Hi all,
After much reviews and 2 years of researching; from blogs, youtube videos, publications in journals, and farm visitations etc. I intend to start my very own garden (vegetable garden) from scratch. So much has been said about agricultural revolution in Nigeria and under the present administration, so I intend finding out how profitable it would be.
Please I welcome you all to my World. Let's explore together.

*Note: Help from experienced vegetable farmers would be greatly appreciated.

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Day One (Requirements for my proposed farm garden)

* Quarter plot of land (Just behind my house)
* Compost manure (which I developed myself from cleared grasses/weeds over the months)
* Nylon bags (for Nursing my seeds) about N500 worth.
*Shovel and a Hoe (already had one before now, so I can't give the price)
* 3pods of Ugwu seeds (N2000 for the 3). Got about N180 seeds in total.
* Hybrid Tomato seeds (N100)
* Green leaf seeds (N100)
* Urea fertilizer (N400)
* Disposed plastic coke bottles (I have been picking and storing this over the months. Finally came in handy)

In total. I will be starting up my farm with just N4500 ONLY. Everybody can afford that...lol

Uploading the Pictures in A Bit.

Pictures

1. Quarter Plot to be used.
2. Compost soil site.
3. Ugwu seeds Portion (Drying it out for 24hrs)
4. Tomato and Green-leaf seeds.
5. Urea fertilizer
6. Plastic coke bottles

cont...

It's not "ugwu", it's "ugu"

rifasenate11:
It's not "ugwu", it's "ugu"

it is either called spelt "Ugu" by the Igbo(s) or "Ugwu" by the Yoruba(s). Either one, they are both correct. Thanks all the same.

Step 2. Day One.

I filled each nylon bags with the already mixed compost soil.
Same goes for my cut coke used plastic bottles. (These, i will be using to nurse my tomato seeds.
And also, not forgetting my green-leaf vegetable seed, which i will be nursing in a plastic bowl.

The black Nylon bags would be used to nurse the Ugwu (Ugu) seeds because of the root nature of the pumpkin plants.

jidestroud:


it is either called spelt "Ugu" by the Igbo(s) or "Ugwu" by the Yoruba(s). Either one, they are both correct. Thanks all the same.

ok bro.. I didn't know. thanks for information

jidestroud:


it is either called spelt "Ugu" by the Igbo(s) or "Ugwu" by the Yoruba(s). Either one, they are both correct. Thanks all the same.

Ugu is the right local common name for the fluted pumpkin, the Yorubas mispronounce it due to accent. Ugwu means hill.

Pavore9:


Ugu is the right local common name for the fluted pumpkin, the Yorubas mispronounce it due to accent. Ugwu means hill.

Thanks for the info. I guess I will stick to the fluted pumpkin afterall.

Okay, I finally did the planting of the fluted pumpkin seeds this evening. 180 in total.
Also, planted the tomato seeds (2 seeds per cut coke plastic bottles). And for the Lagos spinach, well, I simply dispersed in on the soil and covered it with soil.

From here henceforth, it waiting period.

7 - 10 days for the fluted pumpkin.
5 - 7 days for the tomato
2 - 3 days for the soko (Lagos Spinach)

I certainly hope everything turns out well.

Would be back if I notice any life growing from mother earth (The soil). Can't wait. I am so excited.

Weldone and welcome on board....its interesting seeing new farmers...its a bold step in the right direction....now you can confirm through your personal experience all you have read. I wish you the very best and would be willing to assist in any capacity possible. Best of luck.

I wish you a bumper and successful farming season.

Fish4wealth:
Weldone and welcome on board....its interesting seeing new farmers...its a bold step in the right direction....now you can confirm through your personal experience all you have read. I wish you the very best and would be willing to assist in any capacity possible. Best of luck.

Wow...means a lot to me. I wouldn't hesitate to seek advice from you. Really appreciated.

princenomics:
I wish you a bumper and successful farming season.

Amen!!! Though it's more at the experimental stage at the moment. I intend moving to a bigger land (about an acre) if things go well as planned though.
Thanks all the same.

