My Eco Tip Thirteen

Grow your Own Food in a Small Urban Place

Urban gardening has increased exponentially. Be it in a small backyard, on skyscraper terraces or below the freeway underpasses and infrastructure; these green initiatives are springing up everywhere.

The social good benefit of urban gardens is tremendous as they can feed people who would otherwise go without food “like school children.” Urban farming not only dispels waste and improves nutrition but also has an impact on reducing carbon footprint.

The biggest challenge is space to grow as much food as you would like. According to Luay G, an urban gardener in Canada, you can use plastics, pots, galvanized rain gutters, kiddie pools and almost anything that can be made water tight to grow. Raise bars are also great ways to grow food in the urban areas.

Dwarf trees are great for urban gardening too. Little is known about the growing range of dwarf fruit trees, but their propagation techniques are feasible to a small scale gardener.

Other plants that Luay grows include, cucumbers, melons, chili peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, parsley, oregano and ginger.

On the front-yard, he grows flowers, potatoes, pepper, a plum tree, etc.

Bottom Line

It’s possible to do urban farming sustainably, but it requires a lot of planning and that is why it has not been as successful as small farms in the rural areas.

Many people who are interested to revive their backyards can do some training in soil conservation, particularly Eco tropical aspects like deep top dressing, tree and shrub planting techniques. Urban gardening is becoming a common venture among small gardeners due to the many benefits:

• Can help you promote community ownership of urban land through co-operative groups.
• Encourage food security because it improves nutrition with better access to affordable fresh produce.
• Creates an environment where people are more motivated towards environmental protection since they live in close proximity with nature.
• Encourages education on climate change, etc.