how does Nitrogen help our plants and where can we find them ?

Nitrogen is an extremely important part of the diet for growing crops or plants. It ensures the build-up of DNA and proteins and a plant needs nitrogen to grow properly. In addition, it gives the leaves and stems their beautiful green colour. Nitrogen is present in organic fertilizers in two ways, in mineral form and organically bound. The mineral form is immediately available for the plant and the organically bound form will gradually release due to degradation by soil life. Here,we present you different organically available Nitrogen products.

1.Fish Emulsion :

One of the premier organic fertilizers, fish emulsion usually has an N-P-K of about 5-1-1 and contains significant minerals.Fish fertilizer for plants is a mild, all-purpose feeding option that can be used at any time. It may be used as a soil drench, foliar spray, in the form of fish meal, or added to the compost pile. Selecting fish fertilizer is a terrific option for leafy green veggies due to its high nitrogen content.

https://aaptigardening.com/product/phosphobacteria-1-kg-powder-manidharma/

HOW TO GROW GREENS??

Prepare a pot or a bed with well composted high nitrogen material like Farm yard manure..almost 50 % and the rest you can add mix of soil and sand or coco peat or any things which will help on good drainage. Water that bed daily for a week. Pick out any weeds that may sprout on the bed by that time. Then with any garden tool scrape out one cm soil from the top of the already set bed collect that in a bowl like container.Add suitable quantity greens seeds which you think will be fine for that bed or pot give a thorough mix so that the soil you removed and the seeds will mix uniformly now spread the removed soil back to the bed evenly and give it a mild press if the soil is not moist enough, spray water using a bottle sprayer. . Cover the bed with a poly sheet if you can for best results. When the seeds sprout remove the sheet and expose to good sunlight. Watering is must and at no time the seedlings should wilt for want of water. The excess water should drain off.
In 15 days you can give a liquid dose of nitrogen and other nutrients (Peanut cake soaked water or cow dung water etc) to see your greens growing lush green and really large and best.. in next 5 to 10 days you can harvest. Don’t pull those out. Cut them just above the last leaf leaving one leaf on each root stub. You can top up one more liquid nutrient dose in next 3 days and you will be happy to take a second and if you are lucky can repeat this once more before the roots become mature and less yielding.

Note:You can mix cocopeat, one part and balance one part a mixture of well composted cow dung ,Vermi compost and a hand full bone meal and two table spoons neem cake powder. No need of red soil. Fill this after mixing all well and water for a week then start sowing process.

Inputs from Anoop Kumar C.P


The power of different keerais:

Chakravarthy Keerai (Chenopodium Album) - its mucous helps in curing all kinds of stomach ulcers.

Ceylon Pasalai (Basella Alba) - rich source of soluble fibre

Siru Keerai: (Amaranthus Polygonoides) – rich in iron content

Red Amaranthus: (Amaranthus Tricolor) - Anti oxidant activity is enhanced, decreases body weight.

Thoothuvalai (Solanum Trilobatum) - cures tuberculosis, cough, asthma, anti inflammatory and anti-microbial.

Vellai Karisalai: (Eclipta Alba) - Promotes hair growth and rejuvenates hair, teeth, bones, memory, sight and hearing, promotes deep sleep, cures kidney and liver disorders.

Nattu Ponnanganni (Alternanthera Sessilis) – Removes blood clots, cures gastro intestinal disorders, high blood pressure and cures chronic liver ailments.

Arai Keerai (Amaranthus Dubius) – Improves RBC count, 30 per cent higher digestible protein than other plant sources

SOIL COMPOSITION FOR GROWING VEGETABLE PLANTS

Various combinations are possible for growing vegetables.

For a soiless gardening ,it would be only 2VC:1 CP

VC denotes Vermicompost while CP is cocopeat.

Other combinations are :

VC+CP+cowdungManure (2:1:1)

CP+ redsoil+ VC (1:1:1)

An equal combination of soil:cocopeat:compost works well  for most plants.

Carrots : 

Soil mix: VC + CP (1:1) with some perlite.

For example onion will need more soil; palak will grow without any soil on just cocopeat and manure. There are many who avoid soil to reduce pests. In that case, the amount of compost should be high (almost twice).

 Carrots :Greens:Radish

 The soil composition is VC+CP+Horse Manure(2:1:1)
  with 500 gms of perlite.

For general vegetable plant growing

One can also try

1.5Cowdung Manure :2 Coir Pith :1 VC with 1 handfull of Rock  Phosphate and 1 tbsp of Potash regulator spores

To recharge old soil

½ Cowdung Manure :1/2 VC with handful of Rock Phosphate and 1 tbsp  of Potash regulator spores.

