FIRST TIME GETTING FULL-SIZED CORN HARVEST FROM MINI-GARDEN SACK

Well I started growing maize - corn in this mini-garden less than a year ago - just few sacks at a time due to space constraints.

Though the corn are very sweet but their sizes are usually small. Price of  corn depends on where you are buying but I don't think those sizes of boiled or roasted corn can cost any more than N100.

But last week for the first time I got a relatively big sized corn! 

It should cost at least N200 to N300 and it is so very  delicious - remember the technique of manuring with remnants of very sweet fruits, coconut chaff, tigernuts chaff, any sweet food wastes? You get sweet crop harvests in return.

So this morning, from the sack I harvested Cocoyam last week I decided to pour the soil into a new sack. 

I would be planting another set of corn - who no like better thing!- at least the corn should be full-grown latest August, even earlier.

But in a few years from now I must have a full-fledged farm  o- I want bounteous harvests at each harvesting time instead of one or two or  just few corn cobs per harvest. 

But if all you have to do gardening  for now is a small space, be grateful for any harvest

Meanwhile the snake (paste) tomatoes are not disappointing at all  - they usually ripen on time to make stews, soups, jollof rice, porridge or other delicacies - food cooked  partly or fully with farm fresh ingredients sure  taste different to the pallate and help with staying healthy and bubbling with good health.  It's not because I read agriculture, I must farm o!

OTHER GIST
Almond seedling just started sprouting in one of the sacks of soil. Almond tree is a big tree, so not sure if it will fruit in a sack. Still wondering what to do - perhaps fill the sack with more soil so the almond root can have more length ....uuummm... the challenges of a space-constrained mini-gardener!.

#harvestsize
#cornsize
#manuring
#manuringwithfruits
#manuringwithsweetfruits
#wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches

SEE HARVEST OF COCOYAM THIS APRIL IN MINI-GARDEN

There's this sack in my mini-garden with Cocoyam crop growing - I think I planted it  first quarter of last year.

The sack it was growing in has become worn out. So before moving the soil into a new sack I decided to harvest the Cocoyam.

It's my first time harvesting Cocoyam- It was somewhat difficult getting out the Cocoyams because they were bigger than expected.

Actually after I harvested tuber yams  some months ago and size wasn't impressive at all - I went to do some fact-finding. In a video I watched on YouTube, the promoter said NPK fertiliser should be added to the soil in the sacks the yams are planted.

I didn't want to use fertilizer gor my plants but organic manure. Since  soya bean chaff is a good source of nitrogen, I started using in manuring in addition to other kitchen wastes.

Long and short is that protein sources are nitrogenous - just as protein helps the human body grow, it also helps plants grow. So the wastes from protein foods  in the household when used in manuring, are converted to nitrogen that help plant grow.

Can you see how big my Cocoyam is? From one small sack o -  when I become a full-fledged farmer ehhhnn!, you will see mighty bigger cocococoyams, yams, plantains etc

I will cook only a little  of this harvest, I am going to dry and powder the Cocoyam. What for? Food grown in healthy ways can be used for herbal remedies for curative purposes or stabilising good health. That is all I will say for now.

Meanwhile using the sack gardening to learn practically and grateful for whatever harvests- hence the excitement. Even if outcome ain't right, at least I learn why not  - this mini-gardener is feeling good!

#cocoyam
#cocoyamharvest
#minigardenharvest
#manuring
#manuringwithfruits
#manuringwithsweetfruits
#wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening  #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces  #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches

YOU CAN DETERMINE TASTE OF YOUR GARDEN CROPS AT HARVEST...

If you want for example your planted corn or any crop to have a particular taste you can determine it? How?

By nourishing the soil you will plant/already planted the crop(s) in with what will give it desired taste/nutrients.

But this will be  better achieved if you plant in containers - sacks, buckets, basins etc.

For instance some days ago I got this over-ripe pawpaw - no doubt still extremely sweet but also somewhat decaying . It was still edible but would likely upset the stomach if eaten.

If you have a garden, such should not be wasted - if you use such sweet over-ripe fruits to manure some crops constantly you will most likely get such sweet taste if whatever you manure with is retained in that soil for a long time.

