FAQ

📌 Quick Read
Self-sustaining farming means producing most or all of your food on your own land with minimal reliance on external inputs.

🔎 Deep Dive
Self-sustaining farming is a holistic approach where farmers or households aim to meet their own food needs by using resources available on-site. This includes recycling organic waste into compost, saving seeds, managing water responsibly, and integrating crops with animals or pollinators.

The goal is to create a closed-loop system that:

• Minimizes dependency on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or outside suppliers.
• Enhances soil fertility through natural cycles.
• Encourages biodiversity and ecological balance.
• Supports resilience against market fluctuations or supply chain issues.

In essence, it’s about building a farm that can thrive on its own while being in harmony with nature.

📌 Quick Read
Organic farming (also called ecological farming) is agriculture without synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides, relying instead on natural processes and organic inputs.

🔎 Deep Dive
Organic farming is a holistic system that works with natural ecosystems rather than against them. It is based on:

• Organic fertilization – using compost, manure, and green manures instead of synthetic fertilizers.
• Biological plant protection – controlling pests and diseases with beneficial insects, crop rotation, and natural repellents.
• Natural biological cycles – enhancing soil fertility and biodiversity by mimicking nature’s rhythms.

By prohibiting synthetic fertilizers and synthetic pesticides, organic farming aims to:

• Protect soil health and water quality.
• Encourage biodiversity and pollinators.
• Produce food that is safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

📌 Quick Read
Sustainable self-cultivation provides fresh, chemical-free food at lower cost, promotes health and community, and offers meaningful outdoor activity for families.

🔎 Deep Dive
Growing your own vegetables, herbs, and spices in a sustainable, self-sufficient way has numerous personal, health, financial, and social benefits:

Health & Nutrition

• Fresh, bio-quality vegetables without synthetic fertilizers or chemicals.
• Continuous supply of vitamin-rich, seasonal produce from spring to autumn.
• Encourages a healthier lifestyle and balanced diet.

Financial Benefits

• Lower food costs compared to high market prices.
• Investment mainly requires your own labor and time.
• Reduced transportation and packaging costs since food comes directly from the garden.

Personal & Community Life

• Quality time outdoors for families and communities.
• A positive, fulfilling hobby that combines fresh air and active movement.
• Seed and seedling exchange fosters cooperation and social connection.
• Children learn teamwork, responsibility, and adaptation through gardening.

 Education & Knowledge

• Hands-on learning about plant biology, from germination to harvest.
• Understanding and providing the right conditions for plant growth.
• Increased awareness of natural cycles, ecosystems, and sustainability.

In essence, sustainable cultivation is not only about producing food — it’s about cultivating health, resilience, and community well-being.

📌 Quick Read
A Herb and Spice Spiral is a vertical, pyramid-like garden design that maximizes space and allows different herbs to thrive in their ideal microclimates.

🔎 Deep Dive
The Herb Spiral is a practical and aesthetic solution for growing a variety of herbs and spices in a compact area. Inspired by natural forms, its spiral ramp creates diverse growing conditions in a small footprint:

• Design & Size
  • Typically 1.5–2 m wide at the base and 1.0–1.3 m high in the center.
  • The spiral rises from ground level to the peak, creating zones with different sunlight and moisture levels.
• Growing Conditions
  • Top of the spiral → Drier soil, suited for Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
  • Middle zones → Moderately moist soil, ideal for parsley, chives, and basil.
  • Bottom zone → More humid soil, perfect for mint, watercress, and other moisture-loving plants.
• Benefits
  • Maximizes planting space in a small area.
  • Provides tailored microclimates for diverse herbs and spices.
  • Easy access for harvesting.
  • An attractive and educational feature for home or community gardens.

