Republic of the Philippines

CENTRAL BICOL STATE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE

Calabanga | Pasacao | Pili | Sipocot

Urban Agriculture
JAYRYL D. ENANO
BAT Faculty
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Urban agriculture refers to “growing,
processing and distribution of food crops and animal products, by
and for the local community, within an urban environment.

community and backyard rooftop and balcony growing in vacant lots, container gardening
gardens gardening right-of-ways, and parks

Fruit trees Hydroponics

Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
It is simply the art (aesthetic way)
and science of crop production. It
follows elements and principles of
design while enhancing the value of
traditional and new methods of crop
production suitable for small spaces
and urban areas. It utilizes
vegetables, herbs, and fruit crops as
major softscape materials.
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Container Gardening

This is a micro model farming where

a family unit or household is
producing fruits and vegetables in
special containers for personal
consumption to help improve the
income, health and well-being of its
family members (Deveza and
Holmer, 2002)
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Vertical Gardening

It is an alternative method for

gardening by expanding the scope of
growing plants in a vertical space.
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Squarefoot Gardening

A simple method of creating small,

orderly, and highly productive kitchen
gardens.
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Hydroponics
A method of growing food using
mineral nutrient solutions in water
without soil (soilless based)
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Aquaponics
A bio-system that incorporates
recirculated aquaculture (fish
farming) with hydroponic vegetable
and herbs production to create
symbiotic relationships between the
plants and the fish.
Urban Agriculture Production
Strategies
Aeroponics
Practice of growing plant in an air or
mist environment without the use of
any substrate
Edible Landscaping

Components of Edible Landscaping for

Small Scale Production

Softscape

Hardscapes Landscape

Crop Production
Edible Landscaping

Maintenance of Crops
Organic farming should be followed in Edible
Landscaping that promotes the use of natural organic
sources as inputs in food production

Composting of garden and kitchen wastes is encouraged

and the compost is added to the soil to enhance its fertility.
Compost can be produced through different methods such
as vermicomposting.

Watering. The growing medium should never be allowed

to dry out completely, and plants should never be allowed
to wilt. Watering plants in containers requires more
attention than plants in the field because plants in
containers dry out faster due to limited amount of growing
medium, especially when the containers are located on
solid paving surfaces in direct sunlight.
Edible Landscaping

Practice Integrated Pest Management

• Manual weeding and removal of infected • Repellent plants such as onion, garlic, and
plants of infected plants marigold are commonly used in
• Pruning of old and infected leaves companion planting to repel insect pests.
• Fruit bagging to protect fruit vegetables • Use of traps such as small pieces of
like the ampalaya yellow board smeared with grease can be
• Companion planting can also be a pest placed among the plants to attract and
management practice. catch insects in the garden.
• Relay cropping where crops are not
planted in the same area in the next
cropping season.
• Intercropping and crop rotation is also
encouraged to improve soil fertility at the
same time manage pests and diseases.
Companion Planting

Crop Rotation
Edible Landscaping

Advantages of Edible Landscaping

• Better quality and safe food. The nutrient
content and flavor fresh vegetables is high just
after harvest.
• Higher return on investment. A traditional
ornamental landscape only provides aesthetic
appeal, edible landscape will provide food and
profit.
• Increased food security. Growing your own food
reduces your reliance on imported food sources.
• Lower food costs. Certain crops are more
economical to grow at home than to buy. Save
grocery bills.
• More accessible produce. Convenience of food
right outside your door
Container Gardening

Tips in Establishing Container Garden

1. Location. Sunlight is very important in growing
healthy crops. Any location will do as long as it
has an access to at least minimum of 6 hours of
sunlight each day, either in the morning or
afternoon.

