Hello Hive family! 👋
Today, I want to share something close to my heart – my small but growing backyard garden project here in Lusaka. After months of planning and learning, I finally started preparing sack bags for planting watermelons!
Looking at these young watermelon seedlings, my heart is filled with excitement and hope. These vibrant green leaves with their unique lobed shapes are just beginning their journey. You can see some of them already showing that healthy, slightly fuzzy stem and those beautiful serrated leaves that scream "watermelon" even at this tender stage.
I decided to use the sack bag method because space is limited in many Zambian homes, especially in urban and peri-urban areas like mine. Sack gardening has become very popular here – it's affordable, saves space, and allows better control over soil quality and drainage. In the second photo, you can see how I've arranged several sacks in my garden area. Some are already filled with soil and organic matter, patiently waiting for the seedlings to grow stronger before transplanting.
Preparing these sacks wasn't as simple as just filling them with soil. I made sure to create proper drainage holes at the bottom and sides. The mixture I'm using includes good topsoil, well-decomposed manure from my neighbor's chickens, and some compost I've been building over the past few months. Watermelons are heavy feeders, so I want to give them the best possible start with nutrient-rich soil.
These seedlings were started in smaller nursery bags and are now showing strong, healthy growth. You can see some white powdery spots on a few leaves – I suspect it might be early powdery mildew, which is common in our humid conditions. I'm monitoring them closely and will use organic methods like neem solution or improved air circulation to keep them healthy.
One thing I'm learning quickly is patience. Watermelons need consistent warmth, plenty of sunlight, and regular watering without waterlogging the roots. In our Zambian climate, especially as we move deeper into the dry season, I'll need to be very careful with mulching and watering schedules.
I'm planning to grow the "Sugar Baby" or a local variety that does well in our conditions. The goal is not just to harvest sweet, juicy watermelons for my family, but also to learn and possibly expand this into a small income-generating project. Many people here are now doing sack farming successfully with various vegetables and even fruits.
Challenges so far:
Finding the right balance of soil mix
Protecting young seedlings from pests (those tiny black ants are already showing interest!)
Managing water during the hot afternoons
Making sure the sacks don't dry out too quickly in the sun
But the joy of seeing these little plants push through the soil every morning makes it all worth it. Gardening teaches so many life lessons – resilience, patience, nurturing, and faith in the process.