• Grow more food in less space vs. flat structure.  The structure has a small footprint, but delivers lots of accessible growing space (vertical farming). 
• More variety in a range of microclimates. You can grow plants that prefer different growing conditions all in the one garden space.
• Healthier herbs. The height of the spiral creates shade and sun zones.
• The rock used in the spiral holds thermal mass - it keeps heat. 
• Efficient water management. The soil on the top of the spiral remains drier, while the bottom will be more moist. 
• Beatiful garden feature. They look beautiful, and are great garden structures. 
• Convenient with easy access for maintenance and harvesting.
• Low cost to build and low maintenance cost.
• Save time, energy. Growing the bulk of your herb requirements at your kitchen door is extremely energy and time efficient. No fuel is consumed if you need herbs and spices. No refrigeration or energy is used in storage when you pick your herbs fresh, as you need them. Best of all, no time is wasted travelling.
• Easy Companion Planting. Many herbs have mutually beneficial relationships with other plants. Flowering herbs also attract beneficial pollinating insects like bees, butterflies and wasps.

• Upper, dry, Mediterranean zone. Thin sandy soil with good drainage, typical plants e.g. thyme, sage, oregano.
• Middle, transitional zone. Its soil is rich in nutrients, and plants that like sunlight and heat can be planted here, e.g. chives, basil, anise.
• Lower, wet zone. It is located at the bottom of the spiral, the soil is rich in humus and nutrients, and can be planted with damp, shade-loving plants, e.g. mint. 

📌 Quick Read
A raised bed can be built from wood, pallets, or concrete. Line the inside of wooden frames to protect them, then fill with soil layers for planting.

🔎 Deep Dive
Raised beds are simple to construct and can be adapted to any garden size. Here’s how to build one:

1. Choose the Material

• Wood (boards or pallets): Affordable and easy to work with. Wrap or line the inside with foil or a protective layer to extend durability.
• Concrete or stone blocks: Very durable, require less maintenance.
• Metal frames: Modern and long-lasting, but can heat up quickly in strong sun.

2. Select the Size & Location

• Common dimensions: about 1–1.2 m wide (so you can reach the middle), any length, and 30–80 cm high.
• Place it in a sunny spot with good drainage.

3. Build the Frame

• Assemble your chosen material into a rectangular or square shape.
• Ensure corners are stable and the bed is level.

4. Prepare the Layers (Hugelkultur style, optional)

• Bottom: coarse material (branches, twigs) for drainage.
• Middle: compost, grass clippings, leaves, or manure.
• Top: high-quality garden soil mixed with compost.

5. Plant & Maintain

• Plant vegetables, herbs, or flowers according to their needs.
• Add mulch on top to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Benefits of Raised Beds:

• Better control over soil quality.
• Improved drainage and aeration.
• Less strain on the back when gardening.
• Higher yields in small spaces.

📌 Quick Read
A raised bed is built in layers, starting with protection at the bottom and ending with fertile soil on top. This creates good drainage, natural composting, and nutrient-rich conditions for plants.

🔎 Deep Dive
Building your raised bed in layers helps recycle organic materials, improve soil fertility, and keep pests like moles out. Here’s the recommended structure:

Layer 0: Base Protection

• Place a mole mesh or wire netting at the very bottom to prevent rodents and moles from entering the bed.

1st Layer: Coarse Material

• Add thicker branches and twigs that decompose slowly.
• Function: improves drainage, creates air pockets, and forms a stable base.

2nd Layer: Organic Fill

• Spread grass clippings, straw, fresh garden waste, or semi-finished compost.
• Function: starts decomposition, adds bulk, and supplies nutrients.

3rd Layer: Nutrient Boost

• Add a layer of mature compost or well-composted manure.
• Function: enriches the soil with essential nutrients for strong plant growth.

4th Layer: Topsoil

• Finish with quality farmland soil without synthetic fertilizers.
• Function: provides a natural, clean growing medium for planting.

📌 Quick Read
Raised beds are ideal for compact vegetables, fruits, and herbs that can be harvested continuously. Avoid tall or sprawling plants that need too much space.

🔎 Deep Dive
Raised beds offer limited but fertile space, so it’s best to grow plants that are compact, fast-maturing, and allow for staggered harvesting.

✅ Recommended Plants

• Small Vegetables & Fruits
  • Early and late varieties for continuous harvesting.
  • Examples: determinate (bush) tomatoes, chili peppers, strawberries, Swiss chard, lettuce, spinach, sorrel, radishes, celery, beets, scallions (spring onions).
• Spices & Herbs
  • Compact and kitchen-friendly.
  • Examples: basil, mint, oregano, marjoram, parsley, celery leaves.

