Showing posts with label Advise and Tips. Show all posts

Ten tips For Success With Indoor Seedlings

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Container Gardening, Gardening, Green house, Seeds on Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Simple tips for getting the most out of young plants being kept inside your greenhouse or home.

Ten tips for success with indoor seedlings

Handy advice: remembering a few key pieces of information can make you more successful in the greenhouse

By Ed Cumming

Telegraph

Whether you’re a hardy veteran in the greenhouse or making your first steps into indoor growing on a windowsill, a few simple tips can help you get the most out of your plants during the early stages, says Andrew Davidson, of mail order veg plant specialists Quickcrop (01788 298795).

The company grows 1.5 million seedlings every year, so has a wealth of experience when it comes to ensuring seeds survive to become healthy plants.

1 Water carefully. You’ll be surprised how quickly plants will dry out in a greenhouse on a hot day, but don’t overwater as saturated soil has no air spaces and can “suffocate” plants. More people kill plants by over- rather than underwatering.

2 Water in the morning rather than evening. Evening watering, given the cooler night-time temperatures is a bit like going to bed in wet pyjamas for plants. It can weaken them and promote disease.

3 If you are starting out, make sure plants don’t get pot-bound (roots emerging from drainage hole). This means the plant has outgrown the pot and the ratio of roots to soil is too high. Plants will dry out quickly, so repot to a larger container.

4 We like our houses much drier than a plant does, so watch your humidity levels. Too little moisture in the air can be a death knell for plants – look out for brown leaf tips. A saucer of water beside a plant pot can make the difference between life and death for a tender seedling.

5 Watch for leggy seedlings. If you start off seeds early make sure they get enough daylight, at least six hours a day. If seedlings grow tall, weak stems they have too much heat but not enough light. If they’re stunted and small you have the opposite problem.

6 Onions grown from seed can be started in January. You will have a much greater choice of variety than onions grown from sets. As above, make sure you have enough light. Daylight hours are short and too much warmth will result in tall, spindly plants.

7 Look after your soil. Whether in pots, raised beds, or in the ground, indoor growing tends to be more intensive and more likely to result in an exhausted soil. Add plenty of organic matter in the autumn or spring.

8 Keep your greenhouse neat, tidy and clean. Indoor growing creates a perfect environment for plants to flourish but also provides ideal conditions for disease. Wash the inside of a greenhouse with a mild citrus solution in spring and discard any diseased plants quickly.

9 Aphids, such as greenfly, can spread very quickly indoors. A preventive garlic spray can confuse the pests into thinking your lettuce is garlic, which they don’t like. Use liberally. It won’t affect the taste of your crops, is totally natural and baffles a wide variety of pests.

10 If you’re itching to sow something this time of year why not try some sprouting seeds? You can buy them mail order, but shop-bought dry lentils, peas and beans can work too. Soak them, pour off excess water and leave them to germinate.

Cardboard Boxes for Raised Garden Beds

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Grass, Raised Bed Gardening

Lay down a thick layer of cardboard in your raised garden beds to kill the grass. It is perfectly safe to use and will fully decompose, but not before killing any grass below it. They’ll also provide compost and food for worms.

Gardening Tips: Four Ways to Beat the Freeze

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Sowing and Cultivation, Vegetable, Winter on Monday, 13 May 2013

From plant protection to returning to microgreens, follow our tips to avoid herbaceous harm from sub-zero Easter temperatures

Jane Perrone

The Guardian

Red-stemmed chard is one of the best quick-return windowsill crops. Photograph: Getty Images/StockFood

1. Seed potatoes are traditionally planted on Good Friday, but many gardeners have delayed. If the ground is frozen, try planting in containers instead. Two or three early tubers such as Rocket or Red Duke of York placed in a large builder's bucket or plastic bin (drill holes in the bottom for drainage) will produce a good crop of spuds, and they're less vulnerable to slugs, too. Cover the container with horticultural fleece or place in a frost-free shed until the weather warms. If your soil isn't frozen, do plant outside but protect the rows with several layers of fleece.

2. Throw fleece over newly emerged shoots of herbaceous perennials in exposed spots in the garden to shield them from freezing winds. Fleece will also protect open flowers and buds of delicate fruit trees such as apricots and cherries. Mulches can help to preserve moisture in the soil and suppress weeds, but if applied when the soil is frozen they will simply lock in the cold for longer, so wait for a thaw. If you must get on with something in the garden, prune gooseberries and autumn-fruiting raspberries and tie in blackberry canes.

