Human Ecology

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00147-3

Converting Home Spaces into Food Gardens at the Time of Covid-19

Quarantine: all the Benefits of Plants in this Difficult
and Unprecedented Period
Adriano Sofo 1 & Antonino Sofo 2

# Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020

Abstract
People are facing uncertain and difficult times in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. The benefits of plants (psychological, health,
economic, productive) in this period of forced isolation can be of key importance. If many of us have to self-isolate in urban or
suburban environments, we need something to do to keep our bodies and minds active and fed. In such a challenging scenario, a
vegetable garden in home spaces can bring recreational, health, economic and environmental benefits. Regardless of the Covid-
19 pandemic, there is untapped potential for this kind of garden to impact environmental outcomes, public awareness, and market
trends. Home vegetable gardens could provide a small-scale approach to the sustainable use of natural resources, leading towards
self-sufficiency, self-regulation, sustainability, and environmental protection.

Keywords Covid-19 pandemic . Mediterranean climate . Mental and physical well-being . Home spaces . Plant benefits .
Vegetable garden

Introduction Italian citizens, I live in a condominium apartment, where 20

families share common spaces and services, without a garden
I am a professor of plant biology and soil chemistry in an nor plants. In these conditions, one would think we would
Italian university. I and my family are at the moment practic- have a great deal of time on our hands, but on the contrary,
ing “social isolation” at home, and this situation will be prob- this time is unusable. This is because of a general lack of
ably continue for the unforeseeable future. We are allowed to concentration, also because of the daily bad news, and
go outside only for the purchase of food and other basic ne- the significant efforts dedicated to the reorganization of
cessities, and the disposal of rubbish, in a radius of 200 meters family life.
from home. Because of the extreme contagiousness of Covid- Schools, universities, libraries, museums, and theatres are
19, unnecessary activity outside is strongly discouraged. shut down. Lessons for schoolchildren and students take place
Within a few days, our daily life was turned upside down only remotely and, as a university lecturer, I am spending at
and we were forced to change the old habits. Right now least 8-9 hours per day in front of my laptop for lecturing and
(April 5, 2020), Italy is one of the countries hardest hit by tutoring my students, many of whom are concerned about the
Covid-19. with 88,274 positive diagnoses, 15,35 deaths, and unprecedented terrible and unimaginable situation. During
18,278 recoveries (Dipartimento della Protezione Civile these laptop-hours, I am also in contact with colleagues and
2020), but we are not sure if the contagion peak has been friends all over the world, many of whom I hadn't heard in
reached and how long this pandemic will last. As do most years, all asking how we are. All these things are substitutes
for the life I had but I considered myself very lucky and
grateful: I can work from my laptop, an opportunity
* Adriano Sofo that not everyone has, and I am physically healthy and
adriano.sofo@unibas.it mentally active.
Despite these distractions, I had to reduce all this accumu-
1
Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures: Architecture, lated mental stress, psychological burden and, why not, make
Environment and Cultural Heritage (DiCEM), University of myself partly self-sufficient from a food standpoint, while not
Basilicata, Via Lanera, 20, 75100 Matera, Italy living in the countryside and having open spaces to cultivate.
2
76125 Trani, Italy As a plant and soil biologist, I know that plants are the
 Hum Ecol

