The World After Coronavirus: The Future of International Development | A...

Introduction & foreward

GARDENIA GARDENIA ByJoe Britto Introduction : “Whoever could make two ears of corn or two blades of grass to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before would deserve better of mankind and do more essential service to his country than the whole race of politicians put together “ JONATHAN SWIFT “The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there.” ~G. Bernard Shaw,The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God, 1932 “Come forth into the light of things, Let nature be your teacher” William Wordsworth Foreward: The information presented here has been gleaned from various sources over a period of time and need not necessarily be taken as a comprehensive or conclusive. The information presented here have been collected under one roof with the idea of spreading the good word to as many beneficiaries as possible. We would welcome ideas from everyone, so that this booklet could be further improved for the greater benefit of mankind. Thank you . Efforts have not been wanting to ensure accuracy. However no responsibility is assumed for any losses, damage, injury and any form of hardship that may be caused directly or indirectly by following any guidelines indicated. The suggested techniques are only indicative to establish a garden in a general location. It is desirable that before starting a new project, the advice of local experts of the area is considered. Due importance has to be given to the eco system in a given location as well as the soil , climate, the flora & fauna and local agro techniques being followed . Disease tolerance of the varieties to pathogens , spectrum of pathogens , location, season as well as the current year’s environmental conditions are also to be taken into account . Weather aberration in a country of continental size like ours is a rule rather than an exception. Nearly 70 percent of our area is under rain fed agriculture. Inadequate rainfall results in lack of supply of water at the critical stages of plants and drastically affects absorption, translocation and utilization of nutrients. On the other hand excessive rainfall causes floods and water logging causing leaching of precious nutrients and is detrimental to the normal growth and development of crops. No single rainfall distribution pattern repeats itself year after year at the same place; no single recommendation therefore works in all the years. The reason and the goal for which one is starting an agro garden is equally important. After considering all aspects, one could truly embark on an organic garden project and in due course establish the best suited techniques and achieve the set goal. It is equally possible for an individual to become a local expert in course of time and also to ensure that the environment is protected. Before deciding on a particular crop pattern, it is essential that due weightage should be given to various options in such a manner so as to reduce the risk factors. Eggs should be distributed in different baskets. Priority should also be given to the items of crops that are essentials for daily life, and an area could be reserved for growing economically remunerative crops. There should be proper crop rotation taking into account the region and the infrastructure facilities available. 1)Gardening & its Benefits: Gardening is something enjoyed by everybody. The tranquility and natural beauty of a garden of any shape or form is something to be enjoyed along with family & friends. Apart from just being able to escape from the shackles of everyday mundane chores, the benefits of organic gardening are multiple and immense, psychological, physical, social, intellectual & economic satisfaction could be the resultant outcome. 2)Organic gardening Organic Gardening is something which gives more importance to and priority to environment and nature. Here the emphasis is to use minimum or nil chemicals, pesticides and inorganic chemical fertilizers and allow nature to find its own course.We see in forests how well natural ecosystems generate their own nutrition. There is a continuous natural cycle of growth, death and decay. The death of animals, plants, insects and other organisms like earthworms, leaves, etc provides food for microscopic soil organisms which in turn release valuable nutrients thus providing food to plants and animals. In many parts of Karnataka , Jeevamrutha has become popular. Advocated by Shri Subhash Palekar, Jeevamrutha has benefited the small farmers. It has been recognized by Organic Farm Certifying Agencies as well. A congenial environment is created for microorganisms that help in making available the essential nutrients for plant growth viz., nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, to the plants. Jeevamrutha provides such an environment to beneficial microbes. Jeevamrutha when applied to soil improves the soil health by encouraging microbial activity in the soil. Preparation method Ingredients (Sufficient for 1 acre) Water - 200-250 lts Cow dung - 10-15 kgs Cow Urine - 3-4 lts Jaggery - 1-2 kgs Soil under a tree or un-disturbed location from the same land - 2-3 handfuls. Mix all of them and keep them in a shade for 3-4 days. Stir the mixture once a day. Apply the mixture when the ground is wet for the plants. This seems to work wonders for the plants due to increased microbial activity by 3rd and 4th day. This is an excellent culture for enabling the exponential increase of beneficial microbes. The microbes are added through 2-3 handful of local soil. Although it can be used even after 6-7 days, due to overpowering stench, it is advisable to use this within 3-4 days of preparation. Use of facial mask will mask the emanating stench . Organic farming encompasses various activities including different composting methods like vermicomposting , botanical preparations for control of various pests & diseases (Some of these have been listed in this booklet ) . Bee keeping and small ponds to encourage carp fish. Growing of multi coloured flowers along the borders or in small spaces will attract pollinating insects . Different systems of crop rotations are adopted to actual avoid many insect/diseases, multiple cropping , trap cropping are becoming common, companion cropping , biological pest control methods by using certain nematodes and other eco friendly techniques. Dairy farming, piggery & poultry is also encouraged and these and several activities can make the organic farm truly compact and self sufficient . A farm should be Eco-sustainable.Plan trees to increase bio – diveristy . It is suggested to grow most of the essential vegetables, cereals and fruits as per the seasons . Encourage Gobar Gas plants and other renewable means of energy should be popularized in a truly integrated farm An organic garden/ farm is one that takes care of the environment and avoids the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. Although organic vegetables/fruits/food may be expensive than vegetables/fruits/food grown by other farms, people are willing to pay more because of the environmentally friendly techniques followed which help us to be healthier. “The bee is more honoured than other animal , not because she labours, but because she labours