Controlling aggressive weeds with aggressive cover crop - Pureria Javanica

Weeds protect soil from erosion and also makes land fertile. Weeds can be effectively used

to make your land fertile and we can go grow crops along with it. But if the control is not

proper then they will outgrow your crops and the harvest will be very poor. Nature does not

distinguish between crops and weeds, whoever grows best finally wins. Since weeds are adapted to environment well, most of the time, weeds win.

To make a decent harvest, controlling weeds is a must.Weeds enriches soil, but it may take long time to do that since that is the nature's way. But farmer want harvest in a reasonable time frame. So farmers use leguminous cover crops to make land fertile and that can be used to control weeds also. This is an intelligent way of intruding into nature's methods. Fukuoka san used white clover which is leguminous and it grows aggressively and also for many years that reseed and grow without any care.He used it in rice/barley field and also in orchards.It grows along with rice/barley and it provides nutrients to rice/barley rather competes with them.

I am using Pureria Javanica as a leguminous cover crop which is quite agressive once 

established.It completely grows over grasses and only this crop will be there after some time. Since it fixes nitrogen, the land becomes fertile too. Cutting this plant is relatively easy

using Scythe since it comes off nicely after this land is a clean of weeds, there may be a few

roots and runners which has to be removed. We can start cultivation of crop directly in this

space and if there is pureria growing on sides it will grow back to this area which has to be

occassionally cleaned, may be once in 10 days.

I have tried birds eye chilli, tapioca and sweet potato using this method and it looks quite

good.

Cleaning mango trees

Some mango trees are infested with Loranthus (Ithi Kanni in Malayalam). This time, cleaned them and also cut a few unwanted branches. Some trees which are shading mango trees are also cut.

Greater yam on trees

At the start of rainy season, I had planted a few greater yam at the base of a few trees, Subabul,Glyrecedia and teak wood. They were climbing all over and established well. This time should be having more seeds, should put in more places.

The seeds which grow on the top also can be used for planting or eating.

17-December-2019

Farm at the end of rainy season

Here are some photos at the end of the rainy season..still we are receiving some rains..today also it is raining heavily

Vietnamese early jack fruit tree..a chicken visitor from neighboring farm, they stopped all buffalo,goat farming operations...only a few chickens left

Papaya trees and yellow bamboo in front of the house

Bamboo planted at the start of the rain, growing well..

Little guard...provide them support for growing and sunlight, they grow well

Sweet potato cuttings planted...

Bird's eye chillies

Tapioca...soil under the Pureria had improved a lot...so this grows well

Mango area....

greater yam

A set of hand tools which looks useful

Hand tools always fascinated me. In Fukuoka San's video, saw the Japanese sickle he was using and search for a similar tool directed me towards Scythe and has been using it for 6-7 years now.

Scythe takes care of the tall weeds, while small weeds are has to be handled differently. Found push-pull hoe or stirrup hoe to be useful for this and bought one.

Push-Pull hoe can not be used for more tougher weeds and earth works. Because some time, you want to cut weeds and then loosen soil and make place for planting some saplings, in this case spade is useful. Conventional spades available in India are too heavy and mostly has short handles which strains the back. Hence looking for garden hoes, found some interesting designs, see the photos below. Still don't have this, but in the process of making.

Another interesting tool recommended by Sepp Holzer is Folkin hoe, this can be used as a short scythe and also for removing tough weeds and some soil working also. This is not locally available hence has to make one.

Saw this tool which looks almost similar to Folkin hoe, but there are some differences..

Details can be seen in the web site - http://holdredgeenterprises.com/