The Chinampas Farm Plots were the
economic foundation of the Aztec Empire.
--Michael D. Coe, author of
The Chinampas of Mexico
economic foundation of the Aztec Empire.
--Michael D. Coe, author of
The Chinampas of Mexico
GLOSSARY
Definition of Chinampas:
An artificial island, or
land surrounded on at least three sides
by water. Properly maintained, they can
produce remain fertile for centuries
without having to lie fallow. Each
Chinampa is 300 feet long and between
15-30 feet wide(and any size with this
proportion). The surface of the garden is
a 2-3 feet above the water and is topped
every year A long, narrow strip of farm
bottom of the water canal that land
surrounded on at least A long, narrow
strip of farm surrounds it. Chinampas
are three sides by water. Properly held
together by planting trees maintained,
they can produce on at least two sides to
contain several crops a year and will the
plot with tree roots. Once the plot gets
too high, it must be broken up and
leveled out, therefore each garden has
its own built-in compost heap.
Chinampa Zone:
A large scale land reclamation process
through drainage of a land locked basin
completely surrounded by mountains.
Chapines: (see photo 1.)
Little rectangular blocks of mud or soil
that has been dried in a slab and cut into
squares. Spanish for soil blocks.
Chinampero:
A native Aztec or Mexican American who
tends the garden plots(chinampas).
Xochimilco(pronounced So-chi-mil-co):
The most famous chinampas town
center in the world, south of Mexico City.
The origin of Chinampas farming and
chapines. Also the name given to the
small band of barbaric Aztecs who
settled the Lake Xochimilco or Lake of
the Moons.
Xochimilco means "place of the flower
gardens" in the Nahuatl language
spoken by the Aztecs and older people of
the chinampa towns.
Coa:
A cultivating stick used by the
chinampero to hoe or cultivate the
chinampas. It is made of hardwood and
is considerably broader at the digging
end than it is toward the handle. Overall
end is roughly 6-8" at the widest and
tapers down to about 3" to a knife-like
point. Overall length of blade is 2'.
See reproduction of an ancient Aztec
drawing with a farmer using a coa to
cultivate his corn, bottom page.
Definition of Chinampas:
An artificial island, or
land surrounded on at least three sides
by water. Properly maintained, they can
produce remain fertile for centuries
without having to lie fallow. Each
Chinampa is 300 feet long and between
15-30 feet wide(and any size with this
proportion). The surface of the garden is
a 2-3 feet above the water and is topped
every year A long, narrow strip of farm
bottom of the water canal that land
surrounded on at least A long, narrow
strip of farm surrounds it. Chinampas
are three sides by water. Properly held
together by planting trees maintained,
they can produce on at least two sides to
contain several crops a year and will the
plot with tree roots. Once the plot gets
too high, it must be broken up and
leveled out, therefore each garden has
its own built-in compost heap.
Chinampa Zone:
A large scale land reclamation process
through drainage of a land locked basin
completely surrounded by mountains.
Chapines: (see photo 1.)
Little rectangular blocks of mud or soil
that has been dried in a slab and cut into
squares. Spanish for soil blocks.
Chinampero:
A native Aztec or Mexican American who
tends the garden plots(chinampas).
Xochimilco(pronounced So-chi-mil-co):
The most famous chinampas town
center in the world, south of Mexico City.
The origin of Chinampas farming and
chapines. Also the name given to the
small band of barbaric Aztecs who
settled the Lake Xochimilco or Lake of
the Moons.
Xochimilco means "place of the flower
gardens" in the Nahuatl language
spoken by the Aztecs and older people of
the chinampa towns.
Coa:
A cultivating stick used by the
chinampero to hoe or cultivate the
chinampas. It is made of hardwood and
is considerably broader at the digging
end than it is toward the handle. Overall
end is roughly 6-8" at the widest and
tapers down to about 3" to a knife-like
point. Overall length of blade is 2'.
See reproduction of an ancient Aztec
drawing with a farmer using a coa to
cultivate his corn, bottom page.
Photographs of the Chinampas in Xochimilco courtesy of Dr. Phil
Crossley. See his site for a complete tour of the Chinampas!
http://www.western.edu/faculty/pcrossley/chinampasofmexico/index.htm
Crossley. See his site for a complete tour of the Chinampas!
http://www.western.edu/faculty/pcrossley/chinampasofmexico/index.htm
3.) Lettuce in blocks of chapines.