Hence the need to do this with soil in containers. So I have been manuring the few maize plants I have in the garden with over-ripe  decaying fruits I get in addition to other kitchen wastes.

I also manure the pineapple plant with sweet fruit remnants. I hope to manure the rounded tomatoes if they decide to wake up.

The snake (paste) tomatoes do not really need any support- that is advantage of using pure-bred seeds that have never been treated with chemicals.

I would have manured the pepper plant but I don't want my pepper to be sweet but hot and spicy- so better to manure pepper with remnants like ginger, tumeric- please ensure these dry well before using to manure - when I used the peels of fresh ginger to manure pepper plants- the plants almost died but made come -back and one of the plants have  fruited relatively well - it sure helped a lot during the period of naira scarcity -  by the way is  naira is now available but still being sold. N5, 000  is sold for N500 to N1000.

Back to garden matters jare -  If you plant crops directly into the ground, underground and/or surface water with all kinds of substances which may or may not be nutrients also  move from different locations  in/on the soil to other locations.

So just as what some of what you use in manuring or fertilising your soil  run off to other locations, surface or underground water bring different elements to your location.

Also the soil in containers  is not affected by erosion so  it would retain most of the nutrients in it not taken up by the plants. Uuummm... I am just wondering what will happen if I manure the bitterleaf plant(s) with over-ripe fruits - can there be anything like Sweet bitterleaf? We can try it.

I would have loved to try it but I don't have that much unwanted fruits - not even enough for the crops I like using the over-ripe fruits to manure.

Wish there are nearby big fruits market - I hear that there are heaps and heaps of wasted fruits at such markets - it is a sad reality that unsold fruits are often disposed - but that is Organic Fertlizer that will sweeten your crops if you use consistently. If you can get, please do - if you want healthy foodstuffs, your best bet is to manure with something edible- I.e. even though what you manure with may not be something you will normally eat, it should be something that is not actually poisonous if you taste it.

 So you understand why chemicals are not good for fertilizing soil - would you like to taste chemicals?

By the way, I have continued re-bagging soil  in my mini-garden - wish I could lay hold of large quantities of such over-ripe fruits to manure. Thankfully most of the soil are still nutrient dense from several months of manuring.

#manuring
#manuringwithfruits
#manuringwithsweetfruits
#wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening  #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces  #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches

YOUR GARDEN CAN HELP MAINTAIN GOOD HEALTH

You may already know these statements which have become cliches -
1.'Let your food be your medicine'
'2. Let your medicine be your food"
3.If you don't take food as medicine, you will soon be taking medicine as food'

Beyond helping to supplement your food needs, having edible  plants that you take extra care in growing can help the human body stay healthy or recover quickly from ailments.

I  have an educational background in Agriculture  and deep interest in Herbal Medicine. Over the years I noticed that quite a considerable number of people have not been really keen on Herbal Medicine because there have been times that herbal treatments were not too effective or even failed. 

I couldn'fully understand the reason(s) - well there could be issues of hygiene, issues of overdose due to lack of research and some other factors.

But one major issue people tended to overlook was how the plants or crops used for the herbal preparation or recommended as food or drink were produced.

The thought processes that led me to this started about a decade ago during a trip to Israel to attend AGRITECH - there was so much insights into the wonders of agriculture.

During one of many discussions, a fellow agro-tourist  spoke of how her family friend was advised by the doctor to stop taking refined sugar and to take fruits.

The family friend complied but few years later the person became diseased with Diabetes . I argued that it was impossible to be diseased with Diabetes by taking fruits...

I kept asking questions till I found out that most of the fruits the person took were produced in large commercial farms.

Subsequently I made enquiries and discovered that chemical fertilizers and treatments  were used in the production and handling processes of the fruits.

Subsequently I discovered that likewise vegetables and many other foodstuffs are being grown or preserved with chemicals.

Fruits are usually eaten raw and vegetables, spices and many other foodstuffs are not supposed to be cooked for too long so as not to denature them.

So there would still be traces of the chemicals when consumed by humans or by livestock  eaten by humans. These chemicals are toxic to the body.

