urban gardener no 23

8/9/2019 Urban Gardener No 23

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23rd Issue, Vol. 3, No. 8 ISSN 2094-1765 August 2010

GROWING PECHAY

Gardening has always been a favorite pastime of many people including me. Thats

simply because its a relief from stress and brings joy, especially when its harvesttime.

Pechay can be grown organically in the backyard. A family can have 15 potsplanted to pechay, and they can enjoy sharing their harvest with friends andneighbors.

In planning to establish a garden, select an area that is exposed to sunlight and isnear the kitchen. With the garden being one stones throw away from the kitchen, itwould be convenient to water the crops with rice wash or with fish or meat wash,which are all good for the plants as these contain nutrients and minerals. Preventing

infestation would be easy, too, as it would be easy to see from the kitchen windowthe condition of the crops.

It is recommended that a bamboo table made of bamboo be constructed to elevatethe pots and to maximize the use of space. Fill the pots with humus soil or compost.Plant one seed in small pots and two in bigger pots through direct seeding. Whenthe pechay begins to sprout, start to water the same with either rice wash or fish-wash or meat wash.


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As for pest management,inspect pechay plants everymorning to see if there are tinyholes or scratches on theleaves. These are indications

that the plants are infested withsmall pin worms or cutworms.Remove these greenish blackworms using a stick and puller.

Start harvesting Pechay after 30days. Do not uproot pechayplants until they start flowering.Pechay grow up to four months.Replace the soil in the pots withnew garden soil and replant

again.

How to Grow Bell Peppers

Bell Peppers have always been a popular vegetable to grow in the garden.Bell peppers are native to Central and North America. A sweet green pepper is apepper that is not yet ripe. Let it grow, and it will turn red. Not only the texture will

change, but the flavor will change as well. Growing bell peppers is easy with thesesimple steps.

Wrap seeds in a loin cloth and soak it in a basin of water for it to germinate.Wrap the cloth with seeds in old newspaper and put it inside a Styrofoam box.Check it 1-2 days after if the radical (young roots) has emerged out of the seeds. Ifyes, it is time to plant them in soil. Prepare the garden by adding plenty of compost,manure and a general fertilizer.


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Sow seeds with the roots pointing down on a seedling tray filled with shiftedgarden soil (60% coconut coir dust, 30% garden soil and 10% compost or chickenmanure). Make a small hole in the soil using a pencil and put the seeds half acentimeter deep in the soil. Water the seedling tray 2-3 times a day. Check for seed

germination. Put seedling tray in partial sun, slowly exposing to full sun once theseedlings germinate. Seedlings are ready to transplant when they already have 5leaves.

Transplant youngseedlings on pots oron the ground(prepared plots).Space the seedlings18 to 24 inches apartand in rows 24 to 36

inches apart. Spacingmay vary by variety.Water the plantsregularly, especiallyin the hot, drysummer months.Pepper plants likemoist soil. If you donot water enough,the bell pepper willacquire a bitter taste.

Surround thepeppers with mulchto keep weeds from

growing and to retain moisture. Dust for spider mites and aphids with an organicinsecticide as needed.

Harvest the bell pepper at any point after they reach an edible size. Most bellpepper peppers are green when immature and can be harvested at that time. Maturebell peppers can be red, orange, yellow, green or purple depending on the variety.

Continue to harvest bell peppers by clipping them off the plant, but don't pullthem off. Bell peppers will continue to grow until the plant is old and unproductive.

TipsWhen planting bell peppers from seeds, germination takes six to eight

days..After the first peppers begin to grow, place about 2 tbs. of fertilizer aroundeach plant approximately six inches from the stem then water. This well increaseyield and quality of the peppers.. Bell peppers will last up to three weeks if stored at


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45 to 55 degrees F and with relatively high humidity..If too much nitrogen is added,you will have a great looking bushy green plant with few peppers..

How to Grow Eggplant

Eggplant, a warm-season cropand commonly planted duringthe rainy season, is among theeasiest veggies to grow. It alsoranks among the mostbeautiful, and the prettiest.

Choose the sunniest site youcan find for eggplant. Soilshould be fertile, well-drainedand rich in organic matter, with

a pH of 5.8 to 6.8. Eggplantalso needs a lot of calcium, so

add lime to the soil before you plant.