What is VERMICOMPOST(VC)

Vermicompost is the product or process of composting using various worms, usually red wigglers, white worms, and other earthworms to create a heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and vermicast. Vermicast, also called worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by an earthworm. These castings have been shown to contain reduced levels of contaminants and a higher saturation of nutrients than do organic materials before vermicomposting.
Containing water-soluble nutrients, vermicompost is an excellent, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer and soil conditioner.This process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting.

What is COCOPEAT BLOCK

·         High water holding capacity

·         Expanding ratio 1: 5 min.

·         Available as 4 -6 Kg bricks.

·         100% organic

·         Excellent air porosity

·         Water absorbtion and sloe release

·         Nutrient absorbtion and slow release

·         Slower degradation

·         Quick reabsorption of water after drying

HOW TO GROW GINGER

We should cover ginger tubers in sand or dry soil for some time the excess water will get lost. Then we can soak it in water and store in slight moist sand buds will sprout on the tubers. Then that can be planted.

Base composted cattle manure has to be added in the pot or pit. Once it is grown a few inches , green manure ( leaves) ash and cow dung can be topped up. After the plant grows tall, wood ash can be topped once again.
Once the leaves turn yellow and dry up it can be harvested.

Information courtesy:Mr.Anoop kumar C P

IMPROVING HARVESTS FROM COCONUT TREES

My coconut tree is 10 years old and has been yeilding very small sized coconuts periodically. So,Anoop sir,an expert in organic terrace gardening suggested these remedies.

Traditionally for a good 10 year old coconut tree, 5 to 10 kg of peanut cake, equal quantity of wood ash, half the quantity of neem cake and twice the quantity of farm yard manure is added in circular trenches dug around each tree. Over these, green manure (leaves of leguminous trees and other trees) to be added and filled in the pits.This is to be left open for 15 days and then mud will have to be pushed back to cover the decaying leaves. This is enough for a  normal tree and is to be done yearly by people who afford to do or alternate years. Foliar spray of nutrients can be done.One can also ask their coconut climber to add common salt and sand or neem cake powder.Sand acts like an insect repellent and wards off the Rhinoceros beetle.

This did work and my tree which was yeilding a small tennis ball size coconut now yields a bigger and better size of coconuts.

It is possible to get rid of every toxic cleaning chemical at home and replace with natural alternatives

It is possible to get rid of every toxic cleaning chemical at home and replace with natural alternatives

After being surrounded by chemicals all around us, the need of the hour is to live safely and eat safely.Eating safely is by growing your own vegetables or buying organic vegetables from known sources .Living safely is to have safe cleaning detergents around us.Thanks to Natraj Upadhay .One can make naturally made cleaners sitting at home.

http://www.theyummylife.com/Natural_Citrus_Vinegar_Cleaners

The below link is amazing for making one's own enzyme cleaner for the home. These could help us with cleaning hard stains in the house or even cleaning the surface of our apples.

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Enzyme-Cleaner

Mix 1 tablespoon (14.7 ml) of enzyme cleaner with your water when cleaning vegetables and fruit

WASTES FROM HOME THAT CAN BE USED FOR YOUR GARDEN!

BANANA  PEEL:

Flatten a banana peel and bury it under one inch of soil at the base of a rosebush. the peel’s potassium feeds the plant and helps it resist disease...works for tomato plants too.

CRUSHED EGG SHELLS 

Eggshells are made up of primarily of calcium, which readily leaches into warm, acidic liquids like coffee, which has a PH between 4 and 5. Like a low dose of lime, the eggshells probably raised the PH slightly and mellowed its flavor. They also probably enriched the coffee with dietary calcium.

The calcium from eggshells moderates soil acidity while providing nutrients for plants. Tomatoes  have often a blossom end rot problem and that can be handled well with  a handful of eggshell meal worked into the planting site and, plenty of soil calcium reduces tip burn in cabbage, too.

One can use used coffee grounds in various places in your garden.

Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen (approximately 1.45% nitrogen). They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals.

 

• Worms love coffee grounds and add them a little every week. By adding too many, one is going to make it acidic which is bad for your worms. A cup or so of grounds per week for a small worm bin is perfect.
• Used coffee grounds in your compost bin. They would provide nitrogen for the composting.
• Add them to ground directly to the soil in your garden. You can scratch it into the top couple inches of soil, or just sprinkle the grounds on top and leave it alone.
• Make coffee ground "tea." Add one cup of used coffee grounds to a 10 ltr bucket of water. Let the "tea" stay for a few hours or overnight. You can use this concoction as a liquid fertilizer for garden and container plants. It also makes a great foliar feed.