Midrand agro-ecologist encourages residents to create their own vegetable garden

John Nzira, an agro-ecologist and permaculturist of Urban Farming Projects shared his tips on how one could use their spare time during the lockdown period more fruitfully.

While many face food insecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic, Nzira shared some of his tips on how one could best support their vegetable and fruit plants using a method called trellising, to see them grow bigger and better.

He explained that plants that climbed included lima beans, velvet beans, pumpkin, grapes and granadilla and all of them have thin stems and grow fast. Therefore, these plants need trellising for them to grow well and prevent them from falling down so that they are able to produce abundantly.

“Trellising can done by using existing trees, trees that have strong stems and can stand on their own. When you plant the climber, it will climb up the tree and get support from the tree,” he said.

“Some trellising methods can be made on a farm from dry wood or poles. Usually the poles are planted vertically in the field… these poles can be five metres apart in distance, depending on the amount of crops which would be planted.”

Nzira said wire was strung between the poles so that the plants had something to climb up.

He also said, “Farming should be a lifestyle for every everyone, beginning with children.”

Nzira added that vegetables could be grown in a container or in a door-size garden and every homestead should be able to produce their own basic food.

“Schools should include farming in their syllabus and every child should learn how to farm at a young age because it is fundamental.”