The Green Identity: Cultivate & Thrive

17/07/2025

A wolf can dress in words, but its actions reveal its teeth.

08/10/2023

Food Sufficiency Tips!

Magtanim Ng Sili Sa Paso
Ligtas Ka Sa P1,000/kilo

Those who would like to know how they could contribute to food sufficiency in their own small way, here is a very easy thing to do.

Pagbili mo ng Red Sili sa palengke, save some of the seeds and plant these in a pot which you could just place by your window para tamaan ng sunlight.

When the Red Sili seeds grow, select two of the most robust and take out the rest.

Then, every morning, diligan mo ng ihi at sigurado in a few weeks, you will have a source of Sili for months.

Once you grow your own Sili, you will not be bothered even when the price per kilo goes up to P1,000 this coming December.

Karamihan sa atin kasi reklamo nang reklamo, hindi naman nagtatanim at wala namang ginagawa.😅

Simple, practical, doable!

!

08/10/2023

28/09/2023

Utilizing Wood Ash in Your Garden

If you burn wood in a stove, open fire, or use bonfires to process garden waste at home, ensure you save the resulting wood ash. This finely textured, gray powder, a byproduct of wood burning, possesses alkaline properties and is rich in potash (potassium), making it versatile for various garden applications. Since potash readily dissolves in water, it's essential to keep wood ash dry until you're ready to apply it.

Wood ash can enhance the soil when planting garlic or onions. It serves as an excellent potash supplement for fruit plants, including tomatoes. If you're cultivating gooseberries or currants, consider adding a layer of ash around the base of the bushes. These plants can suffer from potassium deficiency, which can manifest as yellowing leaf margins. Potassium is crucial for fruit setting and the wood ripening process, which helps protect the bushes from frost and insect damage.

Additionally, because wood ash is alkaline, it can help rebalance a foul-smelling compost
Utilize Wood Ash Effectively

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Please rephrase: Using Wood Ash in the Garden

If you burn wood in a stove or open fire at home or use a bonfire to process garden waste, be sure to keep the wood ash. The fine, grey powder left over from a wood fire is alkaline and high in potash (potassium), so it has a number of uses around the garden. Potash is very soluble, so keep wood ash dry until you need to use it.

Wood ash is good raked into the soil when planting garlic or onions. It will also be good as a potash feed for fruit (including tomatoes). If you are growing gooseberries or currants they will appreciate a dressing of ash around base of the bushes. Gooseberries and currants can be potash deficient (you will see telltale yellowing of the leaf margins) and need potassium (potash) to set fruit and for use in the process of wood ripening which helps protect the bush from frost or insect damage.

As wood ash is alkaline it can also be used to re-balance a smelly compost heap. One of the most common problems with compost made with kitchen waste and lawn mowings is an acidic sludge that is slow to break down. Red composting (brandling) worms also prefer slightly alkaline soil to thrive so the addition of sparing amounts of wood ash will be beneficial for both.

Soil that has been regularly fertilised with cow manure will become slightly acidic over time. This can become a problem when growing brassicas because the dreaded club root thrives in acidic conditions. A generous sprinkle raked into the soil surface will help bring the pH back into balance.






















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Utilizing Wood Ash in Your Garden

If you burn wood in a stove, open fire, or use bonfires to process garden waste at home, ensure you save the resulting wood ash. This finely textured, gray powder, a byproduct of wood burning, possesses alkaline properties and is rich in potash (potassium), making it versatile for various garden applications. Since potash readily dissolves in water, it's essential to keep wood ash dry until you're ready to apply it.

Wood ash can enhance the soil when planting garlic or onions. It serves as an excellent potash supplement for fruit plants, including tomatoes. If you're cultivating gooseberries or currants, consider adding a layer of ash around the base of the bushes. These plants can suffer from potassium deficiency, which can manifest as yellowing leaf margins. Potassium is crucial for fruit setting and the wood ripening process, which helps protect the bushes from frost and insect damage.

Additionally, because wood ash is alkaline, it can help rebalance a foul-smelling compost

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Your rephrase is incomplete, please finish

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heap. Often, compost made from kitchen waste and lawn clippings can become overly acidic, leading to slow decomposition. Furthermore, red composting worms thrive in slightly alkaline conditions, so adding a modest amount of wood ash can benefit both the composting process and worm activity.

Soil that has been consistently enriched with cow manure may gradually become mildly acidic. This can pose issues, particularly when growing brassicas, as acidic soil can encourage the growth of clubroot disease. To address this, generously sprinkle wood ash on the soil surface and incorporate it to restore the pH balance.

27/09/2023

NATURAL FARMING

27/09/2023

Macronutrients and Micronutrients in plants along with their respective roles or functions.

23/09/2023

In 1963, ancient seeds dating back 2,000 years were discovered inside an ancient jar in Israel. Fast forward to 2005, when these seeds were planted, and something incredible happened. A tree, which had been extinct for over 1,800 years, began to sprout.

