GROWING CORN (MAIZE) ALL YEAR ROUND

See those maize plants growing with such elegance in that sack?- they started growing by default not by design...maize plants pictures taken today January 24th.

Out of the corn I harvested last - in November, last year, I soaked a cob of maize in December  to soften it.

I gave to the snails without removing the grains from the cob. The snails ate what they could out of it.

When cleaning the snail pen, I took what was left of the cob and deposited it in one of the sacks of soil as manure - I had not even actually got to do tillage on that sack of soil but been adding wastes  regularly.

The corn germinated, I think up to six or more plants. I thinned to three stands - I usually allow two stands of maize per sack but decided to leave three - I am  constantly exploring  different options, making observations and taking notes.

I marvel at the determination with which the maize plants are growing even in this very dry season. I constantly water and weed of course  but some crops are just so very determined to grow.

Another observation is that in organic gardening or farming,  the seeds of crops you harvest in your garden or farm are like thoroughbred-  pure-bred - they are very ruddy.

I did see a post by a leading Organic Farmer on that  - this maize plants story is attesting to what @Opefarms  said. 

Something similar happened with Okro and I almost overlooked.  It's been very difficult for Okro to grow in in my garden  from seeds purchased or Okro bought.

It took very long time for Okro to germinate from seeds I purchased in spite if constantly manuring with organic wastes.

When I harvested  very small quantity of Okro few weeks ago and planted,  I did not even give it any special attention.   But I've just noticed its growing even though it's in an overcrowded sack with rounded tomatoes.

The observation on vitality of organically produced seeds is still ongoing  - what I think is playing out is this - the  seeds of plants grown through organic means are healthier (have more vibrancy) because they are devoid of chemicals. It means seeds from organically grown plants have more life.
Just that if you are doing very large scale farming you might not be able to get to buy as many organically produced seeds as you need.

But for small producers like we, the  mini-gardeners, seeds got from your garden plants are treasures.

 

#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening  #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces  #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingeweduinsack

MY ROUND TOMATOES FRUITING, CAMEROON PEPPER SPROUTS...

My round tomatoes are fruiting! When I saw these on Saturday I twirled round dancing. Why? It's sort of been difficult growing round tomatoes in past seasons since I started gardening - they  don't just fruit unlike the snake tomatoes (tomato pastes).

This time around I've been very  intentional with manuring after tilling the two bags of soil I planted them in.

I made a post last week making enquiries about a certain plant sprouting in my garden. Check 2nd photo 

Finally I have been able to identify partly with plant identifier app and also careful observations and reading.

The unknown plant (now known) is Cocona (Solanum sessiliflorum), often called Cameroon pepper in our clime! I was wondering how the seed got there - I even initially thought it may have been a bird that brought the seed.

It was after all the hassles of identifying I later remembered - I think it was around November last year - I was shopping for soup ingredients  and I got these two orange coloured fruits for N100 to use as spice. I've heard about the pepper but never really used it in my own cooking.

I didn't get around to using them and in the usual nothing wastes concept, when they appeared to be getting spoilt, I packed them with other kitchen wastes and went to deposit them in the soil in some sacks as irganic manure.

I forgot completely about them until  after identifying  the plant. So looking forward also to Cameroon pepper harvest as I tend the plant. Hopefully more will germinate.

Between last Monday and today I have been able to re-bag/re-mix soil in five sacks, two buckets and two basins.

Call it tillage or re-bagging of soil, that's what I've been busy doing in the garden in addition to the regular watering, weeding etc.

Apart from the wear and  tear of the old sacks,  the soils in them need rejuvenation by re-mixing with manure.

Packing out soil from torn sacks and gradually putting in new sacks with addition of manure at different layers is certainly a whole lot of work.  I had to use the dreaded shovel because it's faster. Seems the shovel is no longer as heavy as it used to feel 😀.

I will massage my body with the Organic Body Lotion I made from agricultural materials  for soothing relief.