2. Choosing your plant. choose crops that are

locally adapted, high yielding and pest and
disease resistant. Consider the number, ages
and the nutritional needs of family members as
basis in choosing crops to plant in your
container.
Container Gardening

Tips in Establishing Container Garden

3. Soil media or soil mixture. Soil medium is one of the key to successful container
gardening. Container gardening requires a specific soil mixture to be used. Ordinary
garden soil alone may not be sufficient if it lacks the properties necessary for healthy
plant growth.
The ideal soil medium must be:
• porous to allow good aeration of the plant roots
• good drainage to minimize the risk of
waterlogging and subsequent rotting of plant
roots
• dark brown in color and looking much like
chocolate cookie crumbs
Container Gardening

Tips in Choosing your Containers

The design of the containers to be use must be the manifestation of the
design you set, depending on your preference and availability of the
materials.
Container Gardening

Seedling Production, Planting, Care and

Maintenance
Sowing and planting. Quality seedlings means quality
plants. Thus, recommended standard operating
procedures from soil sterilization of soil media, sowing
and raising good panting materials and transplanting
techniques should be followed.

Watering needs. Watering should be done regularly

especially during the dry season. During rainy season
when plants receive enough water from the rain, there
might be not need to water the containers at all. If the
weather is not too hot, watering once in the morning
is enough for the plants to grow healthily. The hotter
and drier, the higher the plant demands for water.
Container Gardening

Seedling Production, Planting, Care and

Maintenance
Cultivating and weeding. Cultivating the soil at a
depth of 2 to 3 inches below the surface of the
potting medium will encourage maximum air flow
around the roots. This will encourages bigger and
healthier root growth and better water and nutrient
uptake.

Weeding allows the plants to benefit the nutrients

and water that is provided by the medium without
having to compete with other non-productive plants.
It has to be considered that weeds being native to
the environment, usually grow bigger and faster,
than cultivated crops.
Container Gardening

Seedling Production, Planting, Care and

Maintenance
Feeding the plants. Plants need food to grow. The
containers may be top dressed with well-composted
manure or compost every two weeks. Alternative source
can be form rice washings and water used to rinse meat
and fish may be used. Instead of throwing them, those
can be collected and used to water your plants. Feeding
the soil with nutrients means feeding your plants
Container Gardening

Seedling Production, Planting, Care and

Maintenance
Pest and disease management. Increasing the bio-
diversity of the container garden is already a way of
preventing the occurrence of pests and diseases. This
may be done by growing vegetables from different
botanical families including herbals which may act as
repellants to certain pests. If there is an occurrence of
infestations, appropriate biological, physical,
mechanical, and - in severe cases - chemical control
measures may be used.
Container Gardening

Seedling Production, Planting, Care and

Maintenance
Harvesting. Harvest only what you can consume or
what you need and harvest during its peak of
maturity. This is the beauty of container gardening.
Example, vine-ripened tomatoes, tender green
beans and crisp lettuce will have the best flavor on
its peak of maturity.

Note: At the end of the harvest season, discard the

plant and soil from the pot. Do not reuse the same
soil for a second season of production. Infected soil
or mix will spread disease into the second season
unless it is properly composted. Properly composted
planting media can be reused.
Basic Hydroponics

MATERIALS

Aggregate Container Cups

Seedlings
Water
Nutrient Solution pH/EC/TDS meters
Basic Hydroponics

Procedures:
STEP 1: Punch small holes at the bottom of STEP 2: In a drum mix the water and the
the styro cups and place the coco coir/sand nutrient solution/liquid fertilizer (follow the
gravel just enough to hold the seedling. instruction on the label for the ratio).

STEP 3: Put the water

containing nutrient
solution/liquid fertilizer in
the basin.
Basic Hydroponics

pH adjuster helps to neutralize the

value requirements of the plants
Basic Hydroponics
STEP 5: Cover the basin with plain styro with
holes
Procedures:
STEP 4: Punch a hole on the plain styro foam
just enough for the size of the styro cups 15
cm - 20 cm distance.

STEP 6: Place the styro cups into the holes of the styro covering the basin.
Do not dip the cups too much onto the water solution. The plant might be
deprived of oxygen and may cause its death. Dip the cups not more than 3 cm
depth. When the roots come out from the cup’s holes, lower the amount of
solution so that 2 cm of the roots are soaked into it.
Reference:
Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute
Thank you!