3. Most vegetable seeds need a consistent soil temperature of 6-8C before they can be sown direct: peg down black plastic sheeting over bare soil to warm it ready for sowing and planting. In the meantime, sow seeds of parsley, cabbages and lettuces in plastic module trays and place them on a warm, sunny windowsill, with a clear plastic bag or clingfilm over the trays to trap in heat. Once the weather warms and you can see roots poking through the drainage holes, harden seedlings off by gradually exposing them to conditions outside. Plant out once you're comfortable working without a coat.

4. Microgreens are the ultimate quick-return windowsill crop. Try sowing coriander, radish, chard, fenugreek and mustard seeds in a plastic takeaway food tray or a length of guttering and covering with a sprinkle of compost or vermiculite. Keep the compost moist and within days you'll be cutting handfuls of flavoursome greens to sprinkle on stir-fries, dahls and salads.

In the Garden: Tips for Growing Roses

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Rose

Today’s column answers some common questions about rose care. Proper care can extend the life of these exceptional flowering plants for many years.

Q. Is April the proper time to begin rose pruning?

A. Yes, for most roses. An exception are heirloom roses and some climbers that produce flowers on old wood produced last year. Delay pruning those types until after they flower. Pruning in April will remove all the flower buds.

Modern roses (hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora) should be pruned back in mid-April. First, remove dead, diseased or injured canes. Blackened canes due to freezing temperatures should be cut back to 8 to 12 inches above ground level.

This should be where the cane is green, indicating it is alive. Cut at a 45 degree angle slightly above the outward facing bud. This produces a new cane that will grow outward and not inward. An outward growing cane will have more space in which to grow and remain more healthy and productive.

Remove all other canes that are smaller than 1/4-inch in diameter. Cut them back to the base of the plant. New growth from these pruned canes grows fast in May and produces flowers in June and beyond.

The popular knockout shrub roses are easy to prune. Simply cut all canes down to a level of 6 to 12 inches. New cane growth will be abundant and produce flowers for June color. Knockout roses are disease-resistant and don’t require spraying.

Q. How deep should a rose be planted?

A. The hole should be deep and wide enough so roots can spread out. For a modern rose, the bud union should be 1 inch below soil surface. Fill hole with loamy soil and water so soil settles. Add more soil if necessary. Don’t fertilize a newly planted rose. Wait until after the first flowering period in June.

A shrub rose grows on its own roots and isn’t grafted (budded). Plant so the region between and main stem and roots is at ground level.

Q. How should a rose be fertilized?

A. A rose is a heavy feeder and needs feeding several times during the growing season. For an established rose, scatter fertilizer (5-10-10, 12-12-12 or special rose food), in a band on soil surface around base of plant. Gently scratch fertilizer into soil and lightly water it into soil. Make first feeding on May 1 followed with other feedings on June 15 and Aug. 15. Do not feed after the August feeding.

Gardening observations

As a veteran rose grower told me many years ago, “experience is like manure, it’s only good when spread around.” Below are a few wise observations gained from many years of backyard gardening.

• Mulch: Feed through the mulch around a plant. A good light organic mulch layer is loose and porous. It permits nutrients and water to flow through readily.

• Reliable formula: In preparing soil for a rose bed or most any type of bed, mix together one-third each of topsoil, builder’s sand (coarse) and organic matter.

A choice mixture has a “friendly feel.” You should be able to work your fingers into a bed without a trowel. Regardless of soil mixture, do not walk or stand in a rose bed. Standing for more than a few minutes causes soil depression, leading to less air/water entering the root zone.

• Rose purchases: Like anything else, you get what you pay for. A top-quality rose will have the grade listed on the label. Buy only a No. 1 grade. It should have no less than three thick, healthy canes.

Lastly, June is prized as the peak month for rose blooming. But for me, there is no better conclusion to a growing season than in September/October with a few gorgeous roses to savor. Such a fall scene makes life a precious blessing!

Richard Poffenbaugh is a retired biology teacher and active home gardener since 1960. He is a member of the Mansfield Men’s Garden Club and was editor of the club newsletter (The Greenhorn) for 21 years. He resides in Ontario with his wife, Barbara. Call him at 419-529-2966.

