PLANTINGAWELLGARDENEDGARDEN(MAIZE)

ThetermwellwateredgardencomesfromIsaiah58:11.FfFisaplanforthe
poorandIsaiah58outlinesthewonderfulblessingsthatflowfromturningto
God in unselfishness and humility and attending to the poor and oppressed.
One of the promises is that we will become like a well watered garden. The
demonstration plot that you put in is a demonstration to the community of
howtheycancomeoutofpovertythrougheffectiveuseoftheirland.

Equipment:
a6mplantingstringwithmarkersevery60cm
a75cmplantingstick
hoes
maizeseed
ANfertiliser,compostormanure
awateringcan

PrayandaskforGodsHelp
SelectingtheSitePraythatGodwillshowyouwheretoputit.
a) Where can the light shine like the dawn best? Where is it most visible and where will the
greatest number of people pass by? i.e. at an entrance or at a crossroad, near the church
entranceoradministrationblocketc.
b) Wherewoulditbemostaestheticallybeautiful?
c) Avoidtoomuchshadingbytreesandtallbuildings.
d) Forawintergardenitshouldbenearawatersupplyi.e.gardentap,borehole,wellorriver.
e) Arebirdsi.e.chickens,francolin(chikwari)andanimalsaproblem?Isfencingavailable?

MARKING THE SITE

ROAD/SIDE OF BUILDING
6m of 60cm SPACED PLANTING STATIONS
SHEET
OF
PAPER
SLOPE

6m of 75cm SPACED ROWS

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MarkingtheSite
a) Establishwhereyourbaseline(side)willbe.Makeitparalleltotheaccessroadorthenearest
building,etcsothatitlookspleasing.
b) Lookattheslopeandmakesureyour75cmrowsrunacrosstheslope.
c) Putinyourbasepegandmeasureoutyour6mbaselineputtinginanotherpeg.
d) Measureoutbothperpendicularsidesoftheplotwhichshouldalsobe6m.UseasheetofA4
papertomakesurethatthecornersareanexactrightangle.
e) Explainthattobesometiculousmightappeartobeoverthetop,butwearetryingtoteach
the principle of excellence, which honours God. Then explain that high levels of production
comefromhighstandards.Youreapwhatyousow.Itispossibletoget12tonnesperhectare
with the highest standards. Every degree of lowering of standards correspondingly reduces
yieldpotentialfrom12to10to8to6to4to2to1tonneperhectare.

MarkingoutthePlantingHoles
Takeyour6mwireat60cmspacingandstretchitacrossthebaselinepegs.Digtheplantingholes
atthe60cmspacing.Theholesmustbeabout56cmdeepand15cmlongbyahoewidth.Make
surethatthecentreofthehoebladeisexactlyoppositethe60cmmark.
Thenwhenyouhavefinishedtheline(whichwillhave11holesand10spaces)usethe75cmstick
to move your pegs 75cm along your string down the slope. Remember that the 75cm rows run
acrosstheslopetopreventsoilandwaterloss.Alwaysdigtheholesonthedownslopesideofthe
measuring wire so that the soil pile (borrow) is down slope of the hole. This prevents soil from
beingwashedbackintothehole,asmighthappenafterheavyrain,ifthesoilwereontheother
sideofthehole.
Thesoilpileonthedownsideoftheholehelpstocaptureabitmorerainwaterbyprovidinga
smallextrabarriertoanyoverflowfromtheholes.Theselittledetailscanmakearealdifference
andisallpartofreachingfortheexcellencethathonoursGod(1Samuel2:30).Remembertopoint
outthisGodlyprincipletotheaudienceasyoudoit.
Getyourtrainingteamtodothephysicalworkenthusiasticallyandevenly.Evenlyspacedholesof
even size and depth are the foundation for a beautiful even crop, which makes it possible to
achieve the highest possible potential yield. Pray for the Holy Spirit to move your audiences
heartstounderstandandacceptthisimportantfundamentalprinciple.Rememberthatthismay
beusedbytheLordtointroducehigherstandardsofmanagementintoallaspectsofstewardship
in our nation, be they agricultural, industrial, administrative, or governmental. Dont say this at
thisstageunlesstheLordpromptsyoutodoso.Hemaypreferyoutosayitattheendaspartof
yoursummary,ifatall.Checkyouraudiencetoseeifthiswillcauseoffencethisshouldnotbe
thecasewithchurchaudiences.
Point out that we will seldom have fields that are exactly rectangular. However, we must
endeavourtohavecarefullymeasuredrowspaceswithevenlymeasuredplantingstationsinour
fields.Thiscanbedonebyusingmeasuringsticksormeasuringstrings.Straightplantingrowsare
important,becausetheymakethismarkingouteasierandenableustogrowsubsequentcropson
the same lines (rows). This maximises the residual build up of fertiliser in the soil and also
minimisescompaction,bylimitingthecompressionfromhumanfeet,animalhoovesandtractor
wheels,totheinterrowspaces.

