Nutritional Gardening

Nutrition Gardening

Nutrition gardening is the deliberate practice of growing a wide variety of nutritious plants including vegetables, fruits, legumes, roots and herbs primarily to improve diet quality, health and food security.

It's not just about growing food it's about cultivating health from the soil up, for the people and the planet.

Nutrition gardening focuses on:

Diet diversity
Balanced meals
Micronutrient intake
Regular access to fresh foods

Nutrition gardening is usually:

Easy accessibility

CORE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION GARDENING

Diversity

Focuses on diversification in order to carter for all nutrional requirements and support the ecosystem.

Nutrition based crop selection

Crops are chosen based on nutritional value, dietary gaps and climate suitability.

Year round

Aims is to provide food throughtout the year.

Affordable local solutions

Relies of local seeds, organic fertilizers and pesticides.

Difference Between Nutrition Gardening and Commercial Farming

Nutrition gardening

Focus on health
Small scale
Crop diveristy
Household food
Mininimum inputs

Commercial farming

Focus on profit
Large scale
Often monocropping
Market-oriented
High inputs

BENEFITS OF A NUTRITION GARDENING

Health and nutrition benefits
Household food security
Economic benefits
Social and educational benefits
Environmental benefits

Types of nutrition gardens

Balcony garden

This type is established in very small spaces such as balconies, verandas, windowsills using containers.

Suitable Environments

Urban home
Flats and apartments
Schools with limited land
Hostels and boarding facilities

Crops suitable

Leafy vegetables
Herbs
Tomatoes (dwarf varieties)
Chillies and peppers
Spring onions

Advantages

Makes use of unused space
Easy to monitor
Clean and organized
Encourages urban food production

Disadvantages

Limited choice of crops
Limited root space
Lower yields
Require frequent care

Container garden

This involves growing crops in portable containers instead of planting directly in the soil. Almost similar to balcony gardening.

Containers mostly used

Buckets
Tyres
Sacks
Plastic bottles
Old pots and tins

Crops commonly grown

Leafy vegetables
Tomatoes
Onions
Herbs
Peppers

Advantages

Low cost
Soil quality easily controlled
Reduced pest damage
Water-efficient
Portable

Disadvantages

Require good drainage
Needs regular watering
Limited crop size and options.

On-ground garden

This is the most common type which is established directly in the soil on the ground.

Almost all crops can be grown in these.

Advantages

Larger producton capacity
Supports crop rotation
Better moisture retention
Suitable for trees and vines.

Disadvantages

Sometimes needs fencing
More labor intensive
More vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Edible-landscapes

An edible landscape integrates food-producing plants into the surrounding environmentfor both beauty and nutrtion.

Examples

Fruit trees around homes

Herbs along pathways

Vegetables mixed with flowers

Live fences and edible hedges

Benefits

Beautify the environment
Continous harvesting e.g a rosemary hedge or butterbean live fence.
Efficient land-use
Encourages creativity in gardening

Basics of gardening

The garden is an ecosytem. To receive from it, we must care for it.

Protecting your resources

Before anything, we have to appreciate and recognize the gifts we have been given in nature. The resources we rely on and must be protected. Below is a list of the resources in need of protecting.

Soil: The foundation of everything

Healthy soil=Healthy plants=Healthy planet and people

The most common mistake most people make is focus on production while neglecting soil leads to degradation, pests and poor nutrition. We often focus on treating symptoms (e.g adding fertilizer for weak plants) instead of addressing the root cause which is usually unhealthy soil.

Mulching

- Protects soil from harsh conditions e.g which kills microbes causes soil erosion and compaction and wind.
- Conserves water suppresses weeds and as it breaks down, feeds the soil.
- Use organic materials

Crop rotation

Encourages nutrient replenishment.
Destroy pest and disease life cycles.
Improves soil structure

Plants release up to 40% of the food they produce into the soil through their roots. Different plants release different nutrients, which feed a wide range of microorganisms. Just as humans need a diverse diet to stay healthy, soil microorganisms also need diversity. Crop rotation provides this diversity.

Minimum soil disturbance

Use the right feed

Water

Water is essential for plant growth, nutrient movement and cooling plants.

Good water management includes

Mulching
Watering at the right time
Avoiding overwatering and waterlogging
Harvesting and storing rainwater
Cover crops

Efficient water use helps gardens remain productive even in dry seasons

Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of livingorganisms in the garden.

Protecting it consists of

Protecting pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
Encouraging beneficial insects such thst control pests
Growing a variety of crops.

A diverse garden is more resilient to pests, diseases and climate stress and inturn require less chemical inputs.

Air- Often overlooked but very important

Air quality affects plant health, soil organisms, insects and people.

To protect

Minimise chemical use
Avoid burning organic matter
Promote health plant growth

Healthy plants contribute to cleaner air by producing oxygen

The General Environment

Gardens should exist in harmony with the surrounding environment

Good practices include

Avoiding pollution
Recycling
Using eco-friendly methods

Gardening should improve not damage the environment.

Proper Planning

Proper planning is a crucial and often neglected part of gardening. Planning involves designing and organising the garden space to maximise growth, efficiency and sustainability.

Steps in proper planning

Assess the site and available resources

Soil type and condition
water availability
Sunlight
available space, tools and other resources

Define goals

Decide what themeant garden is meant to achive

Household nutriton
Income generation
Education and learning
Environmental conservtaion

Choose the garden type

Examples

Backyard
Container

Decide on the plants

Choose plants based on

Nutritional value
Growth habits and spacing

Layout and design

Characteristics of a good design

Saves space
Improve water use
Reduce pest and disesases problems

Timing

Use a garden calendar to plan

Planting
crop rotation
maintanace
harvesting

Plan to give back to nature for everything that we take from it

Garden with Gratitude

Gardeining should not only bw about what we can get from it but also giving back. Sustainable gardening invloves planning how to restore and support natural systems.

Ways to give back

Plant pollinator friendly plants
Make and use compost
Orotect soil cover year-round
Save seeds

Now that you understand the basics of gardening. You can refer to other relevant pages and get started.

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