Gardening In the Rain

It is that time of the year when after a searing summer heat, the mercury has already come down and plans to dip even further in coming days as the monsoon clouds looms over our head. While rains evoke different moods for different people, it is also when it is raining that you get to tend to those beautiful plants in your garden, and watch plants grow faster and bloom in the glory of the rains.


Monsoons can be very tricky for Gardeners. With nature favouring the task, the plantation work turns easy. Introducing new plants into the garden, starting a new home garden, planning a terrace garden seems like the most obvious things to do. Crotons and flowering plants are the best to grow in monsoon and add a colourful tint to the lush green foliage.

Also, this is the time of the year when small errors in care or maintenance or neglect occurs and many times it gets overlooked by the green components of the garden. Since saplings and plants have needed water provided by the rains, they do not cry out of thirst even if you forget to water them for a day or two.

But just like scarcity of water is a problem for plants, excess of water can also be a big worry. In water logged conditions, the plants express this by wilting. Most of plants hate water logging and they need good soil drainage to survive and prosper. Some plants do enjoy water logged conditions but their numbers is small. Due to excess water algae get collected on top soil, and in absence of proper actions plants rot. Weeds, insects, Worms also flourish during this season. Stagnant water and worms can destroy the whole garden very quickly.


The following are some of the few points which we need to take into consideration for having a enjoyable gardening season in the monsoon:


1.The first and foremost thing is that you have to make sure you have a proper drainage system. If water got stagnant it will make the plants rot.

2.      To prevent the risk of fertile top soil erosion in the garden due to heavy rains use perforated sheets. It will allow the rain water to reach the plant as sprinkler. So the plants not get deprived of their natural nutrients available in the top soil

3.      In case of planting new saplings, plant only those plants that can adjust to the moisture of the monsoon season. The young plants in the garden and those plants which are too fragile should be sheltered adequately to protect them from the rains

4.      Avoid chemical fertilizers as far as you can, instead try nature's own compost. Earthworms are a gardener’s friend. They not only aerate the soil by tunnelling down, they also fertilize it.

5.      Avoid pesticides altogether. As it will get mixed and transferred with rain and will cause huge damage to the garden. Instead try to use biological controller such as Toads and Frogs. They are voracious insect eaters and can be a very good friend to the gardener.

6.      Mix a good proportion of soil and compost manure for new plants.

7.      It is the right time to try your hand at indoor gardening. Also bring those plants outside so they can get the feel of the moisture in the air.
Perfect Solution for Rain

Composting: A Basic Know-how

This is one of my sequel  from my earlier blogs about importance of going Organic and the real meaning of going organic. In this blog I want to share some thoughts about Composting.which is an integral part of Organic Gardening.

The word Compostcomes from two Latin roots, “Com” means “together” and “Post” means “to bring”. So basically compost means To bring together. You have to bring together various things and mix it altogether to form a compost.  Composting is based on the principle of return. As humans we reap things from the earth in the form of produce. But we are not alone, there are many other life forms besides ours that comes into play and make the total cycle run. Giving back to the earth is as vital as taking from it. Composting is a way of using up what we have in abundance to repay a long standing debt to the earth. 

Why Composting:

1.       Compost not only contains the major elements that your plants need for the ultimate growth such as Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium(NPK) but also the trace elements that are sometimes overlooked by the gardeners such as Boron, Cobalt, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum and Zinc. The more varied the material used to make compost is greater the variety of nutrients your compost will provide.

2.       The release rate of nutrients are suitable to your plant's need. In the spring when the plants just start growth, the microorganisms in compost release the nutrients slowly. As the weather starts getting warmer plants growth become more rapid and so as the release rate of nutrients from the microorganisms. It is the nature’s way of controlling the release rate of nutrients.

3.       Compost increases the water retention capacity of the soil, as it holds water up to 200% of its dry weight.

4.       Compost add micro-organism and larger creatures such as earthworms and insects, which are natural soil builders.

5.       Compost binds with cadmium and lead and thus neutralize the toxin present in the soil and prevents plants to take up those material.

6.       Acts as a pH buffer as you can lower the pH by adding compost made from acidic raw material such as oak, saw dust etc.

Different type of organism generally present in the compost:

1.       Microorganisms:

Bacteria

Fungi

Actinomycetes

2.       Macro-organism:

Earthworms

Insects

Spiders

Nematodes

The rule of thumb for preparing compost is it should contain 2 parts of vegetable matter(grass, leaves, straw etc) and one part animal matter(manure). The greater the number of material in the compost the more the type of organisms will be at work. You can use any material to prepare composed just remember, the material should have just two qualities: (a) it should be bio-degradable, (b) it must contain things that is usable and available to microorganism.  

