Last week, Shma Social Team and Shmions have learned about Urban Farming methods from K’Nakorn “Prince” Limpacuptathavon or “Veggie Prince” at Ban Jaochai Phak, or Veggie Prince’s House, Ladprao Soi 71. We really enjoyed this outdoor hands-on lesson, as we gathered up some tips from the class for using them in our own Sharm (Shma+Farm) further.

Basic Needs for Plants
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Light: Sunlight would be the best. The amount needed depends on each type of plant.
Water: The amount needed depends on each type of plant.
Humus: Dark brown-black organic matter that enhances the soil quality
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We might need to observe each type of plant and vegetables carefully, learning what they need such as laid down leaves means water is needed, while standing up leaves means exposed well to sunlight. Moreover, we had also learned how we can select plants as groups and grow them together, for example planting species that can prevent insects at the front yard.

Soil preparation
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We had learned about how to prepare green manure by mixing grinded vegetables and plants, sprinkling them across the soil surface, shoveling all ingredients and the soil and setting aside for a month. After that, the soil is ready for planting!
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Tips :
– Soil shoveling should be done to help capture air, let water permeate through, and allow small amounts of weeds to grow. Don’t forget to smoothen the soil surface before finishing.
– If the soil becomes sticky or wet, the layer should be accumulated up to release water
– If worms are found at around 30 cm beneath the topsoil layer, then it is a good sign of our garden
– Allow some weeds to grow during winter and summer in order to control humidity. All of them should be trimmed out to be not taller than our vegetables
– Vegetables should be watered slowly around their stem. Avoid watering on the leaves since it may cause certain unwanted conditions.

Growing the seedling
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We had learned about how to grow those embryo plants step by step, starting from preparing small plant pots with a 50:50 mixture of soil and coir. Crumple them up and pour a little bit of water until they become in good condition – not too sticky and can be rolled into chunks. Make a small 1-inch deep hole with your finger. Place the seed into the hole and put some soil back. Push the soil surface with your palm, water it before waiting for the seedling to grow.
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Tips :
– Use a small plant pot in order to allow the seedling to grow healthily, not competing with each other, along with arranging the plot dividing with certain distance.