❌ Plants to Avoid in Raised Beds

• Tall or Sprawling Plants that take up too much space or shade others.
  • Examples: indeterminate (vining) tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, potatoes.

📌 Quick Read
Raised beds improve soil quality, water management, and accessibility, while maximizing yields and extending the growing season. They are easier to manage, control weeds, and create attractive, productive garden spaces.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. Healthier Harvests & Crop Rotation

• Easier to rotate crops to maintain soil fertility and prevent pests that overwinter in the soil.

2. Material Conservation

• Concentrated space allows efficient use of water, fertilizers, mulch, and soil amendments, reducing waste.

3. Better Water Control & Drainage

• Raised soil drains well, preventing waterlogging.
• Irrigation is more efficient in the confined space.

4. Maximized Growing Space & Soil Benefits

• No soil compaction from walking paths.
• Warmer soil in spring allows earlier planting and extends the season into late fall with low tunnels.
• Less soil erosion and full control over soil composition for different crops.

5. Weed & Pest Management

• Easier to control surface weeds, reducing competition for nutrients.
• Separate beds allow tailoring soil conditions to plant needs.

6. Accessibility & Ergonomics

• Beds at proper height improve access for gardeners with mobility issues.
• Less bending reduces strain on the back and makes gardening more enjoyable.

7. Aesthetic & Manageability

• Raised beds create an attractive focal point in the garden.
• Manageable and intensive gardening in small spaces.
• Easier to amend soil for specific crops, enabling gardening in areas that would otherwise be unsuitable.

💡 Pro Tip: Combine raised beds with vertical structures, companion planting, or mulch layers to further improve yields and reduce maintenance.

📌 Quick Read
A compost prism is built by layering nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials alternately, ensuring proper aeration and moisture to speed up decomposition into nutrient-rich humus.

🔎 Deep Dive
A compost prism is a structured way to create high-quality compost for sustainable gardening. Follow these steps:

1. Choose the Right Materials

• Nitrogen-rich materials ("greens"): grass clippings, vegetable scraps, fresh garden waste, coffee grounds, etc.
• Carbon-rich materials ("browns"): dry leaves, straw, cardboard, small branches, shredded paper, etc.

2. Layering the Prism

• Alternate layers of nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials.
• Keep each layer uniform in thickness to ensure balanced decomposition.
• Maximum height: about 1.5 m for optimal airflow and composting efficiency.

3. Add Soil

• You can place soil on top of or between layers. Soil introduces microorganisms that speed up decomposition and helps bind the materials.

4. Aeration & Moisture

• Oxygen is essential for aerobic composting. Turn the compost heap regularly to maintain airflow.
• If materials become too dry, add water to maintain adequate moisture without making the heap soggy.

5. Avoid Anaerobic Conditions

• Insufficient air supply leads to anaerobic decomposition, producing unpleasant odors and yielding poor-quality compost.

6. Harvesting the Compost

• Mature compost is dark brown, crumbly, and has a characteristic earthy smell.
• Composting under natural conditions takes 9–12 months.

💡 Pro Tip: For faster composting, keep layer thickness moderate, turn the heap every few weeks, and monitor moisture levels regularly.

📌 Quick Read
Composting is the natural process of recycling organic waste into nutrient-rich soil through the action of microorganisms and worms. It returns essential nutrients to the soil, supporting healthy plant growth.

🔎 Deep Dive
Composting is a biological recycling process that transforms organic waste into valuable humus for gardening and agriculture. It ensures the circulation of nutrients in nature by returning them to the soil for plants to absorb again.

Key Elements of Composting:

1. Microorganisms and Earthworms
   • Microbes and earthworms break down organic matter into simpler compounds, enriching the soil with nutrients.
2. Aerobic Process
   • Composting primarily requires oxygen. Aerobic decomposition produces heat, which supports thermophilic bacteria that break down materials more efficiently.
3. Controlled Decomposition
   • Biodegradable materials are decomposed in a controlled manner to ensure effective sanitation and uniform compost quality.
4. Turning & Ventilation
   • Compost heaps must be regularly and thoroughly turned or ventilated to maintain oxygen supply and even decomposition.
5. End Product
   • Finished compost is dark, crumbly, and rich in nutrients — a natural soil conditioner that enhances plant growth and soil structure.