If this article helped you in any form please put your word of encouragement below.

Aquaponics System: Know the basics of Aquaponics Design

In this edition of Gardening ABC we will discuss one new concept in gardening. We have already discussed the basics of vertical gardening and container gardening and their benefits In our earlier articles. Today we will discuss Aquaponics system.

Most of us have heard about hydroponics, it is a system where plants are grown without using soil and cultured in water only. Here they generally use chemical fertilizers for the nutrition of the plants. Aquaponics system goes one step further. It uses fishes in the water to provide the nutrition to the plants. Thus it makes the total system organic. Like hydroponics, it also does not uses soil. Roots of plants are generally kept directly in the water. In some cases roots are supported by some rocks inside the water.

The Aquaponics System:

 

The three main parts of this system are:

Fish tank

Grow bed

Pump to move the water from the fish tank to grow bed.

The water from the Aquaponics fish tank goes to the grow bed. There it provides the much needed nutrition to the plant. The plants in the system act as the cleanser. It clears the water and then drains the water back into the fish tank. The secret of success in this system is maintaining proper balance.

In this culture choices of fish and plant is very important. It is better to use fresh water fishes which we generally found in landlocked lakes or rivers. On the contrary if you choose sea water fish you will limit the option of plants severely.

Try to avoid ornamental fishes such as Goldfish if you have any plans for eating fishes.They are commonly treated with chemicals and some times can cause cancer in human. The best options which we can use are common fishes like cat fish, Tilapia, trout, etc. You have to adjust the size and temperature of the water inside, once you decide on the type of fish. For example fish like catfish grow long so you need enough space for them.

Also concentrate on your gardening goals, like if your plan is to grow cool weather plans like spinachor peas avoid fishes which loves warm water.

If you are really serious about starting an Aquaponic system for your own I will suggest you check out this amazing source of information.

Benefits of following Aquaponics system:

Aquaponics system works most of the time independently. The fish and plants work together and the water gets recycled. You just need to replace the water which has be evaporated from the system. Once you created the system you don’t need to add fertilizers regularly or weed it.

It gives you the chance to reduce carbon footprint as you don’t need to travel to get your food.

It reduces the water consumption in gardening.

What do you think about the article. Do you have some other information on Aquaponics Gardening? Share it with us here.

Related articles about Aquaponics:

Top Five Aquaponics Fish for The Fish Tank

Advantages of Aquaponics System
Aquaponics System: 5 Steps To Success

Increase The Fertility Of your soil By Adding These Organic Ingredients

Creating a healthy and nutrient rich soil is a key to the success of your gardening Endeavor. Many of our gardening friends are complaining about the quality of their garden soil. Your soil may not be of very high quality or of ideal pH range but it is not very difficult to make an ideal gardening soil by adding some ingredients to the soil.

We have already discussed about soil conditioners like coconut coir which can increase the water retention capacity of the soil quite a fold. As an organic gardener we always want to promote different organic options rather than to adapt any quick fix chemical options. In this article we will discuss some organic elements which will increase the nutrient part of your soil. I have not mentioned any amount as it depends on the quality of your soil. It is best to test your existing soil before applying any of these ingredients.

Some of the elements which you can add to the soil are as follows.  

Lime:

Limes are generally added to the soil to increase the elements like Calcium, Magnesium, and Sulfur etc. These are basically three type of lime available in the market which you can add to the soil. They are Agricultural lime (this is actually Calcium carbonate), Gypsum (Calcium sulfate) and Dolomite (this is usually a mixture of Calcium carbonate and Magnesium carbonate). So depending on the condition of your soil you add the type best suits for your soil. Sometimes you use a particular type of lime whereas in many cases you need to mix the three. Apart from adding nutrients to the soil, adding lime can also control the acidity of the soil. Read Soil pH: A Basic Idea for more information.

Seed meal:

These are the byproducts of different oil seeds such as soybeans, sunflower, Mustard or cotton seed. Though these are primarily used to feed animals, you can use this as fertilizers. Depending on the part of the world you are living and the availability you can use any type of seed meal. This seed meal are very good source of Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) for the plants. These are easy to store as they generally do not degenerate very easily if kept in airtight condition.

Bone meal:

Bone meals are used to increase the phosphate content of the soil. As per alternative to bone meal you can also use Phosphate rocks or bat guano, though the last two are relatively harder to find.

Kelp:

Using kelp can be a little expensive. But the best part of using kelp is that it provides the supply of trace elements, which are very hard to get from other elements. It also provides vitamins for plants and power of resistance from different stresses such as cold. Many people use different rock dust as a replacement of kelp, but it is best if you can afford kelp.

