The importance of using organic fertilisers for plant nutrition in contemporary agriculture and gardening

Currently, many people are using containers such as pots, flower boxes, raised garden beds, window boxes and others to grow fruit-bearing plants, salad and root vegetables and herbs, both in agriculture and urban gardening. Nowadays there are many plant-growing solutions for spaces where there is no soil, such as balconies, terraces and roofs, indoors in homes and offices, or in areas where soils are contaminated. It is good to see that the growing of plants in such spaces is increasingly becoming a reality worldwide; this is the “Urban Green Revolution” in motion. Copenhagen, Denmark As an alternative to traditional soil, potting soil is now making an appearance as a medium in which to grow plants. It is available on the market in increasingly specialised formats in terms of its physical, chemical and organic qualities. This means that, unlike normal soil, we can choose the most appropriate growing medium for the roots of the plants we want to grow, directly influencing their growth, health and even their taste. However, both potting soil and normal soil need care to remain productive. One of the most important steps is fertilising the soil since this ensures plant nutrition. This is where I would like to talk about our latest product, the Minigarden Grow Up Pure Organic 1 L. It is a high-quality concentrated liquid universal plant fertiliser, certified for use in organic farming. Produced from organic farm manure by vermicomposting using red Californian earthworms, this new fertiliser provides a response to the growing demand for 100% natural products. It can be used in wide range of circumstances and is just as suitable as...

Urban Gardening – A Beginners Guide by Samantha Rose Hunt

The Minigarden Kitchen Garden is one of the most preferred Minigarden products by our customers. Every month we receive or we find testimonials from people telling about their experiences with our vertical gardens. This time, we would like to share with you the personal experience of Samantha Rose Hunt and her Kitchen Garden. Samantha is a canadian blogger and a secondhand fashion lover, creator of My Ethical Edit, a blog with tips and tricks about how to live a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle. She decided to install a Kitchen Garden on her balcony in Berlin to have a small oasis. Here’s her honest experience as a beginner urban gardener: “I am no pro gardener, in fact every plant I’ve ever owned has either died or needed serious help. Nonetheless I want to share my urban gardening experience as a beginner. I’ve learned loads so far and think this could benefit those of you who aren’t exactly the greatest plant mamas. They say that gardening is therapeutic and I could not agree more. There’s nothing better than taking care of something and watching it bloom and grow! What is urban gardening? Urban gardening is the process of growing plants of all varieties in an urban space such as on a balcony, patio or yard. This also includes community gardens, green roofs and guerilla gardens (planting in public spaces that don’t belong to specific gardeners like the side of roads for example). Why should you create your own urban garden? There are many health, societal and environmental benefits that come from urban gardening. For one, you are creating a local...

In the garden with… Carmen Ferreira

With the vegetable gardens Minigarden winning over an increasing number of fans, the Minigarden team decided to pay a visit to a number of customers who have the Minigarden system installed. The Minigarden now forms part of the daily lives of so many families, it is intriguing to see up close the development of their vertical vegetable and flower gardens. On this occasion, we paid a visit to Carmen Ferreira, a mother who 7 years ago chose to put a Minigarden on her balcony. In addition to installing the modules, she opted for our drip irrigation system (giving each plant the water and nutrition it requires), along with a programmer, a fertilizer feeder and a filter/pressure reducer, thus automating the irrigation and nutrition system. Carmen explains that “In the summer, the vegetables have to be watered every day, and on the hottest days, sometimes twice a day, which justified the investment. It proved a fantastic solution, since we have little spare time”. Over the years, Carmen decided to change the kitchen decor, and the balcony was included in her plans. In these hectic times of increasingly scarce spare time, Carmen chose to create a different space, where she could enjoy a cosy lounge environment with her family and friends. “I decided to bring the city garden into our home”. Carmen explains further, “At that point, we spent little time at home. I wanted to enjoy all our free time and a vertical garden requires less time and maintenance than a vegetable garden”. Since the family already had the Minigarden system installed, the decision was easily implemented. After 6 years with...