💡 Pro Tip: Good composting requires a balance of "green" nitrogen-rich materials and "brown" carbon-rich materials, proper moisture levels, and adequate aeration to speed up the process and avoid unpleasant odors.

📌 Quick Read
Composting recycles organic waste into nutrient-rich soil, reduces waste, lowers the need for synthetic fertilizers, improves soil health, saves money, and benefits the environment.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. Nutrient Recycling for Sustainable Gardening

• Composting returns plant residues and organic waste from your garden back to the soil, creating a self-sustaining nutrient cycle.
• Reduces or eliminates the need for synthetic fertilizers.

2. Waste Reduction

• Composting can reduce household organic waste by 20–40%, lowering the volume of waste sent to landfills.

3. Soil Improvement

• Compost enriches soil with valuable nutrients and organic matter.
• Improves soil structure, making it more fertile.
• Enhances water retention, reducing the need for frequent watering.

4. Cost Savings

• Reducing the need for external synthetic fertilizers saves money while promoting healthier crops.

5. Healthier Plant Growth

• Soil rich in humus creates an ideal environment for stronger, healthier plants with better resistance to disease.

6. Environmental Benefits

• Recycling organic waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
• Improves soil health and biodiversity.
• Helps mitigate drought effects by improving soil water retention.
• Contributes to a circular, eco-friendly gardening system.

💡 Pro Tip: Composting transforms waste into a valuable resource for your garden while promoting environmental sustainability — making it one of the most rewarding practices for home gardeners.

📌 Quick Read
Burning garden green waste harms the environment, releases toxic substances, destroys valuable nutrients, and disrupts habitats for living organisms. Composting is a far better alternative.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. Protecting Wildlife

• Green waste piles often provide shelter for small animals, such as hedgehogs, insects, and beneficial organisms. Burning destroys these habitats and harms wildlife.

2. Avoiding Air Pollution

• Burning releases harmful and toxic substances into the air, contributing to pollution and posing risks to human health and the environment.

3. Preserving Nutrients

• Burning garden waste destroys valuable minerals and organic matter that could otherwise enrich the soil.
• Composting, in contrast, returns nutrients and organic matter to the soil, improving fertility and supporting healthy plant growth.

💡 Pro Tip: Composting is not only environmentally friendly but also transforms green waste into a valuable resource for your garden — a win-win for both nature and your plants.

📌 Quick Read
Composting works best with organic, plant-based materials free of glass, metal, or plastic. These include both nitrogen-rich (fast-decomposing) and carbon-rich (slow-decomposing) materials.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. Organic Materials

• Only organic materials of plant origin should be composted.
• Avoid glass, metal, plastic, or chemically treated waste.

2. Nitrogen-Rich Materials ("Greens") — Decompose Quickly
These materials are rich in nitrogen, which supports fast decomposition:

• Garden waste: collected tree leaves, plant clippings, grass clippings.
• Kitchen waste: fruit peels (untreated), vegetable peels, seeds, coffee grounds, tea leaves.

3. Carbon-Rich Materials ("Browns") — Decompose Slowly
These materials are rich in carbon and break down more slowly, helping balance the compost mix:

• Fallen and collected leaves.
• Straw.
• Untreated wood chips and sawdust.
• Eggshells.
• Plant stems, chopped thin twigs, and branches.
• Animal manure (preferably from herbivores).

💡 Pro Tip: A balanced compost pile has a mix of roughly 2 parts carbon-rich materials to 1 part nitrogen-rich materials. This ratio creates optimal conditions for decomposition and produces high-quality compost.

📌 Quick Read
Many common household and garden waste items should not be composted because they degrade poorly, attract pests, or introduce harmful substances into the compost.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. General Household Waste

• Packaging materials, hazardous waste, textile waste, chemicals, paints — partially or completely non-degradable.

2. Cooked or Processed Food Waste

• Cooked food leftovers, baked goods, processed foods, animal leftovers.
• These can attract rodents and predators and may cause infection risks.

3. Oils and Fats

• Used cooking oil, vegetable fats — should be collected separately and taken to proper disposal points.

