Happy hill rice in backyard

 Happy hill rice harvested from 1st crop was sown again in the backyard. Cleaned the area thoroughly to remove all the grass and spread some cowdung and sown the seeds and spread farm made compost and then spread the cut grass. One variety of grass which grows from each cut piece was removed from mulching. Sowing was completed on 24-Aug-2024.

30-Aug-2024

03-Sept-2024

removed some mulch since some cut grass started germinating from each piece

09-Sept-2024

applied bit of cowdung slurry and also home made compost

20-Sept-2024

applied some decomposed grass and cowdung slurry...also bit of ash

26-sept-2024.

had sown horse gram and fenugreek seeds for nitrogen fixing purpose, also applied little bit of cowdung

09-October-2024

23-Oct-24

Lots of rice ear bugs seen, so may loose lots of the crop to it. Finally lost everything to the rice ear bugs..no grain were formed, so cut and mulched it.

A second thought about cover crops

 Initially farm had just many types of weeds, later thought leguminous cover crop may be better and introduced pureria javanica. Now there is napier fodder grass which also produces enormous amount of grass mulch.

In natural way of farming book, under chapter Fruit Trees, Fukuoka San says, to establish while clover as cover crop. White clover remains hardy for 6-7 years or 10 years with good management and after that weeds reemerge, mainly climbing and vine weeds, bindweed, kudzu and sorrels. Those plants resistant to clover survive and re-establish themselves.

Thus after 10 years weeds takes over again and this is not a problem as long as weeds do not interfere with farming operation. According to Fukuoka San soil becomes unbalanced when clover is grown year after year on the same land, emergence and succession of different weeds is more natural and conducive to soil enrichment and development.

Fukuoka San also says he has no intention of insisting a cover of clover, a weed cover will probably do just as well. Only issue is that weed cover may become very thick and cutting is very hard and it may also interfere with farming i.e fruit picking and tending trees. If weeds take over again he suggest to sow clover again or sow vegetable seeds.

Basically it may be just enough to grow weeds without disturbing soil, basic idea is to grow as many plants as possible so that all the sunlight is harvested and put back to soil.

Orchard Management

 I have a variety of cover crops in the farm - fodder grass, mexican sunflower, pureria javanica and have been planting vetiver also in some areas. In rainy season, it grows very tall and blocks the view and also wild boar stay in it and it becomes dangerous to walk around. But in summer season a green cover is a must since there is four months of summer season without a single drop of rain and without irrigation coconut trees and mango trees gets affected.

Made a plan to cut the fodder grass and shrubs twice an year in the middle of rainy season, after the rain stops all cutting and cleaning is stopped. But this time, even though started cutting after the planting, cutting went on, so it looks like may be a single cutting and clearing is enough.

Earlier I used to cut the weeds and gather them at the base of the trees which is a difficult task, now decided that gathering them at the base does not really makes a difference. 

So as of now, orchard management involves cutting the cover once and leaving them as it is.