AGRICULTURAL TIPS...PLANTING- MANURING AND CARE.

 

Many of us love Nature and seriously want to do some gardening. Gardening is a wonderful thing to do,provided you know something about it. It requires some knowledge of gathering seeds ,cultivating and the care to be given when the seeds sprout and grow into plants. Like the care and attention you have to give an infant,plants require some good attention and they certainly will respond to your love and give you very good returns.

Every sort of vegetables and fruit are availlable in our markets,only to be bought at exorbitant prices. But if you can spare a little of your time and find a little space where you can plant  the types of vegetables of your taste,then it is a very simply matter. Gardening requires  some patience. And of course,in the end of a very short period you will find it worthwhile.

PREPARING THE GROUND.

The ground where you want to plant has to be hoed weeded, and clods broken to make the earth soft enabling good planting as well as for the quick growing of the seeds. When this is complete, dust some BHC  powder on the topsoil to rid of termites and ants. Adding cowdung powder, cow urine and the like will be very good starters. Always us dried cowdung as the fresh dung may contain parasites. Above this,100 grams of supersulphate can also be scattered.

When you have procured the seeds,soak them in water for some minutes. If it  is,  Summer, you have to wet the ground nicely,to make the earth soft. Plant different varieties separately. Digging a shallow pit to keep the water in would be good. Planting of the seeds or seedlings  should be be done only after say five o’clock. After planting,sprinkle some water. For the next few days, keep the earth soft and sprinkled with water. By the fourth day,the seeds will begin to sprout. Vegetable plants like bitter gourd, cucumbers,snake gourds and the like are climbers and will require supports. Get some  branches  and give them the prop and they will just grow. When they have almost reached say three feet high,make a panthal ,which will serve to act as a platform for the creepers to spread over as well as protection of the base of the plants from the hot sun.

It is at this juncture that pests hit the tender plants. A spray of one litre cow urine mixed in nine litres of fresh water,added with some chilly powder will protect the plants. Or the juice extracted from the tender leaves of the cashew and the Matti tree  fermented for a day or two and diluted to some extent with fresh water will be fine. If these are not availlable,then buy NUVACRON  and use it very lightly.This canbe bought from a pesticide seller.

As the plants flower and begin show signs of fruit bearing,you can cover them and   making paper cones.Snake gourds have to be tied with small weights to make it straight and long.If the plants show signs of poor growing again add some cowdung powder and diluted cow urine. In the absence of these,get some urea,mix it with water and pour the same on the edge of the plant bed, so that the roots will not get affected. Never add Urea or any  inorganic fertilisers directly to the plant roots. The plants will just wither away

Fertilisers come two ways.  Organic and Inorganic. The difference between Organic and Inorganic fertilisers ,I shall explain. Organic Fertilisers are those which do not contain any chemical substances. For example, Cowdung,cow urine,vegetable waste that can be had from vegetable shops, dog dung,chicken excreta,human excreta,the vegetation and shrubs that we remove from our places or waysides .Never burn dry leaves. It is the general tendency to burn away dry leaves and unwanted materials to rid of them and also thinking it will be good for the earth. Remember,the earth contains many good bacteria and above all our friends the earthworms. By burning,you destroy everything good for the earth ! So, resort to make a compost pit.

Making of a compost pit will serve nicely for getting natural organic fertiliser. Earthworms are our best friends.They thrive to better the quality of our land. When you have much household waste that will dissolve with earth quickly,then the compost pit will serve nicely. Occasionally cover the pit with some earth to keep out the odour and the flies.Dusting with lime powder or spraying with E.M ( Effective Microbe solution) will speed up the decomposing of the waste within the pit and also eradicate unpleasant odours. After some time,there will be only earth rich with the goodness of organic fertilisers and ready to use directly to your plants. It is like feeding infants baby food rich in vitamins .

You might be puzzled at my mentioning E.M. This is an ember coloured liquid make from harmless materials like yeast and rice bran.  One litre bottle of E.M. ( Effective Microbes) costs only Rs.20/=.A capfull of the like diluted in a litre of water, sprayed over the compost pits, foul smelling areas and dirty places,will effectly eradicate the unpleasant odours caused by urine and defecation. If our Muncipalities and Panchayats are intent on removing such unpleasantness from lavatories and urinals widely used by the public in Bus stands and the like, it will be not only be very inexpensive but very effective E.M. can be procured from the stationary shop at Amrit,.Ettimadai. For any enquiries on the same kindly contact Br. ARUNJI, who can be contacted over his phone 09943984488. He is a very kind soul and will always be ready to offer you his help.He is a genius !

At our home,we have two German shephards. Getting rid of their excreta became a headache.It was then Br. Arunji,gave me this solution to mix the dried leaves which get from the trees in our small farm with the excreta of the dogs and make excellent compost. As the result of following his advice,our banana plants and coconut palms to which we applied the organic fertiliser,are giving us very good returns. From  a meagre 180 nuts that we gather every one and half months,we are now getting 650 nuts,would you believe it ? With good proceeds coming, we installed a1 HP water pump and irrigate our farm twice a week.Our farm is now lush and green. Our banana plants and pepper vines are heavy with fruit.Thanks to you Sir Br. Arunji!