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 

HARVEST DURING PLANTING (DRY) SEASON...

If you know you can grow food, no matter how small the scale, abeg o, do the needful. We believe God for genuinely good leaders in Nigeria - but even with clear conscience  and the best of  intentions,  political leaders may not be able to avert some food crises. Remember that the best of men is still man.

Having said that, let me gist you about happenings in my very mini-garden. It's February ending  going into March- this period s about the peak of dry season in Southwest but I am getting and will get some harvests of crops this dry season- this is the period when farmers generally prepare or start planting.

The corn cobs have emerged in my mini garden this dry season. The pineapple is getting bigger, the chilli peppers and snake (paste) tomatoes  and leafy vegetables have really helped this period of naira scarcity - when even if you have some change in your bank account, it's no guarantee you will be able to buy needed groceries when you want - you grab?. 

So even this mini-garden harvests helped relieved the tension a whole lot - that is not to even mention the herbs in the garden made into teas and soft drinks .

To fertilise the garden crops I use kitchen wastes or even some unused plants in the garden - last week I manure the sack of  soil the  maize  plants are growing in with mango leaves.

Apart from the mango plant I intentionally cultivated, two other mango seedlings are still growing. Since I want my corn to be sweet, I decided to also use mango leaves in addition to other wastes - soya bean though very good source of nitrogen is not really sweet to the taste - I would henceforth try to use more of sweet wastes e.g.tigernuts chaff, coconut chaff, sweet fruit wastes  to manure the corn - if you can control outcomes in a small garden, you also can in a big garden or large farm.

Just remember that in organic growing of crops, you need a whole lot of patience.

#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

PINEAPPLE PLANT NOW FRUITING IN MY GARDEN

I did complain about a pineapple plant in my garden which had refused to fruit after about two years. So I started cutting off it's parts about two weeks ago - mostly the leaves (hard, fibrous part) to manure some other crops e.g. maize plants.

 
To my surprise, some days ago, after I started decapitating the plant, the pineapple shoot emerged  - the fruit is growing.
What I am wondering now is if the emergence of this fruit after two long years is because I started cutting it's leaves off....Uuummm... since I have only one pineapple plant growing in a sack, I don't have another pineapple plant to test this hypothesis- even if I plant pineapple today I  would have to wait for another two years to experience that - meanwhile I want to go study herbal medicine.

 
Does anyone have pineapple plants of about two years  old and would like to cut some of the leaves to test this hypothesis? 😀 would be glad to know your finding.

OTHER GARDEN GIST
The leaves of the rounded tomatoes I planted are drying up.  Only one of the four plants produced few tomato  fruits  which I have harvested - I used in frying eggs and garnishing sauce.

 
No wonder those who grow tomatoes in dry season do so in a green house or under shades.

Rather than do nothing as the tomato plant wither, I have started  covering the plants with a cloth in the afternoons. I am also intensely applyling organic nitrogen source such as bean peels and soya bean chaff to manure. Let's see if it will work.

 
Applying this organic nitrogen sources intensely has worked well with pepper plant in the garden - that pepper plant has fruited and fruited relatively well. The nitrogen sources also help to make the drying ewedu leaves turn back to lush green.

 
Waiting to see the outcome  of covering the tomato plants - this mini-garden is primarily for experimenting afterall  - mini-garden researcher thinking deep.

#dryseasonplanting
#pineappleplant
#pineapplenowfruiting
#pureagriculture
#agricutureversusgoodhealth
#developingorganichairtreatment
#minigardenresearch
#growingcornindryseason
#growingcornallyearround
#throughbredseeds
#purebredseeds
#agricresearches

PINEAPPLE  PLANT NOW FRUITING IN MY GARDEN

I did complain about a pineapple plant in my garden which had refused to fruit after about two years. So I started cutting off it's parts about two weeks ago - mostly the leaves (hard, fibrous part) to manure some other crops e.g. maize plants.
To my surprise, some days ago, after I started decapitating the plant, the pineapple shoot emerged  - the fruit is growing.
What I am wondering now is if the emergence of this fruit after two long years is because I started cutting it's leaves off....Uuummm... since I have only one pineapple plant growing in a sack, I don't have another pineapple plant to test this hypothesis- even if I plant pineapple today I  would have to wait for another two years to experience that - meanwhile I want to go study herbal medicine.
Does anyone have pineapple plants of about two years  old and would like to cut some of the leaves to test this hypothesis? 😀 would be glad to know your finding.

OTHER GARDEN GIST
The leaves of the rounded tomatoes I planted are drying up.  Only one of the four plants produced three tomato  fruits  which I have harvested - I think I used one to get eggs and another to garnish sauce. The third I deposited into the sack of soil.
No wonder those who grow tomatoes in dry season do so in a green house or under shades-
Rather than do nothing, I have started  covering the plants with a cloth in the afternoons. I am also intensely applyling organic nitrogen source such as beans peels and soya bean chaff to manure. Let's see if it will work. Applying this organic nitrogen sources intensely has worked well with pepper plant in the garden - that plant has fruited and fruited relatively well. The nitrogen sources also helps to make the drying ewedu leaves turn back to lush green.

 
Waiting to see the outcome  of covering the tomato plants - this mini-garden is primarily for experimenting  - Mini-Garden Researcher thinking deep.

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

GARDENING REDUCES FRUSTRATION OF NAIRA, FOOD SCARCITY

I couldn't help laughing at myself - I heard a hawker chanting 'buy peppers, buy tomatoes' while I was rounding up today's morning work in the garden.

I needed some peppers and tomatoes for stew to go with white rice.

I was already making the move to go call the hawker when I remembered I had no physical cash. This set of hawkers don't accept transfers for payment.

Besides, the quantity I needed was small and wasn't worth making a transfer  with the possibility of not going through due to network issues - even if the hawker  would accept electronic payment.

Feeling somewhat frustrated, I went to get the seeds of snake tomatoes I had and planted some more. I dont have seeds of round tomatoes.

Then I started laughing at myself  - planting snake tomatoes today which would take at  the very least eight weeks or at most 16weeks  to harvest won't solve my need for stew today.

But  then I thought ''do you know what problems may be at that time?' Uuuummm... while we keep hoping  for the best, it is better to live prepared... today, the problem is scarcity of legal tender to buy food, tomorrow  who knows? 

While we do hope there wont be serious scarcity of food in our country, let's learn to read handwriting on the wall.

Not everyone can or should grow food but if many who are able, do so, then there may not really be any serious  scarcity - remember that scarcity occurs when demand is far higher than supply.

Anyway I still had  a sumptuous  meal by combining some green chilli peppers in the garden (no ripe tomatoes in ny garden and unripe tomatoes don't taste nice but unripe chilli peppers grown through organic means taste very great )  with some items at home  - simple, not sophisticated and it was still a very delicious  sumptuous  balanced diet meal - it contains carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals and I drank water😁

Imagine waiting for transfer to go through to buy meat when hungry😃or looking for POS Agent with cash and reasonable charges. No be everyday we go chop meat before food go balance  - hey!Come to think of It, if you can rear livestock as well, that can meet some of your household's meat demand  -mini-gardener thinking deep.

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