Terraced gardens on gravelly soil

After nearly a decade of tireless digging, filling, and reclamation, a veteran in Ha Lai commune (Ha Trung district) has transformed a barren hill overgrown with weeds and bushes into a lush green farm. Remarkably, the previously barren, rocky hill, filled with iron ore, which no one dared to take on before, now generates an income of over half a billion dong annually.

Terraced gardens on gravelly soil Former soldier Nguyen Nhu Xuan successfully transformed and planted trees on the barren, rocky hillside in Ha Lai commune.

Approaching his 70th birthday, Mr. Nguyen Nhu Xuan in Phu Tho village remains as agile and energetic as he was in his youth. Simply tending to his hillside garden each day provides him with enough exercise to maintain his vitality. His year-round lush garden is thanks to his industrious nature and his dynamic, eager-to-learn approach to developing modern agriculture . Entering through the eastern gate, a sturdy concrete path, about 1.5 meters wide, leads visitors to the first level of the garden, filled with potted bougainvillea, peonies, and low-growing fruit trees like guava and custard apple. Steps and sturdy ramps then ascend to the second level, where hundreds of green-skinned, pink-fleshed, and late-ripening pomelo trees, over a decade old, provide shade year-round. On the higher levels and the western side of the hill – where the most sunlight is found – he has planted over fifty seedless jackfruit and avocado trees, as these are drought-tolerant and suitable for the slope.

The results achieved today are the culmination of a process that left his hands calloused, and the sweat and hard work are immeasurable. According to him, this hillside garden, spanning over 5,200 square meters, was originally barren land with a steep slope and, importantly, no irrigation water source. Because the local authorities called for contracts to reclaim the land, no one took on the task, leaving it overgrown with weeds and thorns. In 1992, his family boldly undertook the reclamation project under the PAM-4304 Project. In 1996, when the project ended, the land was re-leased under a Class 02 land allocation for production forests. It wasn't until 2015 and 2016, after accumulating sufficient capital and knowledge, that his family decided to develop the orchard into a systematic, commercial production area.

“Terraced rice fields are found throughout mountainous regions, but terraced gardens are something we’ve only seen here. However, it’s the most feasible way Mr. Nguyen Nhu Xuan has managed to reclaim the barren hillside behind his house. Visiting the production site in person, I truly admire his willpower and determination.”

Ngo Ngoc Canh

(Director of the VAC Support Center - Farm, Thanh Hoa Provincial Gardening and Farming Association)

Observing the area, Mr. Xuan's farm on Tinh Hill has gray, liver-colored soil, littered with rocks, pebbles, and iron ore. To test its hardness, he used a crowbar to forcefully strike the ground, but the impact only penetrated a few centimeters below the iron blade. With this level of hardness, small plants would struggle to take root and grow. The soil was barren and infertile, and there was no irrigation, so in the early years he tried many different crops, but most died, and those that survived were stunted and slow-growing.

Yet, with diligent hands, over many years he dug hundreds of deep holes on that rocky hill, mixing manure and humus before planting each tree in a hole. To ensure a reliable water supply, he built large concrete tanks on the hilltop and used a high-powered pump to draw water from the lake in front of his house for storage. Gradually, he invested in a drip irrigation system from the tanks down to each tree's roots. Not only did he have a reliable water source, but the soil around the roots remained moist, softening it and allowing the trees to develop their roots normally, resulting in increasingly healthy growth. Once the trees had grown, he built chicken coops under the trees on the hill to raise a flock of chickens in a semi-wild environment.

“Remembering President Ho Chi Minh's words, 'Nothing is difficult, only the lack of perseverance is to be feared,' I knew it would be difficult, but as a returning soldier, I was determined to excavate the mountain as he instructed. Day after day, I cleared paths and cut down bushes and thorns for months on end. But that was only the first step, because to plant trees, I had to continue improving the land. Determining that the sloping land needed to be leveled, I resolutely divided it into sections of equal elevation to create flat surfaces, turning it into a unique four-tiered terraced garden.”

Veteran Nguyen Nhu Xuan

Throughout his gardening career, he has always sought out and visited various farming models to accumulate experience. For many years, he has focused on developing organic farming practices to produce clean products. He utilizes only chicken manure and decomposed organic matter as fertilizers, minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers.

The pomelo trees on the hillside orchard are laden with hundreds of fruits. Following the concrete paths within the orchard, in many sections, people have to constantly bend down to avoid bumping into the fruit hanging down. Because of the organic farming practices, the pomelos here are sweet and refreshing, and they last longer after harvesting, so during the peak season, traders come directly to the orchard to buy them. According to the orchard owner's calculations, in recent years the orchard has generated a total income of over 500 million VND, providing additional employment for 3 to 5 seasonal workers for harvesting.

Although called a hillside garden, this terraced farming area is located right next to the main village road, providing shade for hundreds of meters, making it well-known to many. The trees are planted in neat rows, thriving year-round, and advanced techniques are applied, so Ha Lai commune has chosen this garden as a model garden according to the criteria of the advanced new rural commune program. Every year, many delegations visit to observe and learn from its experience. The owner of the garden is also an active member of the district's Club of Veteran Entrepreneurs .

Text and photos: Le Dong

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