book for PDF - John Snow International Europe

Water managementWater is the main factor limiting crop production in urban areas.Water management tips• Mulch all soil with organic matter. Cover paths with dry grassor crop residue.• Harvest water from roofs, gutters, rocks and roads into trenches,pits or tanks.• Use waste water from washing clothes or dishes to water cropsin pit beds or for fruit trees.• Plant water-loving plants such as sugar cane, bananas, comfrey,cocoyams, pumpkins and sweet potatoes near taps or in wet areas.Watering vegetablesGive two buckets of water twice a week for each metre of bed. Watergently to avoid soil erosion and damage to seedlings. Save water bymulching and intercropping vegetables with groundcover crops suchas beans and pumpkins, beneath tall crops such as maize, covo andrape. Add organic matter to the soil to help it hold water. Use drip kits,clay-pot or bottle-watering methods to save water in dry areas.Container gardensTo save water and space,plant vegetables and herbsin containers such as old oildrums or maize meal sacks.Fill the container with richsandy soil. If it is a sack, tiethe open end and thenmake small holes in oneside of the sack for theseedlings. Plant a mixture ofvegetables in the holessuch as tomatoes, rape, beans, onions, carrots and spinach. Put arepellent plant such as basil or marjoram in one of the holes.46