foundation of a multitude of ecosystem services (primary pro- the harsh conditions of the urban environment, such as high
duction, provisioning, supporting, regulating and cultural, wind and irradiance, lack of organic material and nutrients,
etc.) and that an environment rich of plants, much more than and intermittent drought (Pavao-Zuckerman 2008).
we are aware of, can guarantee our physical and mental well- Therefore, careful plant selection should be integrated into
being (Bratman et al. 2012: Russell et al. 2013; Shwartz et al. outside space design (Lee et al. 2014; John et al. 2016;
2013; Bratman et al. 2015). My apartment is not so big but I Chaudhary et al. 2019). Urban habitats are unique and harsh
have an empty and unutilized 50-m2 terrace upstairs and our environments for established plant communities, largely be-
Mediterranean climate is mild in the spring, so, I asked myself, cause of increased abiotic stresses, such as disturbance, pollu-
why not convert it into a vegetable garden? Besides cultivat- tion, drought, radiation, heat and microclimate extremes, but
ing and trying to be partially self-sufficient for fruit and veg- also because of the reduction of colonization and modifica-
etables (that are expensive and hard to find now), this could tions in soil microbial diversity (e.g., mycorrhizas or bacteria).
give me psychological benefits. There is an association be- Another additional difficulty, confirmed by my usual plant
tween home gardening and physical and mental well-being, dealer, is that there is a rush on vegetable seedlings in garden
and this has been demonstrated for various categories of peo- centers because many more people are now wanting to grow
ple at risk (Grabbe et al. 2013; van Lier et al. 2017; John et al. their food. The spread of Covid-19 has caused panic buying at
2016; Quick et al. 2017). I had a lot of material in my garage, supermarkets, so many families are skipping the supermarket
some pipes, shelves, supports, other stuff, and hardware. What and heading to their local garden center to grow their own and
I didn't have, I would order online. Then, I acted scientifically, become self-suff1cient. Therefore, it is often necessary to wait
calculating the total costs, needed materials and items, plant on average one week to get seedlings (starting from the seed is
species to be cultivated, types of soil and pots, production per not advisable, as it would take too long).
unit of surface, psychological effects of plants on my family. In my small way, I will show you what you could do in
Documenting everything, taking photographs, and updating a your apartment space, on a balcony, a terrace or in a little
personal/laboratory diary were my imperatives. We all, courtyard. Mine is a very practical example of urban perma-
humans, plants, and soil would be part of an experiment, culture and I hope that could contribute to lightening your
and all this without moving from home. stress in this complicated period.
Here I present a short paper on my experience, focusing on
the benefits of plants (psychological, health, economic, pro-
ductive) in this period of forced isolation. If many of us have Let’s Get to Work
to self-isolate in urban or suburban environments character-
ized by the lack of spaces and resources, which negatively From various sites on the web, it is possible to draw countless
affects our brain activity (Lambert et al. 2015), we need some- ideas for designing and managing a small home garden.
thing to do to keep our bodies and minds active and fed. I Regardless of space and financial availability, you devise your
couldn’t think of better work than setting up a home vegetable slice of food independence. The most important thing is to
garden. I know that the idea seems, at a first glance, strange start and be ready to try, without being afraid of making mis-
and inappropriate - considering the number of current and takes. A vegetable garden in the city has many advantages.
future problems - but, as a scientist, I felt I had to do it. With First, you will produce healthy vegetables for yourself. Then,
people now facing uncertain and difficult times in the face of there is the psycho-physical well-being that comprises doing a
Covid-19, I thought I might dedicate this article to the positive little physical activity and enjoying the satisfaction of seeing
action of plants and see how they can help us. your vegetables grow (Reed et al. 2013). Even at the commu-
nity level, a vegetable garden has its positive sides: a green
spot in the cement brightens the view, purifies the air, and
Some Brief Preliminary Information cools the environment because of plant transpiration. On an
ecological level, an urban garden is a refuge and a shelter for
I have always been interested in urban permaculture, aimed at many animals - you cannot imagine how many.
producing food in urban areas and promoting energy efficien- But let's proceed step by step. Here is my decalogue based
cy and self-production. Because it starts from personal initia- on my experience at the moment. For clarity, please note that I
tive and your own home, it is here, more than in all the other describe a garden in a Mediterranean environment in the
sectors of permaculture, that the imagination and the flair of springtime.
the solutions adopted are surprising. Urban permaculture can
be concrete and pragmatic, aimed at the production of food in 1) Water is the most important issue. On terraces, there are
urban areas, replacing ornamental plants with edible species. usually rain gutters. Instead of wasting rainwater, which
The selection of plant species to cultivate in outside home moreover is of excellent quality, as it is salt-free, just
spaces should be based primarily on their ability to cope with adapt a tank (in Fig. 1, a 300-l resin tank) to the
Hum Ecol

Fig. 1 Irrigation and composting

systems

collection of rainwater. The lid, necessary to avoid water supermarkets in Europe, and they are inexpensive
evaporation, has been perforated to facilitate the entry of (Fig. 2). By positioning several poles, the structure will
the tube. Considering the heat of a terrace in the summer be light, stable and will not bend even with the wind
months and the outrageous demand for water for tran- because the perforated surface does not offer much re-
spiration and evapotranspiration, an additional reserve sistance. This kind of structure is very useful if you want
of water is useful and falls within the perspective of to train a wild vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata and
sustainability and saving of natural resources. In a few Parthenocissus quinquefolia) or wisteria (Wisteria spp.),
hours of moderate rain, the tank will fill. If in excess, the or other climbing plants that also have a decorative and
accumulated water could be also very useful for cleaning shading function. In Mediterranean climates, the hot late
the terrace, which gets dirty when it is transformed into a spring/summer days can raise soil temperature in the
vegetable garden. In the long run, it might be better to pots to even reach 40–50 °C and air temperature 30–
buy a pressure washer to save more water. After the first 35 °C, so it is advisable to use shade cloth or shading
initial investment (not excessive), you will save a lot of vegetation on the scaffolding to avoid burning roots and
water. Other simpler tanks and buckets can also collect shoots of the plants so laboriously cultivated.
water. For aqueduct water, I recommend an irrigation 3) The containers. Here you are spoiled for choice but
system with an electronic control unit that sends water remember that we want to recycle water and save mon-
to the root system of the plants, reduces losses by evap- ey. We will therefore not buy expensive pots. As simple
oration, water consumption and costs of the water bill. containers, you can also use inexpensive black/
Here, the higher costs for the irrigation system should be transparent plastic containers that you will drill at the
taken into account. base for drainage, or the wooden boxes from greengro-
2) The scaffolding. Here too there are various solutions. If cers (nowadays very rare to find). If the choice falls on
we use large pots (a choice that I recommend), they the pots, one must be careful and containers without
should be raised and not positioned on the ground. good drainage and/or not transpiring are not recom-
This is useful both to better clean the terrace and to not mended. Here, it is easy for the roots to suffer from high
tire you out. The most sustainable choice is the perforat- heat or water stagnation. The best choice would be that
ed steel or aluminum beams used to construct the shade of the classic rectangular brown clay pots, but they are
canopies in the parking areas of shopping malls and heavy, fragile, and expensive (Fig. 3). On the other side,
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Fig. 2 The recycled scaffolding