Ten Factors to Consider When Choosing Seed Potatoes

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Potato

When choosing seed potatoes for the vegetable garden, determining what seed to buy is a difficult task. Here are ten factors to take into consideration:

1. How many potatoes do you normally use? Do you cook potatoes every day or once a week? It is a shame to fill the garden with more than you can possibly eat!

2. How much space is there in the vegetable garden for potatoes? Think about the other vegetables you are hoping to grow, and work out how long the potatoes will be taking up their allotted patch. Perhaps other vegetables should take precedent over potatoes? Check out this article which gives planting distances for seed potatoes.

3. Look at your diary and note the time that you will be away from home. If you are on holiday for two weeks in early June, you will not need early potatoes for those two weeks.

4. Would you like to store some main crop potatoes over the winter? Do you have space to store them, and the right conditions?

5. Are you an experienced potato grower? If not, don’t jump in at the deep end and grow masses of potatoes, of different varieties etc - it could be overwhelming and put you off gardening for ever. There is nothing like success to give a sense of achievement, so if you have never grown potatoes before, just try a few, and spend time looking after them and learning how they grow.

6. Calculate how many seed potatoes to buy, bearing in mind the above points. Work out how many early potatoes you would like, and how many main crop potatoes it is sensible to grow.

7. How do you like your potatoes cooked? Mashed potatoes tend to be more floury than salad potatoes which are waxy. Bakers need to be larger than salad potatoes, and some varieties are particularly good for chips! Do you like to ring the changes - and try several different sorts of potato, or do you prefer to keep it simple and just grow two varieties?

8. What varities to select? Choose the early varieties and main crop varieties that will give you the characteristics needed to satisfy item 7

9. Where will you source your seed potatoes from? The Internet or your local garden center? There are plenty of vegetable seed catalogues to look through for ideas. Whichever you decide, it is important to buy certified seed.

10. February and March is the time to buy seed potatoes in the UK. This will give them plenty of time to chit.

Give it lots of thought

Like all these things there is a large amount of trial and error and often you will find yourself constantly changing up your numbers and gauging the ratio of potato varieties to plant in the vegetable garden. The more you think about your reasoning behind your selection of potato variety, the easier your choice will become.

Organic Gardening Requires Extra Attention

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Organic Farming

By Tripp Williams

Columnist

Organic gardening is growing in popularity and interest. The local farmers market in Evans, which focuses on organic and sustainable garden produce sold directly to consumers, has helped pique the interest of many in the area. While many people are interested in growing organically, organic gardening requires a lot of planning and strict adherence to Georgia Department of Agriculture guidelines.

The first step in organic gardening is to plan ahead. If planning to use organic fertilizer sources or organic soil amendments, these need to be tilled into the garden well in advance to be effective. Ideally, this process should begin in the fall prior to spring planting. Organic amendments don’t provide nutrients as quickly as synthetic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers require time to decompose and release their nutrients. Soil microbes have to convert them into a form that plant roots can absorb. An added benefit of organic amendments is that they can act as a slow-release fertilizer throughout the season. This improves soil structure.

Another important aspect of organic gardening to consider is the restrictions on pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides and fungicides in synthetic and naturally occurring forms. Organic gardening does not allow synthetic pesticides. This means more manually weeding and careful inspection of the garden.

Weeds must be pulled or hoed, with mulch to help prevent weeds. Disease or insect damage must be pruned off plants at the first signs of infestation. The key is to catch all of these problems as early as possible to prevent them from becoming bigger problems and spreading throughout the garden. It is a good practice to become familiar with common garden problems and be able to tell the “good bugs” from the “bad bugs.” For example, lady beetles help control aphids, mites and other insects.

Organic vegetables don’t have to look beautiful. Unfortunately, many times they do not. The commercially grown vegetables in the grocery store are often grown in a controlled environment with pesticides. Organic gardening might produce fruits and vegetables with small spots or blemishes. However, this does not affect the taste.

Here are a few more tips for the novice organic gardener:

• Get your soil tested by taking a sample to the local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office. This is an important step to do during the planning stage to ensure a proper growing environment.

• Use basic cultural control options such as mulching, pruning, spacing, crop rotation, resistant varieties and planting at the proper times.

