UGP Techincal Tips Field Guide English FINAL

Local Solutions in
Ethiopia’s Urban Gardens
USAID Urban
Gardens Program
TIPS &
TRICKS
HANDBOOK
2011

2
USAID Urban Gardens Program 2011
TIPS & TRICKS FIELD MANUAL
Table of Contents
Introduction to USAID UGP.........................................3
Irrigation and Water Conservation ....................... 4 - 8
Soil Fertility Solutions ......................................... 9 - 11
Marketing and Sales...........................................12 - 15
Pest Control & Organic Pesticides..................... 16 - 21
Soil Conservation Solutions................................22 - 24
Chicken Coop ............................................................25
Food Preparation Solutions ......................................26

3
Introduction
This handbook strives to highlight and share the local gardening
knowledge of the participants of USAID Urban Gardens Program (USAID
UGP) for HIV Affected Women and Children. By sharing homegrown
techniques, Gardeners in Bahir Dar can directly benefit from techniques
used by Gardeners in Adama, for example.
Building gardens based on traditional farming techniques and
adapting them to an urban setting allows Gardeners to develop skills that
have already been tried and tested and are flourishing in Ethiopia’s cities.
The techniques presented in this manual are simple, low-cost and
sustainable ways to increase a garden’s productivity on all levels. Here,
Gardeners will find innovative techniques to improve a garden’s fertility
or the Gardener’s ability to tackle pests and irrigation issues. Farmers
will also discover innovative ways to market and sell their vegetables.
As urban agriculture spreads, experience sharing is a key asset to a
garden’s sustainability as well as to the Gardener’s quest to improve
income, nutrition and health. All of these techniques can be easily
replicated and implemented.
In addition to the one year spent absorbing technical skills of USAID
UGP’s staff, Tips & Tricks is another tool to encourage creative Gardeners
to follow the path from student to teacher, from apprentice to expert
and change their lives and their communities. The Gardener’s influence
over his or her family, friends and neighbors has been, until now, an
untapped resource.
The evolution from one-way instruction between expert and Gardener to
a multi-layered source of knowledge is just the beginning of
empowering Gardeners to think and work on their own. USAID UGP’s
Gardeners already have the knowledge and skills needed to be
successful, this manual attests to their commitment.

4
Micro Gravity Drip Irrigation System
Description: Creating a
miniature drip irrigation kit is
as simple as finding a plastic
bottle and hanging it above
your micro-garden or potted
garden. Micro drip kits allow
for slow release of water and
are effective if you plan to be away from your garden for a few
days.
Instructions: With a nail, poke a small hole in the bottom of
water bottle. You may need more than one hole. Fill the bottle with
water and hang from string or wire above growing area. There
should be a slow drip of water. If the water leaks too fast then the
hole is too large, remember the smaller the hole the slower the
drip.
Advantages: Cheap, easy to build, does not clog and an example
of recycling materials.
Materials needed: Plastic bottles,
string/rope
nail & a
place to
hang your
micro drip
kit.
Location Modjo
Type of Garden Modjo 1 School
Garden
IP SWDA
Gardener(s) OVC Gardeners
OAC/Extension
Officer
Fikre/Kebede

5
Sand & Gravel Barrier Water Filtration
Description: By placing
sand and gravel in a
contaminated water way,
Gardeners can filter a
potentially hazardous water
source.
Instructions: Place the
sand and gravel in a way to
block the water flow with sand at the bottom. Allow water to force
its way through the sand and gravel barrier. Build a basin on the
other side of the barrier to catch the water.
Advantages: Cheap, easy to build with locally available material;
removes large and small contaminants and, if done right, can
make dangerous water sources available for irrigation.
Materials:
River
gravel
(12mm
diameter
and 6-9mm
diameter,
sand.
Location(s) Kombolcha
Type of Garden Tesfa 01 Group
Garden
IP Tesfa Hiwot
Association
Gardener(s) All Gardeners
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebayew/Ashenaf