4. Personal Hygiene and Fabric Waste

• Used handkerchiefs, wipes, napkins, cosmetic pads, cloths, diapers, intimate hygiene products.
• Risk of infection and possible plastic content make these unsuitable.

5. Chemically Treated Wood

• Wood treated with preservatives or chemicals is not suitable for composting.

6. Biodegradable Plastics & Packaging

• Designed for industrial composting, not suitable for home composting conditions.

7. Paper Products

• Paper packaging, newspapers, magazines — may contain chemicals or inks that can harm compost quality.

8. Certain Plant Waste

• Citrus peels — often treated with chemicals; not recommended.
• Walnut leaves — decompose very slowly; should be composted separately.

💡 Pro Tip: A compost pile should only include clean, untreated organic materials to ensure safe and nutrient-rich compost while avoiding contamination and pests.

📌 Quick Read
Saving seeds from open-pollinated tomatoes is easy and cost-effective. It allows you to reuse seeds year after year without buying packaged hybrid seeds. Avoid F1 (hybrid) varieties for seed saving.

🔎 Deep Dive

Materials Needed:

• Healthy, ripe tomatoes (open-pollinated varieties)
• Knife
• Spoon
• Paper towel
• Glass jar
• Sieve
• Paper plate
• Paper envelope

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Select Tomatoes
Choose a couple of healthy, fully ripe tomatoes. Pick them from the plant when they are at peak ripeness.

2. Extract Seeds
Halve the tomatoes and scoop the seeds into a shallow jar filled with water. Cover with a paper towel.

• This starts a simple wet fermentation process which removes the gelatinous coating around seeds — this coating can inhibit germination.

3. Fermentation
Let the seeds ferment until they sink to the bottom of the jar. This process usually takes 2–4 days depending on conditions.

• Once complete, pour the contents into a sieve and rinse thoroughly with water to remove any remaining coating.

4. Dry Seeds
Spread the cleaned seeds on a paper plate to dry completely. Avoid paper towels, as seeds may stick.

• Drying thoroughly prevents mold during storage.

5. Store Seeds
Place dried seeds in a paper envelope and store in a dark, cool place until planting season.

• Clearly label each envelope with the tomato variety and date of storage.

💡 Pro Tip: Seeds saved this way can remain viable for several years if stored properly. Always ensure seeds come from healthy plants for the best results.

📌 Quick Read
F1 hybrids are specially bred vegetable varieties created for traits like uniformity, higher yields, and disease resistance. They require controlled breeding and cannot reliably reproduce true-to-type seeds at home.

🔎 Deep Dive

Definition:
Many modern vegetables are bred as F1 hybrids to combine desirable traits from two distinct parent varieties. These traits can include:

• Uniform growth
• Improved yields
• Enhanced resistance to diseases
• Better shelf life

How They Are Produced:

• F1 hybrid seeds are created by crossing two pure inbred parent lines under highly controlled conditions.
• Parent varieties are isolated to prevent unwanted pollination and are crossed, usually by hand, to produce the hybrid seeds.

Drawbacks:

• Cost: Production is labor-intensive, making F1 seeds more expensive than open-pollinated varieties.
• Sustainability: Seeds cannot reliably reproduce the same traits; new seeds must be purchased each season.
• Dependence: Farmers become dependent on seed companies, which can change prices or discontinue varieties.
• Biodiversity Risk: If open-pollinated varieties are not preserved, reliance on hybrids can reduce genetic diversity in crops.

💡 Pro Tip: If you want to save seeds year after year, choose open-pollinated varieties instead of F1 hybrids.

📌 Quick Read
It’s possible to save seeds from F1 hybrid plants, but it’s generally not recommended. The resulting plants are genetically unpredictable and often perform less well than the parent plants.

🔎 Deep Dive

Why It’s Not Recommended:

• F1 hybrids result from the crossing of two distinct parent lines, meaning seeds saved from them will not reliably reproduce the parent traits.

• The offspring will carry a mix of genetics from both parents, often leading to variation in plant characteristics such as size, yield, growth habit, and resistance to pests or diseases.

