AN ODE TO OUR GREEN EARTH

(I penned it down as it came to my mind. And I am sure we would give it a fair try to save our planet earth)

Gardening in June

Vegetables

JUNE: All gourds, Brinjal, Cucumber, Cauliflower (Early), Okra, Bitter gourd Onion,Sem,Tomato,Pepper ,zucchini, summer squashes, cucumbers, and melons.

Though we had planted summer vegetables in March but many of you who couldn’t can still go ahead.

 Plant these crops on hills or  in mounds where the soil stays warmer. Add a spadeful of compost or well-rotted manure into each hill.

Summer vegetables should be kept evenly moist.

Transplants should be watered every day until they are well established. Don’t let tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, zucchini, squashes, or cucumbers go dry–this will impede quick and even growth which is essential for sweet, tasty fruits at harvest.

 1 PLANTING EGGPLANTS AND PEPPERS

Be patient with eggplant and peppers. These crops require a soil temperature of 70°F (21°C), the daytime air temperature above 70°F, and night air temperature above 60°F (15°C). Sun and heat are essential for these plants to reach flowering and fruiting.

Protect crops in the garden from extreme hot temperatures.

Hold off feeding until eggplants and peppers blossom then use moderate nitrogen and high phosphorus and potassium. Use Epsom salts to stimulate root structure.

 2 PLANTING CUCUMBERS

Like eggplants, cucumbers thrive in warm weather.  Cucumbers mature quickly and are easy to look after. Pinch out the growing tips of cucumber plants when seven leaves have formed. This will keep the plant at a manageable size. Once flowers appear, water cucumbers regularly; avoid washing soil away from the roots.  Feed every two weeks with liquid manure once the first fruits have started to grow.

3 Okra is a heat-loving annual plant that requires 55 to 65 days with temperatures consistently above 85°F (29°C) for full growth, flowering, and pod development.

Description. Okra is a tender, heat-loving annual that grows 4 to 7 feet (1.2-2.1m) tall and produces a green and sometimes red seed pod which is harvested when 3 to 5 inches (7-12cm) long and sometimes longer. Okra has prickly stems and large maple-like leaves and large, yellow, hibiscus-like flowers with red or purplish centers. Mature  pods contain buckshot-like seeds.

Yield. Grow 6 okra plants for each household member.

Companion plants. Basil, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers.

Container growing. Okra does not grow well in containers. Choose spacing-saving varieties for container growing.

Okra growing in garden

Established okra plants can be kept on the dry side; stems rot easily in wet or cold conditions.

CARING FOR OKRA

Water and feeding. Keep okra evenly moist until established. Established plants can be kept on the dry side; stems rot easily in wet or cold conditions. Add aged compost to planting beds in advance of planting and again at midseason. Add gypsum if the soil is slow draining.

Care. Pods contain a sticky sap that may be difficult to remove from clothing or tools. Prickles on pods can cause an allergic reaction.

Pests. Flea beetles and aphids may attack okra. Pinch out aphid-infested vegetation or knock flea beetles and aphids off plants with a strong stream of water.

Diseases. Okra is susceptible to verticillium and fusarium wilt which will cause plants to suddenly wilt, dry up, and die, usually in midsummer just as plants begin to produce fruits .

Beans

There are many varieties of beans you can grow like Lobia beans, French beans,Clover beans, Green gram beans, Gvar fali etc.

Grow beans in full sun, 8 hours of sun or more each day. Beans will grow in partial shade but the harvest will not be full. Grow beans in well-drained soil rich in organic matter. Prepare planting beds in advance by working 2 to 3 inches (5-7cm) of aged compost into the soil. Avoid planting beans where soil nitrogen is high or where green manure crops have just grown; these beans will produce green foliage but few beans. Beans prefer a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Keep the garden clean and free of debris. Remove and dispose of infected plants.

 Rotate crops to prevent the buildup of soil-borne diseases.

FEEDING CROPS

Spring-sown and transplanted crops will be ready for an extra nutrient boost as soon as they begin to flower. Side-dress young plants by drawing a circle with your finger around each plant at its drip line to a depth of about 1 inch (2.5cm) deep.

Sprinkle a tablespoon of organic fertilizer around each plant or add a line of aged compost; work it gently into the soil with a hand tool and then water well. The extra nutrients will help blossoms develop into fruit and yield sweet-tasting vegetables.

Tomato irrigation

Consistent even moisture is essential for vegetable growth.

