf and root vegetables (such as water spinach, amaranth, taro, cassava) so that the fruit vegetables can be harvested without disturbing the leaf and root vegetables.

TABLE 1

Planting details for selected vegetable crops

   

Spacing

  

Crop

Depth for seed or cutting (mm)

Between plants (cm)

Between rows (cm)

Harvest (days after panting

Amaranth

5

8

25

25 60

Long bean

25

50

100'

From 70

Tomato

10

60

45

From 100

Eggplant

10

45

75

From 100

Pumpkin

20

150

150

100

Cucumber

20

200

150

80

Mustard**

5

15

15

40

Celery

5

15

20

25-45

Sweet potato

100

10

75

20 (leaves) 100 (roots)

Water spinach

20

15

30

From 45

Okra

15

45

60

60-90

*Distance between 2.5 m supporting poles.

**Brassica juncea.

PLANTING

Small seeds (e.g. tomato, mustard, cabbage and amaranth) should be sprinkled in a row, covered lightly, and the seedlings thinned out after they emerge. Alternatively, they can be germinated in a seed bed or nursery and transplanted as seedlings to the garden bed. Larger seeds (beans, pumpkin) can be planted directly into the garden bed. Seedlings may require shade from direct sun in the first week if there are no trees around the vegetable square. A coconut frond supported by sticks will provide good shade. After seedlings emerge, the bed should be covered with mulch to protect the soil from becoming too hot and drying out the plants. Mulch will also reduce weeds.

TABLE 2

Vegetables in the same family

Family

Solanaceae

Cucurbitaceae

Legurninosse

Tomato

Cucumber

Groundnut

Chili

Pumpkin

Soybean

Eggplant

Squash

Long bean

Sweet pepper (Capsicum sp.)

Bitter cucumber

Centro (Centrosema sp.)

 

Melon

  

REPLANTING

Plants of the same family should not be planted repeatedly in exactly the same place for more than two years, otherwise pests and diseases will build up in the soil. Table 2 shows some of the main groups of plants that should be planted in another bed after one or two growing seasons. It is best to plant legumes before crops of the other families because they increase nitrogen nutrients in the soil (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 11).

Home garden technology leaflet 13: Multilayer cropping

NATURAL FOREST

The multilayer structure of natural forest is built up over many years. There are tall trees, medium sized trees and shrubs, climbing vines and leafy shade plants in the shade. This layered structure uses all the sun light available for plant growth, thereby reducing weeds, and keeps the soil healthy.

LONG-TERM CROPPING SYSTEM

In the home garden, the layers can be filled with plants that are of daily use to the household. This system mixes plants with short, medium and long terms before maturity and harvest, similar to multiple cropping (see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 11). Figures I and 2 show some ideas for designing parts of the home garden using a system of mixed planting. Plants for different levels are shown in Table 1 (p. 158).

Figure 1 Heights of plants

Figure 2 A multilayer cropping system

TABLE 1

Crops for different layers

Crop

Layer

Coconut

Canopy or ceiling

Breadfruit

  

Durian

  

Jackfruit

Upper middle layer

Jambu

  

Rambutan

  

Clove

  

Cashew nut

  

Banana

  

Coffee

Lower middle layer

Papaya

  

Cocoa

  

Soursop

  

Pigeon pea

  

Taro

Lower layer

Turmeric

  

Ginger

  

Chili

  

Lemon grass

  

Sweet potato

Ground layer

Cucumber

  

Pumpkin

Climbers

Bitter cucumber

  

Yam

  

Pepper

  

Long bean

  

Passionfruit

  

TRELLIS

The construction of a frame for climbing plants allows the area underneath to be planted. The roof of a stable can also be used' for example.

Figure 3 Trellis systems

Home garden technology leaflet 14: Growing fruit- and nut-trees

THE BENEFITS OF FRUIT- AND NUT-TREES

Fruit- and nut-trees are special in the home garden because, unlike vegetables, they will produce for many years. Fruits and nuts are good sources of vitamins, minerals, fats and oils and protein. Fruit is a good snack food for children. Trees are also useful for shade, timber and as a support for climbing plants such as yam, pepper or passionfruit. A selection of different kinds of tree will produce fruit at different times of the year, so the availability of food is spread out.

