Victims and Survivors February 1, 2007

I’m glad to announce that my garden is recovering from last month’s erratic weather. The unexpected rains and uncommon heat were too much for my tomato seedlings and cauliflower, but my greens, surprisingly, survived. The past two weeks I harvested mustard greens, bok choy and romaine lettuce. I’ve actually been having a steady supply of salad greens since I decided to leave them in the propagation house/greenhouse to grow. This month’s harvest of lettuce had a normal appearance, unlike last month’s and the months before when the lettuce seedlings core grew into a stem which gave the plants an alien appearance. It was still delicious though and didn’t stop me from making my salads.

Growing one’s own vegetables certainly gives one a first hand look at Climate Change. I was certainly brutally aware of the unusual weather’s effects. November thru February are usually the cool-dry months of the year. So it was quite disturbing when the heat reached 90 degrees F and at the same time storms were still brewing way past their season. On the BBC’s environmental report today, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has concluded, with 90% accuracy, that Climate Change is caused by humans. Despite scientists persistent declarations of the reality of Climate Change it seems that the US government is consistently politicizing scientific reports on the matter (The US is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the world and is the only first world country that hasn’t agreed to the Kyoto Protocol), according to The Union of Concerned Scientists. Because of this, the world is having a hard time controlling or reversing Climate Change. The greatest fear is that sea levels are rising which is causing havoc to climates all over the world. It is quite scary. Especially when it is causing damage to our food supply.

Disaster October 22, 2006

My poor vegetables were wiped out by the brief but unusually strong storm last month. The only thing that survived were some Japanese eggplants which I’m harvesting today. Its such a pity and I was devastated. I won’t be posting as often until I have more produce. So in the meantime you can check my other, recently created, blog – still about food of course.

Fruits of the Farm June 11, 2006

This pretty flower is from my okra plant. I won’t be eating this batch of okra, they’re being grown for collecting the seed which I will plant the next time around.

Organic Farming Solutions May 20, 2006

I learned a lot today about organic farming from Mrs. Rosalina Tan who is one of the founders of OPTA and from Ed Samaniego who gave a seminar on Biointensive Organic Farming. I had five problems dealing with my vegetable plants and each one was answered today.

1. Some of my plant’s leaves are turning yellow — this is a sign of nitrogen deficiency.

2. My squash and melons die after growing healthily for 2-3 weeks after being transplanted — might be a fungal infection due to overwatering.

3. I have an infestation of some powdery white substance underneath the leaves of some plants — these are aphids which can be terminated with a product OPTA was selling called Bioneem, a natural insecticide made of neem extract, lemongrass, citronella and atis extract. The citronella in this mixture makes this product dangerous to all insects on the farm which includes beneficial ones. This product should only be sprayed on the affected plants.

4. Some of my tomatoes turned brown at the bottom — calcium deficiency: add egg shells or dolomite to soil. I read a bit on dolomite as a supplement to calcium deficient soil and found out that it is not recommended in organic farming. A good source of calcium used by organic farmers is gypsum (calcium sulfate), mined limestone, legume green manure, rock (tricalcium) phosphate, wood ash, clam & oyster shells. Calcium apparently solves many organic farming problems such as resistance to disease and poor crop yield.
5. What to mix with coco coir as a mix for fertilizing soil — vermiculture or chicken manure.

Will apply these solutions and see what happens. I had a long and pleasant conversation with Mrs. Tan who is quite dedicated in advocating organic agriculture. I’m glad to have met such an admirable woman. Cheers to you Mrs. Tan! Check this site for information on OPTA’s history and mission.

Fruits of the Farm May 8, 2006

I spent the afternoon with my friend J at the farm yesterday. Had some drinks and music playing while I checked out the veggies.