6
Drip Kit Set-Up
Description: Setting up a
strong drip kit is key to
functionality. By using
wooden boards, pegs and
nails, you can fix the drip
kit line to be straight and
unmovable.
Instructions: Place two wooden beams on opposite sides of the
garden plot with pegs to fix the beams to the ground. On the side
nearest the bucket, use nails/rope to affix the lateral line to the
wood. On the end farthest from the bucket, use rope to affix the
end of the drip lines to the wooden beam. DO NOT overstretch the
drip lines.
Advantages: The drip lines stay straight for longer period of time
allowing Gardeners to better target seedlings and thus save water.
And helps preserve the life of the drip kit parts.
Materials needed: Wood, nails, rope, drip kit
Location(s) Dessie
Type of Garden School & Group
Gardens
IP Mekdim, Nigat,
Netsebrak, AHRRA
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebayew/ Endalk,
Genet, Ahmed, Meaza

7
Drip Kit Stands
Description: A drip kit
stand should be well built
to resist extreme weather
conditions such as heat
and rain. Here we give
some examples of drip kit
stands found in some UGP gardens in Adama.
Instructions: The type of drip kit stand best for your garden will
depend on what materials are available in your area.
Advantages: Cheap and easy to build, stone-built stands are
more sturdy than wood, but wooden stands may be easier to build.
Materials needed: Mud, rocks, wood.
Mud Only Wooden Stand Mud & Stones
Location(s) Adama / Debre Zeit
Type of Garden Group & School
IP All
Gardener(s) All
OAC/Extension
Officer
All

8
Hemispherical Underground Pond
Description: This type of water
harvesting pit is useful to provide
water for the garden during the dry
season. This pit can hold up to 60
cubic meters of water and is
enough to provide water for 300
sq. meters of land for three
months
Caution: Be careful in high-risk malarial areas as standing water
can in turn breed mosquitoes. Always make sure pits and wells are
safe for children.
Instructions: After digging a circular pit, 3m deep with a 3m
radius, line the pit with industrial strength plastic covering. Build
the rooftop with wood and grass to prevent evaporation. Make sure
water runoff leads to the pit, while passing through a silt trap.
Advantages: Allows Gardeners to save water for the dry season
and avoid expensive municipal water.
Materials needed: Pit, plastic sheet (11.5m x 11.5m), wood,
grass, nails. The
group garden spent
a total of 5,500 birr
on the underground
pond in the photo.
Location(s) Modjo
Type of Garden Kera Group
Garden
IP SWDA
Gardener(s) All
OAC/Extension
Officer
Fikre/Kebede

9
Double Digging
Description: Technique used
to increase soil drainage and
aeration. Double digging is
typically done when cultivating
soil in a new garden, or when
deep top-soil is required. On
poor or heavy soils, or for vegetable gardens, double digging might
be required every 3-5 years.
Instructions: Divide garden plot into 50cm parts. Dig and remove
a layer of 15-30cm of topsoil and place on the side. Till the next
15-30cm layer with a hoe. Add manure or compost. Cover the
second layer with the top layer of the neighboring part. Fill the
final part of the garden plot with the topsoil from the first part.
Advantages: Allows soil to aerate and brings needed nutrients to
deeper areas of the soil.
Materials
needed:
Shovel, hoe,
manure.
Location(s) Dessie
Type of Garden Personal Garden
IP Netsebrak
Gardener(s) Samson Aberra
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebeyaw/Genet

10
Liquid Fertilizer: Manure Tea
Description: Manure Tea is a
liquid solution made by
steeping manure in water. Most
often liquid fertilizer is applied
to seedlings when planting.
Instructions: Collect 50kg of
animal manure and place in a
burlap sack. Tie off with rope and hang inside of a 230l tanker full
of water. After sitting for 2 weeks, the water can be diluted 1:1.
Advantages: Easy to apply, increases vegetable yields.
Materials needed: Fresh Manure, water, plastic tank, burlap sack,
rope.
Location(s) Shashemene
Type of Garden Burka Gudina
Group Garden
IP Muluwongel
Gardener(s) Fate Temame
OAC/Extension
Officer
Abeje/Degefu

11
Above-Ground Compost Pile
Description: An above-
ground compost pile uses
local resources to provide
added fertility to a garden
and can be completed in
the rainy season in time for
the dry season.
Instructions: Stack the following three layers several times: 1)
Brown & yellow organic matter, i.e. dead leaves, roots, wood. 2)
Green organic material, i.e. weeds and plant waste. 3) Manure, ash
and topsoil. When the pile has reached a height of 1.5 meters,
cover the entire mound with moistened soil. After a month, check
the temperature of the compost pile with a stick. If compost heat
has subsided, turn the pile over with a shovel. After 3 months the
compost should be ready to be distributed in the garden.
Advantages: Maintains garden’s fertility without chemical
fertilizers. Utilizes local materials and garden refuse to maintain
fertility. Laying
compost pile is
a team activity.
Materials
needed:
Brown, yellow
and green
organic
material,
manure, and
ash, water.
Location(s) Debre Markos
Type of Garden Police College Garden
IP Anti Malari
OAC/Extension
Officer
Getachew /Netsanet