Where to plant fruit- and nut-trees

All plants grow best where the conditions suit them. Trees occupy the middle and upper layers of the garden and most of them prefer full sunlight. Crops can be planted underneath or between fruit-trees to maximize garden production (see also Home Garden Technology Leaflet 13, Multilayer cropping).

Trees can be grown on a range of soil types because they are able to find nutrients and water deep in the soil. Most fruit-trees do not tolerate wetland (banana is an exception). On wetland, dig out canals and use the soil to make raised beds between the canals. Plant fruit-trees (such as citrus) on the raised beds.

Young trees will grow faster if they are sheltered from strong winds or salty winds from the sea. Flowers and fruit can also be knocked off trees such as sugar apple, mango and citrus by too much wind. However, some fruit- and nut-trees such as jackfruit, tamarind and coconut can be planted as living fences and as shelter for other crops.

Figure 1 Shelter for young trees

FACTORS IN TREE SELECTION

When selecting seedling or grafted varieties of fruit-trees for a home garden, study the characteristics of the tree's parents. Always choose healthy-looking trees with straight roots if buying from a nursery. Some things to consider are:

- Time of harvest season. Is there fruit all year or only once a year'? Is this a time when other food is plentiful or in short supply'?

- Size, taste, texture and use of fruit. Will the tree suit the conditions in your garden'? Can you grow crops under it or will the leaves block out too much light?

- Tree shape and size. Does the variety have strong branches or do they hang down and put the fruit too close to the ground? Will the fruit be easy to harvest?

- Disease and pest resistance. Find out if there are any pests and diseases and how to manage them. Choose tree varieties which are known to be resistant to local pests and diseases.

PROPAGATION

Propagating fruit- and nut-trees requires special skills and experience and is best left to farmers who have fruit-tree nurseries. Other farmers can buy trees from the nursery after studying the characteristics of each variety. Buying trees reduces the risk and delay involved in growing your own (for more information see Home Garden Technology Leaflet 15, Home garden nursery). The best trees to buy are carefully selected and grafted, which means that they will be true copies of their mother plant. Grafted trees or trees grown from cuttings often have special names for each variety. For example, some well-known mango varieties are Kayu Manis (Indonesia), Nam Dorkmai (Thailand) and Carabao (Philippines).

PLANTING

Taking special care when planting seedlings or grafted trees will help them to establish quickly and safely. Tree roots should never be left exposed to sunlight or left where they will dry out. Dig a hole almost twice as deep as the length of the roots on the seedling and mix a generous amount of compost and a little fertilizer into the soil at the bottom of the hole. While holding the plant in the middle of the hole, fill the hole with soil and more compost (Figure 2). If the area is wet, plant the tree in a mound of soil higher than the general soil surface. If the area is dry, plant the tree in a basin, lower than the surrounding soil.

Figure 2 Tree planting

SPACING BETWEEN TREES

Plant trees with enough space between them to minimize competition. Look at a mature specimen of the tree you want to plant to get an idea of the spacing. For example, in Figure 3 a citrus tree's branches spread 1.5 m from one side to the other. This kind of citrus tree should, therefore, be planted with at least 1.5 m spacing. Many fruit-trees develop feeder roots close to the soil surface which can compete with other crops, so trees should be planted further apart when crops will be planted underneath.

Figure 3 Tree spacing

PEST AND DISEASE CONTROL

Fruit-trees will be best prepared to fight pests and diseases if they are planted in conditions which suit them. Conditions include optimum light or shading, shelter, drainage and soil type. Many problems can be avoided if good farm hygiene is practiced: plant only healthy trees, remove and compost fallen or diseased fruit, prune out dead branches and do not bring soil from around infected plants into the garden. For more information, read Home Garden Technology Leaflet 9, Safe and effective crop protection.

TREK HUSBANDRY

Fruit-trees, like other plants and animals, will grow and produce better if they receive proper care.

Figure 4 Pruning

SUGGESTED TREKS: FRUITS, NUTS AND SPICES

Avocado

Persea americana Mill.