for others” – Saint John Chrysostom “If honeybees became extinct, human society would follow in four years” – Albert Einstein 3)Values of Gardening therapy: a. Gardening is realistic and a socially acceptable activity for men, women and children where a wide variety of individual skills are used and tested. Moreover gardening does not have an institutional label, as do many therapeutic activities. b. Gardening is egalitarian: everyone can be creative with plants, it is not an exclusive skill and hence it is social equality for all. c. Gardening is physical: Physical activity and fresh air is most essential to build stamina, strength and improve balance. Activities such as weeding, hoeing, pruning, planting not only improve balance but also increase limb strength and stamina. Moreover physical activity involving gardening can be particularly useful in the sublimation of aggressive impulses; hard physical work prevents introspection and rumination. It is the best therapy for prisoners, the physically handicapped, the mentally retarded and the so called normal human beings like you and me as well. d. Gardening is socially restorative because the work often involves co-operation with others. Plants are a good medium to enhance humidification, they are non threatening. Also the work done in co-operation with others and the contact with the public in selling a market commodity gives back self esteem. e. Working with nature and with plants is thrilling a source of endless variety and fascination. Gardening provides a touchstone with reality in the natural cycle of life and death. It increases one’s confidence when you see a bottle garden and productivity full of seedlings, it will be a major achievement that will gain admiration from others and get hope for one in future. f. Gardening offers opportunities for self determination. It helps restore identity because it involves self discipline and encourages the use of initiative and responsibility. g. In today’s materialistic world where life has become a monotony, it seems people have forgotten the little pleasures of something that asks so little and yet gives so much in return. GO GREEN and enjoy the vibrancy of plants and to see life emerging from a tiny seed. 4)GARDENING FOR KIDS • It helps kids to improve physical movement. • Build attention and interest • Improve eye hand co-ordination • Creates awareness of plants and growth • It is fun, worthwhile and inexpensive way to spend time together. With kids use bright flowering plants to heighten their interest. Keep scissors short and always remember children gain from touching, smelling plants and plants that fit into these activities are scented geraniums, hyacinths, moss Introduce your child to the world of plants at an early age because there is a special sense of having brightened a child’s day when he or she reaches out and enjoys feeling a mossy cushion or planting a bulb into a pot of compost. After that, having to sweep all the compost up from the floor somehow doesn’t seem too much of a problem. 5) SEED SPROUTING There is something unique about a form of gardening when you reap what you have sown within a week, and can keep the kitchen supplied with highly nutritious fresh vegetables without even exposing yourself to the elements in the garden ……..or indeed without even having a garden!! This is what seed sprouting has to offer. This is about what to sprout, how to sprout it and how you may use is afterwards. Seed sprouting – which is simply germinating seeds and eating the tiny seedlings- usually before they even develop seed leaves – is one of those ideas which go a long way in history. The Aztecs, and Navajo Indians, and the Chinese were all sprouting seeds many centuries ago. The process of germinating dormant seed initiates a frenzy of chemical activity, so that sprouted seed is exceptionally rich in vitamins, minerals, high quality protein and enzymes. What can be sprouted? Although we tend to sprout only a few kinds of seeds, surprisingly a large range of seeds can be sprouted. In the bean family apart from the mung bean, there are the adzuki beans, broad, French runner, Lima, Soya alphatoco and navy beans. While other suitable legumes include lentils (whole, not split), clove peas and chick peas. Suitable grains for sprouting are wheat , oats , barley, millet , maize and buckwheat , while suitable brassicas and other crucifers include kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts cauliflower , radish, rape and of course , mustard and cress. The list can be rounded off with a few miscellaneous seeds such as pumpkin, marrow, melon, sunflower and even mint. As so many seeds can be sprouted it is tempting to experiment, but before doing so make sure you have suitable seed. Once you have the knack, sprouting becomes second nature and ridiculously easy. But people do have failures, the commonest being seeds going moldy or sour. The secret to remember that germinating requires four things: 1. Warmth: The average room temperature, 55 to 65 degrees F is generally about right. 2. Moisture: just moist, not swamped with water or allowed to dry out. 3. Air: as they need oxygen to breathe and develop. 4. Clean conditions. Failures can usually be traced to being kept too hot or too cold, too dry or too wet, to suffocation by being in too thick a layer or too small a container and to not being rinsed frequently enough. In short, problems stem from the fact that the warm, moist conditions which seeds need to germinate are just the conditions that would favour the development of disease and mould – hence the need to encourage vigorous growth in fresh conditions. There are several ways of sprouting seeds. The essential element is some means of rinsing them with water to keep them fresh. It is preferable to sprout the seeds in plastic containers with fitting lids, the sandwich box type of thing. Many people prefer to use jam jars with muslin over the top, held in place with a rubber band or even better, with a lid made of tin foil with holes punched in it. A snag with muslin is that it becomes discoloured and small seeds tend to adhere to it. Bowls, and even deep plates, can be used. Jars can be upright or placed on their sides to spread the seeds more evenly. Sprouting can be done in the dark or in the light, but seeds such as mung and alpatco beans, lentils are whiter and crisper if grown in the dark, but is really a matter of taste. You can darken a jar or dish by covering it with black plastic or tinfoil or standing it inside a slit cornflakes packet. Most seed should be ready within five to seven days, though this varies with seed and temperature. A modification of this method is to line the container with some kind of base-flannel, cotton wool or several layers of blotting paper – in the time honoured method of growing cress. In our experience seeds take longer to sprout when grown on a base, but they are less likely to dry out. In the early stages the seeds can still be tipped into a strainer to rinse them, later on, when they root into the base, it is more a question of pouring water in, swirling it around it gently, and pouring it out again, they grow a little longer than they would otherwise do. “Any fool can count the number of seeds in a fruit , but only God can count the fruits in a seed ”