PRESERVING SEEDS FROM VEGETABLE SHOPS

These immature seeds bought from the Vegetable shops will not go through sun drying process..These will be room dried and then quickly soaked in water and will be sown or else they will never germinate.One will have to get the fruits of these seeds and allow it to ripen on the vine itself to get good seeds. Regular mature seeds will be room dried and then will be kept in sun for a few hours just to make sure that they are really dry and Sun also kills any unwanted microbes if any before One can store them in Air tight containers for the next season.


Info courtesy:Anoop Kumar C.P 

KINDS OF SEEDS-WHICH TO CHOOSE FOR AN ORGANIC GARDEN

When one is interested in starting an organic garden,the different questions that arise are

1.What IS an organic garden?

2.How and where does one procure seeds.

3.Where are these seeds available

1.An organic garden is one where the plants are grown with natural manure(cowdung,redsoil,vermicompost,cocopeat) and with no chemical pesticide and no chemical nutrients.Some people do use Sheep manure and goat manure as they are rich in nutrients.Pests are part of plant growth and how one treats the infection organically, is the difference between a regular garden from a an organic garden.

Organic garderner’s use-Garlic and chilli mix spray,Cow urine,Vasambu+neem oil+turmeric combination..I have given details in the individual infections page.

Seeds are also important to us as the source of seeds determines the growth and fruits of  a plant.

The different seeds available in the market are 1.Hybrid seeds

Hybrid seeds are seeds produced by cross-pollinated plants.These seeds do give high yield and have resistance to diseases.They are treated with a coat of chemicals that would help the plant from fungal infections.

2.Open Pollinated seeds

The very name suggests that Open pollinated seeds are left to be pollinated in the open by the birds, human, wind or insects. The flowers are left in the open to pollinate and hence they are genetically diverse. As long as the pollens are shared between same variety of plants ,the purity of the seed is maintained. These plants get slowly accustomed to the conditions of the surroundings and adapt to the local growing conditions.

Heirloom seeds

All heirloom seeds are Open pollinated seeds but all open pollinated seeds need not be heirloom seeds.

These are the best variety of seeds where there is no modification in the variety of seeds and they would retain the same texture, colour and shape in the fruit.

So,organic gardeners look out for Open pollinated or Heirloom seeds only.

3.Genetically modified seeds

These are the worst kind of seeds as they are genetically tampered seeds.So,avoiding these would prevent one from getting into unknown health issues.

2.How and where does one procure seeds.

In India,one can procure them from many sources..

Organic/hairloom stores with online order capability only are considered!

              

        1. Nimai Garden

http://www.nimaigarden.in/

        2. Purna Organics

http://www.purnaorganics.com/

        3. Esellzone

http://esellzone.com/28-organic-vegetable-seeds

        4. Garden Guru (Everything here is not organic)

http://www.gardenguru.in/search.php?tag=organic

        5. Organic Garten

http://www.organicgarten.com/

The following are also good sources for organic seeds but online ordering is not yet possible::

 1. Annadana

http://annadana-india.org/

Annadana Soil and Seed Savers Network, Ishana, Gopathi Farms, Village Singapura Post Vidyaranyapura, Bangalore 560097, Karnataka, India Mail: info@annadana-india.org Tel: +91 80 2325 4400        + 91 8277116606

 Annadana is a registered non-profit organisation working to conserve India’s rich and diverse seed heritage. Their efforts focus on assisting farmers across the country to adopt sustainable, chemical-free agricultural practices.

Was happy to read this article on them.

www.thealternative.in/environment/annadana-organic-farming-saving-good-food/

 2. Sahaja Organics

http://www.sahajaorganics.com/index.html

 3. Navdanya

http://www.navdanya.org/navdnaya-organic-outlets-grains-vegetables-a-cafe

Loved this article about SOAP NUT BERRIES

This is an article from the THE HINDU posted on March 28, 2014

The natural Detergent

Soap nut berries and powder can be used for the washing machine and cut down on pollution. A look by S. Vishwanath

The house-help Mary calls it ‘soapkai’ or soap fruit. Known locally in Kannada as “Antwaalad-kai,” in Hindi the name is “Ritha.” This is the soap nut, a saponin laden miracle of nature. Its Latin name is Sapindus Mukorossi or the Indian Soap Berry. Thanks to the local authority and the Forest Department, many trees of the “Ritha” have been planted in the neighbourhood. Summer is the fruit fall season and below the tree one finds a lot of the fruits lying around.

Chitra, an architect, is a big fan of the Ritha berries. On her daily trip to the office on the cycle she never fails to stop and pick up some of them. They are brought home and then dried in the hot sun. Once dry they are put in water and boiled for some time till all the saponin comes out. After a few hours a nice, thick soap liquid is ready. This liquid soap is now ready to be used for many a purpose.The first is as a clothes washer. A few drops can generate a rich yet gentle lather and clean up the collars of the dirtiest shirts. The liquid can also be tossed with clothes into the washing machine and it does a thorough job of cleaning clothes. The best part is that the wash water is now free of phosphate and other harmful chemicals and can be used for the garden without fear of them harming the plants. The soap nut liquid can be used as a shampoo and is good for the hair, bringing a lustre and a nice smell to it. Dishes can be washed and even glass cleaned. It acts as a shampoo for the pet too. Adding a few drops to the floor swabbing process helps clean up the floor.