the plastic ones are light, not expensive, and long-last- but, considering that it is a terrace and that we must
ing. Instead, we will use common plastic containers or avoid water infiltration and stagnation, better to go with
other containers to transport soil, grass clippings, root the clay or plastic pots (or a mixture of both).
residues, and compost. If desired, the containers can be 4) What to plant? Here too the choice is wide. Since the
built with wooden beams and sheets of various kinds surface, even if you use several pots, is limited, all

Fig. 3 The containers used

Hum Ecol

species that have a too low total fruit/biomass ratio (e.g., sage (Salvia officinalis), thyme (Timus vulgaris), marjoram
legumes) are not recommended. You would risk wasting (Origanum majorana), oregano (Origanum vulgare),
too much space and having a minimum harvest. In melissa (Melissa officinalis), mint (Mentha spp.) and lav-
springtime, you can grow different cultivars of lettuce ender (Lavandula officinalis – whose dry inflorescences
(Lactuca sativa), zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), onion are excellent for perfuming linen), or saplings (these latter
(Allium cepa), chicory (Cichorium intybus), rocket better in circular pots placed on the ground), such as olive
(arugula) (Eruca sativa), green and red beet (Beta (Olea europaea), pomegranate (Punica granatum) and
vulgaris), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), chive (Allium mulberry (Morus spp.), or other useful and undemanding
schoenoprasum), carrot (Dacus carota), strawberry plants, such as aloe (Aloe spp. – whose inner leaf is a strong
(Fragaria spp.), late cauliflower/broccoli (Brassica antioxidant and can be used for healing wounds and burns),
oleracea) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea), early potato citronella (Cymbopogon nardus – mosquito repellent) and
(Solanum tuberosum), tomato (Lycopersicon prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) (Fig. 5). You might put
esculentum), eggplant (Solanum melongena) and in some ornamental plants but remember that you are in a
sweet/spicy pepper (Capsicum spp.), and some fresh le- permaculture regime and therefore you must not have too
gumes, such as broad bean (Vicia faba), fresh bean many demands.
(Phaseolus vulgaris), and pea (Pisum sativum) (Fig. 4). 6) The compost. Another important consideration is the
Tomatoes and fresh legumes need support when they recycling of waste materials. The vegetable biomass of
grow, such as wire or bamboo and plastic posts. Each waste, even of a small vegetable garden, can be high and
season has its particular harvest, so you will follow the mixed with waste that would end up in the garbage (fruit
rhythms marked by nature, and together you will have skins, vegetable residues, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea
vegetables at zero meters. The potting soil should be bags, etc.) it becomes an excellent starting point for the
organic and perhaps mixed with manure (maximum production of compost. You can also add the shredded
15% w/w), with an expanded clay base to avoid water roots of the plants you want to replace and recover this
stagnation. It is best to start from seedlings rather than precious soil. The waste of a vegetable garden has an
seed. The cost of the seedlings is not high, so starting optimal carbon/nitrogen ratio (around 20–30), so it is
from seed, especially for some broad-leaved vegetables, quickly transformed into soil. The soil residues that re-
it is also sometimes uneconomical and requires too main tied to the roots of old plants can be chopped and
much time and too much care. After the initial invest- mixed with the rest, thus providing a natural starter of
ment of soil, remember that the subsequent additions bacteria and saprophytic fungi. You will notice that your
could be produced from compost. If needed, you can residues will smell first of fruit and vegetables, then of
carry out a mineral nitrogen fertilization, particularly garbage, then of manure, and finally of fresh soil. At that
recommended in spring. point, compost became humus. The latter has many ad-
5) Other crops. If you have a free corner left, you can also vantages: it is a fertilizer rich in carbon, nitrogen, and
grow some officinal plants and spices, such as basilicum phosphorus, makes the soil soft and improves its struc-
(Ocimum basilicum), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), cel- ture (it is, therefore, a soil conditioner), keeps more wa-
ery (Apium graveolens), rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), ter when it does not rain, contains billions of