• Clean equipment periodically. A 10-percent bleach solution used on pruners and other tools after cutting away diseased plant material will minimize the spread of diseases.

• Water plants as needed and only in the early morning. This helps prevent diseases and promotes the development of a strong, deep root system.

Tripp Williams, Columbia County’s agriculture and natural resource extension agent, can be reached at (706) 541-4011, or trippj@uga.edu.

Lettuce Gardening Tips

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Lettuce

Use of Epsom Salt in Gardening

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Epsom Salt, Gardening, Green Chili Pepper, Rose, Tomato on Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Spraying epsom salt on plants that boost magnesium supply to plants and increase yeild. Spraying 1 table spoon of epsom salt mix with 4 litre of water twice with 10 days gap could be use for good result. Tomatoes, peppers and rose can benefit extraordinarily

Growing Kale in Your Garden

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Gardening, Kale on Friday, 29 March 2013

This tough old brassica can withstand extreme temperatures and often succeeds where other cabbage-patch kids fail.
Sow: April to June
Plant: June to August
Harvest: September to May
Recommended varieties: "Winterbor and Redbor are reliable curly kale growers (both F1 hybrids). The Redbor is a particularly attractive, rich-red variety," says Joy Larkcom.

Sowing and planting: Sow in modules from mid- to late spring. Seedlings will appear after 7-12 days. Once established (6-8 weeks after sowing) transplant to their final position, spacing them in rows 45cm apart. Water plants thoroughly before moving and "puddle-in" to their final position.

Cultivation: Look after young plants by watering during dry patches and keep weeded. Tread around the base of the stem every so often to prevent the larger varieties swaying in the breeze. Remove yellowing leaves, "earth up" the stems and stake tall varieties if exposed (kale can handle exposed, slightly shady plots).

Pests and diseases: Yet another reason to grow kale - it's rarely bothered by the dreaded banes of the brassica family.

Harvesting: Kale is a frost-hardy cut-and-come-again plant. Young leaves can be picked from autumn to mid-spring. Remove leaves with a sharp knife as required (mature or yellowing leaves won't have the same bite). Once the crown has been stripped, the plant will grow side shoots which you can harvest between February and May. When flower buds form and stems turn coarse, stop picking.

Storage: Spring leaves can be frozen, but cut-and-come-again cropping will provide you with fresher leaves.

Extending the season: Dwarf varieties can be harvested 14 weeks after sowing and allow you to cram more crop into your patch. Sow in situ in early summer in rows 18cm apart. Harvest after they reach 15cm. Dwarf varieties also make great cut-and-come-again crops. Sow in situ and harvest when the plant is about 5cm high.

Growing without a veg plot: Dwarf varieties are perfect - try Showbor and Dwarf Green Curled.

Banana Peel Compost for Rose

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Banana, Manure and Composting, Rose

Bury a banana peel 1" down at the base of a rosebush. The potassium will feed the plant and help it fight of diseases.

Advice to Okra (Ladyfinger) Growers

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Okra, Vegetable on Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Faisalabad: Okra or ladyfinger (bhindi , بھنڈی ) is very popular vegetable among the farmers due to high returns which give it status of cash crop. This vegetable is very nutritious and even children cannot resist the temptation of eating it.

The department of agriculture of Punjab issues several advisory for okra growers to make the crop yield even better.

The most popular variety of ladyfinger which can be cultivated successfully is "Subz Pari". This variety gives very good results.
The best time to start sowing of okra is from mid of February till end of March.
This crop required hot and humid weather to grow properly. Fog and cloudy weather and temperature below 20 degree Celsius hinder the growth.
Okra can be cultivated in any soil type but fertile land with good drainage is most suitable.
For better yeild it is recommended to use 10 to 12 kg of seeds per acre.

Advice for the Sunflower Grower in Punjab

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Pakistan, Sunflower, Urdu

Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Turnips

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Turnip, Vegetable on Monday, 28 January 2013

(Gardens.com) There are mistakes that you want to avoid when growing turnips. Turnips are a handy vegetable to grow in your garden and following these tips will help ensure a good crop yield and healthy, edible turnip plants for you and your family to enjoy.

