Dorcas Kariuki

10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD TRY HOME GARDENING. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, many countries over the world are experiencing high levels of food insecurity and disrupted supply chains causing hunger. According to a report released by the World Bank, food prices are expected to elevate even higher in the coming years leading to acute food shortages globally. Therefore; much emphasis has been put on people to engage more in-home gardening to help curb household food shortages. Home gardening can be defined as the art of cultivating your yard space into a crop production system. Generally, a family garden encompasses vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs, ornamental flowers, and plantation crops for household consumption. You can put up your home garden either on a large or small piece plot, or you can establish a few plants in containers, pots, raised beds, or house balcony. Luckily, for those living in the urban areas with no outside space to put up a garden, you can also grow your vegetables indoors. Factors to consider when setting up a home garden. To establish a perfect home garden, factors such as type of crop to plant, location to set up the garden, size of the garden, water supply, and method of pest and disease control should be highly considered before siting up your garden. 1) Location of the garden. A good home garden should be sited in a place where the soil is well-drained and rich in soil nutrients. It should be set up in a spot that receives about 6 hours of sunshine a day. This is necessary especially if you’re growing vegetables and flowery plants. 2) Size of the garden to establish. Your family garden doesn’t necessarily have to be set up in a large space such as a backyard. For beginners, you should start small. For example, have a few plants in containers or on your house balcony and expand as you advance in your gardening skills. 3) Access to the water supply. A home garden mostly requires to be watered daily. Ensure that you can access water in your garden at ease either by use of a tap or a hose pipe nozzle or sprinklers to make watering easy. 4) Type of crop to plant. A family garden can hold different varieties of crops at the same time. But its important to consider: The amount of space required by the plant to grow. If your garden is small, consider planting crops and fruits that don’t take area space to grow. For Example carrots, cucumbers, strawberries, and others. The time taken by the crop to yield. To increase your production rate, consider planting crops that yield within a shorter period. For example; leafy vegetables, peas, parsnips, ginger, and onions. Safety of children and pets at home. Not all plants that we plant in our gardens can be considered safe especially when in our homes. Plants such as amaryllis, aloe Vera, and cyclamen should not be planted where kids or pets could get hold of easily. You may also consider planting vegetables that are expensive to buy from the grocery store such as broccoli. 10 reasons why you should try home gardening. There are myriad reasons and benefits as to why you should consider setting up a home garden. They include: 1) Ensures food security. Having a home garden is essential, especially for those dwelling in urban areas. As it supplements their household food requirements. A well-managed family garden can have continuous production throughout the year. Thus reducing food insecurity in our households. 2) A home garden helps save on costs. With the high cost of living, it is recommendable that you set up a home garden. It will help you eat fresh home-grown produce at a lower cost compared to buying them from the grocery store. 3) Income generation. A large-scale size home garden can also provide income through the production and sale of produce. 4) Ensures better nutrition. Currently, everyone wants to go green and healthy and organic food. A home garden ensures that you can prepare a fresh and nutritious salad with fruits and vegetables direct from your garden. 5) Helps in boosting your mood. Compared to other hobbies such as writing or singing, gardening is said to help fight stress best. This is because it helps the body relax, reducing stress-causing hormones thus boosting your moods. 6) Home garden uses less space. A family garden uses very minimal space that was unproductive. To set up a home garden, you don’t need to go the extra mile to buy a new home with a backyard. Rather you can set up your garden with the available space and containers that are out of use. 7) Proper waste management. A home garden can help reduce house waste. For instance, food remains can be compiled into a compost heap that translates into compost manure. This greatly reduces the cost of production as there is no need to purchase artificial fertilizers. 8) Family gardening is a hobby. Gardening tends to be a hobby that we can all take in, whether young or old. It’s fan and easy to engage in. Family gardening fosters a good relationship among family members as they share happy moments in the garden. 9) Reduces risk of dementia. Dementia is a form of inability to remember or think that mostly affects older adults. Physical activity such as gardening reduces incidences of dementia by 36%. 10) Gardening is a form workout. With a home garden, there is no need to spend time in the gym. Working in your home garden provides your body with physical exercise. When you carry out simple tasks such as pulling weeds, pushing the wheelbarrows, digging, or cutting it is a form of exercise. Bottom line. Based on this blog it is evident that the benefits of having a family garden are worth the cost and physical efforts incurred in gardening.