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MARKING OUT PLANTING HOLES

PLANTING STRING WITH MARKERS EVERY 60cm
STRETCHED BETWEEN TWO PEGS

PLANTING
HOLES WITH
SOIL
MOUNDS
DOWN
SLOPE

SLOPE

75cm

60cm

[10x60cm=6m;8x75cm=6m]

Fertilisation
a) TheNecessityofFertiliser:
Fertiliserisplacedintheholebymeasuringcup.Explainwhyfertilisationisnecessary.When
weremovegrainorproducefromthefieldwealsoremovethenutrientsfromthesoilthatthe
plants have used to produce the grain. It is like a bank account. If you keep on removing
money from your bank account without putting sufficient money into it, you will eventually
havenomoneyleftinthataccount.Youhavetogivetoreceive;youhavetoputthisfaithgift
ofseedandfertiliserintothesoilforGodtomultiplyitbacktoyou.
Theamountoffertiliseryouputdownshouldbesufficienttoreplacethenutrientsthatwillbe
removedbytherealisticpotentialyieldyouexpecttoharvest.
tonnes/HaGrain

kg/HaCompoundD

kg/HaAN

No.Cup

10

400

400

16

350

350

300

300

12

200

200

100

100

Thisisageneralguideline.Thelevelsoffertilisationwillvaryaccordingtothestateofyoursoil
andthestandardsofyourmanagement.Ifyoursoilsaredeficientitwillpayyoutoputinabit
more fertiliser than you remove. This will build up your soil and give you a higher yield
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potential.Ifyouonlyhave4x50kgsofCompoundDand4x50kgsAN,itisbettertoputallof
iton1haat200kgs/haratherthanspreaditover2haat100kgs/ha.Youwouldstillhavethe
yield potential of 4 tonnes gross return, either 1ha at 4tonnes/ha or 2ha at 2 tonnes/ha. By
doing 1ha at the highest standard planted on time, you would have the best chance of
achieving that yield. By being able to carry extra mulch onto a smaller plot and by the
investment of higher management and by the generosity of the higher level of fertilisation,
youwouldbegivingGodmoretomultiplybacktoyou!Alsointheeventofaseriousdrought
youwouldbemorelikelytogetenoughgraintofeedyourfamily.Ifoneputs100kgs/haonto
2haatalowerstandardofmanagementwithlessmulchandprobablymoreweedsitislikely
thatonewouldgetacompletecropfailureandnofoodforthefamily.
b) PlacementofFertiliser:
Thefertilisershouldbepouredcarefullyintothelowestpointofthehole.Thenasmallamount
ofsoilshouldbepulledoverthefertilisertopreventitfromburningtheseed.
N.B.Ifyoudonthaveanyfertiliserajamtinofmanure/compostwillhelp,orbetterstillalittle
fertiliser plus the manure, correctly placed under the seed, will be excellent. If you use
manure/compostmaketheholedeeper.

PLACEMENT OF FERTILISER
SLOPE

SOIL PILE

COVERING
OF SOIL

FERTILISER/
MANURE

Seeding
a) PlacementofSeeds:
Put3seedsontopofthelayerofsoildirectlyoverthefertiliser.Thisisthebestplaceforthe
germinatingseedlingtobe,fortheearliestandmostefficientuptakeofnutrients.
Pleasehavethewisdomandfaithtoputdown3seedsperstationknowingthatat+/2weeks
aftergerminationtheplantsMUSTbeweededdownto2plantsperstation.Agoodfulleven
standisanessentialfoundationtoachievingahighyield.Withthedifficultiesoftheweather,
cappingsoils,pestsandalltheoppositionfromtheEvilOneitisdifficulttoachievethisgood
foundationbyplanting2s.Thedifferencebetweena90100%populationratherthanoneof
6070%canmeanadifferenceinyieldofbetween1and3tonnes/ha.Anextrainvestmentof
about$1500.00/hacanbringyouareturnofanythingbetween$30,000.00$90,000.00per
ha.AsktheLordforagenerosityofspiritandputenoughseedintoanareayoucanmanageat
thehigheststandardpossible.
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PLACEMENT OF SEED