How Turnips Grow

Turnips grow easily and can be planted in spring, late summer or fall. Turnips grown in the fall are planted in larger quantities in order to be harvest and stored for winter use. Turnips also include rutabagas, which are a cross between cabbage and turnips. Turnips take about two months to grow before cultivation and use, while rutabagas require and an additional four weeks before they are ready to eat.

Fall Plantings of Turnips

If planting turnips in the fall for winter yield, they should be planted at least 100 days before the first frost. Avoid planting your fall turnip crop any later than this in order to have them ready for use, as well as avoid the turnip crop dying or becoming ruined because of the cold.

Allow Sufficient Room Between Rows

You want to make sure to allow sufficient room between rows when planting turnips. At least 12 to 24 inches (1 to 2 feet) between rows with seeds planted at a depth of 1/2 inch. You can plant 3 to 20 seeds per row, but should avoid putting too many turnip seeds in any one row. If you are growing turnips for the turnip greens, be sure to cut the tops when they grow to 4 to 6 inches. If you do not properly cut the greens at the growing points, located at the top of the turnip, they will grow back.

Proper Cultivation of the Turnips

You can cultivate the plants within 2 to 3 inches when you first plant the turnips. As they grow, cultivate up to 1 inch. This will prevent damage to the roots, which could prevent further growth from taking place.

Apply Appropriate Insecticides

Apply the appropriate insecticide to treat any root maggots that may get into the soil. Be sure to ask when buying the turnip seeds from a home or garden and plant store for the best insecticide to use, particularly one that will cause little or no harm to the turnip plants.

Harvesting the Turnips

Turnips planted in the Spring should be harvested when they reach a decent size for storage and preparing. The turnips will continue to grow if left in the ground, particularly as the weather gets better. Get them out of the ground as soon as they reach maturity. An appropriate size for turnips at harvest is 2 to 3 inches in diameter. Any larger than that and they lose some of their sweetness and taste.

Harvesting turnips when planted in the fall for winter use should be done before the first frost. If you like, cover the plants with a straw mulch to keep them warm. Remembering to pull the plants when they are large enough.

Deer Farming in Pakistan

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Deer Farming, Pakistan, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council on Saturday, 26 January 2013

Deer farming has been well established for a century or more in the Far East. However, it is a new enterprise elsewhere which during recent years has been increasingly accepted as an economically promising industry. New species have been successfully tried and farming techniques are becoming more sophisticated. Many deer farms are, however, improperly run because either the owners or managers are not up-to-date with deer husbandry methods, or they lack relevant knowledge of the biology of the species concerned.

The deer family (Cervidae) has almost a world-wide distribution, having been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and some other, smaller islands. They do not occur in Africa south of the Sahara. The normal dentition of all deer is either 32 or 34 teeth. Canines are present in the lower jaw of all species and in the upper jaw of red deer, wapiti and musk deer. Grinding teeth consist of three molars and three premolars, top and bottom, on each side of the jaw. All deer have six incisors and two lower canines at birth, which are milk teeth. All deer are four-toed; the two middle toes make up a cloven hoof. The stomach is four-chambered and ruminating. A gall bladder is absent, except in musk deer. All deer possess facial glands situated in front of the eye which discharge a strong-smelling secretion.

By “deer farming” is meant the husband ring of deer populations for the production of deer meat and by-products – including hides, velvet, antlers and musk, – on a commercial basis. Although deer farming is not aimed at the protection of endangered species, nevertheless among the 27 deer species and subspecies which are considered threatened by extinction, there are two which have been maintained on farms, namely the Himalayan musk deer and the Formosa sika. In other words, deer farming can and does play a role in wildlife conservation.

In future, deer farms could play an important role in rural land use planning, because they can be established as economically viable units on land that is presently marginal to conventional live-stock farming operations or other types of land use. This is one reason why deer farming could be relevant in developing countries, where the development of this industry seems feasible.

Keeping in view this scenario, PARC has taken a lead to introduce deer farming in Pakistan. It has started a small scale Deer Farm at NARC to study feeding, breeding and other behavioral parameters of keeping different deer species in captivity. Necessary facilities and other infrastructure has been established and a few deer have been shifted to the Farm. This effort is anticipated to open new vistas of deer research and development in the country for meat hides, velvet, antlers and musk production.