WATERING CROPS

When the weather is dry, water summer crops so that moisture reaches deep to the roots.  A long, slow watering is best. Most crops want an inch of water each week–this means soaking the soil down to a depth of 4 to 5 inches (10-12cm). Stick your index finger into the soil to gauge watering.

 Water in the morning or evening when evaporation by the sun is low.

WEEDING

Stay ahead of weeds. Weeds compete with vegetables for moisture and nutrients. Don’t let them get a foothold in the garden. Those who had sown seeds earlier must check pests and spray to control them. Do put traps for fruitflies otherwise you will not be able to enjoy your fruits of labour. Enjoy your vegetables and keep on growing them to remain healthy.

Flowers

You can sow seeds of Balsam :Impatiens balsamina. This is self seeding plant bearing red ,white,purple ,pink hues which add colour in the garden. These days hybrid and double variety has also come into the market. So try .

Marigold: You can sow it’s seeds now to have early blooms

Moss Rose Purslane : You can still raise plants from the cuttings .

Happy Gardening.

Rama Tyagi

tyagirama1@gmail.com

 

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2024

“MAA TUJHE SALAAM”

This year’s World Environment Day campaign focused on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”  

Our society was yet again in the fore front in organising the WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY on 05 Jun 2024, like every year.

Under the powerful leadership of Rama ji, we again took an important step in bringing the mother earth closer to the masses.

Here are few glimpses!

Mayor of Agra being conducted by Col Tyagi.

WE MAY BE DOWN, BUT NOT OUT…

Best Homemade Natural Garden Fertilisers

You don’t have to buy expensive fertilisers! Your garden will thrive with these DIY versions made from items around your pantry and backyard!

Natural fertilisers and compost

Organic gardening is as popular as ever, and the methods we use play a critical role in our health and the health of the planet.

There are many different all natural garden fertilisers that you can use right in your garden or with potting soil. Some of these fertilisers can be made or collected at home using common items from your pantry or your backyard. Here are 8 of our favourite DIY fertilisers for a variety of needs.

If you have an organic lawn, make sure to collect your grass clippings to use on your gardens. Half an inch to an inch of grass clippings makes a great weed-blocking mulch, and it is also rich in nitrogen, which is an essential nutrient for most plants.

Weeds

Weeds are high in nitrogen and make excellent fertiliser if you make weed tea.

Weed tea makes great fertiliser

Just like grass clippings, many of the weeds that you’ll find in your gardens are very high in nitrogen and will make an excellent fertiliser. The problem is, once you’ve pulled the weeds, you certainly won’t want to put them back in the garden because any seeds will sprout and make new weeds. The solution? Make weed tea. To do this, fill a five-gallon bucket no more than 1/4 full with weeds that you’ve pulled. Then fill the bucket the rest of the way with water, and let the weeds soak for a week or two. Once the water turns nice and brown (like tea), pour this nutrient-rich weed tea on your gardens.

Kitchen Scraps

Compost your kitchen and garden waste for your garden.

Compost

Put your kitchen and garden waste to work by making your own compost. Compost releases nutrients slowly, which means a well-composted garden can go a year or two without requiring reapplication of fertiliser. Compost also helps the soil retain moisture, which is essential for vegetable gardens to thrive during hot, dry summers.

Manure

Cows manure is high in nutrients but you’ll need to use it carefully in your garden so you don’t burn your plants.

Manure comes from a variety of sources — cows, horses, chickens, and even bats. Each type of manure is high in nitrogen and other nutrients, but you’ll need to use it carefully. Raw manure is highly acidic and may actually have more nutrients than your plants need, so too much can burn your plants. It’s best to use composted manure. Since it is less nutrient-dense and acidic, you can use more of it to improve your soil’s water retention without risking your plants. You won’t have to wait long—manure quickly turns to a perfect odour-free soil amendment.

Tree Leaves

Rather than bagging up the fall leaves and putting them out on your curb, collect them for your gardens instead. Leaves are rich with trace minerals, they attract earthworms, they retain moisture, and they’ll help make heavy soils lighter. You can use leaves in two ways: Either till them into your soil (or mix crushed leaves into potting soil), or use them as a mulch to both fertilise your plants and keep weeds down.