SEED COVERED
BY CLOD FREE
SOIL

SLOPE

SOIL PILE

COVERING
OF SOIL

FERTILISER/
MANURE

(SIDE VIEW)

HOLE

SOIL PILE

SEEDS DIRECTLY
OVER
COVERED
FERTILISER

(AERIAL VIEW)

b) CoveringofSeed:
This is the single most important operation that you will do as a farmer. The standard of
coveringandtheeffortyouputintothisoperationwilldeterminewhetheryouhaveagoodor
apoorcrop.Wehavefoundthatovertheyearsthat23cmofsoilcoveringtheseedisbest.
Dontplanttoodeepwithcappingsoils.Youcangoalittledeeperwithsoftfriablesoils.Itis
veryimportanttocarefullycoverevenlywithclodfreesoilandnostones.
The importance of a full, even stand cannot be over emphasised. This will achieve an early
canopy of leaves across the rows forming a roof over the soil to which creates the right
microclimate for the crop. There is less evapotranspiration from the soil and the weeds get
shadedout.Whentherearegapsintherowsthesungetstothesoilsurfaceanddriesitout
andtheweedsgrowvigorouslyandstarttoreallycompetewiththecrop.
Evennessofgrowthisalsoimportant.Ifthecropisuneventhebiggerplantsovershadowthe
smallerones,progressivelystuntingthem.Ithasbeenprovedthattheworstweedsinacrop
are plants of their own kind. These overshadowed plants dont produce a cob and yet rob
moistureandnutrientsfromthebiggerplantsresultinginamarkedreductioninyield.Careful,
evencoveringoftheseedhelpstopreventallthis.
Satan may suggest that we are being too fussy demanding such high standards. I have seen
overtheyearsthatitisthelittlefoxesthatruinthevineyard(SongofSolomon2:15).They
comeinandcauselowyields.Alittlelesseningofstandardshereandtherecollectivelycause
our yields to plummet to a tenth of what they could be. High standards could mean the
differencebetweenlifeanddeathforhundredsofthousands,maybemillionsofpeople,ifwe
sufferanotherseriesofdroughts,asweexperiencedintheearly1990s.

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Mulching
Thebestandmostconvenientmulchinthefieldisthecropresiduefromthepreviouscrop.Thisis
why crop rotations such as maize and beans are good. Rotations help prevent any build up of
diseaseandpests.Theminimumamountofmulchcoverthatiseffectiveisabout30%ofthesoil
surfacearea,butthemorethebetter.
Mulching is very importantforsoiland waterretention.When welookatthebushwesee that
Godhasdesignedthatthesoilsurfaceiscoveredwithablanketofdeadgrassandleaves.Wecall
this Gods blanket. Where there is no cover, the soil degrades and a desert ensues where no
foodcanbegrown!
Themulchblanketbreaksthekineticenergyofthefallingraindrops,cushioningthesurface,and
preventingitfromsealingoverfromtheimpact.Thisalsoslowstherainwaterdownallowingitto
percolateintothesoil.Bynotploughingthesoildeeplythemulchisleftonthesurfaceandthe
roots of the previous crop are left in position to hold the soil in place. This stops the soil from
slumping downwards and washing away laterally in a rainstorm. These roots eventually rot in
situ making channels for other roots and water to filter into the soil. By not inverting the soil
morebeetlesandwormsmoveinthesoilalsocreatingtheseinfiltrationchannels.