Dry Spells in Agriculture Plains: Farmers Advised to Irrigate Wheat Crops Sown Early

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Pakistan, Wheat on Friday, 25 January 2013

The farmers should irrigate the early sown wheat crops as per need keeping in view the dry spell in the country's most agricultural plains, the Met office advised.

It says in its ten-day farmer advisory that the wheat crop is developing in the country and urged the growers to remove weeds from the standing crops to scale down losses in the yield.

It says, "weeds consume considerable moisture and food from the field.

As a result considerable loss in yield occurs every year".

It advises the farmers to use either weedicides or remove the weeds manually.

It forecast mainly dry whether in most parts of the country and Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir from January 1 to January 10.

However, mostly cloudy conditions with isolated light to moderate rain/light snowfall over the hills in Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan are expected from January 4 to January 7 January, 2012.

Moderate to dense fog in the morning hours is likely to remain in the plain areas of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa including Peshawar, Charsada and Sawabi, it says.

"Mostly cloudy conditions with isolated light to moderate rain/light snowfall over the hills expected in Malakand, Hazara divisions during the period January 4 to January 7, 2012," it forecasts.

It says isolated light to moderate rain/light snowfall over the hills is expected in Quetta, Kalat and Zhob divisions from January 4 to January 5, 2012.

The plains of Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan and Bahawalpur are likely to experience moderate to dense fog in the morning hours during the period.

"Mostly cloudy conditions with isolated light to moderate rain/light snowfall over the hills expected in Islamabad/ Rawalpindi, Gujranwala divisions from January 4to January 7, 2012Whether in Sindh is expected to remain dry Sindh, it says.

Weed Management Tips for Wheat Crop

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Urdu, Weed Control, Wheat

(Khanewal) Weed Management is important part especially in wheat cultivation. These weeds can reduce the produce 14 to 42%. There are several ways to curb the problem.

Use specific approved herbicides for wide and pointed leaves.
Don't use hero spray after herbicide spray.
Don't use sprayed weeds as fodder for cattle.
Don't spray in rain or in fog.
For standard spray use special T-nozzle or flat fan.
Use herbicide with 100 to 120 liter per acre.

Pit planting can help in higher sugarcane yield

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Farming Practice, India, Sugarcane on Monday, 10 September 2012

M.J. Prabu

The Hindu

New cultivation method catching on; 10 ratoon harvest possible

A new method of sugarcane cultivation, called pit method or ring pit method, which is cost-effective and at the same time helps farmers get a higher yield is slowly catching on.

Several farm trials have proved that by adopting this method, the yield can be increased to two or three times compared to the normal row-to-row planting technique.

Best farmer

Mr I. Varatharajan, a farmer in Somenahalli village of Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, has got a yield of over 300 tonnes in a hectare by following this method.

Mr Varatharajan was awarded the best farmer award by the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore for getting the highest yield in sugarcane under pit method.

Under the conventional system, the setts are grown in rows of 90 cm spacing and are arranged in a series without adequate spacing. The germinated setts are very thin in appearance and ultimately affect the number of canes in each setts and its development.

In pit method, the crops are raised in pits at the spacing of 180 cm between rows and 150 cm between individual pits in a row.

According to Mr. Varatharajan,the pits are dug using specially designed tractor drawn power tillers. The pits are then filled with top soil, 5 kg of farmyard manure (FYM), 100 gms gypsum and 125 gms super phosphate and watered well before planting.

Treatment

About 16 double budded or 32 single budded setts were used for planting. The setts were collected from the eight-month-old plants and were treated with 0.1 per cent carbendazim for 10 minutes before planting. About 60,000 double budded setts were required for planting in one hectare.The pits were irrigated daily for an hour through drip fertigation.

"About 80 gms of urea and 30 gms of potash were applied once in five days starting from the 15th day after planting. Detrashing was done on fifth month after planting and the plants were tied without lodging by dried leaves, said Mr Varatharajan.

Vigorous growth

The growth of the crop was vigorous and they matured at the eighth month after planting.

Due to the equal spacing maintained on all the sides the plants grew steadily and the nutrition supplied through drip fertigation reduced the crop duration.

The continuous supply of nutrition and spacing induces the early physiological maturity that was the major benefit the farmer.

All the shoots are of the same age, so there is uniform growth and sugar accumulation in the canes.

Sufficient space between the clumps and row to row allows sufficient light and air circulation, which is important for good growth of the crop.