Thankfully, I wouldn't need to till the soil in the  new sacks, buckets or basins until at least one year -  I plan to finish all the tilling, remixing with manure of soils in old sacks into new sacks before the onset of rains.

Why do these things excite me? -  quite a number of reasons e.g. it's indication of my good health, I am doing some findings correlating pure  agriculture  to good health which I believe would prevent any form of ill-health in humans  - this Mini-Garden researcher is thinking deep!

#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#unknowngardenplant
#identifyingunknownplant
#agriculturalmedicine
#Harmattan
#GardeningduringHarmattan
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#growingokroinsacks
#growingtomatoesinsacks
# growingsnaketomatoesinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening  #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces  #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingeweduinsack

HELP IDENTIFY THIS PLANT WITH BIG LEAVES

This Morning In the Garden...

This plant (the 1st & 2nd photo) has been growing in the same sack I planted Ewedu. 

The plant identifier apps are great but sometines they don't actually identify some plants. 

The apps come up with something similar based on what is seen in the photo. So it is good if one already has a very good idea what the plant is from experience or experienced people.  Would be really glad if you can help identify

OTHER GISTS

As the Harmattan haze gradually bids goodbye, it's time to start planning earnestly if you want to grow garden plants.

If you use containers like sacks, you may think you have escaped the task of land clearing or preparation.

 Well, not actually o - the sacks do get worn out  and tear due to weather elements after some months - I am still hoping to get sacks that can last up to five years before tearing🤔

Meanwhile  when a sack gets torn to the point it needs replacement, don't wait till the rains start before replacing. This Dry season is the best time.

So I have to pack the soil in the torn sacks into other sacks -  newer ones, hopefully these ones are more durable.

 I started this morning - I used the dreaded shovel again😀. I was able to do just one sack soil  transfer since I also seized the opportunity to enrich the soil in the new sack very well from the base.  

At different levels, I added wastes - plantain peels, dry leaves, the remains of maize plants  in the garden.

 I will also be adding nitrogen source like soya bean chaff. I would be adding the peels of beans as well  when I remove peels to make moin-moin or  beans cake -akara. 

I have read recently that apart from soya chaff, any legume or pulse plants  are superb for enriching soil. I was not interested in growing beans in my mini garden because I felt the harvest would be too small to be of any consideration due to space constraint. But having read  that  beans are about the best enrichment for the soil because of nitrogen content, I will plant beans soon. 

 If I don't get considerable harvest, I will at least  enrich my garden soil - aaawwwwn!

Already when I want the ewedu I planted to become greenish when the leaves are turning  yellow I add soya bean chaff.

Ewedu is now very expensive o. But thankfully I have been able to pluck twice and cook. 

My first harvest was on 24th December - about one month after planting. 

See that picture with Pounded  yam and Ewedu soup with with stew and turkey and beef seasoned with garden secrets? That was Christmas Eve supper!  - only the ewedu was from the garden. Wish I could start rearing turkeys and chickens soon - it would have to be on smallest scale possible and they will have to be caged.

 What I   prefer though is free range - let them waka about on vegetation. Sighs - space constraint ! But no problem- in life, we just have to make the best we can out of what we have before we get what would be more ideal  - at the very least we are learning even on a small scale so we can handle well the bigger when it comes. Meanwhile there are other benefits as well from the very small scale!

#unknowngardenplant

#identifyingunknownplant

#agriculturalmedicine

#Harmattan 

#GardeningduringHarmattan 

#growingcropsinsacks

#growingmaizeinsacks

#growingokroinsacks

#growingtomatoesinsacks

# growingsnaketomatoesinsacks

#spaceconstrainedgarden

#gardeningincementedpremises

#gardeninginsacks

#growingplantsinsacks

#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening 

 #minigardening  #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces  #spaceconstrainedurbangardening

#intercroppinginsoilsack. 

#growingeweduinsack