Banana

Musa acuminata

Breadfruit

Artocarpus altilis (Parkins.) Fosb.

Carambola, star fruit

Averrhoa carambola L.

Cashew nut

Anacardium occidentals L.

Citrus (many kinds)

Citrus spp.

Cocoa

Theabroma cacao L.

Coconut

Cocos nucifera L.

Coffee

Coffea arabica, C. robusta

Custard apple, sugar apple

Annona reticulate, A. squamosa L.

Durian

Durio zibethinus L.

Guava

Psidium guajava L.

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.

Litchi

Litchi chinensis Sonn.

Mango

Mangifera indica L.

Papaya

Carica papaya L.

Passionfruit

Passiflora edulis Deg.

Pill nut

Canarium ovatum Engl.

Pineapple

Ananas comosus Merr.

Rambutan

Nephelium lappaceum L.

Rose apple

Eugenia jambos L.

Salak

Salacca edulis Reinw.

Sapodilla, chico

Achras zopota L.

Soursop

Annona muricata L.

Tamarind

Tamarindus indica L.

Home garden technology leaflet 15: Home garden nursery

THE HOME GARDENS THE BEST PLACE FOR A NURSERY

A nursery in the home garden can be used to grow seedlings for all parts of the family farm areas. Locating the nursery within the home garden and close to the homestead means that seedlings and cuttings can receive regular watering and protection from pests and weed competition. For some plants, transplanted seedlings are more likely to survive in the field than those grown from directly sown seed. A nursery should always be well fenced to keep out animals.

TABLE 1

Uses of a nursery

Plant type

Activity

Vegetables

Grow seedlings in a seed bed before transplanting

 

Grow roots on cuttings before transplanting

Fruit-trees

Grow seedlings

 

Graft seedlings

Estate tree crop

Grow seedlings to a safe size for planting out

SEED BEDS AND SOWING

Large seeds such as beans and pumpkin are planted directly into the garden, but small seed such as lettuce, celery, tomato, coriander and rape should be germinated in seed beds and later transplanted to the garden bed.

The seed bed soil should be fine, with all sticks and stones taken out, and it should be raised about 15 cm above the surrounding area. Mix some sand into the soil to improve drainage and avoid seedling attack from fungus. Press the soil down hard with a flat board, then make shallow furrows in the soil. Sow the seed into the furrows then lightly cover the seed with soil. Make the soil firm by putting the board on the seeds and standing on it. Finally, put a thin mulch on the soil and water the seed bed.

Figure 1 A seed bed

Figure 2 Sowing seed

Figure 3 Transplanting vegetable seedlings

SEED PRODUCTION

The quality of seed determines the success of a vegetable crop. Hybrid seeds need high inputs. Seed quality deteriorates over a few generations so, every five years, change the source of seed to one outside your home garden. Only choose the best plants to keep for seed and remove any diseased or poor plants before flowering so that their bad characteristics are not inherited in the seed. Dry seed well (but do not overdry it) and store in airtight bags or containers protected from rats.

CUTTINGS

Growing plants from parts other than seed, such as stem or root pieces, is one way to make new plants. These cuttings should be taken from the best plants and kept in the nursery until new roots or shoots form (two to four weeks). Use a sharp knife to make your cuttings. Cuttings always need sandy soil for good drainage but they must be watered regularly to avoid their drying out. Plant them in a seed bed (Figure 1).

TABLE 2

Some plants obtained from cuttings

Plant

Part of plant

Sweet potato, water spinach, taro

15-20 cm vine cutting top of root with shoot buds

Seedless breadfruit

25 cm root, 2 cm thick, set almost flat in the seed bed with top end 3 cm above the soil

Pineapple

Side shoots

Katuk (Sauropus sp.)

15 cm stem cutting, set 5-10 cm in the soil, with leaves above the ground

CONTAINER GROWING

Plants with expensive seeds and those that take a long time to grow (such as oil palm) can be grown in containers such as poly bags or pots made from strips of banana leaf. Make sure the pot is big enough for the plant's roots to grow without becoming cramped. The plant will transplant better if the roots have been allowed to grow long and deep. Soil in the containers should include some compost or a little fertilizer to feed the growing plant.

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