Hot Weather April 19, 2006

The weather nowadays is wilting my poor plants. It is so hot, I’ve had to put nets all over the farm to shield the plants form the intense heat. Despite the stifling weather my tomatoes are fruiting nicely. The herbs, mustard greens and arugula are also doing well, even without the nets. The problem is the soil dries much faster so we have to water more often and the leaves of the fruiting plants droop and some turn brown. The netting should shield the plants from to much sun. One thing that’s thriving in this heat are the African Marigolds. I had more of the marigolds seeded and will plant them in borders. These marigolds are also edible so I’m eager to try them on salads and use them to decorate sweets. What I’m having a hard time with are the peppers and eggplant and the problem has nothing to do with the heat. These plants bear one fruit at a time and take a long time for even that one fruit to come about. I figured it is from the way the pants are being watered. The pepper and eggplant plants do bear numerous flowers but then come to bear single fruits. I think the farmers probably water the flowers off, so I gave instructions to water only the ground around the plants and not the tops. Hope that works. Being in the farming business certainly teaches one a lot of patience.

Solanum Lycopersicum March 30, 2006

This is a beautiful tomato from my farm. This plant was planted 4 months ago and has produced some fruits just this week. Too bad I’m still on my fast so I can’t taste the gorgeous fruit.

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is technically a fruit – the ripened ovaries of a plant, as are squash and peppers. Researchers have traced the tomato to South America and are thought to have originated in the west coast making its way to Central America. After the conquest of South America by the Spanish, the tomato was distributed to Europe and the colonies in the Caribbean and the Philippines. From the Philippines it traveled to Southeast Asia then to the entire Asian continent. The tomato is not only a delicious fruit used in many dishes around the world but is highly nutritious as well. Tomatoes are high in antioxidants that help prevent heart decease and several forms of cancer. The most potent cancer fighting component in tomatoes is found in the gene that makes a tomato red. This gene contains the antioxidant lycopene which is found in all red tomatoes, the redder the tomato the higher the concentration of lycopene. Tomatoes are also high in vitamins C & A, potassium and fiber.

Antioxidants “neutralize”, or render harmless, oxygen free radical molecules. Free radicals in our body are precursors of cancer, atherosclerosis, cataracts, and age-related muscular degeneration as well as premature aging. Free radicals are highly reactive toxic by-products of bio-chemical reactions that occur both as a part of normal cell metabolism and when our bodies are exposed to smoking, pollution and other damaging environmental influences. Antioxidants also helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks.

Our bodies do not naturally produce lycopene so we must get it from other sources. Lycopene is found in pink grapefruit, watermelon, mango and tomato.

Unlike some fruits and vegetables that are nutritionally better when eaten raw, tomatoes are better eaten when cooked. Processing tomatoes decreases its water content making a product that has more lycopene per unit than a fresh tomato. Cooked tomatoes increase the concentration of lycopene so the best way to get a healthy dose of antioxidants from tomatoes is to cook them into sauces. Since tomatoes are lipophilic, which means their nutritional value is increased when cooked in some fat, add a little olive oil or cheese in order for your body to better absorb the lycopene and other vitamins. Yum!

The flavor of the tomato needs to develop by ripening on the vine. Tomatoes are bland when plucked from the vine when it is still green or unripe. Most grocery bought tomatoes are plucked green for a longer shelf life. Purchase tomatoes that are vine-ripened and organic. Storing tomatoes in the fridge will also cause it to loose flavor. The best is to keep tomatoes in a basket at room temperature; it will last for about a week. I’ve kept mine for a lot longer that way. Over ripe tomatoes are excellent for sauces.

Sunshine, Water and Compost February 24, 2006

These are the three most important factors in growing healthy fruits and vegetables. Sunshine and water are easily determined by your geographical area. Although now-a-days, the changes in weather patterns may adversley affect the farm’s produce. But nothing a bit of ingenuity can’t solve. More on that later.

In sustainable organic farming, composts take on a whole new meaning. The composition of nutrients placed in the soil can make or break your seedlings. Is there too much nitrogen? Enough potassium? What about phosphates? It’s all very scientific. My farmer’s were taught a compost mixture that was simply not sustainable, nor purely organic, for my small farm. I want all my resources to come from natural sources, whithout the use of synthetic chemicals in any stage of the process. The problem with the compost my farmers were getting is that one of the ingredients, namely the rice hulls, were not organically grown. I didn’t know this until recently. This was acceptable to my ex-consultant because OPTA’s (see one of my past entries for more info) rules state that organic fertilizers or compost can use the word organic if 70% of it is organic. This is not acceptable for me.

