Vetiver is a bunch grass that has an Indian origin. It grows well in tropical and temperate regions. Temperatures must be above 10° C for vetiver to grow. It needs full sunlight to grow well. Growing this grass in shady areas slows down its growth. It can be propagated by division. Planting vetiver grass is an effective way to control soil erosion and conserve water. It can tolerate extreme climatic and soil conditions. It has a complex root system that can reach up to 7m within 36 months. The leaves are thin and sharp-edged. This attribute helps vetiver to prevent soil erosion. Also, it helps to recharge groundwater and revive…

Creating a diverse garden is a great way to create ecosystems that are sustainable and resilient. Diversity is used in sustainable farming practices such as agroforestry and polyculture. You can create diversity in your backyard gardens too. Growing a variety of herbs, shrubs, trees, flowers and vegetables has a lot of benefits. Benefits of a diverse garden 1. Improves soil fertility Growing different variety of plants leads to a significant increase in soil fertility because the microbial population in the soil increases. The root systems in plants share a complex relationship with microbes in the soil. These microbes are responsible for the improvement in soil fertility because they feed upon…

Permaculture can be described as designing landscapes by replicating patterns that are found in nature that benefit man and the environment. The word permaculture is from “ permanent agriculture”. Bill Mollison and David Holmgren are the founders of permaculture. Permaculture designs can be used in various fields. They are more sustainable and benefit humans. There are 12 permaculture principles and they can be used in any field. Be it having your own kitchen garden, building a house or starting a small scale business you can use these permaculture principles. Including these principles can help you to create sustainable permaculture designs. Permaculture principles 1.Observe and Interact Before planning a kitchen garden…

Mulching is a process of covering the soil with a layer of material to improve soil health. It can be done using either organic or inorganic material. Organic material includes dry leaves, grass clippings, straw and wood chips. Inorganic material includes pebbles, plastic and rubber. Microorganisms feed on organic mulch and in turn improve soil health. Mulching can be done throughout the year. Mulching the plants during summer helps to retain moisture in the soil and reduces water usage. Mulching during rainy season prevents soil erosion. Adding mulch to your plants has lots of benefits but at the same time adding too much mulch can harm them. It’s important to…

Having chickens in your backyard has lots of benefits besides getting fresh eggs. Chickens are quite friendly creatures that do not require much maintanence. They use only a small space in your backyard. If you have a kitchen garden or a vegetable garden, having chickens can benefit you in many ways. Benefits of having backyard chickens 1. Fresh eggs You get lots of eggs by raising chickens in your backyard. These eggs are more delicious and healthy compared to eggs that are brought in stores. Chickens raised in industries are raised in inhumane and unhygienic conditions. By having backyard chickens you avoid buying eggs that are produced in industries. You…

A lot of us have heard of the word permaculture but are not sure of what it is. Permaculture is derived from “ permanent agriculture”.It was introduced by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the year 1978. It follows a natural and sustainable approach to agriculture. Besides agriculture, permaculture design principles can be applied in several other fields such as Town Planning, Community Spaces, and Commercial and Industrial Premises. Permaculture Ethics These designs are created by observing natural patterns in an ecosystem. These patterns are replicated to create a sustainable system that can help solve issues like food shortages for humans and restore damaged ecosystems. Permaculture is about working with…

Have you ever wondered why your chickens lose a lot of feathers at a particular time of the year? This is because of molting, a natural process that happens in chickens. Molting is the process in which chickens drop their old feathers to regrow new ones. Molting generally occurs in chickens when the season changes from warmer to colder periods. Chickens usually start to molt when they are 16 to 18 months of age. Signs of molting in chickens Although molting is a normal process it can still take up a lot of energy in chickens. Feathers are 85% of protein and chickens use up a lot of their energy…

Chicken manure is rich in nutrients that can benefit the plants in your garden. It’s high in nitrogen and directly applying it to plants can burn their roots. It has to be properly aged before it can be used in the garden. Aged manure is manure that is simply set aside for a period of 4 to 5 months. Besides nitrogen other nutrients chicken manure consists of are potassium, phosphorous and calcium. Fresh chicken manure contains harmful pathogens that can affect the plants. Time and high temperatures can kill these harmful pathogens. Fresh chicken manure can be turned into aged manure in two ways before it can be used for…

Lemongrass or Citronella is a herb that belongs to the grass family. There are 55 varieties of lemongrass but only two varieties are used for cooking and medicinal purposes. They are East Indian lemongrass and West Indian lemongrass. The east Indian lemongrass is native to India, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. The west Indian lemongrass is native to Malaysia. Lemongrass is perennial but not frost-tolerant. It grows up to 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. It can be planted in containers but it does not grow that tall. You can purchase lemongrass stalks from garden stores and plant them in your garden. Lemongrass grows quite fast when planted in a…