Biointensive gardening

simultaneously increasing biodiversity and sustaining the fertility of the soil.

Bermuda’s climate is excellent for year-round growing. Produce such as bananas, cassava, carrots, beans, leeks, tomatoes, and kale can grow through all the seasons, with many other delicious options available at different times of the year. But, if you are new to gardening, or your attempts so far haven’t “born fruit,” how do you go about growing your own produce?

Chris Faria, founder of Agra Living explains that, to get the most out of your garden, you need to care for the soil, and the best way to this, in his opinion, is the biointensive method.

“You double dig the soil,” he says. “Loosen the soil down 24 inches, when possible. You want to loosen enough soil so the roots can penetrate it. What’s happening underground is just as important.”

Many gardens and outdoor spaces in Bermuda, however, don’t have the luxury of deep soil. If that is the case, you should build up. “I’ve built up a terrace using plywood and 2x4,” he says. “If you live in a house on an old quarry, for example, they just put down 4 inches of topsoil, so you need to build that life back up in the soil. Also, adding compost is important for a healthy garden.”

For the compost, he advises layers of carbon material, followed by green materials, and then soil. You should repeat that layering until it’s about 4 feet high. Carbon materials are brown, dry materials, and avocado leaves or small, cut up parts of Chinese fan palms work well for this layer. The green materials can be kitchen scraps and weeds.

Faria emphasises that plants are like humans, and, for the best growing results, you need to minimise stress. This is because they have amino acids that attract insects and disease, so the happier the plant, the more the pests will stay away.

“After you’ve raised a healthy, successful seedling and transplanted it into the garden, make sure to have the right space apart,” he says.

“Plant in groups instead of lines. Carrots will yield better if in a grouping instead of a line because they take care of each other. Grains must be planted in a group for cross-pollination. If plants are grouped, they maintain more moisture and protect each other from the wind that dries the soil out.”

The only exceptions to the grouping method, he adds, are zucchini and tomatoes, which can have fungal problems.

“After transplanting, it’s also good to put shade over the plants for about a week and that helps them transition into the new growing area.”

For help in preparing your garden and taking care of your crops, you can view introductory videos on Chris Faria’s facebook or Instagram pages: www.facebook.com/ GrowBiointensiveBermuda/ or @agra_ living.