So, as I was pondering on a new way to feed my plants, something quite unexpected happened. I was sitting in my propagation house when in walks a person I have never seen before. He introduces himself and it turns out he’s my neighbor’s landlord and he also happens to have a small-scale organic farming operation very close by. I went over and we discussed the finer points of compost and after-harvest production. To my surprise he told me that he came up with his farm as a byproduct of what he really does which is mining clay for a German company. The clay, he explains, contains the nutrients and the absorbing characteristic that is essential in a good compost mix. By absorbing, I mean the mix should be able to absorb and retain nutrients and water for the plant to feed on. But too much moisture is also a problem so other things must be added to make the compost mix have good drainage at the same time. It’s a balancing act. Well, he has been doing this and showed me his mix and how his plants grow well with this. He came out of nowhere and now I’m buying my compost mix from him.

Another good organic source for the farm is coco dust. I will be using coco dust as a growing medium for my seeds and as mulch on my beds. Mulching is really important for keeping soil healthy. Nothing worse for the plants than dried out and exposed soil. Not to mention the aesthetic value…

We also found some “black gold” in the garbage heap in one of the empty lots in the compound. Fallen leaves were dumped there and in 3 years it decomposed to make compost. Here are my farmers collecting the valuable stuff.

Gaia’s Garden Produce February 12, 2006

I just left my farmer, Ador, at the Organic Market to sneak a few hours more of sleep but now that I’m home I’m wide awake. So here I am blogging away.

I’m selling mostly herbs this time as my tomatoes, eggplant and peppers were a failure. I fired my consultant, or rather I will as soon as he finishes fixing my water pump, which should have been done weeks ago, hence the crop failure. I took all my seeds back. What was left of it. Apparently, half the seeds I had with him he seeded and was also a failure. Then he tells me he is making my farm his priority. What is he talking about?? NOW its a priority?? Good riddance.

We seem to be doing much better without him. I had the rest of my seeds planted and most are sprouting healthily. So for the meantime I have a whole bunch of herbs to offer at the Market.

lemongrass
basil
purple basil
Italian parsley
curly parsley
Shinjuku chrysanthemum leaves
cherry tomatoes
chives
arugula

These greens look gorgeous! If I do say so myself…

What’s New In My Garden January 19, 2006

An anonymous comment by a reader has brought me back to virtual reality. Why was I gone so long? Well, where do I start? For one thing, my computer is down so I have to travel to my mother’s house whenever I need to use her PC. And may I warn one and all who plan to transport their PC from abroad – DON’T. It will break down and you will loose ALL your files. Ok, enough said about that. Let’s get back to gardening.

I am now on my second batch of vegetables to be harvested. The first being the edamame. On 1000 square meters, I was able to harvest 80 kilos of edamame. They were delicious. Sweet and addicting, the plump beans were a hit. Especially with my mom who ordered and ate 20 of the 80 kilos I had. Edamame did well during the rainy season so will be one of the vegetables I will be planting during that season. As for now, I have several varieties of tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and culinary herbs. I had a small problem with tobacco mosaic decease so now the garden is a non-smoking zone. Apparently, the nicotine from the smoke and fingers of the smoker causes this decease and tomatoes are very sensitive to it. But that’s ok, only few plants had to be uprooted and burned. My garden is actually abounding with tomatoes!

Some things I need to change about my garden:
1. Cover exposed areas with covercrops, companion plants and beneficial plants. I see too much soil exposure which tells me more nutrients are being depleted unnecessarily. There is not enough diversity in one given area which causes an unbalanced insect population, ergo – some of my plans are being devoured.
2. Landscape design. My garden has to look pretty.
3. All herbs, except those used for companion planting, will be potted.