“Trying Hard Gardener”

Dec. 6, 2011

Probably you might have read my previous blog about the 2 kindhearted people and their unique gardening methods. So, which one do I choose?

Well, I decided to coalesce and blend the two hoping to get the best of both worlds. Or so I hope.:D

Today i started sowing seeds of Cabbage lettuce, Leeks, Eggplant and Grand Rapids Lettuce (green & red variety).

Method used: using TISSUE (courtesy of HydroGarden)

Quite ambitious huh? Now, I’m on a waiting mode….tic-tac-tic-tac

My Version of ORGANIC LIQUID FERTILIZER in pictures:

                                                                                    

1 set OLF (organic liquid fertilizer)

ricewash

FAA-fish amino acid

FPJ-fruit plant juice

fermentation process

complete OLF

urine

Rom Formula

Dec. 4, 2011

Today, allow me to share with u Sir Jojo Rom's FORMULA :

Starting off w/ the SOIL Mixture

·      1 sack soil,

·      1/2 sack ricehull,

·      1/4 sack chicken dung and

·      1/4 sack fine coconut charcoal or carbonized ricehull,

for LIQUID ORGANIC FERTILIZER(OLF). It’s a concoction of:

             § Fermented ricewash

             § Fermented urine (!)

             § Kitchen waste

             § Fish emulsion

             § Vermi-tea

Remember the time when our grandma would throw urine (from the arinola) & ricewash to plants outside the house?

The plants certainly looked robust & healthy! Now I know why. Hahahah

Let’s get to know them one by one:

fish emulsion (Fish Amino Acid)

kitchen waste

ricewash

urine

fermentation process

vermi -tea

PROCEDURE FOR ORGANIC LIQUID FERTILIZER

·      Fill a gallon container w/ urine.

·      Close and seal it for 7-10 days, allowing NO air to enter it so that any microorganisms will die.

·      Place in an area where it will be exposed to sunlight.

·      Do the same with the ricewash.

·      After 7-10 days, mix 2 gallons/parts of fermented ricewash w/ one gallon /part of fermented urine. (2:1 ratio)

·      Ferment for another 7-10 days.

·      After this, the Liquid Fertilizer is ready for use.

·      May be watered to the plants, about 200 ml/plant.

So there u have it!

Urban Container Gardening a.k.a. Rom’s Garden

Dec. 3, 2011

Urban Container Gardening (UCG)

I chanced upon his garden while browsing FB, and gatecrashed into his wall. heheh

I particularly liked his quote:

“Agri-Engineering:
       - U can't Create Land
        - But U can Create Space (Rom,2009)”

True enough. He was able to maximize space by “creating” one.

What’s remarkable is his use of recycled products as containers; it somehow reduces / eliminates trash. We call it “Waste Management”. Nothing is wasted. From the container to the liquid fertilizer, everything has its usage.

Look below!

using empty water gallons

empty juice wrappers

Drip irrigation using IV tubings

calamansi in plastic crate

carrot in cabinet drawers

delicious lettuces in juice container

Goodness, even hospital waste has use!

                

             SIR JOJO’S HARVEST IS NATURE’S BOUNTY:

I’d say Amen to that Sir Jojo!

That Fateful Day

Dec. 2, 2011

Am dedicating this post to several people who has influenced me to continue this newfound hobby:

Thank u Mark Zuckerberg! the inventor of FB.

Coz I was able to connect with people (whom I do not know, & who don’t know me as well), but shares the same enthusiasm with gardening and taken it to a higher level by innovating.

Google has helped me also, but not on the same level that FB was able to do. Probably am too lazy to read…

Facebook has introduced me to:

·       Jojo Rom, who’s deep into UCG (Urban Container Gardening), a hobby which spells quality time with his family, an advocacy to fight hunger and took it as a mission thereby allowing him to do lectures here & abroad.

·       

·      Ulyssa Marie Torbiso, a young lass from Cebu who delved into Hydroponic Gardening by accident and accepted it with such passion and a means to earn while enjoying.

·      Randel Paduganao, an entrepreneur from Cabuyao, Laguna who owns HGS (Hydroponics Garden Supplies).

That fateful day came- when I chanced upon Sir Jojo’s profile while browsing a common friend’s wall.

What I saw awed me! Look!

sustainability thru UCG

red & green lettuce

luscious pechay

Isn’t that amazing?? Wasn’t able to sleep after that.

Such a feat.

He doesn’t have that much space, same here.

He doesn’t have that much time, same here.

He doesn’t have that much help, same here.

He doesn’t have hi-technology, same here. BUT he INNOVATED!

Can I do the same here? *frown*

Haaay, wish ko lang. (how I wish)

Next, I noticed that Sir Jojo’s wall is teeming w/ “Agri” friends, (meaning people who’s also into gardening), so I clicked on each of them, & the more I clicked, the more it gets interesting. Hmmmm

And lo & behold, I saw this!

from cebu hydrogarden

Wow! Isn’t this lovely??

And I also began crashing into her wall hehehe.

And I connected w/ the 2 of them.

I know there are a lot more people out there who are better, but so far, theirs is the most practical & easiest to follow. Process is simple, doable & budget –friendly.

I also chanced upon HGS, who had the nicest and sleek Hydroponics module (for me). I got my SNAP solution and some seeds from him.


Thanks to folks like you!


Bye for now.

  

   

First Attempts

Dec. 1, 2011

My first attempts at sowing seeds (around Sept.) in pictures:

sprouting okra & peppers

lettuce

alugbati

chitting potato

seed bed

And so, I call myself- the “trying hard gardener”- hehehehh

Seriously, my seed germination wasn’t that successful, seedlings were long and thin and dies easily. Don’t know what to do. Tried re-arranging its position, adjusting the location, re-mixing/changing the soil, controlled the frequency of watering as they might not like the showers, etc. grrrr.

And so, I decided to get my Mac, & “consult” google. >:D

Will update u next. 

The Journey Begins…

Embracing gardening is like reading a good book. As d days go by, u dig deeper into the plot (literally “digging” heheh).

In my previous blog, I said that I’m already contented w/ my produce. But then, I noticed the plants don’t look healthy anymore, they are starting to wither. Oh no! my soil has pests! Ants, termites, worms. Insects etc, etc. What can an eye doctor  do???

And so I began to befriend Google. Heheh

Until that fateful day.   

Maiden Voyage

November 30, 2011

Today is my maiden voyage to blog writing, as I record my journey to a new hobby - gardening. I will share my experiences, my failures, funny moments, disasters, attempts and little triumphs.

Eversince, I’ve been friendly to all flora, and so, I must say “I LOVE plants”! And this love extends to the table, as my attempts to planting veggies started several months ago.

My family, we like chargrilled food: be it chicken, pork chops, tuna belly, squid, cream dory, milkfish, st. peter fish, etc. Being in Davao makes all these within reach & affordable. And what better tandem than having veggie salad as a side dish?

And so I started with good ol’ okra, eggplant, alugbati. 

Later on, I added Pandan, which I use to cook rice (it smells heavenly), Ginger, Turmeric, Long Peppers, Papaya and Lemon Grass. 

All I knew then was the traditional way of sowing the seeds: throwing them into the soil, then waiting for ages till I see a glimpse of leaves inching their way out. Yehey!

At first, I’m already content w/ my produce. Coz' whenever a need comes up, veggies are just w/in reach & saves us time, energy & money.

   

I will end for now. By the way, I am Dr. Erlyn B. Hipolito, an Optometrist by profession, an educator by mission. 

Just call me Doc Erlyn.