Thursday, September 10, 2026

Another beautiful soul departed

 At home, we had two cats blackie and techie,they were brought from a house near malampuzha dam after our cat Dundu died. My daughter is fond of cats and after Dundu's death, she contacted some pet shops for cats and one shop owner gave her phone number of a lady who has many cats at home and wanted to relocate couple of them. So we went and collected 2 small kittens. Blackie was female and she was quite healthy and the other one was bit sick and he just sits and does not play much. We thought we will loose him, but he kept the survival fight. Since he does not move much, he used to look to the screen of the mobile and my son named him techie.

During this time, we had a lovely dog pinky and one night when we released for usual routine, she entered the house. Both kittens were inside and Pinky just chased Blackie for a while and came back. Techie was very angry on seeing this and he just went behind the dog and slapped her. We were surprised at his action, that is how, both were very close.

After a while Techie recovered well and grown to a very healthy cat, Blackie was also very healthy. Once Blackie got fever and she was very sick. She was taken to a pet hospital and she recovered well. After that Techie got fever and myself and wife took him to the pet hospital. We have a basket which has holes and he was kept inside and its lid is not very strong, so we tied this using a rope. He is generally obedient and was silent when we drove to the hospital. From the hospital parking I carried the basket and entered the hospital and there was a big patient dog standing there. Techie saw him and got frightened and he pushed the lid and came out and ran to one corner of the hospital. Hospital staff was very quick and they closed the front door and the windows so that he won't go out. Hospital is near a National Highway and if we go out it will be difficult. He was looking paths to go out and my Wife approached him and he just silently sat there. She carried him and put him in the basket and kept away from the view of dog and he was all fine. We were surprised that even at that stage, he just obeyed her. He recovered the fever and all was going fine.

Another story is that, both cats disappeared once, for 2 days they were not seen at all. We were searching here and there and no news about them. Blackie was pregnant and we were worried. One evening we heard cat crying and we found that it is just behind our house there is a hall which is locked normally and opened when there is an event. We got the keys and opened and both were inside, they entered through the air hole, mostly Blackie entered first and she was not able to get out and Techie also entered and he was guarding her. She being pregnant was not able to jump and get out through the same hole.

Both were lovely pets and they never harm you. Techie especially was very loving when we talk to him, he will answer in his own way. He sometimes follow my wife when she goes for a walk on the road in front of the house and he will roll on the road. When dogs come, he will quickly jump to the boundary wall and will sit there watching the dog. When we are away for a day or two, they will be fed by a neighbor aunty. When we normally come back by night, they will be waiting for us in the car porch.

Both of them roam around freely and watchful of dogs. Two weeks back, Techie went to the nearby temple car parking and he was under a car, and it looks like he couldn't get out since there were dogs nearby or it was an electric car and he didn't hear the engine sound. He just ran over by the car, we just lost him. He was such a beautiful and loving cat, Techie, we will miss you.





Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Fodder grass as mulch

 Fodder grass grows quite fast, and I was thinking that will generate lots of mulch and should be good. But it grows tall around 3 feet and very dense and after cutting, after 15-20 days, grows back to the same height, especially in rainy season. Also wild pigs nest in between, so it has become a threat.

So thought of managing them bit differently. Just kept rows of grass 10 feet apart and all in between grass were uprooted. In the rows added, mexican sunflower and glyricidea also.

Vegetable patch

I have been maintaining a vegetable patch for some time now, this year I am continuing that with few changes. I made long no-till raised beds,and for constant mulching material, planted fodder grass at the sides of each bed, but fodder grass grows very quickly and is a problem to manage and they shade the beds also. This year I changed to for each 2 beds, there are two rows of fodder grass. Although fodder grass mulch takes time to decompose, can not see good plant growth with just that. So added few glyricidea and mexican sunflower along with fodder grass. Mexican sunflower and glyricidea mulch decomposes much quickly. Another thing is that in heavy rain, soil comes back to pathway from beds, so keep piling soil at the base of each plant, once in a while. Soil piling at the base, has got good impact. Typically mulch with mexican flower leaves, after a few days, they will decompose, then a pile soil and then mulch again with fodder grass or mexican sunflower.


