These types of gardens are useful to grow crops in wetlands, waterlogged areas and difficult soils for growing crops. This is very suitable for areas which are constantly affected with floods, rains and low level areas where water gets stagnant. As a traditional agricultural practice, floating garden is often associated with specific indigenous communities who gave these floating bodies different names; ‘radh’ in Kashmir, India, ‘pontha’ in southeast of India, ‘kaing’ in Myanmar, ‘chinampas’ in Mexico and ‘ dhap’ or ‘ baira’ in Bangladesh.
Materials required for making floating gardens.
Any plant residues like paddy or weeds are used in preparing floating beds. Many areas' water hyacinth plants are invasive and available in abundance, Which is a potential source for making floating beds. Collect those available materials and make 2-4 layers at 8-10 days of interval. The very first layer gives stability and becomes the base for this raised bed. The other layers will become plant supportive and turned as compost in the long run. We can use bamboo sticks to construct base and grow crops on ponds and the areas completely logged with the water. General shape of the floating beds are rectangular for ease of convenience to go surround and view each and every plant. There are no such rules in making beds in terms of shape, size and length, it needs to be designed based on convenience. Length * Width 30ft * 6ft and the breadths are between 3ft and 4ft will be ideal for making floating beds. Strong winds, floods may damage the floating beds. These damages can be minimized by anchoring or fixing the beds with bamboo poles.
- Floating Bed
- Seedling preparation
Any plant residues like paddy or weeds are used in preparing floating beds. Many areas' water hyacinth plants are invasive and available in abundance, Which is a potential source for making floating beds. Collect those available materials and make 2-4 layers at 8-10 days of interval. The very first layer gives stability and becomes the base for this raised bed. The other layers will become plant supportive and turned as compost in the long run. We can use bamboo sticks to construct base and grow crops on ponds and the areas completely logged with the water. General shape of the floating beds are rectangular for ease of convenience to go surround and view each and every plant. There are no such rules in making beds in terms of shape, size and length, it needs to be designed based on convenience. Length * Width 30ft * 6ft and the breadths are between 3ft and 4ft will be ideal for making floating beds. Strong winds, floods may damage the floating beds. These damages can be minimized by anchoring or fixing the beds with bamboo poles.
Bed should be equally leveled by hitting the bed with bamboo stick
In the following 20-25 days the bed is left fallow for decomposition of the top layer. It is best to have rains after preparing the bed, else the bed should be kept wet by spraying water twice a day. Important is that the top level of the bed should not dry to assure maximum potential yield. The process can be speed up by applying decomposed compost on the top layer. In this case only 3-4 days enough before sowing the crop.
Method of preparation of seed balls: It involves four steps.
Collect decomposed water hyacinth and prepare the seeding material by smashing it.