19 Aug 2013

Ever since government intensified its effort in the poverty eradication campaign, a number of hurdles have been experienced in different parts of the country.

In some areas, beneficiaries have complained about poor pastures for their small stock while in other regions, like Kgalagadi, recipients have complained of poor sandy soils for their vegetable gardens. However, there is one possible solution especially for those who are interested in venturing in the popular backyard gardens in areas of poor soils.

Even though they are not that popular it the country, the raised garden beds can be a solution to many people in areas that have poor soils. The idea looks so simple and cost effective at least in the example implemented by the Department of Crop Production in Letlhakeng; 50 kg bags are filled with fertile soils and sealed, then placed on a raised wooden stand.

Small slits are then made in each bag from which the crops will be planted, and then drip pipes are laid like in conventional gardens. Each bag can support around four plants.

The department recently constructed the garden for one of its beneficiaries under the poverty eradication programme, a wheelchair bound resident of Letlhakeng, Ms Ntshwarelang Nkwena.

Explaining the project, Letlhakeng sub-district crop production officer, Mr Lucas Kgosiemang said they decided on the raised garden bed for the convenience of their client.

“The garden is convenient for her because the benches are raised to her height and she can work conveniently without much assistance. She can move between the rows to water the crops, pluck out weeds and check for any pests,” he says.

Mr Kgosiemang also said such gardens do not lose much fertiliser into the ground.

“Conventional gardens lose a lot of manure and fertilisers to the ground because they are placed flat on the ground, which result in fertilisers being washed down beyond the root system of the crops as you water the plants. However, with the raised garden beds the manure is conserved within the bag,” he says.

This then means that a bag can yield many returns before the need to add manure again, which can work well for low income people in rural areas who may also not be much used to the need for fertilisers in their gardens.  

He further explains that the manure is conserved within the bag as long as one is careful not to overwater the plants to the extent that water drips underneath, carrying the manure with it.  

Mr Kgosiemang also says raised garden beds conserve a lot of water.

“Just like with the manure, the water is conserved within the bag and you can go for about three days without the need to water the crops, which works well in areas with water scarcity,” he says.

Also, he indicates that they do not use just any soils, saying “the soils that we use are leaf mould soils that we mostly gather from rocky terrains like in Mankgodi. The soils are rich in manure derived from the tree leaves that have wilted to the ground.”  

Even though they designed it for the convenience of their beneficiary, Mr Kgosiemang says this type of garden is not necessarily for people living with disabilities.

“It can be used in areas where the soils are poor to support plant growth. Even though they are not common, they are not new and are mostly used by commercial horticulturalists,” he says.

Again, he says they are planning to extend Ms Nkwena’s garden, as evidenced by some materials like wooden poles that are already at the site.

“There is enough space for us to add a few more plots to the garden and we are awaiting the rest of the material,” he adds.

Even though he is uncertain about the cost of the whole project, Mr Kgosiemang says it has not been too costly for his department as they mostly used their own labour to construct the garden.

The project, he says is the first of its kind in the sub-district, and that they will be rolling it out if they have another person living with disability that they feel will be inconvenienced by the conventional garden.

Ms Nkwena sings praises to the idea to construct the garden. The 29-year-old mother of a seven-year-old son says the garden has made working around it hassle free.

“I can easily manoeuvre around the plots to water and weed without any hustle. “The only challenge is that the area is sandy, but then that is a challenge not confined to the garden as the whole village is sandy,” says the Shageng ward resident.

Ms Nkwena says she has already started enjoying the fruits of her garden. “I have already started selling some vegetables in the village, and a bundle of chomolia goes for P6,” she says, beaming with confidence that she will soon add to her array of vegetables other varieties such as beetroots, green pepper and tomatoes.

She says each plot yields only two bundles, which she adds is a disadvantage. However, she says all is not lost as the garden will soon be extended to accommodate more plots.

She currently grows chomolia, rape, spinach and carrots, and is also hopeful that the garden will bring enough profit as she will not spend a lot on water bills owing to its water conservation nature.

According to additional information from Eartheasy, a site that promotes solutions for sustainable living, the benefits of raised garden beds are quiet substantial.

It is shown that apart from being great for growing small plots of veggies and flowers, raised garden beds keep pathway weeds from your garden soil, prevent soil compaction which provides good drainage and serve as a barrier to pests such as slugs and snails and keep your valuable garden soil from being eroded or washed away during heavy rains.

Eartheasy also says in many regions, gardeners are able to plant earlier in the season because the soil is warmer and better drained when it is above ground level.
It adds that by raising the soil level, raised garden beds also reduce back strain when bending over to tend the bed. This is especially helpful to older gardeners or people with bad backs.

And if the beds are built well, the gardener can sit on the edge of the bed while weeding, and for some gardeners this is the biggest benefit of all.

Meanwhile, as government’s poverty eradication programmes roll across the country, it is sure to encounter different challenges which call for innovation and creativity, and the raised garden beds can prove to be just the medicine for areas where the soils are not that fertile for vegetable growth. Ends