Home Gardens
Home gardens include diverse planting schemes. They are characterized by being planted in or near the family compound, and being composed of a variety of plants grown specifically for home consumption. Home gardens include simple systems, such as small vegetable gardens, and complex, multistory gardens found in various tropical areas, such as Southeast Asia and Africa. NFTs can be incorporated into home gardens in two ways. First, NFTs can be productive components of the garden, yielding specific products. Second, NFTs can be planted to improve long-term productivity of the garden. When trees are planted for their fruit, or other products, planting arrangements vary widely. Smaller species, such as Cajanus cajan, can be planted in rows with other crops interplanted. For many species, only one or two trees would be planted, often in no special arrangement. Important genera for home gardens because of their edible products include Acacia, Cajanus, Inga, Leucaena, Parkia, Pentaclethra, Prosopis, and Sesbania. Home garden productivity can be enhanced by practicing hedgerow intercropping for soil enrichment. The planting arrangement would need to be adapted to the specific companion crop(s), but the general concepts for the hedgerow intercropping apply. Key genera for this purpose would also be similar. |