Here's more about it:
The remarkable Methuselah tree sprouted in 2005 thanks to the efforts of Solowey, an agriculture expert. The seed had been retrieved from the historical site of Masada, an ancient fortress situated on a rocky plateau in southern Israel. At that time, the Judean date palm represented the last surviving member of its kind, with Methuselah's variety believed to have vanished around 500 A.D.

Methuselah's 2,000-year-old seed is impressive, but it's not the oldest to have successfully grown a plant. In 2012, a group of Russian scientists uncovered a trove of seeds from a prehistoric squirrel burrow preserved in ice. Remarkably, they managed to germinate seeds that were a staggering 32,000 years old.

17/09/2023

16/09/2023

Selecting the right watermelon can be a bit tricky, but there are several tips you can follow to increase your chances of picking a sweet and ripe one:

1. **Check for the Field Spot:** Look for the creamy yellow or orange spot on the watermelon's surface. This is called the "field spot" and should be a rich, deep color. A ripe watermelon usually has a well-developed field spot.

2. **Inspect the Skin:** The skin should be relatively dull, not overly shiny. Shiny watermelons are often underripe. The skin should also be free of major blemishes, cuts, or bruises.

3. **Tap It:** Give the watermelon a gentle tap with your knuckles. A ripe one will produce a deep, resonant sound. If it sounds dull or flat, it might be underripe.

4. **Check the Weight:** A ripe watermelon should feel heavy for its size. When you pick it up, it should feel dense and full of water.

5. **Look for Uniform Shape:** Watermelons should generally have a uniform, symmetrical shape. Irregularities in shape can sometimes indicate uneven ripening.

6. **Examine the Tail:** The tail, or stem, of the watermelon should be dry. If it's green, it may not be fully ripe.

7. **Inspect the Sugar Spots:** Some watermelons have sugar spots, which are dark, rough patches on the skin. These can indicate higher sugar content and may be a sign of ripeness.

8. **Observe the Webbing:** Look for web-like, brown lines on the skin. These are often called "sugar lines" and can indicate a sweet watermelon.

9. **Consider the Size:** Choose a size that suits your needs. Smaller watermelons tend to have a more concentrated flavor.

10. **Ask for Help:** If you're uncertain, don't hesitate to ask a store employee or farmer for assistance. They often have insights into the best watermelons available.

Keep in mind that there's no foolproof method to guarantee a sweet and ripe watermelon, as it can vary from one fruit to another. However, by following these guidelines, you can increase your chances of selecting a delicious one.

15/09/2023

"The 7 Top Garden Pests: What Worked and What Didn't"

Here is valuable information gathered from a survey conducted by Mother Earth News, aimed at understanding effective methods for limiting insect damage in organic vegetable gardens. With responses from 1,300 gardeners across the United States, this survey provides insights into the most common garden pests and the success rates of various control measures. The following are details on the top seven garden pests, along with information on what worked and what didn't:

1) **Slugs:** Slugs emerged as the most troublesome pest for 55 percent of respondents. Successful control methods included handpicking (87 percent success rate), iron phosphate baits (86 percent), and diatomaceous earth (84 percent). The effectiveness of eggshell barriers and beer traps had varying success rates.

2) **Squash Bugs:** Squash bugs affected 51 percent of respondents. Most gardeners relied on handpicking and cleaning up infested plants at the end of the season. Opinion on the value of companion planting was divided, with 21 percent finding it effective and 34 percent disagreeing. Spraying neem on egg clusters and using row covers also showed positive results.

3) **Aphids:** Aphids were a concern for 50 percent of respondents, with various control techniques proving successful. Active interventions like pruning and using insecticidal soap were effective, as were passive methods such as attracting beneficial insects through the planting of flowers and herbs.

4) **Squash Vine Borers:** These pests troubled 47 percent of gardeners. Crop rotation and resistant varieties of Cucurbita moschata (solid-stemmed varieties) were the best control methods. Long-vined, open-pollinated varieties of summer squash were noted for their ability to develop supplemental roots.

5) **Japanese Beetles:** Japanese beetles affected 46 percent of respondents, with handpicking being the preferred method. Some gardeners used trap crops, while several interventions, including garlic-pepper spray, milky spore disease, pheromone traps, and row covers, had high failure rates.

6) **Tomato Hornworms:** These pests were a concern for 42 percent of respondents. Bt and handpicking were the most effective control methods. Many gardeners observed parasitic braconid wasps attacking hornworms and recommended zinnias and borage as companion plants.

7) **Cutworms:** Cutworms troubled 41 percent of respondents. Rigid collars made from plastic drinking cups or cardboard tissue rolls were highly effective (93 percent). Some gardeners relied on cultivating the soil's surface to attract bug-eating birds and planted seedlings a bit later to avoid cutworm damage.

While there are more garden pests beyond these seven, this list covers the top concerns that people commonly inquire about.