12
Vegetable Sales on a Bicycle
Description: This Garden
has differentiated its
marketing and sales services
to its customers by
delivering vegetables door-
to-door on a bicycle. The
peri-urban Garden is located
10km from Bahir Dar center, and the bicycle connects the garden
to the market at a lower price than taxi or Bajaj.
Instructions: Geteneh’s group uses the bicycle in two ways: 1)
customers call and order vegetables which are then delivered on
the bicycle 2) sellers use the bicycle to go door-to-door. In addition
to free delivery, the gardeners have built a small kiosk in front of
their garden to serve neighbors and people passing by.
Advantages: No fuel costs, gives clients fresher products and
better prices, good exercise.
Materials needed: Bicycle, bag or rope to tie on vegetables.
Location Bahir Dar
Name and
Type of Garden
Woramit Hawaria
OVC Group Garden
IP TMIDA
Gardener(s) Geteneh Aber
OAC/Extension
Officer
Mebit / Lijalem

13
Seedling Production for Income
Description: This OVC
school garden has enlarged
their nursery to raise tomato,
kale, carrot seedlings, among
others, for commercial use. In
six months, the OVC have
sold more than 3800 birr
worth of seedlings and become Gonder’s main source for vegetable
seedlings.
Instructions: Plant nursery in a shaded area and market
seedlings to other IPs and farmers.
Advantages: OVC have more incentive to care for their nursery
and receive more experience in seedling production on their own.
School garden receives more income and makes important
contacts with other UGP IPs and farmers in the area.
Materials: Seeds and appropriate land for a nursery.
Location(s) Gonder
Type of Garden Kebele 03 School
Garden
IP Wogen
OAC/Extension
Officer
Kassahun/Denberu

14
Mobile Phone for Market Information
Description: This group
garden uses a mobile phone
to gather information about
vegetable prices from
markets located in Ziway
and Addis Ababa. They use
the mobile phone to contact vegetables brokers to broaden their
customer base and find better prices. Information communication
technologies like mobile phones make marketing easy without
spending time and money to bring the products to new markets.
Instructions: Gather mobile phone numbers of key brokers and
market vendors. Call or SMS to identify prices or market needs
Advantages: Saves time and
transport costs when searching
for market and price
information, improves access to
markets and helps fix optimum
selling prices.
Materials needed: Mobile
phone.
Location(s) Adama
Type of Garden Awash Melkasa
Group Garden
IP Medan Acts
Gardener(s) Dejene Gizaw
OAC/Extension
Officer
Fikre /Fikeru

15
Growing Commercial Grass for Income
Description: Local grass is
a great way to subsidize
the inputs of a garden or
earn extra income. And
many households need the
grass for animal fodder or
decoration. Depending on where a garden is located, grass is
commonly found near open water sources. This garden earns 400
birr per grass harvest.
Instructions: Identify unused grass around your garden/home.
Manage the grass by 1) harvesting only small spaces 2) protecting
from animals and 3) watering in the dry season.
Advantages: Commercial grasses can experience high demand,
especially in the dry season and during religious holidays. Grass is
an essential part of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
Materials
needed: Extra
land, grass
clumps,
cuttings.
Location(s) Gonder
Type of Garden Angereb Group
Garden
IP Wogen
Gardener(s) Girma Bekele
OAC/Extension
Officer
Kassahun/Amsalu

16
Bird-Proof Garden Net
Description: Plastic netting
helps to deter birds from
eating seeds or seedlings in
the garden
Instructions: Simply cover
your garden plot with a net by
placing wooden support pegs throughout a 1mX10m plot.
Determine the height of the peg by the height of the bed’s
vegetables.
Advantages: A netted cover is especially useful in areas with high
bird infestation, especially in the dry season. It very easy to install
and allows sunlight, air and water to pass through the net to the
vegetables.
Materials needed: Plastic net with holes larger than that of a
mosquito net.
Location Shashemene
Type of Garden Positive Charity
Institution Garden
IP Mekdem
Gardener(s) All
OAC/Extension
Officer
Abeje/Bushra

