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.

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.