So when your food is your medicine, be sure that the food is not harmful. When taking herbal medicine, the practitioner in charge should be sure there are no significant health hazards in the way the herbs are grown and preserved.

You will of course not he able to get all your food needs from a garden especially a mini-sized one as mine.

But you can check to ensure  sources(s) of food supply you purchase are produced in healthy ways preferably through organic means .

If you can have a garden even if the quantities of foodstuff produced is small, if you are able to grow vegetables, from time to time eat some of the vegetables raw to clear your system.

OTHER GISTS
Have you noticed that the rainy season has started in earnest in Southwest, Nigeria? Hope you have planted/started planting? I have been re-bagging worn-out sacks and also planting new crops- maize peppers, leafy vegetables .

No doubt tasking but the benefits are well-worth it - not just cultivating food but cultivating good health.

#hotweather #wettinginhotweather #wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches

BE MINDFUL OF THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER FOR WETTING PLANTS 

Currently, though the rain sometimes fall in Southwest Nigeria , the weather has been relatively very hot lately - the sun rises earlier than usual and sets a bit later than usual.

So how does this concern plant growers? It is likely the water you use for wetting would be too warm if your water source is exposed to the sun. Your water source could be a reservoir, a tank, directly from the well especially if covered, it could be a bore hole, river, pond etc.

A livestock farmer some years ago  told me of how his chickens were dying  regularly during one such hot period.

They checked and didn't discover any outbreak of diseases. The poultry house was in good hygienic condition and bio- safety measures were being taken before anyone entered the premises.

The owner wasn't always around but due to the challenge he came around more often in bid to investigate  the cause of deaths among the poultry flock.

He discovered that since the weather was usually  very hot at that period the water in the overhead tank was also very warm.

So when the taps were opened and the water was allowed to flow immediately into the water troughs, the temperature of the water in the troughs were higher than normal.

As chickens are animals,  they would start drinking water that was too warm for them and many of them choked and died as a result.

The farm attendant in charge - a staff  should not have allowed the water to flow directly into the water troughs but to cool before the water is given to the livestock.

Same applies to plants - before wetting your plants, check that the water temperature is not high. You may just feel with your palms or hands or use a thermometer if you have. The water temperature should not be too far above room temperature-  about 25 degrees Celsius or thereabout. It could be much less - I don't think too cold water has negative effect on plants, do you? Let's find out - research it.

Even without any instrument you will know when the water is too warm by feeling it with your skin.

Wetting with too warm water may lead to wilting of the plant leaves. Other factors may be responsible if you are already experiencing such but  better to ensure we are doing the best we can to avoid such problem. DONT WET YOUR PLANTS WITH TOO WARM WATER...

#hotweather #wettinginhotweather #wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches 

BE MINDFUL OF THE TEMPERATURE OF WATER FOR WETTING PLANTS

Currently, though the rain sometimes fall in Southwest Nigeria , the weather has been relatively very hot lately - the sun rises earlier than usual and sets a bit later than usual.

So how does this concern plant growers? It is likely the water you use for wetting would be too warm if your water source is exposed to the sun. Your water source could be a reservoir, a tank, directly from the well especially if covered, it could be a bore hole, river, pond etc.

A livestock farmer some years ago  told me of how his chickens were dying  regularly during one such hot period.

They checked and didn't discover any outbreak of diseases. The poultry house was in good hygienic condition and bio- safety measures were being taken before anyone entered the premises.

The owner wasn't always around but due to the challenge he came around more often in bid to investigate  the cause of deaths among the poultry flock.

He discovered that since the weather was usually  very hot at that period the water in the overhead tank was also very warm.

So when the taps were opened and the water was allowed to flow immediately into the water troughs, the temperature of the water in the troughs were higher than normal.

As chickens are animals,  they would start drinking water that was too warm for them and many of them choked and died as a result.

The farm attendant in charge - a staff  should not have allowed the water to flow directly into the water troughs but to cool before the water is given to the livestock.

Same applies to plants - before wetting your plants, check that the water temperature is not high. You may just feel with your palms or hands or use a thermometer if you have. 

The water temperature should not be too far above room temperature-  about 25 degrees Celsius or thereabout. It could be much less - I don't think too cold water has negative effect on plants, do you? Let's find out - research it.