17
Hanging Garden Alarm for Rabbits
Description: Moges, a disable
Gardener, has created a noise
trap to keep rabbits (birds,
monkeys, etc) and other pests
away from his vegetable
garden.
Instructions: Using a 20 meter rope and discarded pots and pans,
Moges scares the animals away during night without having to get
up. He just simply pulls on the rope.
Advantages: Provides a disabled Gardener with a mechanism to
protect his vegetables from rabbits and other rodent by frightening
them with the sounds of the pots hanging on the rope.
Materials
needed:
Rope,
discarded
pots and/or
pans.
Location(s) Tikel Dingay
Type of Garden Home Garden
IP Frehiwot
Gardener(s) Moges Tadege
OAC Kassahun

18
Pest Control: Neem Leaf Solution
Description: Neem leaf
solution is easy to prepare and
very effective against aphids as
well as diseases such as
powdery mildew.
Instructions: Chop 3kg of
neem leaves and mix with 230l
of water in a tanker. Let the solution sit for 7 days. Remove half of
the solution and replace with water, for a total of 460l of solution.
Spray vegetables every 20 days.
Advantages: Organic
pesticides avoid spraying
vegetables with chemicals
that may be harmful for
human consumption.
Neem leaves are easy to
find and prepare.
Materials needed:
Tanker (230l) or large
bucket, neem leaves
(3kg), water.
Location(s) Debre Zeit
Type of Garden Kebele 15 Group
Garden
IP Dawn of Hope
Gardener(s) Danel Gebayew
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebru/Alemneh

19
Pest Control: Termite Skull
Description: Burying a cow
skull deep in a termite colony is
a sure way of capturing the
termite queen. Until the queen
is captured, the termite colony
will continue to spread
underground. Termite colonies can spread to as wide as 70 meters
long.
Instructions: Dig deep into the heart of the termite colony and
bury a decaying cow skull. Cover with dirt and let the skull sit for
2-3 days. Uncover, locate queen and dispose.
Advantages: Quick, effective and low cost way of ridding your
garden’s termites.
Materials needed: Shovel, cow skull
Location(s) Debre Zeit
Type of Garden Kebele 15 Group
Garden
IP Dawn of Hope
Gardener(s) Emanuel Kaza
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebru/Alemneh

20
Pest Control: Animal Urine
Description: Using cow or
bull urine is a very effective
and low-cost way to fight
aphids and cut worm. With
just a little bit of urine, a
solution can be made. Note
that other animals such as sheep and goats may be used.
Instructions: Collect urine at night after the animal has been fed.
Use a large basin to catch the urine. Dilute the urine with water
using a 1:10 ratio. Let the solution sit for 12 hours before spraying
directly on vegetables.
Advantages: Organic, low-cost, readily available.
Materials needed: Animal, large basin, water.
Location(s) Wenji (Adama)
Type of Garden Group Garden
IP Medan Acts
Gardener(s) Eshetu Heliso
OAC/Extension
Officer
Fikre/Ato Asefew

21
Pest Control: Castor Bean & Melia Leaf
Description: By combining
the leaves of two common
trees: castor and melia (AKA
chinaberry), Gardeners can
produce an effective, organic
pesticide. Note that castor
fruit is only available during the rainy season and the leaves can be
used in the dry season.
Instructions: After chopping the castor leaves/fruit and the melia
leaves, add 2 liters of water. Filter the solution and use right away
otherwise it may become too strong. If left alone for more than 1
day, dilute with more water. Three liters can cover up to 50m2
of
land.
Advantages: Organic, low-cost,
readily available.
Materials needed: Castor fruit
and/or leaves (150g), melia leaves
(150g), large basin, water (2l).
Location(s) Wenji (Adama)
Type of Garden Group Garden
IP Medan Acts
Gardener(s) All
OAC/Extension
Officer
Fikre/Ato Asefew