Horticulture Workshops for Children and Grown-Ups – Vertical Kitchen Garden

Last June, we saw the end of another workshop series on HORTICULTURE FOR CHILDREN AND GROWN-UPS, at the Dolce Vita Tejo (the biggest shopping centre in Europe). These workshops were facilitated by Associação Chão da Terra, with support from Minigarden. The main goal of Associação Chão da Terra is to spread environmentally friendly growing techniques and foster contact with soil and nature.   For a few days, people had the chance to discover the benefits of urban kitchen gardens and learn about growing horticultural and aromatic plants. In an urban setting, the use of raised seed beds and vertical systems with low space requirements may be the best solution to build a kitchen garden. All the participants had the opportunity to discover the Minigarden Vertical system. Everyone was able to feel the soil with their hands and thoroughly follow the suggestions to make a Minigarden Vertical kitchen garden without ever forgetting the general principles of sustainable agriculture. It was a moment of dissemination and learning for all the attendees. There was plenty of fun for grown-ups and kids. … And so the workshop series ended, with due credit to Associação Chão da Terra. Welcome to the Urban Green Revolution!     A tip from Associação Chão da Terra: HOW TO GROW A KITCHEN GARDEN – step by step 1. Place the vertical kitchen garden in an area with at least 4-5 hours of daily solar exposure; 2. Fill the vertical kitchen garden bottom with a porous material to drain or absorb the excess water; 3. Choose an adequate substrate for the kind of plants you’re growing; 4. Adjust the plant and root size...

In the kitchen garden with… Joana Lobato

This time, the Minigarden team visited the kitchen garden of Joana Lobato, a young woman with a great passion for her four-legged friends. She always wanted to have a kitchen garden at home, but the lack of time and space had always made it impossible to fulfil that wish. Joana tells us that “I tried to grow things in flowerpots, but with no success”. Joana always had an interest in health and food safety. Aside from being produced without chemicals (harmful to health and cause of many diseases), organic food is more tasty and nutritious. “I care about the environment. Pesticides are quite harmful to water, air and soil, as well as to our health, both directly and indirectly. When I stopped eating meat, vegetables became part of my routine. Actually, I could buy them in the supermarket, but they are more expensive and I can’t always be certain they don’t have chemicals or preservatives”. “At a time in which we increasingly hear about kitchen gardens, especially the organic kind, I decided to look for the best solution. That’s when I found Minigarden… I decided to place the kitchen garden in my balcony”, says Joana while picking some spearmint for her tea… “I wanted to be able to grow my own kitchen garden, ensuring the quality of the products I eat and give to my pets. They love carrots, and this way I can be certain they won’t take in any chemicals”. Joana loves to use aromatic herbs in her dishes and, in her opinion, fresh herb packets in the supermarket are a little overpriced. “I decided to be...

Chef Chakall

We found out that Chef Chakall is a fan of Minigarden. As we admire him and know his reputation as an advocate of a carefully balanced and healthy diet, we asked him why he chose our systems to create his kitchen garden right next to his kitchen counters.   Why did you choose Minigarden? Because it meets all my needs, because it has an automatic irrigation system and due to its quality. As I travel a lot, I have little time to look after my plants, and with Minigarden my herbs don’t need much care and attention. Do you know of a similar system? With all the features of Minigarden, don’t know any. Where do you keep your Minigarden? I have two Minigarden Vertical systems, one in my Lisbon restaurant and the other at my house in Lisbon, which I also use as a studio to record my TV programmes and give my cookery lessons. What have you planted there? I have all kinds of herbs, lemon grass, parsley, coriander, lemon balm, etc. Was it easy to install and maintain? Very easy to install, and as I have an automatic irrigation system, it’s fantastic. How do you perform maintenance on your plants and your Minigardens? I don’t have to do almost anything; as it has an automatic drip-feed irrigation system suitable for each plant, I don’t have to worry. Do you have any special tricks for looking after your plants? If so, what are they? Yes, they love listening to Mendelssohn… What do you like the most and the least about Minigarden? I like everything, because it’s practical, clean...