Truly the soap nut tree is a gift of nature. The tree itself is a large one with a big canopy that provides a lovely shade. It roots easily and is hardy enough to cope with the hot climate and red soil of India though it does very well if watered enough.

Growing organically, processed, packed and sold by small ecologically minded companies like www.krya.in and www.dailydump.org, the berries and powder are available in many forms for use in the washing machine.

Foam rivers are a gift of an endless detergent consuming society. It is possible to look around, trust nature and find solutions which are small, simple yet eco-friendly which can save our rivers and lakes. Smart cities will include trees like the Pongaemia and the Ritha in their planting schedule and every neighbourhood could have its own soap factory for the residents to take advantage of. That would be water wisdom.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS to follow in an organic Garden

·       Once the garlic solution is made,Spray immediately as garlic will lose potency with time.

·       Dilute all solutions to save your plant from the scorching impact of the ingredients.

·       Spray the organic pest solutions,once a week and only if there is a pest attack.

·      Keep your plants as healthy as possible, and spray dormant oil to control over wintering eggs on fruit trees.

·      Stick short broomsticks in his pots to deter birds from perching and feeding on seed or shoots.

·      Spread plastic sheets around the base of the tapioca tree to scare away bandicoots with its rustling.

·      Spray a buttermilk concoction to drive away spiders.

·      Feed vermi compost every month, diluted panchagavya every 10 days

chuna ( calcium) once in a month, epsom salt once a month , once in a way add wood ash and soak hing overnight in the water drum ...frequency is approx. usually depends on availability of material and time

·      U can try neem spray, garlic+red chilly boiled in water cool down and dilute and spray. If nothing works please make sure to solarise(keeping it under the direct sun) the soil of 2 weeks at least and then only reuse.

OTHER PLANT PROBLEMS AND ORGANIC SOLUTIONS-LEAF BUGS,LEAF MINER,WORMS ON EGG PLANTS

FLAT LEAF BUGS

Add one spoon of neam oil and one spoon of soap mix in 10 ltr of water. Add one spoon of chilli paste and spray on the leaves. But only in the morning or evening time. within 3 or 4 spray the pest will go.

LEAF MINER

neem oil spray... effective to some extent... this is not a serious problem like mealy bugs.

WORMS (on egg plant) : 

Neem is effective in pre-larva stage, hardly of any good once the worm is out. 
What may work is an extract of chilli and garlic. Spray a dilution of 1:5 to 1:10 depending on the infestation.

BLACK ANTS-PROBLEM-ORGANIC SOLUTIONS

Black ant

This is what’s inside the curled leaf.  Aphids busily feed and reproduce within the protective folds of leaf. Ants visiting the aphids to collect honeydew, provide another measure of security.

SOLUTIONS

*Talc powder for quick results..

* put cucumber and citric fruit peels in the pot.Ants hate cucumber n orange peels.

* Control ants that guard aphid colonies in trees from predators by placing sticky bands around the trunks.

3. flat leaf bugs : will you add one spoon of neam oil and one spoon of soap mix in 10 ltr of water. Add one spoon of chilli paste and spray on the leaves. But only in the morning or evening time. within 3 or 4 spray the pest will go.

PESTS-MEALY BUGS-CONTROL-THE ORGANIC WAY!

Mealy Bug.

Steps taken to manage MEALY BUGS

1.Dislodge the mealy bugs with a tooth brush and water spray

2.Boondhi kottai or soap nut water spray mainly under the leaves.

3.After few hours, drench the whole plant with verticillium 20 ml/ lt water.

You will still find residue of the mealy bugs next day.

4.So spray again ( not drenched) verticillium, under the leaves.

USE THESE LIKE ANTIBIOTICS-FOR 5 DAYS CONTINOUS AND IN THE EVENING

Plant Problems-APHIDS-SOLUTION-THE ORGANIC WAY!

PROBLEMS- APHIDS

*Use 5 to 10 ml of neem oil with a table spoon of non - detergent soup in 1 liter of water and spray it whereever you see aphids. Recheck on their presence after a week and apply the spray again if you still see them around. Start with 5ml of neemoil and increase the quantity ( in ml) until the you see good results.

If the infestation is minor

Drench plants with strong sprays of water from a garden hose to kill aphids. (A hard, driving rainstorm will have the same effect.)

·      Spray aphids with insecticidal soap, summer oil (on tolerant plants), and homemade garlic sprays.

·       Fly in the ladybug herself to make a meal of aphids. 

·      Spray a soup of boiled cigarette butts or bidis.

·      Aphids are usually spread by ants. Control ants by sprinkling turmeric powder or boric acid or pesticide chalk such as Laxman Rekha.  Mix a teaspoon of neem oil and dish soap together well so that they form a light brown colored cream. Mix it with a liter of water and spray. You have to spray it continuously for a week. 

• One inch piece of ginger, 10 pods of garlic, 5 spicy chillies (red or green wont matter) grind with water to a fine paste. Add a cup of water. Filter with a fine muslin cloth. Dilute with 2 litres of water. Add a tbsp of dishwash fluid and spray.You can also add soap nut.