At the top is a picture of a "garden in a bag". The bag on the left contains abut 30 collard green plants and the one on the right contains about 30 spinach plants. It is not dependent on living in place where there is good soil. It only uses about 1 gallon of water per week. It doesn't take up much space. It doesn't need "weeding".
The nomadic Borana could travel to where there is water and grass. They can dig up some soil, mix it with the manure from their animals and a small amount of grass and they will have the "potting soil" they need for their "garden in a bag". Within 4 to 6 weeks they will have spinach or collard greens to go with their other food. We will also be able to teach them natural drying methods so that they can dry food. Then when it is time to move and they have to take their garden in a bag apart, they will have dried spinach and collard greens to eat until the new garden in the bag is producing food.
We believe other foods can be grown in the garden in a bag. If you have suggestions, please contact us.
First you need a gunny sack or "toe" sack.
Secondly you need to mix up enough potting soil to fill the sack.
The potting soil needs to be ½ dirt, ¼ mulch and ¼ manure. Once you have mixed these three items then add water and mix it thoroughly so that you will be starting with a moist potting soil.
Thirdly you need a pipe that is about 4 inches in diameter. The pipe needs to be about 1 foot longer than the height of your gunny sack. It can be either PVC or metlal. You then need to make holes in your pipe down 4 sides. The holes need to be about 4 inches apart and about as big around as a 3 or 4 inch nail. If the pipe is metal you can use the nail along with a hammer to make the holes. If the pipe is PVC you can use a candle to heat the nail and make holes with the hot nail. If you do this, be sure and hold the nail with pliers so that you do not burn yourself.
Fourthly you need enough small rocks to fill the four inch pipe. These rocks need to be about 1 inch in diameter.
Lastly you need about 30 seedlings, depending on the size of your bag.
Now you are ready to construct your Garden. You will need two people to complete this project.
First you need to put the gunny sack where you want it to stay. It will be too heavy to move after you have built your Garden. You need to have about 2 to 3 feet on each side of the gunny sack so that you can harvest your garden.
Next you need to take the gunny sack and roll it down until it is about 1/3 of its original height.
Place the pipe exactly in the center of the bottom of the gunny sack. While one person holds
the pipe in the center and makes sure that it stays straight up and not leaning to one side, the other person begins to fill the gunny sack with the dirt. As you come close to the top of the bag then unroll the edges and continue filling until the bag is fully unrolled and full of potting soil. BE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT PACK THE SOIL AS YOU PUT IT IN. It needs to just be put in loosely.
Next you need to fill the pipe with the rocks.
Now you need to cut upside down V's in the sides of the bags for planting your seedlings. Imagine that the bag has four sides. You want to cut four upside down V's on each side of the bag in a vertical row and evenly spaced apart. Once you have cut these then you need to address the four spaces between the four sides of the bag. Half way between side one and side two you will make another vertical row of V's. This vertical row will have only 3 V's and these V's will be halfway between the horizontal row above them. I have taken the pattern and flattened it out as if it were a cut open bag to demonstrate this pattern. Please note my V's are not upside down, but yours should be upside down.
Once you have cut your V's then you are ready to plant. Put one seedling in each hole.
Take your index finger and make a hole in the dirt, then carefully put the seedling in the hole. Once you have done this you should monitor your bag carefully a week. If you have a seedling that dies then you need to replace it to make the maximum use of your bag.
When you are ready to water the Garden you will pour ½ to 1 gallon of water into the pipe. The rocks will cause the water to go in slowly so that all the seedling receive water. If you like you can plant something in the soil in the top of the bag. Something that is taller than what can be planted on the sides. I have planted Broccoli in mine. Just be sure that you can still get to the pipe for watering.
Farming
In a Bag
How to build a Garden in a Bag