4.) Zinnias, Dahlias, and
Carnations are the original soil
blocked flowers in Native Mexican
America were they are still raised
the same way.
Carnations are the original soil
blocked flowers in Native Mexican
America were they are still raised
the same way.
5.) Covering a seed bed of soil
blocks with plastic. A board
straddles the nursery. Here
we find the largest vegetable
soil block operations in North
America. Only the
Netherlands produce more,
albeit for chrysanthemums, on
a commercial scale.
blocks with plastic. A board
straddles the nursery. Here
we find the largest vegetable
soil block operations in North
America. Only the
Netherlands produce more,
albeit for chrysanthemums, on
a commercial scale.
6.) View of a canal and a
chinampa. Trees hold in
the sides.
chinampa. Trees hold in
the sides.
7.) The "floating
gardens", actually an
artificial peninsula.
gardens", actually an
artificial peninsula.
8.) Digging deep.
Breaking up a plot to
redistribute the
compost.
Breaking up a plot to
redistribute the
compost.
9.) Covering the soil
blocks completely with
canal muck or wet
peaty sediment.
blocks completely with
canal muck or wet
peaty sediment.
10.) Intensive planting of
green and red lettuces
green and red lettuces
11.) Chinampero
scooping up canal
muck.
scooping up canal
muck.
The Living History of Soil Blocks
Soil blocks with holes made
with fingers. This is what
they looked like 2000 years
ago.
Peppers seeded to the left,
and tomatoes seeded to the
right. Note the amount of
seeds in each hole. The
chinampero will thin to the
strongest seedling, ensuring
generations of vitality,
production, and nutrition.
with fingers. This is what
they looked like 2000 years
ago.
Peppers seeded to the left,
and tomatoes seeded to the
right. Note the amount of
seeds in each hole. The
chinampero will thin to the
strongest seedling, ensuring
generations of vitality,
production, and nutrition.
2.) Chinampero, or canal farmer, poking
holes and dropping seeds in his soil
blocks. Most men are Aztec today the
craft of canal farming. However, fewer
their farms, due to the drainage of the
their farms, due to the drainage of the
shallow lake basin to make room for
shallow lake basin to make room for
buildings and resorts. The farmers at
Xochimilco are some of the last Aztec
farmers practicing canal farming. Their
existence hangs from a thin thread: Can
we save them in time? Or, will they
become lost forever? Will the birth place
of the soil block disappear? Or, will
enough tourists, ecological lodges, and
conservation groups save their land,
farms, families and "artificial island"
culture?
Readers: Would you be interested in a
guided tour to these floating gardens
and their ancient people?
holes and dropping seeds in his soil
blocks. Most men are Aztec today the
craft of canal farming. However, fewer
their farms, due to the drainage of the
their farms, due to the drainage of the
shallow lake basin to make room for
shallow lake basin to make room for
buildings and resorts. The farmers at
Xochimilco are some of the last Aztec
farmers practicing canal farming. Their
existence hangs from a thin thread: Can
we save them in time? Or, will they
become lost forever? Will the birth place
of the soil block disappear? Or, will
enough tourists, ecological lodges, and
conservation groups save their land,
farms, families and "artificial island"
culture?
Readers: Would you be interested in a
guided tour to these floating gardens
and their ancient people?
12.) Floating
down a canal!
down a canal!
| Drawing reproduced from an ancient Aztec pictograph showing a coa stick and a chiampa farmer. Funny, corn was the only plant that was NOT started in soil blocks by the Aztecs. I've added the blocks to remind us Northerners that corn transplants quite well in soil blocks! |
Most recently developed in Holland,
the potting blocker, is now made of
a zinc coated prefabricated steel.
oldest known users of ‘perspotten’
(soil blocks) in Europe and have
used them since the late 1890's.
The Netherlands take up the soil
block method even further with the
invention of the metal soil blocker,
both hand-held and stand-up
models in the 1930's, below. The
manufacturer is Goradam.
the potting blocker, is now made of
a zinc coated prefabricated steel.
oldest known users of ‘perspotten’
(soil blocks) in Europe and have
used them since the late 1890's.
The Netherlands take up the soil
block method even further with the
invention of the metal soil blocker,
both hand-held and stand-up
models in the 1930's, below. The
manufacturer is Goradam.
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