Watering
Wehopetoplantmanygardensof6mx6mduringthewinterandbeforetherainsinorderto
teachthehearttoasmanypeopleaspossiblebeforethemainplantingseason.Wehopethat
thiswillinspiremanywhoseethegardensgrowingduringthewinter,tobepreparedinmind
andspirit,aswellaslogisticallytodotheirownfieldsontime,atstandardandwithoutwastage!
This will necessitate watering the crop up to the onset of the rains. I pray that this will also
stimulatethepeopletoplantaportionoftheircropwithwaterpriortotherains.Thiswillprovide
themwithanearlyfoodcropandwillalsobeateachingpromptsothattheywillbereadyfortheir
ownmainplantingwithwhatraintheLordwillsend.Thismaymeancarryingwaterinbucketsand
cups, some distance, to the field, but going the extra mile pleases God and they will reap
abundantlyfromeverybitofextraeffort.
Method
Havingholedoutandcuppedinthefertiliserasdescribedearlier.Thebestwaytowaterplantis
to fill the hole with water first. A normal rainplanting hole will probably take about 2 litres of
water.Alargerholethatcantake45litresofwaterisideal,butthiscanconfusetheworkstudy
example that we are using as a model for rain planting. Therefore let us stay with the original
demonstrationmodelandusethe2litrehole.
Allowthewatertosoakawayandthenimmediatelyputthe3seedsontopofthewetsoftsoil.
Then cover with 2 3cm ofclodfreedriersoil.Thisdrysoilwillactasmulch,initselfandwill
prevent undue moisture loss. These 2 litres of water should suffice for 2 3 days (4 5 litres
shouldbesufficienttogerminatetheseedin68days).Thereafter500mlperdayforthe2litre
exampleshouldbeenoughtokeepthesoilmoist.Itisabsolutelyessentialtokeepthesurfacesoft
and moist from days 5 to 8 after first moisture to prevent hard capping of the soil and
subsequentgerminationlosses.Theapplicationofmulchgreatlyhelpsinthisrespectandprevents
waterlossfromevaporation.
Thisaccumulatedwatervolumeofabout45litres/plantshouldkeepthenewseedlingsgoingfor
one to two weeks, depending on the heat and the general moisture status of the soil before
planting.Whentheplantsshowsignsofwilting,apply2litresperplantonceperweek,increasing
to3litresperweekastheplantgetsbigger.Atkneehighandonwardstheplantmayneed4litres
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perweekintheextremeheatbeforetherainsinOctoberandNovember.Inawinterplantedcrop
(JuneorJuly)onlyhalfthisamountwillbenecessary.
ThereasonwhyIrecommendthesmallerplantingholeswithlesswateristhatwearetryingto
demonstrate a summer planting model. The greatest energy requirement is for the holing out
operation.Ifthepeoplethinkthattheyhavetodighugeholesfortherainwateredcrop,theymay
be discouraged from trying to put the concept into practice. We must ask the Lord for
discernment and wisdom over these matters, remembering the Deceivers tactics (Matthew
10:16).

Thinning
Between 2 3 weeks after emergence you must thin the plants down to 2 plants per station.
Wherethereisonly1leave3ononeofthestationsnexttoit.Iftherearenoplantsthere,leave3
onbothsides.Thiswillbringyoubacktoanaverageof2plantsperstation.
Onnoaccountleave3plantsperstation.Thiswillgiveyoutoohighapopulationespeciallyinadry
year.Youwillgetexcessivelodginginawetyear.Inanyeventyouwillgetaloweryieldfrom3per
stationratherthan2.Theonlyexceptiontothisisifyouusea4seriesorashortstaturedplant
likeSC401orSC403.Onlyinthiscaseitisrecommendedthatyouleave3plantsperstation.The
temptationtoleave3plantsperstationisverystrongforbeginnersandmayneedextraprayer
andemphasistogetthemessagethrough.(Ifyoutryandthinbeforetheplantis10daysold,it
willjustbreakoffabovetherootsandgrowagain,Tryandmakesureyoupulltheplantoutwith
theroots.)
THINNING

IF ONLY ONE PLANT HAS EMERGED IN ONE STATION LEAVE THREE ON

ONE SIDE TWO ON THE OTHER.

IF NO PLANT HAS EMERGED IN A STATION, LEAVE THREE PLANTS ON

BOTH SIDES.

REMOVE THE WEAKEST PLANT

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TopDressing
Havingappliedourbasalcompoundfertiliserbeforeplanting,wethencomeandapplyanitrogen
top dressing at about 3 weeks after emergence no later (rather earlier than later). I would
recommend the same size cup as you used for your basal application. This is designed to meet
yourrealisticpotentialyield.Thefertilisationlevelwilldependonyournaturalregion,soiltype,
likely rainfall and above all your management standard. If you are a beginner and there is a
likelihoodofadrought,themostIwouldrecommendisano.8cupofbasalfertiliserandano.8
cupofAN(orano.5cupofurea,asithasahighernitrogencontentthanAN).Thiswouldbemy
recommendationforyouonafieldscale.Howeverona6mx6mwateredgarden,whereyour
standardsshouldbehighandyoucangiveitsomewater,Irecommendusingano.16cupforboth
thebasalandANapplications(no.12cupforurea).Thiswillgiveyouconfidenceanddemonstrate
thewonderfulpotentialoftheconcept.
TOP DRESSING