Fig. 4 Edible plants

 Hum Ecol

Fig. 5 Saplings and officinal plants

microorganisms (many of which with antibiotic effects very hard material, such as kernels (Fig. 1). With the
against phytopathogens, others with plant growth- same volume, smaller pieces offer a larger surface area
promoting action) and many others. For chopping, you to the microbial attack and therefore composting is faster
can use an electric shredder that chops everything except and more effective. To contain the compost, you can buy

Fig. 6 Some animal hosts of the

home vegetable garden
Hum Ecol

patience, you can build it (Fig. 1). It will surprise you

how soon it will fill up and how much less waste you
will produce. On warm days, when the bacterial metab-
olism is high, turning it now and then with a hoe, the
compost will be ready in about three months. In this way
of recycling you can produce fresh soil in situ and save
on the soil buy.
7) Biodiversity. Your home garden is also a cure-all for
passing species. In my case, it is not unusual to see
plenty of ladybugs (beneficial because they are carnivo-
rous), various spiders, geckos, lizards, bats (attracted by
insects), passerines, turtle doves, magpies, and thrushes
(Fig. 6). Unfortunately, since your vegetable garden is
free of pesticides (less pollution), it is normal for pests
such as mealy cochineals that attack lemon and olive
trees, nematodes that affect tomato roots, and finally
cabbagewhite butterflies that lay eggs from which vora-
cious leaf-eating caterpillars will appear, to come, but
with patience, by hand or with natural remedies, these
can be kept at bay.
8) Personal satisfaction. The home vegetable garden is
satisfying because looking at the vegetables and fruit
you have cared for gives a pleasant sense of fulfilment.
A pod of a pea plant that tries to climb anywhere or the
contrast of colors of a red beet leaf can enchant you. You
can make yourself a salad, a fresh sauce or turnip greens,
au gratin cauliflower, a vegetable soup with pasta,
cooking the vegetables you have harvested, or use the
sun-dried leaves or seeds of officinal plants as spices or
ingredients for your dishes (Fig. 7). With a vegetable
garden at home, the value of the products is their real
worth, because it only takes into account personal work
and there are no additional costs, such as fuel for trans-
portation, synthetic fertilizers, plant protection products,
Fig. 7 Two dishes prepared with the products from the home vegetable
garden, and sun-dried fennel seeds and oregano leaves (kindly prepared marketing, advertising.
by Annamaria Galluzzi) 9) The costs. The terrace garden allows you to save money
in the medium-term, even if this is not the only purpose.
a compost bin (there are various sizes but, for a family of Of course, there is an initial investment (Table 1). We
four, a 300-l one is more than enough) or, with a little can find much of the listed material for free, build

Table 1 Approximate costs for a

50-m2 home vegetable garden Item Cost

Initial costs Water tank (300 L) About 100 € or recycled

Automated drip irrigation system About 200 € (optional)
Scaffolding Max 300 € or recycled
Universal potting soil Max 350 €
30–40 plastic pots (100 × 44 × 40 cm) About 450 €
Shading net About 50 € (optional)
Shredder About 150 € (optional)
Compost bin (300 L) About 50 € or built
Total initial investment 800–1650 €
Aqueduct water consumption About 150 € year−1
Seedlings About 100 € year−1
Annual costs Additional soil Max 100 € year−1 (optional)
Total annual investment 250–350 € year−1
 Hum Ecol

something, and find excellent offers on the internet. in the 1970s, said that "a culture cannot survive long without a
Therefore, the cost of installation of a home vegetable sustainable agricultural base and ethics of land use."
garden is variable, and it could be much lower than the My heartfelt suggestion is to stay safe at home now and
one I calculated in Table 1. Besides, you don’t have to do consider that this pandemic could be an opportunity for a
all the things I have listed. It would be better to start on a whole new - and likely better - world. Covid-19 is the last
small scale and expand step by step. As the garden will warning that gives us time to reconsider human behavior -
produce kilos of fresh vegetables (we make an average from global warming to the ever-increasing intensity and
of 100–150 kg year−1), at an average price of 2–5 € kg−1, speed of activities, all of which are related to the principle of
you can recover annual management costs in a brief the capitalistic system. This pause can help us deliberate how
time. The initial costs are not excessive, if you consider all this can be transformed into a sustainable system; maybe it
the satisfaction of eating home-grown vegetables. is a big chance!
10) Not all apartments have large terraces or courtyards to
devote to the cultivation of vegetables; often the area is
limited to a balcony or even a windowsill. Even in cases
like these, it is possible to successfully grow a small References
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