During the strict lockdown period it was difficult to get some of our basic needs like food. Even online shops got paralysed. Our only option was during those scheduled market day/s.
If you are considering to grow your own food and you have a very small land, here are some crops that can be your source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals and won’t occupy so much space.
Carbs
It is a challenging task to grow a cup of rice so let us give a BIG THANKS to our rice farmers! Also, stop wasting even a single grain of your rice. Aside from being a challenging crop to grow, it will also require a big land area. So here are your alternatives:
1. Cassava
Make sure to choose those varieties with low cyanide content like Lakan and Rajah varieties. This crop will take 8-10 months before you can harvest but a single cutting can give you a week or more of carbs.
2. Sweet potato
Sweet potato roots are harvestable 4 months after planting. Cuttings from the supermarket can be your source of planting material. We love this as snack but you can substitute this to your rice.
3. Corn
Who doesn’t love sweetcorn? This crop is not your ordinary snack. You could find this in almost every chips you enjoy. One plant can bear 1-2 ears. Its plant architecture will allow you to grow more plants in a small space.
Protein
Price of meat went up during the lockdown period because of transportation cost. Planting your own source of protein would be a great option for you and your vegan friends.
1. Mungbean
A cup of this will give you your daily protein need. Mungbeans are harvestable 90-120 days after planting. With high-yielding varieties, you can harvest up to 4-5 times in one cropping.
2. Peanut
Our favorite chicha is rich in protein. Growing peanuts won’t require you hectarage of land unless you want to be a supplier of big markets. Maturity date of peanuts depends on variety and can range from 90-140 days after planting.
Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that your body can’t digest. To keep your digestive system healthy you will need to have some food rich in fiber. My recommendations below can also be grown soil-less through hydroponics!
1. Pechay
2. Lettuce
Vitamins and minerals
Boost your immune system with these veggies that are packed with vitamins and mineral but do not require a lot of space and too much effort to grow. Make sure to check my previous post on this.
1. Saluyot
2. Alugbati
If you are interested, there are published articles to read to see the amount of cabs, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals in these plants. Happy farming!
Agriwanderist PH 