Sow and germinate eggplantseeds indoors in seedling traywith garden soil. Harden offseedlings, by exposing tobrighter light. Transplant themto the garden when they haveabout 5 leaves each . Add a

half-shovelful of compost orwell-rotted manure to eachhole before you set in theplant.

Set standard-size varieties 18to 24 inches apart; compactand dwarf kinds can be a littlecloser together. Stake tall

varieties to keep the fruits off the ground. Place a paper collar around each stem todeter cutworms. Spray plants with organic or synthetic insecticides if necessary.

Spray plants with compost tea or fish emulsion three weeks after transplanting andside-dress monthly with a balanced organic liquid fertilizer.

Water eggplant regularly for them to be established put mulch to retainmoisture and deter weeds.

Pinch back new blossoms to channel the plants' energy into maturingexisting fruits rather than producing new ones that won't survive. Start picking


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eggplants as soon as they're big enough to use, and keep picking them till the fruitslose their gloss. If they're brown and hard, you've waited too long.

TipsAll eggplants could thrive in containers, but varieties with smaller fruits look

more in proportion. Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family, all of whichcontain toxic alkaloids. (Potatoes, tomatoes and peppers also belong to this clan.)While all the fruits of the family are perfectly safe, don't eat any other part of theplant..

How to Grow Celery

Growing celery is a challenge.It thrives where growingseasons are long, moist andcool.

Choose a site that gets atleast 6 hours of sun a day andhas moist, rich soil with a pHof 6.0 to 6.5 . Ensure moistureretention by enriching the soilwith plenty of compost or well-cured manure. Sprinkle theplanting area with wood ashesto increase its potassiumcontent.

Sow and germinate celeryseeds in a seedling tray, usinga fertile mixture of garden soil.Keep soil moist for easy

germination. Harden off seedlings by exposing to brighter sunlight, then transplantthem to the garden.

Set plants slightly deeper than they were growing in their flats, spacing them6 to 10 inches apart, and water with a organic fertilizer like diluted solution of fishemulsion or seaweed extract (or a mixture of 1 tablespoon completer fertilizer 14-

14-14 in a gallon of water).

Mulch to retain moisture and deter weeds, and install floating row covers tofend off insect pests. Keep the soil damp, and feed once a month with manure teaor vermin-tea.

Harvest celery as soon as it's large enough to use. Either cut off individualstems as they develop color or pull the entire plant and cut off the roots.


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Growing Sweet Corn

Sweet corn is a popular cropwith home gardeners since it'srelatively easy to grow and is

so versatile. Growing corn athome is an economical way tofeed your family fresh, organicproduce on a budget, as it isdelicious and could replacerice.

Locate an area in yourbackyard or garden whereyour sweet corn crop willreceive 8 hours of full sun and

the area has well drained soilas the kernels can rot if thesoil holds too much moisture.

The pH level for your soil should be about 6.0 to 6.5. You can add limestone to yoursoil to raise its pH if it's too low.

Fertilize your soil with compost or other natural fertilizers. Composting notonly aids your sweet corn, it is also a great way to reduce landfill materials.

Sink your sweet corn kernels about an inch into the soil. Place your plantsabout a foot apart. Make sure there is about 32 inches of space between rows of

corn. Water your corn frequently. Make sure you water at least an inch a weekwhen the tassels appear on your sweet corn.

Keep your garden weeded and free of debris. Weeds grow abundantly aroundcorn, so you will have to weed often.

Water the area well. The plants needs moisture to germinate and to producesweet corn. Thin out the plants when the seeds germinate to one seedling per hole.Choose the healthiest looking plant and remove the other ones.

Fertilize the sweet corn when plants are 12 to 18 inches high. Hoe to keep

the weeds away. Hold a hoe as if it were a broom. With the sharp pointed edgegoing into the ground, use a chopping motion into the soil to dislodge the weed's rootfrom the soil. Keep the motions of the hoe short and pull the hoe toward you. Do nothit or injure the stalks of corn.