Have you seen the thread on how to get 4 plants from 1 ugu seed?

jidestroud:


Amen!!! Though it's more at the experimental stage at the moment. I intend moving to a bigger land (about an acre) if things go well as planned though.
Thanks all the same.

frisky2good:
Have you seen the thread on how to get 4 plants from 1 ugu seed?

Really? Please share the link.

https://www.nairaland.com/3706782/how-get-four-ugu-plants
Remember to thank the OP for sharing the secret.

jidestroud:

Really? Please share the link.

frisky2good:
https://www.nairaland.com/3706782/how-get-four-ugu-plants
Remember to thank the OP for sharing the secret.

Wow! Beautiful. I'll give it a trail ASAP. Though, I have a couple of questions to ask.
Thanks once again.

Day 3

This marks the 3rd day, and WoW!!! I really can't believe my eyes. Both the tomato and the Lagos spinach and emerged from the ground. That was pretty fast. At least for the green leaf vegetable, early sprouting was expected but no the tomato seeds. Did i forget to mention i actually soaked the seeds in warm water over night before planting. No changes in the Pumpkin bags, that's expected 7 - 10days.

Things gets interesting from here on.

1. Lagos spinach seedling
2. Tomato seedling in cut plastic bottles
3. Sprouting tomato seedling

Tomato seedlings:
The seeds will need a sunlight with at least 4 hours of direct sun each day, but preferably more. Also: the warmer it is, the faster tomato seeds will germinate so i will be exposing them to sunlight henceforth.

Lagos spinach: I guess they will pretty much enjoy the exposure too. While we wait for the pumpkin seeds to emerge soonest in a week time.

For optimum yield, apply Epsom salt to your vegetables (ugwu, tomato, pepper and so on) after transplanting, during flowering and fruiting.

Do you mean u soaked all the seeds u planted in warm water overnight?

You are welcome to the world of agriculture, the occupation of our forefathers. More power to your elbow

k22olainc:
Do you mean u soaked all the seeds u planted in warm water overnight?

Yes, that was exactly what I did to the tomato (2hrs for the tomato seeds) and soko (lagos spinach was soaked all night). Then I planted in the morning of the next day. For the fluted pumpkin, I sun-dried for 24hrs before planted though.

damilareadeniyi:
For optimum yield, apply Epsom salt to your vegetables (ugwu, tomato, pepper and so on) after transplanting, during flowering and fruiting.

Epsom salt? There's still no concrete evidence or rather scientific proof that it works. I could be wrong but I would rather stick to organic farming for now until I can be convinced beyond reasonable doubts that it works.

frisky2good:
https://www.nairaland.com/3706782/how-get-four-ugu-plants
Remember to thank the OP for sharing the secret.

Today I'm going to be trying this out. I'v got about 20 extra fluted pumpkin seeds to see if I would be getting 80 seedling from it. But there's going to be a twist to it. I am going to be using grass (dried grass) in place of sawdust in the sack.

jidestroud:

Today I'm going to be trying this out. I'v got about 20 extra fluted pumpkin seeds to see if I would be getting 80 seedling from it. But there's going to be a twist to it. I am going to be using grass (dried grass) in place of sawdust in the sack.

Please remember to share pictures.

jidestroud:

Yes, that was exactly what I did to the tomato (2hrs for the tomato seeds) and soko (lagos spinach was soaked all night). Then I planted in the morning of the next day. For the fluted pumpkin, I sun-dried for 24hrs before planted though.

Growing up in Lagos we consumed shoko but back in our village in the East, the locals grew it as flowers that dot the front of their houses and were always trimming them!

Day 5. (Discarding my urea fertilizer)

There isn't much activities on my proposed garden for now. Still waiting for my plants to add more leaves (tomato and lagos spinach seedling)

I need more compost (made from my chicken manure for a 9months). This would be needed to grow my tomato seeds in bags.

NOTE: Compost soil: Organic fertilizer (Not same as fresh chicken manure). This was achieved through the use of digging a hole and pouring my chicken manure into it, leaves and cut grasses where also added. Then covered with a black nylon. I did poured water into the soil weekly and cover back up. This process was continued for a duration of 9-10months. And voila...this is the end product.

Pictures from Composite site.