These ingredients along with compost from time to time will produce excellent results. Is there any other ingredient which you use? Share with us here.

A Biological Way To Control Pests

Today we will talk about biological pest controlling. You must have heard that in many places in the world, people are using poultry birds such as Chickens, Ducks, or Guineas to control pests in their garden. Today we will discuss about these methods and their pros and cons.

Raising chickens or ducks etc is it self a fun activity. The experience of waking up in the morning with a rooster crowing can be very pleasing. They provide a fresh supply to your food requirements. But there are more to eggs and meats; you can use these birds to control your garden pests. Yes that’s right. Poultry birds in particular are natural insect feeders. They eat grasshoppers, millipedes, ticks and literally any type of insect which generally flourish in the garden.

Apart from these garden pests, they also provide natural defense to your house from scorpions, mice, termites etc. Chickens also provide dropping which can be a very good fertilizer for the plants.

Muscovy Ducks are famous for eating mosquitoes. You might have heard that in USA several centuries ago ducks have been introduced for controlling mosquitoes. They eat the larvae of the mosquitoes when they are in water and can even catch the adult if they fly nearby. Even the small duckling can do a pretty good job in controlling mosquitoes.

Some people have also used chicken for tilling the gardens. Chicken usually till the soil in search of insects. It is also helpful in controlling weeds (More on weed control can be found here). But it is best to apply this technique before the plantation otherwise in search of food they can even uproot or gobble your dear plants.

While talking about pest controlling birds, the most famous of them is Guinea fowl. They look like small chicken sized vultures. The birds are voracious eaters. They eat ticks, flies, beetles, bugs and even snakes. They will also protect the territory like no other. Some times like a barking dog, they make so much noise in case they saw any intrusion. Just remember, in case you are buying Guineas buy the younger ones. The adult fowl are hard to domesticate and have the tendency to escape. You can also keep guineas and chickens together; they don’t harm the each other.

Another option is raring Turkeys. Apart from their delicious meat, you can use them in pest controlling. They will also prevent your garden from grasshoppers, cabbage-worms and many other insects. But keep a leash on them when your garden has seedlings. Letting them roam freely in the garden in these times can be disastrous for your Garden.

Chickens, Ducks, Guineas or turkey are no doubt can be a very good addition to your backyard. If used with caution these can give a strong boost to your pest controlling measures and in turn help you in doing gardening organically.

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Weed Controlling In The Organic Way

Before starting the weed control we need to know about weeds. There are basically two types of weeds:

Grassy weeds: The leaves of these types of weeds are blade like. These weeds are basically grass. Most of the lawns have these types of weeds.

Broad-leaf weeds: As the name suggests these weeds have broader leaves than the grassy weeds. All the weeds except grass can be classified in this category.

Most of the people thought that applying herbicides to the weed will solve their problem, but experts argue that in most of the cases the chemical can enter into the fruits or vegetables and can also pollute the ground water.

Though it is unfortunately true that weeds can grow in any type of soil, the first step you can take to control weeds is to make the soil as healthy as possible. Keep the soil aerated, and well drained. Keep your soil fertile by applying compost or organic fertilizers. It is true that weeds will also benefit by the application of fertilizers but at least it will give your desired plant enough nutrients to grow. After some time this desired plant will reduce your weed problem to a certain limit.

Tilling the garden to reduce the weeds is a very well known procedure. We have already discussed this process in Garden bed preparation.

Mulching is a very commonly used method for controlling weeds. Laying a thick layer of mulch over the weeds can kill them. It also helps in restoring the water content of the soil for longer period of time. You can add dry leaves, straw or hey. You can find the basic details about mulch and mulching here. While applying mulch the thickness is very important. Like for shredded leaves you need to put the layer at least 8 to 10 inches thick, whereas if you are applying saw dust, 2-3 inch of mulch will be enough. As for straw the thickness is 5 to 6 inches.

You can also apply a layer of black plastic sheet; it will prevent the light and water to reach to the weeds. This is the best way to kill the grassy weeds. If you are a hardcore organic gardener you might want to skip plastic as it is not a valid organic material.

Pulling out weeds by hand is probably the best option in case the weed has grown pretty large in size. Try to remove the weeds before they produce seeds. Sometimes burning the weeds can provide you an instant solution. You can use flamer for this purpose.

Some people also recommend using biological control such as using geese for weed control. Geese are naturally attracted to grass and weeds but this need proper control. You can try using this but this process is a long-term process.

You can also use common household vinegar in spraying bottle and apply this to weeds. While applying this technique, make sure the vinegar doesn’t reach your main plant.  

For preventing weeds we need to be proactive in our approach. We hope after reading this article you will be better position to control weeds in your garden.

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