SLOPE
FERTILISER
PLACED UP
SLOPE

7.5cm

(1)

IF THREE PLANTS
REMAINING
PLACE
FERTILISER NEXT
TO MIDDLE
ONE

(2)

FERTILISER
PLACED UP
SLOPE
BETWEEN TWO
PLANTS TO
ENSURE EQUAL
SHARING

Method
Pourthetopdressingoutofthecupontothesoilsurfaceontheuppersideoftheslopeabout5
7cmfromtheplantingstation.Thismeansifthereisrainthefertiliserwillbewashedtowardsthe
plant rather than away from it. It would be ideal to cover the AN with a little bit of soil i.e. by
scraping a little soil over it with a hoe. This covering is much more critical when using urea,
becauseitvaporisesmuchmorereadilythanAN.
You can split your top dressing into two dressings of 2 no.8 cups, one at 2 3 weeks and the
secondat78weeks(moreideally,ano.12cupfirstandano.5cupsecond).Thisisbestdonein
verywetseasonswhereheavyrainsmayleachsomeofthetopdressingawayifappliedallatthe
first application. On average in dry years it is quite all right to apply all the top dressing in one
dose. I would recommend this latter single application for beginners who have enough on their
platelearningtheropes.Itwillallowthemtoreallyconcentrateontheirweedcontrol.

WeedControl
Thisisoneofthemostimportantaspectsoffarming.Weedsarepartofthecurse(Genesis3:17
19).WeneedtoturntoGodandaskHimtohelp.
Ajungleofweedsattheendofthecurrentcropisthereasonwhymostpeopleeitherburnthese
weedsandthewonderfulmulchorelsetheyturntheminbydeepploughinginordertomakea
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seed bed. This is not Gods way in nature! There is no inversion of the soil in the natural bush.
InsteadtheseedsfallontoGodsblanketofprotectivemulchwheresomemakesufficientsoilto
seedcontacttoenablethemtogerminateandcontinueGodspreciouscycleoflife.Sometimes
thisisaidedbytheshallowdisturbanceofthesoilbythehoovesandfeetofanimals.Thisiswhy
wedigshallowholesabout78cmdeep.
TheDiscouragerwillwanttooverwhelmuswithweeds,butifweaskGodforwisdom,faithand
help,thisneednotbethecase.InRomans12:2Godsays,Donotconformtothestandardsofthe
world,butallowGodtotransformyouinwardlybyacompletechangeofyourmind.Thenyouwill
beabletoknowthewillofGodwhatisgoodandpleasingtoHimandisperfect.(GNB)
Method
Weneedanewwayofthinking.Ourweedcontrolandlandpreparationmuststartintheprevious
crop.
Most often we battle with the weeds until we see that we have a crop and cobs or ears have
developed.Wethenstopweedingandtheleavessenesceandthelightcomesinandreachesthe
ground.Theweedsgrowrapidlywiththissunlighttogetherwiththelastmoistureoftheseason.
Weendupwithajungleofweedsthatsetseedforanotherhugecropofweedsthenextyear.
It is imperative that we keep the weeds out until the conditions are too dry for any of them to
germinate.Bydoingthiswearealreadypreparingourlandforthenextseason.Allwehavetodo
is knock down our stalks evenly and we have our mulch (Gods blanket) for the next crop. It is
tidierandneaterforharvestanditgivesyouapsychologicalboosttopersevereenthusiastically
withthesystem.Thisalsopreventslateweedsfromremovingsoilmoistureandnutrients.
Afterplantingyournextcroplookoutforanyearlyweedsandhoethemoutassoonasyousee
themgerminate.Largeweedshavealreadyremovedsoilmoistureandnutrientsandhavestarted
stuntingthecrop.Ittakesfarlessenergytohoesmallweedsthanlargerones.Ifyouareontime
anddoeverythingwellandyourstandisfull,withagoodcoveringleafcanopy,youwillonlyhave
todofourlightweedingsinyourcropduringtheseason.Againtimingistheanswer.

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