Here are a few updates on some small experimental garden plots I made!
Rice Hull Mulch Update
The lettuce that I transplanted two weeks ago are now growing vigorously! I have never watered them once even after transplanting. I just timed my transplanting when rains will arrive then placed rice hull mulch immediately.
Happy Lettuce plants growing amidst weeds
So far, there has been no pest damage that needs to be worked upon. I just allow some weeds to grow and allow nature to find the balance. What I am slightly worried about is the wild deers that may eat the plants while I'm away. Then again, I need to learn to share the bounty of the land if I want to live in harmony with my environment. I am still in the journey of finding a way to make enough food not only for ourselves but also for the animals that are displaced from their homes due to clearing of forests to create farms.
Rice hull mulch worked wonderfully in keeping the soil moist even when there was no rain for five days or a week. Also, the rice hull prevented the soil from splattering when the raindrops come into contact with the soil. When this wet soil sticks to the leaf of the plant, it will start to rot. The mulch acted as some sort of a shock absorber from the impact of the raindrop.
Purple Radish and Purple Komatsuna Update
I sowed some purple radish and purple komatsuna three weeks ago. Komatsuna is a member or the Brassica family, cabbages, broccoli, radish, basically those plants that are very attractive to pests. These as well were not watered once! I just timed the planting with the rain and let the weeds grow to act as a shade for a few days to keep the moisture and as the plants grow, I removed the weeds.
Purple Radishes growing vigorously among the weeds
I planted "thickly", meaning I sowed more seeds in a smaller spacing to take into account the percentage of germination. As they germinate and grew bigger, I "thinned" them out, meaning, I removed some radishes to create more space to allow others to grow bigger. These "thinnings" were not wasted because they can be eaten as soup or stir-fried with other vegetables.
Purple Radish Thinnings
The Purple Radishes are quite strong against pests and weeds. They germinate quickly and produce large leaves quite rapidly. They can grow even without weeding. The Purple Komatsuna is a bit more tricky. When they germinate, they are immediately eaten by pests and butterflies and moths love to lay their eggs on them and the worms eat all the leaves leaving nothing but our disappointments! So, what I did was I planted them a day before rains arrived. Then, after a good amount of rain has fallen, I placed a tunnelled netting to prevent butterflies from laying their eggs. I timed the placing of the net before the butterflies become active which is about two hours after the sun has risen.
Tunnel netting that allows rain and sunlight to pass through but not large winged insects
This method worked beautifully and the Komatsuna is now growing healthily without any significant pest damage!
Komatsuna soon to be harvested after two weeks
There are some spot damages caused by the flea beetles living in the soil but the damage is not that significant to cause poor growth of the plant.
My Own "Farming/Gardening Method"
I've read and experienced a lot of different methods of farming such as nature farming of Fukuoka, organic farming, permaculture, and biodynamic farming of Steiner but what I found out after observing and experiencing all of them, there is not one ultimate farming method. The principles behind these farming methods are indeed very important and essential but once we get lost to the specific ways and techniques they use, we lose the creativity to create our own and our method becomes something like "dogmatic". We farm based on "how" they do it not on the "why".
Each piece of land is a unique point in the Earth and has its own individual rhythm that we have to jive with. We can't force a specific method of farming that does not fit with the land and with our individual personalities.
We have to think for ourselves, each on our own, but carry a collective awareness of the essential principles. Once we become dogmatic on our ways, we lose our creativity and limitless possibilities with the land! Simply be sincere and true to your land and through mindful observation, the land will "teach" us what is best for the both of us without forcing any of our conditioned thinking.
Basically, I have no specific gardening method. I try to learn what fits me and my land. I do have lots of techniques I want to try out but I am still waiting for a sign from the land if I can try it out already.
I will share some of the experiences on different techniques but I strongly suggest you try and think it out for yourselves then share it to me as well!
Happy Gardening!
