Urban Farming in Kenya: Growing Crops in Limited Spaces

Urban farming boomed in Kenya during the pandemic in 2020 due to food shortages and price hikes. In the Dagoreti district of Nairobi alone, there is a network of 15 urban farms!

This is a good way to deliver fresh food while ensuring food security. What’s better than having a mini-garden in your backyard or even on your balcony?

This guide discusses the essentials of urban farming while packing practical advice on how to grow your urban farm. Read on.

Understanding Urban Farming

Let’s first define what urban farming is.

Urban farming refers to cultivating, processing, and distributing fresh produce in an urban environment—cities, towns, and suburbs. It usually comes to indoor, rooftop, or community gardens. If you live in a building with a backyard and start growing herbs or vegetables in pots there, then you are an urban farmer, too.

Getting Started With Urban Farming

It’s a wonderful idea to produce your own food, isn’t it? It’s important to do it the right way so that you won’t experience any losses, or at least minimize them. Here are the first steps to follow:

Assess the available space: Look around and determine which space is best suited to becoming your garden. Consider how many hours per day the place receives sunlight. Another factor to consider is whether the space is easily accessible.
Choose crops: Don’t buy seeds or seedlings if you don’t research the crops in advance. Take time to read information from various sources and consult with agricultural experts. Each crop has different seasonality, sowing and growth periods, as well as requirements in terms of sunlight, watering, fertilization, and so on. Some crops require more space to develop between their seeds, so keep this in mind when making your selection.
Plan your layout: Grab a pen and paper and sketch different versions of layouts until you find the optimal way to use the space you have. Consider both horizontal and vertical growth options.

Essential Tools and Materials

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for your new venture, it’s time to start the practical part. Provide yourself with the necessary materials and tools. Here they are:

Containers

Types of containers suitable for urban farming include:

Pots: They are perfect for growing herbs and small plants.
Vertical planters: They come in handy when you grow a wide variety of crops and you need to maximize vertical space.
Grow bags: These are the most space-efficient and flexible options, suitable for root vegetables and bigger plants.

Soil and fertilizers

You can’t have healthy plants without the right type of soil and fertilization. Every plant needs certain elements and nutrients to develop properly.

Your choice depends on the type of agriculture you want to cultivate. However, the standards are as follows:

Soil: Use a well-drained, nutrient-rich potting mix.
Fertilizers: Gel fertilizers are a great choice for promoting sustainable farming practices.

Tools

Like any farmer, you can’t do without tools. These are the basic ones.

Trowel: It’s used for planting, transplanting, and digging.
Pruning shears: With them, you can trim and maintain your plants’ leaves.
Watering can or hose: Their use is recommended for efficient watering.

Techniques for Successful Urban Farming

Certain techniques in urban gardening can bring you closer to success. Take a look at them below.

Companion planting: It’s the practice of growing compatible plants together. If you are a beginner in the field, you may not know that some crops do not grow well next to each other. For example, never plant tomatoes and potatoes next to each other, or peas and onions. Acceptable combinations are tomatoes near basil, as the latter helps to deter pests.
Succession planting: Ensure a continuous harvest by planting crops in stages. That way, you’ll have fresh produce in all seasons, minimize costs, and optimize the use of your available resources. What is more, succession planting reduces the risk of crop failure due to bad weather.
Vertical gardening: This one makes it possible for people living in the tiniest homes to grow their own gardens. Vertical gardening is also beneficial for reducing soil erosion. Trellises, shelves, and hanging baskets are very useful in this regard.

Maintenance and Care

Establishing your farm is just the beginning. You have to take care of your plants to let them thrive.

Watering

Besides ordinary watering with a hose or a watering can, here are two other advanced watering techniques and systems:

Drip irrigation: The constant, slow, and steady water supply directly to the roots helps avoid water runoff.
Self-watering containers: They maintain a consistent moisture level, which minimizes the need for frequent manual watering.

Pest control

Here are two proven natural pest control methods to try out:

Neem oil: Neem oil, or Margosa oil, is a well-known organic pesticide that works against a variety of pests.
Diatomaceous earth: Despite its complex name, it’s actually a natural mineral composition in the form of a powder. It’s highly abrasive against various insects.

Harvesting

When it comes to reaping the fruits of your labor (literally and figuratively), pay attention to these:

Timing: For the best flavor and nutrition, harvest crops at their peak ripeness.
Method: Keep your tools sharp so that you don’t damage your plants when harvesting and ensure their continuous growth.

Challenges and Solutions

Urban gardeners face the following main challenges:

Limited space: Thorough planning, compact containers, and their vertical placement are the solutions.
Water scarcity: Drip irrigation, self-watering containers, and rainwater harvesting are good ways to deal with this problem.
Pest infestations: Aside from various pesticides—organic or not—companion planting is the most cost-effective way to keep pests away.

As for overcoming challenges, Nairobi’s Kibera neighborhood residents are an inspiring example. They use various hydroponic methods, cups of yogurt instead of pots, and pumice instead of real soil. And they still manage to feed their families and cope with the restrictions of the overcrowded areas in which they live.

Conclusion

Urban farming is a practice that’s becoming increasingly popular, not only in Kenya but around the world. More and more people are trying to get close to nature and eat clean. The good news is that anyone can become an urban farmer with the necessary knowledge, tools, and materials, as well as a little time and diligence.

Contact:

If you have any questions, thoughts, or suggestions, please contact us or join our social media networks.

Email us: [email protected], [email protected]

Feel free to comment:

Your email address will not be shared with anyone.

Join our LinkedIn group

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13943442/

Join our Facebook group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/agribusinesseducationandresearchinternational