22
Barrier or Border Planting
Description: Planting beneficial
plants in your garden can help
maintain the life of your
vegetables, soil and yield. Many
plants, like the African Marigold
help repel leaf miners and
aphids from your leafy
vegetables through its strong odor. Elephant grass can work as a
barrier from toilet flies while providing deep roots to strengthen
soil conservation. Many types of flowering plants also help to
attract beneficial insects (to attack and eat pests) into the garden.
Instructions: Marigold (and other beneficial flowers/plants)
seeds/seedlings should be planted between vegetables or alongside
beds and borders of the garden.
Advantages: Repels insects without using chemical pesticides,
while beautifying the garden. Protects: Swiss chard, lettuce and
cabbage. Elephant Grass is a great barrier to a nearby latrine.
Both plants are safe to use, easy to transplant. These plants are
available in most communities.
Materials:
Marigold seeds
and/or seedlings,
elephant grass
cuttings.
Location(s) Kombolcha
Type of Garden Addis Biltsigna
Group Garden
IP Nigat
Gardener(s) NA
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebeyaw/Endalk

23
Rock Barriers for Soil Conservation
Description: When faced with a
slightly sloping hillside this school
garden have collected stones and
placed them around each
individual garden plot. The stones
help protect raised vegetable
beds from erosion caused by the
rains.
Instructions: Collect stones from surrounding fields and place
along contours of the land. Build up walls to hold soil and create
planting area.
Advantages: The stone barriers protect the soil erosion, especially
during the rainy season, and thus help maintain soil fertility. The
barriers are easy to create and stones are locally available.
Materials
needed:
Stones.
Location Debre
Markos
Type of Garden Dil Betegil
School Garden
IP Anti Malaria
OAC/Extension
Officer
Getachew
Fente/Nestanet
Minwuyelet

24
Biological Soil Conservation
Description: Stone wall erosion
protection methods backed up by
vetiver grass become even more
effective and sustainable.
Instructions: Plant the vetiver
grass seedlings 30cm from the
stone band or terracing wall.
Note that vetiver grass must be
trimmed at least twice a year to keep it from growing too tall and
blocking the sun. Once the vetiver grass is cut, the roots are
strengthened.
Advantages: While vetiver grass helps control soil erosion, the
plant is multipurpose and cuttings can be sold at the market.
Vetiver grass also beautifies the garden. ASK GOSHU BOUT H20
Materials: rocks, vetiver seedlings (found at most nursery sites)
Location Dessie
Type of Garden Green Gold &
HIbret Llemelt
IP AHHRA &
Netsebrak
OAC/Extension
Officer
Gebeyaw
/Abiy, Ahmed

25
Chicken Coop made from Local Material
Description: This triangular,
two-story chicken coop was
made from local materials by a
13 year old student. The coop
is well ventilated, and he has
installed a light bulb to provide
added warmth for the chickens.
Instructions: Create an A-frame on each side of the coop.
connect the two frames with beams. In the middle of the frame,
create the upper level using logs. Using wire mesh, create doors in
each level to handle the chickens. The coop measures 1m tall by
1m long.
Advantages: Made from local materials, sturdy, keeps chickens
safe, warm and productive, easily moved.
Materials needed: Wood (locally available), mesh wire, nails, and
an electric bulb (optional). Abraham spent 500 birr on the
construct
ion of his
chicken
coop.
Location Bahir Dar
Type of Garden Home garden
IP KHCDP
Gardener(s) Abraham Adan
Extension
Officer/OAC
Mebit/Dagmawi

26
Beetroot Leaves Preparation
Description: Cooking with
beetroot leaves was unheard
of in Debre Markos until we
learned that these leaves
can be used in the same way
as Swiss chard.
Instructions: Clean 10-15 de-stemmed green leaves and chop
into small pieces. Chop and cook 2 onions & several garlic cloves in
oil for 3-5 minutes. Add beetroot leaves to the stir-fry along with
green chili pepper (optional). Cook until wilted (7-10 mins). Add
salt and pepper, and a quarter of a lemon or vinegar and serve.
Use young leaves for salad and older leaves for stir-fry.
Advantages: Gardeners use the whole plant since the beetroot
leaf is usually discarded, and leaves have high nutritional value.
Materials needed: 10-15 Leaves of beetroot (without stems), 2
onion bulbs, garlic cloves, 1 green pepper, salt, oil, vinegar and/or
lemon.
Location Debre Markos
Type of Garden All Gardens
IP All IPs and Schools
OAC/Extension
Officer
Getachew/Nesanet

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