This is Mangaluru Oru Vendai, a variety of lady's finger. It is quite productive.


Vengeri brinjal variety


Bird's eye chilli



I get plenty of chillies...

01-Aug-2026

This is a variety called 'mangaluru uru venda', yielding good,and does not mature fast.

Thursday, July 9, 2026

Python again

 Myself and Palani was clearing one area for vegetable. After lunch, I came back a bit late and Palani was looking in between grass very keenly and said, it is a Viper snake. He started hitting it, I just said stop and just looked at it and to my surprise it was a python. Not big one, medium sized, never expected a python. Couple of years back, I had sighted one while cutting grass using Scythe and with a help of one person caught it and handed over to Kollengode forest office.

This time I just let it free, even though it was hit twice, it just crawled further to grass and disappeared. If it is sighted once again, may catch and hand it over to forest office.



I just confirmed it with a friend, he checked in chatgpt and it said it is Indian Rock Python and he sent it to a person working in forest and confirmed it is a Python. Felt happy that I could correctly identify it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Gondharaj Lemon - Fruiting for the first time

 


Gondharaj lemon fruiting for the first time...There are 7 lemons and some more flowers, very eager to taste it. It is supposed to be very fragrant variety and used widly in Bengali Cuisine.I had planted many, lots of them didn't survive the summer and also were overgrown by weeds. I have 3 plants totally.


Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Happy hill rice in backyard

I have a small patch where I cultivate happy hill rice in every rainy season. This time made it bit lower and raised buds so that water stagnates and never leaves it. Earlier I had used bricks instead of buds, but water used to leake and topsoil was lost.

The patch was growing green gram for 2 months,cut that and mulched it. Yesterday it rained nicely and hence had a feel that monsoon is starting and put some seeds in water. Plan is to soak them for 24 hours and sow. Today there was no rain, if rain recedes again, seeds may be lost, but have enough seeds in the refrigerator.

Mixed soaked rice seeds with cowdung and added little water so that it mixes well. This is just to try, mixing with cowdung and sowing, how it germinates and prevents from insect and bird attack. Earlier once when I sowed rice seeds, ants picked most of them.

24-June-2026





Few rows were not covered with soil, just to see how germination happens


Small channels were made using a sharp tool and then seeds mixed with cowdung was put

09-July-26

Germination was OK, few places couldn't see the saplings and hence transplanted. Applied cowdung slurry once also composted cowdung was spread.



30-July-26


Some rice plants were toppled on heavy rain,right now rains have picked. Surface germination without mulch can cause this. In this plot, either I should surface seed with heavy mulch or should put seed inside the soil,reasonably deep.

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Stylosanthes Hamata in Kollengode,Palakkad

 Today I went with family to a temple called Kachamkurichi in Kollengode,Palakkad and on the way back to a view point where a good view of the mountain and paddy fields at the base is seen. Even at June 21st, there is no monsoon rain established in this part of Kerala while other districts are receiving reasonably good rain. Paddy fields are waiting for the rain, and some people have sown paddy and it is growing.

When we got down at the view point, was surprised to see a familiar  plant and that looks to be Stylosanthes Hamata. I was not sure how it came there, but it is not there on the road side or some other nearby area.

It has established well, and was a beautiful sight to see..






I had posted these photos in two WhatsApp groups, just to see if anyone recognizes that. To my surprise two people responded, saying they know Stylo grass,is a good cattle feed and nitrogen fixer and prevent erosion. Those responses in Malayalam is given here...