Coffee Grounds

Coffee grounds come with a lot of uses, but one of their best is as a garden fertiliser. Lots of plants, such as blueberries, rhododendron, roses, and tomatoes, thrive best in acidic soil. Recycle your coffee grounds to help acidify your soil. There are a couple of ways to do this— you can either top dress by sprinkling the used grounds over the surface of the soil, or you can make “coffee” to pour on your gardens. Soak up to six cups of used coffee grounds for up to a week to make garden coffee, then use it to water your acid-loving plants.

Eggshells

Egg shells are 93% calcium carbonate and help lower the acidity of the soil in your garden.

Eggshells help lower the acidity of your soil.

If you’ve ever used lime in your garden, then you know it comes with lots of benefits — chiefly, it helps lower the acidity of your soil for plants that don’t like acid, and it provides plants with lots of calcium, which is an essential nutrient. Lime itself is an all-natural fertiliser that you can buy at the garden centre, but if you’d rather save some money, there is a cheaper way to get the same benefits. Simply wash out the eggshells from your kitchen, save them, and crush them to use in your garden. It turns out that eggshells are 93% calcium carbonate, which is the scientific name for lime. See what else you can do with eggshells here!

Banana Peels

Roses love the potassium in banana peels.

We eat bananas for their potassium, and roses love potassium too. Simply bury peels in a hole alongside the rose bush so they can compost naturally. As the rose grows, bury the peels into the soil’s top layer. Both of these approaches will provide much-needed potassium for the plant’s proper growth. Read about trench composting here.

Happy Gardening

Rama Tyagi

tyagirama1@gmail.com

Rama Tyagi
tyagirama1@gmail.com.

RECYCLE, REDUCE, RE-USE….

Waste is wet waste, including food scraps, vegetable peels, and garden trimmings? Instead of letting this valuable resource end up in landfills, where it generates harmful greenhouse gases, we can transform it into nutrient-rich compost right at home!
Impact of Wet Waste Composting:

1. Reduces Carbon Footprint: Decentralizing composting to homes and communities drastically cuts down the carbon emissions from transporting waste to landfills.

2. Saves Money: By composting at home or within the community, we save significant public funds spent on waste transport and landfill management.

3. Eases Landfill Burden: Composting wet waste reduces the considerable burden on our overfilled landfills, making waste management more efficient and sustainable.

4. Enriches Soil: Compost turns your kitchen and garden waste into valuable organic matter, enhancing soil health and promoting robust plant growth.

5. Conscious Connection: Composting fosters a sense of duty and fulfillment, knowing that you are making a positive impact on the environment. It’s a daily practice that connects us to nature and reinforces our commitment to sustainability.
Imagine the impact if every household and community took responsibility for their wet waste. We would see a dramatic reduction in carbon footprints, less money spent on waste transport, and healthier, more fertile soil in our gardens and communities.
Let’s embrace the composting catalysts and turn our waste into wealth!

जामुन

ठंडा ठंडा

गर्मी में गैस, एसिडिटी और अपच का रामबाण इलाज है खोल में छुपा ये फल, बॉडी की थकान और कमजोरी को कर देता है दूर, आचार्य बालकृष्ण ने बताएं फायदेपाचन रहता है दुरुस्त जामुन का सेवन करने से पाचन दुरुस्त रहता है। जामुन पाचन से जुड़ी परेशानियों को दूर करती है और पेट को ठंडा रखती है। जामुन के गुण शरीर और पाचन तंत्र को ठंडा रखने में मददगार साबित होते हैं।
स्किन के लिए भी है मुफीदजामुन का सेवन स्किन के लिए बहुत मुफीद है। इसका सेवन करने से बढ़ती उम्र में होने वाली झुर्रियां कंट्रोल रहती है। पिंपल्स को दूर करने में ये बेहद उपयोगी है। स्किन के दाग-धब्बों को दूर करने में ये बेहद असरदार साबित होती है। विटामिन सी से भरपूर जामुन स्किन में कोलेजन का उत्पादन करती है। इसका सेवन करने से झुर्रियां और फाइन लाइन कम होती हैं।
हीमोग्लोबिन भी बढ़ता है जामुन का सेवन करने से हीमोग्लोबिन भी बढ़ता है। हीमोग्लोबिन हमारे ब्लड के अंदर होता है जो ऑक्सीजन को पूरी बॉडी में पहुंचाने का काम करता है। हीमोग्लोबिन की कमी होने बॉडी में कमजोरी और थकान होने लगती है। आप भी बॉडी की कमजोरी को दूर करना चाहते हैं तो रोजाना जामुन का सेवन करें।
सीमित करें सेवनजामुन सेहत के लिए फायदेमंद है लेकिन उसका सीमित सेवन ही करना चाहिए। जामुन का ज्यादा सेवन सेहत को नुकसान पहुंचा सकता है। ठंडी तासीर की जामुन बॉडी में वात दोष को बढ़ा सकती है। इसका सेवन करने से पेट में गैस बनने लगेगी और पेट फूलने लगता। एक्सपर्ट के मुताबिक आप एक दिन में 250 ग्राम जामुन का सेवन कई हिस्सों में बांट कर करें तो सेहत को फायदा होगा।

