Turmeric crop

 Last year, turmeric didn't do well, so didn't harvest it. This year it is growing quite well without doing any weeding or fertilizing, only that fodder grass is growing in that area and keep on doing mulching with cut grass.

Till the soil improve to a good level, it may be better to harvest it once in every two year. 

Jackfruit seedlings

 Farm has one jackfruit variety which is very tasty. I have been trying to propagate it multiple times, but none of them survived. I used to germinate them in May-June and plant the seedlings by July and they will be quite small by the time I plant them. This time wanted to grow them in nursery and then plant them after an year so that they will become reasonably big.

27-Aug-2024

02-Sept-2024

01-Dec-24

Dog friends on duty

There are few dogs in the neighborhood of farm and they visit whenever I go there. I give them biscuits and they enjoy it very much. Some times they follow me to farm which I like since there are wild boars, dogs can warn me and also protect me. But after some time, dog friends will just disappear since they have more interesting things to do.

Once my wife suggested me to give them biscuits not at home rather when they accompany you. I started doing that and dogs will just at the site where I work. I carry biscuits in my pocket and will give them in between. Some time I just move with 4 dogs around which makes me quite happy, they are happy too.

Black one is tomy, one facing forward is tobu and other one rosy.

This is rosy, Rocky and karuman (the youngest)

01-Dec-24

lost Karuman and Rossy to some unknown disease

Karuman...he was very friendly with me...he will be waiting me on the way, and later will run behind my car and will take a short cut and will be ahead of me on the road. When Tomy comes he scares Karuman, but he will come through some other way and will sit beside where I am working, miss you Karuman.

Rossy...She was bit tired after she gave birth to 4 puppies, but was a regular visitor when I come to farm. Miss you Rossy..

A mango variety found from a shop

 In 2024 mango season, V.K.Sreeraman a cine artist put a facebook post about variety of mangoes being sold  in a mango shop in Choondal,Kunnamkulam,Trichur. There were lots of different varieties mentioned which were not heard of. Myself and friend Anil wanted to visit and buy few of those varieties. Could not see all the varieties mentioned, most of them had been sold out, bought few kgs of priyoor, black andrews, chandrakkaran type and found another big mango, it was not having any name, bought 1 kg of that one also.

The new type without name was quite good mango with a basic taste of famous variety komanga. Its seed was polyembryonic hence put in grow bags,three germinated and multiple seedlings were separated and kept in grow bags for next season.

27-Aug-2024

02-Sept-2024

01-Dec-24

Clearing weeds and green manure plants

In the coconut orchard, I grow the following for making the land fertile...

1. Local fodder grass -  This is seen locally and especially on the road sides, this has very vigorous growth - in rainy season, can be cut in every 15-20 days. Main attraction is that it is perennial and hence will remain green to some extend in summer also and hence there is year round coverage

2. Mexican sunflower - This was introduced after reading that permaculture people value this a lot and calls this as dynamic accumulator. This also is perennial and produce a lots of biomass and easy to cut and mulch. Leaves decompose very fast.

3.  Super napier grass - This also is perennial and produce lots of biomass and will be ready for cutting in every 25-30 days

4. Pureria Javanica  - This is leguminous and does not survive summer here

5. Subabul - This grows naturally and is an invasive species and hence many plants will be there under each tree. Leguminous and perennial

6. Other local weeds - typically annual

Super napier fodder grass and mexican sunflower grows to a height of 8 feet and it gives a wild view to the farm. Decided that will cut them at least twice an year. Cut mulch will be left there itself, some mulch will be piled under the coconut trees.

lady cutting and clearing the growth

mango sapling

mexican sunflower piled around coconut tree

28-06-2024

Local fodder grass

Indigenous mango varieties for next year

 Decided to grow mango saplings to a good height of 5 feet or more and then plant in the rainy season. The reason for this decision was that few mango saplings planted were lost in the summer. If they are very strong plants, chances of loosing them is less.

I have few plants from last season...These are Karthikeyan, Dukran, IMCP Kilichundan, Cheriya Priyur etc...Few plants like DS Red, Thiruvarambu, Gira,Lalitha and Kuttiadi.

Also collected some seeds of another variety which is said to be of good taste, would like to grow them for an year and plant throughout the farm. 

08-July-2024

they are growing quite well

16-July-2024

25-July-2024

27-Aug-2024

02-Sept-2024

23-Sept-2024

sown horsegram at the base for nitrogen fixing...

09-October-2024

23-Oct-24

with rain, most of them gets new shoots

01-Dec-2024

Received a reasonably good rain today..hope ttheir growth will continue...

Trial of chettadi rice in backyard

Chettadi is an indigenous rice which grows vigorously and have a duration of 6 months. Not sure if it require lots of water or will do well in upland conditions also, just giving a try. When tried in farm few years back, it grew well and had to cut it twice, and after each cutting it grew much thicker. 

One month old seedlings...

03-Sept-2024