By Binojkumar of Jaivasamrakshnasamithi

à´šിà´¤്à´°à´¤്à´¤ിൽ à´•ാà´£ുà´¨്à´¨ à´šെà´Ÿി à´¸്à´±്à´±ൈà´²ോà´¸ാà´¨്തസ് (Stylosanthes) à´Žà´¨്à´¨ à´µിà´­ാà´—à´¤്à´¤ിൽപ്à´ªെà´Ÿ്à´Ÿ à´’à´¨്à´¨ാà´£്. à´•േരളത്à´¤ിൽ ഇത് à´ªൊà´¤ുà´µാà´¯ി à´¸്à´±്à´±ൈà´²ോ à´ªുà´²്à´²് (Stylo grass) à´Žà´¨്à´¨ à´ªേà´°ിൽ à´…à´±ിയപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¨്à´¨ു.
​ഇതിà´¨്à´±െ à´ª്à´°à´§ാà´¨ സവിà´¶േഷതകൾ à´¤ാà´´െ പറയുà´¨്നവയാà´£്:
​à´°ൂപഘടന: à´¨ീളമേà´±ിà´¯ à´®ൂà´¨്à´¨് à´šെà´±ിà´¯ ഇലകൾ à´µീതമുà´³്à´³ à´•ൂà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´™്ങളും (Trifoliate leaves), à´…à´±്റത്à´¤ാà´¯ി à´µിà´°ിà´¯ുà´¨്à´¨ à´šെà´±ിà´¯ മഞ്à´žà´ª്à´ªൂà´•്à´•à´³ും ഇതിà´¨്à´±െ à´ª്à´°à´¤്à´¯േകതയാà´£്.
​ഉപയോà´—ം: à´•à´¨്à´¨ുà´•ാà´²ികൾക്à´•് വളരെ à´—ുണപ്രദമാà´¯, à´ª്à´°ോà´Ÿ്à´Ÿീൻ സമ്പന്നമാà´¯ à´’à´°ു à´¤ീà´±്റപ്à´ªുà´²്à´²ാà´£ിà´¤്. തരിà´¶ുà´­ൂà´®ിà´•à´³ിà´²ും വഴിà´¯ോà´°à´™്ങളിà´²ും à´’à´•്à´•െ ഇത് പടർന്à´¨ു വളരാà´±ുà´£്à´Ÿ്.
​മണ്à´£ിà´¨്à´±െ à´—ുà´£ം: മണ്à´£ിൽ à´¨ൈà´Ÿ്രജന്à´±െ അളവ് വർദ്à´§ിà´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ാà´¨ും (Nitrogen fixation) മണ്à´£ൊà´²ിà´ª്à´ª് തടയാà´¨ും à´ˆ à´šെà´Ÿി സഹാà´¯ിà´•്à´•ുà´¨്à´¨ു.

By Gopichandran of Jaivabhoomi

à´¸െററല്à´²ാ ഹമാà´±്à´±, à´Žà´¨്à´¨ à´ªേà´°ിലറിയപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¨്à´¨ à´µിà´¦േà´¶ ഇനം à´šെà´Ÿി. à´šിà´² à´¦ിà´•്à´•ിൽ പയർ à´ªുà´²്à´²് à´Žà´¨്à´¨് പറയും. à´•à´¨്à´¨ുà´•ാà´²ികൾ ആർത്à´¤ിà´¯ോà´Ÿെ à´¤ിà´¨്à´¨ും. à´šിà´² à´¦ിà´•്à´•ിൽ à´®ുയൽ à´ªുà´²്à´²േ à´Žà´¨്à´¨് പറയും. à´®ുയലിà´¨ും ഇഷ്à´Ÿം. à´…à´¨്തരീà´•്à´· à´¨ൈà´Ÿ്രജൻ വലിà´š്à´šെà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´¨്à´¨ à´’à´¨്à´¨ാംതരം à´šെà´Ÿി. à´šെà´°ിà´µുà´³്à´³ à´¸്ഥലങ്ങളിൽ നട്à´Ÿുà´ªിà´Ÿിà´ª്à´ªിà´š്à´šാൽ മണ്à´£ൊà´²ിà´ª്à´ª് ഉണ്à´Ÿാà´µിà´²്à´². à´šിà´² റബ്ബർ à´¤ോà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´™്ങളിൽ à´•à´£്à´Ÿിà´Ÿ്à´Ÿുà´£്à´Ÿ്.