Likely Outcomes:

• Less vigorous growth

• Greater variation among plants

• Smaller blossoms

• Lower yield compared to the parent hybrid plant

Best Practice:
If you want consistent traits and the ability to save seeds for future seasons, choose open-pollinated varieties instead of F1 hybrids.

💡 Pro Tip: Seed saving is most effective with open-pollinated plants because they maintain genetic stability over generations, unlike hybrids.

📌 Quick Read
Open-pollinated vegetables are non-hybrid plants whose seeds produce offspring true to type. They are more genetically diverse, cost-effective, and allow seed saving — making them ideal for sustainable gardening.

🔎 Deep Dive

Definition:
Open-pollinated vegetables are varieties that reproduce naturally through pollination by wind, insects, or other natural means. Their offspring grow true to the parent plant if pollination occurs within the same variety.

Examples:

• Heirloom vegetables: Cultivars passed down through generations, open-pollinated and prized for their flavour, resilience, and diversity.
• Heritage varieties: Always open-pollinated using parents of the same variety, without the need for isolation of parent plants.

Advantages:

• Cost-effective: Open-pollinated seeds are generally cheaper than hybrids.
• Seed saving: Growers can save seeds year after year without loss of variety traits.
• Genetic diversity: Greater variation helps increase survival rates, especially under disease pressure or environmental stress.
• Adaptability: Continuous selection of the best plants can result in varieties adapted to local growing conditions.

Disadvantages:

• Less uniformity: Plants may vary in size, shape, and harvest time.
• Marketing challenges: Lack of uniformity can be a drawback for commercial growers.
• Suitability for mechanized farming: Larger variations can complicate harvesting with machinery.

💡 Pro Tip: Open-pollinated vegetables are ideal for home gardens and small-scale sustainable farming, especially if you want to save seeds for future seasons.

📌 Quick Read
Seedling success depends mainly on proper light, temperature, and moisture conditions. These factors ensure strong, healthy seedlings and prevent common problems such as weak growth or disease.

🔎 Deep Dive

1. Light
   • Germination does not require light, but once seedlings emerge, light becomes essential.
   • Insufficient light causes seedlings to grow thin, elongated, and weak (a phenomenon called etiolation).
   • Use natural sunlight or grow lights to ensure seedlings receive adequate light daily (12–16 hours is ideal for many plants).
2. Temperature
   • Seeds and seedlings have specific temperature requirements for optimal growth.
   • Germination temperatures vary by plant species (e.g., lettuce prefers cooler temperatures, tomatoes need warmth).
   • Keep seedlings within the recommended temperature range to avoid slow growth or failed germination.
3. Moisture
   • Keep soil consistently moist from sowing until germination.
   • After germination, gradually reduce watering to encourage strong root growth.
   • Overwatering can cause seedling diseases such as damping-off (seedling tilt), so avoid waterlogging.

💡 Pro Tip: Monitor seedlings daily. Light, temperature, and moisture interact — adjusting one factor may require adjusting the others for optimal growth.

📌 Quick Read
Each plant species has its own preferred germination temperature range and time. Maintaining the right temperature helps ensure higher germination rates and healthy seedlings.

🔎 Deep Dive

💡 Pro Tips:

• Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged during germination.

• Use a seed heating mat for warmth-demanding plants like chili peppers and eggplants.

• Adjust light conditions after germination for optimal seedling growth.

📌 Quick Read
Tomato and pepper seedlings are best planted after the last frost, usually in early May. Seedling cultivation generally takes about eight weeks.

🔎 Deep Dive

• Timing: For tomatoes and peppers, seedlings should be ready to transplant outdoors when the risk of frost has passed — typically early May in temperate climates.
• Duration: Growing seedlings from seed to transplant stage usually takes around 8 weeks, depending on species and growing conditions.
• Considerations:
  • Start seeds indoors or in a heated environment earlier (February–March) to ensure seedlings are strong and ready by transplant time.
  • Gradually harden off seedlings by exposing them to outdoor conditions for a few hours daily over a week before transplanting.
  • Monitor weather forecasts to avoid transplanting too early, which can harm seedlings.

💡 Pro Tip: Using seedling heat mats and proper lighting can help ensure uniform growth, especially in early indoor sowing.