The most important factor was that the sugarcane setts were placed at a depth, which were always moist, hence, in case of drought, or non-availability of water the yield was not affected.

INCOME

IMr Varatharajan has spent about Rs 1,30,000 per hectare and has earned about Rs 2 lakh as net income in his first harvest.

"Under the conventional system, farmers in Tamil Nadu are at present harvesting about 130 tonnes a hectare which yields a net income of about Rs 1,43,000. In ratoon harvests, they may get a yield of 320 to 350 tonnes.

"But under pit method one can expect to harvest nearly 10 ratoon crops with a yield of about 60-70 tonnes during every ratoon harvest compared to the conventional method where only one or two ratoon harvest is possible," said Mr Varatharajan.

Tips for Disease Prevention in Poultry Farming

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Poultry Farming, Urdu, Z Original

Poultry farming is very lucrative and highly profitable business, however in case of any disease outbreak one can suffer heavy losses too.

The volatile nature of the poultry business warrants quick preventive measure according to the situation in order to fend off the future losses and to tap out the full potential.

Poultry experts stresses on the safety and preventive action in order to ensure the delivery of healthy meat and egg to the customers.

Here are the few tips to make a poultry farm safe from disease.

House keeping is the foremost important aspect of the poultry operation. Cleaning of shed and the vicinity is the key to healthy chicken.
Spray the farm with recommended germicide after cleaning and removing of chicken flock.
Disinfect the vicinity with calcium carbonate solution (choona)
The ambient temperature of the shed should be maintained at 75 ~ 80 degree Fahrenheit.
In winter don't use plastic curtains to cover the poultry shed. These curtains can increase the humidity which results in difficulties in breathing for the chicken especially the younger ones. So only use curtains made up of cloths preferably jeans.
Ventilation is very critical aspect of poultry shed operation. Proper ventilation reduces the risk of diseases related with breathing. Even when the sheds are closed during night with curtains there should be some room for ventilation in order to maintain proper environment in the shed.
One can use heaters in order to maintain temperature of the shed during winter. But proper care should be taken by not allowing any smoke to remain in the shed. Smoke is dangerous for the lungs of the chicken.
Use rice husk as floor and once it is soaked wet, change it.
Give vitamin E to the birds in winter
Isolate / quarantine / cull the unhealthy and sick birds once they are spotted.
Incinerate or compost the dead birds. Don't throw them in normal waste disposal.
Vaccinate all birds according to the schedule and when the local vet / authorities suggests.
Observe bio security measures in poultry shed. Clean the cloths, hands shoes before and after working in the sheds.
Stay in touch with the local vet, agriculture extension service for any further information and help.

Secrets to Tomato-Growing Success

Posted by Unknown in Advise and Tips, Tomato on Sunday, 9 September 2012

10 simple tips for your best tomatoes ever

By Tim Stark

01. Choose a bright, airy spot.

Plant tomatoes where they will get at least 10 hours of light in summer. And leave room between plants for air to circulate.

02. Rotate even a little.

Alternate your tomato bed between even just two spots and you diminish the risk of soilborne diseases such as bacterial spot and early blight.

03. Pass up overgrown transplants.

When buying tomato seedlings, beware of lush green starts with poor root systems. They will languish for weeks before growing.

04. Bury the stems.

Plant your tomato seedlings up to the first true leaves. New roots will quickly sprout on the stems. More roots means more fruits.

05. Water deeply but infrequently.

Soak your tomato bed once a week, or every five days at the height of summer. Water directly on the soil, not on the leaves.

06. Pinch the suckers.

Prune off these non-fruiting branches. This directs the tomato plant's energy into growing bigger, better fruit.

07. Stake them high.

Use 6-foot stakes for indeterminate varieties like the 'Brandywine' tomato. Put in the stakes when transplanting to avoid damaging roots.

08. Add compost and trim.

While the first fruit is ripening, encourage new growth and continued fruit set by scratching compost around the stem, and trim some of the upper leaves.

09. Plant again.

Three weeks after you plant tomatoes in your garden, put in another set so all of your harvest doesn't come at once.

10. Pick ripe, but not dead ripe.

Heirloom tomatoes that are too ripe can be mealy. Harvest them when they're full size and fully colored.

Organic Gardening