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Tips

Sweet corn likes a soil with ample nitrogen. If you planted beans or peas theprevious year in your garden, plant the sweet corn in that area. Peas and beans addnitrogen to the soil. Sweet corn averages two ears per stalk.

When the corn tassels, the ears should be ready to harvest in about threeweeks. Pick corn when the tassels turn brown. Peel some of the covering back andpeek at the sweet corn. Burst one with your fingernail. If juice bursts out, then it isready to pick. Shriveled kernels indicate that you left the corn too long beforeharvesting. Eat the sweet corn as soon as you pick it for maximum flavor. If you arenot going to eat the corn right away, store the ears in the refrigerator,.

Growing Tomatoes Organically

Tomatoes are one of the mostimportant vegetable for it isused in sauting meals, it isusedfor salads, salsas,spaghetti sauce and in burgersandwiches .

To begin with, select asunny site that you can water,whether it's a garden bed or a30-gallon garbage can on the

balcony.

Select tomato varietieswith a track record of success inyour area seed companiesand some farmers or vegetablenurseries, agriculture extensionservice publications arevaluable resources. Growdisease-resistant hybrids andreliable heirlooms (but

remember that an heirloom willusually perform better thesecond season from seeds youhave saved yourself).

Build organic soil to grow great roots, nurture worms and support the big,leafy tops your tomatoes need to ripen lots of fruit. Plan to feed your tomatoes withorganic fertilizer every other week until they set fruit, then again after each flush of


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fruit. Use a balanced organic fertilizer that you work into the soil or a fish emulsion inwater - their steady release of nutrients makes for the consistent, thrifty growth thatis the mark of organic vegetables.

Provide essential air circulation and distance from soil pathogens by growingmulched tomatoes on tall stakes, in wire cages or attached to a trellis. (Mosttomatoes top six feet in height, and crawling on the ground puts them at great risk ofsoil diseases.)

Give tomatoes the water they need. Also choose an area wherein the plantswill not suffer water logging as it will cause the roots to rot. To let them wilt betweenirrigations stresses them and violates the organic strategy of steady growth. Placemulch under tomatoes once the soil is warm to keep weeds, soil temperature andwater levels moderated and to prevent blossom end rot, which is caused by irregularwater availability.

Take low-impact steps to control insects: encourage beneficial insects, watchfor pests, stomp and squish all you can and use physical controls such as hair torepel slugs. For big pest problems, spray or dust with organic controls; for example,use soapy water or pyrethrins for aphids and whiteflies.


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Sow seeds in a seedling tray first, then transplant seedlings in your pot withsoil or directly into the ground.

Tips

Harvest tomatoes at the "pink shoulders" stage (when they're just starting toripen) to prevent birds from pecking and to prevent the invading insects that followthem from destroying the fruit.

To stake without damaging tender stems, wrap cotton ties around the tomatostake first, then catch the stem with a loop and tie it loosely with a knot or bowbehind the stake.

Rotate your tomato crop in the garden or change soil in pots to controlnematodes organically - they are inevitable nearly everywhere.

Growing Hot Pepper

Hot Pepper provides the spiciness in Filipino cuisines and sauces. It leaves arealso used as an ingredient in Chicken Tinola. Almost anyone can grow a pepperplant with no problems, as its seeds quickly germinates and grow into a mediumsized plant.


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Sow and germinate seeds of pepper in seedling tray and then transplant them after3-4 weeks, usually when they have about 5 leaves. Choose a sunny area in yourgarden to transplant the seedlings.

Prepare the soil before planting pepper seedlings. Use 5-10-10 fertilizer, manure

and compost to ensure that the dirt is healthy.

Space pepper plants 18 inches apart. Rows should be no greater than 24 inchesapart. Water the soil thoroughly just after planting peppers and regularly during thesummer months.

Apply mulch to the base of the pepper plants to lock in moisture and to preventweeds from growing. Fertilize pepper plants with a 5-10-10 fertilizer high inphosphorous as soon as they begin to bear fruit.

Harvest peppers when some portions of the fruit runs red.

Tips: Aphids andspider mites areattracted to pepperplants. An

insecticide willquickly take care ofthe problem.Peppers should berefrigerated andeaten no more thantwo weeks afterharvesting.

urban gardener no 23

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