Even without any instrument you will know when the water is too warm by feeling it with your skin.

Wetting with too warm water may lead to wilting of the plant leaves. Other factors may be responsible if you are already experiencing such but  better to ensure we are doing the best we can to avoid such problem. DONT WET YOUR PLANTS WITH TOO WARM WATER...

#hotweather #wettinginhotweather #wateringplants
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches 

I GOT NEW SET OF SACKS, STARTED RE-BAGGING PLANTS IN TORN SACKS

The rains have started coming gradually, do you have plants growing inside sacks?  If yes, check if the sacks are worn-out or torn. If they are, it is advisable to use this period to re-bag before the rains become heavy.

If you don't, during intense rains the soil will keep pouring out from the worn out or torn sacks and this may affect the growth of the plant(s)  in them - nutrients also pour away from the the sacks and water run off fast before the plant(s) can utilise them.

Garden gists
Having got new set of sacks, this morning I started again to re-bag some plants -

How to do it
Usually the plant will be at the centre - middle of the sack of soil. If you cannot lift the whole old sack of soil and place in the new sack, just scrape the soil at the edges all around the root of the plant. You may use hands, a cutlass, a shovel, hand-trowel , a bowl or small container etc

Ensure you don't directly touch the root of the plant(s) - leave some soil around the plant root so the root does not get detached or exposed.

Pour the soil you scraped off into the new sack. Then lift the plant from the base of the root or the sides of the root.

Don't lift from the top of the plant - it may be uprooted and you may then become difficult for it to grow when replanted.

Hence it is better to still have soil caked to the root of the plant as you lift and place in new sack. If there is any space in the new  sack, fill with soil, add manure and water.

See the pictures for the re-bagging of pineapple plant in my mini- garden. Afterwards I manured with plantain stump and peels.

One of the advantages of planting in a container is that you can easily relocate the plant into another container.

You can also easily move growing plant(s) to another place within or outside the garden to continue growing unhindered.

#rebaging
#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches 

CLIMATE CHANGE NOT DISADVANTAGE FOR SMALL GROWERS

f you are a gardener, you need not worry about Climate Change in your farming activities  - in fact it can be to your advantage - how?

Firstly Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. It is caused by the collective human activities particularly industrial activities.

It could then result  among other things in rain not falling  at all or at minimal levels at the season it is expected to fall heavily in a region or rainfall occurring at a season  when it is not expected.

For instance until about 10 to 15 years ago, you hardly have rain in December, January, February in Southwest, Nigeria.

Since majority of farmers even commercial ones in many African countries depend on rain-fed production, certain periods are used for land preparation and planting. But with Climate Change rains may or may not fall when expected and temperatures can be much higher or lower than expected.

It cost so much to put in irrigation systems and staff to operate such in large farms. But if you are a small  grower, go ahead and plant when you want - you shouldn't depend on rain-fed agricultural production. If rains do not fall when expected, wet your plants - the work will not kill you😄. If rains fall even when not expected, good for you -saves you time, efforts and water.

The advantage is that you will be able to grow lots of crops anytime of the year with ow without rain. But do note that the importance of rains must not be underestimated - plants thrive better with fresh rain water than with wetting from other water sources.

Thankfully I did  some planting in January in my mini-garden, so when rain fell in February even when not expected it was advantageous.

Usually rain would start Mid-March to late March in Southwest. But it seems the rainy season is starting early - ths first week in March it has rained  significantly-at least twice.

This Monday morning I thought rain would fall, it hasnt yet so I watered the plants -  whether rain falls or does not, for you gardener, nothing spoil- your crops should still blossom except those ones wey no agree to grow normally like my rounded tomatoes😆

#climatechange
#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agriculturalmedicine
#gardeningindryseason
#growingcropsindryseason
#growingcropsinsacks
#growingmaizeinsacks
#spaceconstrainedgarden
#gardeningincementedpremises
#gardeninginsacks
#growingplantsinsacks
#minigarden #urbangarden #urbangardening
#minigardening #integratedgardening #gardening #gardeninginsmallspaces #integratedgardeninginsmallspaces #spaceconstrainedurbangardening
#intercroppinginsoilsack.
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches