Ethics in gardening

It is important that you spray your plants whenever you notice that one of them is infected. After harvesting, the way you handle the harvest also matters. Photo by Fred Muzaale

What you need to know:

If you want to have a perfect finished product, you will need to be a disciplined farmer

Have you ever cracked a tooth because the delicious rice you were enjoying had a stone in it? While the experience is annoying and uncomfortable, it would have been avoided if the farmer had gardening ethics.
Sam Kityo Muyeke, a farmer in Kween District outlines the ethics of gardening:
Prepare early
Make sure you prepare the land, seeds and fertiliser in time and plant during the first rains. This is usually from March to April, then from June to July. Also, make sure you weed before the weeds accumulate in the garden.

Be vigilant
Whenever you see affected plants in your garden, spray them immediately so that they do not affect the rest of the plants.

Perform the right activity at the right time
You must weed twice for the best yields. As you weed the second time, prune crops. Always visit your garden to check what might be happening.

Ensure food quality
Make sure you do not harvest in a season when there is too much rain. For example, maize and beans may not dry and may rot in the store.

Handle the harvest with care
Dry and thresh your food in clean places, without stones, dust and soil; so that people do not eat dirty and stone filled food.

Secure the storage
Preserve your food well, to stop pests from attacking them.