A garden at home is the desire of many people but always there are many reasons that prevent it: the lack of time, lack of space, back pain or just do not know where to begin. But producing quality products is much simpler than it may seem at first. Twenty years ago, Gaspar Caballero de Segovia, began experimenting on his farm in Mallorca with the aim of achieving an easy way to grow vegetables. The result is a method in the words of the creator "surprised by how easy, enjoyable and effective, that is to get organic vegetables in a small space of land, with minimal water consumption and minimal planting and maintenance work".
This method is known as the "Parades in Crestall" and is based on five principles:
- Do not tread the ground where it will grow
The organisms that live in soil and plant roots are labor we use to get a good structure. They are responsible for removing the soil and build galleries for air and water moving in the right way. Not to alter the environment in which they live are always avoid stepping on and work the area cultivated. The size of the "stop" will allow us to access all their points without having to step inside. In the same way we will leave a gap of 1 m from a stop and another to pass between them.
- Constant humidity
Is achieved by installing an irrigation system within the tape exudative stops. This system releases small amounts of water steadily. This get a very small water consumption. The moist climate provides activity of earthworms and other soil inhabitants.
- A rotation cycle to four years
The rotation is the succession of crops in the same field. The rotation means that after a crop not to replant the same but a different plant. When we talk about four-year rotation, we mean that it took four years to replant a crop in a given area. To do this it is best to have four stops and change each year stop crops. The rules for choosing a good rotation are simple and are a great benefit to crops.
- Compost
Composting is a controlled transformation of a mixture of organic residues, mimicking what happens naturally in the soil surface, in order to obtain a high quality fertilizer. Compost is the basic element of the system. It provides each year over the entire surface of the stops.
- Planting
Planting at stops is denser than traditional gardening. This prevents lose soil moisture and weeds from growing. Besides vegetables at stops are planted herbs that help keep pests out.
A "Stop in Crestall" step by step:
- Meter and 4 stakes marking a rectangle of 6m long and 1.5m wide. The length can be variable depending on available space.
- Put a rope around the stakes that will guide us and work the land inside the rectangle to a depth of 20-30 cm. This is the only time they work the land and stop the tool used can be variable: hoe, shovel mud puddle, rototiller, etc..
- When the soil is loose pass the rake and fat removed stones.
- With four other stakes and a string marked inside the rectangle a second rectangle of equal length and 30 cm wide, stop dividing into two equal portions. In these two parts is where they grow vegetables.
- Rectangle placed in the center of a series of arches or flat rocks at a distance of 60 cm for which we may reach the center of the stop. In the space between slabs sow herbs and flowers.
- In the boxes on both sides of the stop is placed a layer of 2 to 4 inches of compost.
- Above the layer of compost will place the irrigation exudative. Exudative tape must travel the two rectangles in which vegetables are planted so that the entire surface wet.
- Above the compost and tape exhudante place a layer of straw mulch, wood chips, pine bark, etc..
- Will plant vegetables in areas specifically designated for that purpose. If we do withdraw from plants carefully layer of mulch and compost and plant in soil. If we do that we can sow seed between soil and compost layer.
Author: Montse Escutia
Degree: Agricultural engineer