Identify Common Types of Weeds

Common Weed Characteristics

Plants often reproduce in different ways: rhizomes, cuttings, runners, ETC. They produce many seeds, usually tiny seeds, that have burrs, float, or disperse easily. If you pull some weeds out, they might break off and re-sprout. Weed can usually live in many environments, soils, and conditions, They grow fast. Seeds can remain dormant for many years and can self-pollinate. Poisonous or extremely invasive weeds are best removed, while other weeds may be more welcome around your home.

Use this list to identify common weeds plus their potential pros and cons.

Weeds are often thought of as nuisance plants that invade lawns and gardens. Many common weeds have “weed” in their name, like ragweed, knot weed, and chickweed. If you can identify which plants are weeds, you can also learn how to control or eradicate these common garden weeds. However, you might not want to get rid of some attractive weeds; they can serve as a useful groundcover, they can be potted to remain controlled, and some are edible.

1 Dandelions (Leontodon taraxacum)

Dandelion weed with small white seed heads surrounding top of stems in grass Dandelions are a harbinger of spring. Their bright yellow flowers often poke up through lawns and appear between cracks in driveways and sidewalks. While these perennial plants have multiple medicinal uses and can be eaten in salads or used to make wine, many homeowners would prefer eliminating dandelions.

How to control it ?

Keeping dandelion seeds from germinating won’t be enough to eliminate the plants. You can use herbicide to eliminate your dandelions, but the most effective and least harmful approach is to dig the flowers up from the roots.

2 Plantain Plants (Plantago major)

Plantain weed plants with small green cone-shaped flower heads on thin stems A relatively innocuous plant, common plantain can be mowed whenever you mow the lawn. It tolerates heavy foot traffic and compacted soil which means that it quickly colonises any lawn that sees a lot of hard family use. Plantain has oval-shaped medium leaves that grow in broad, low rosettes. Now a ubiquitous lawn weed in North America, broadleaf or “common” plantain was brought to the New World by colonists from Europe for its medicinal uses.

How to control it: Pull or dig up plantain weeds. Keep pulling them up before they can produce seeds. Eventually, the plant will give up. It may seem like a continuous process, but persistence is key.

3 Common Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)

Common ragweed may be an essential weed for you to identify, even if you don’t care about keeping your yard weed-free for aesthetic reasons. If you’re an allergy sufferer, you should know that common ragweed is a major source of hay fever.

How to control it: Ragweed can’t tolerate constant mowing or rich soils. Maintain a healthy, mowed lawn in its place on a regular feeding schedule to keep ragweed at bay “Giant ragweed” is a summer weed named for its ability to grow up to 15 feet tall, with thick roots and branches. It’s mainly a problem in the agricultural Midwest United States. Like its ragweed cousin (and unlike goldenrod), giant ragweed produces a great deal of pollen which causes severe allergies.

How to control it: Giant ragweed seeds can produce up to 5,000 seeds per plant, dispersing via the wind. Its seeds can also live 10 years in the soil. This plant is a crop killer. To keep it at bay, keep lawns healthy. Healthy grasses can keep giant ragweed from taking over. Tilling stands of seedlings can also disrupt their life cycle. If herbicide is necessary, employ a pre-emergent herbicide in the spring (Atrazine).

4 Hedge Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

Hedge bindweed plant with small pink flowers surrounded by arrow-shaped leaves Hedge bindweed has a reasonably attractive bloom, similar to the morning glory, which can be white or pink and have a pleasant fragrance. But this is no innocuous weed. If you let hedge bindweed get out of control, it will get a stranglehold on your yard like Gulliver in Lilliput. There is a reason for that “bind” in “bindweed.”

How to control it: Effective control requires prevention of seed production, deep tillage of the root system, and pulling out plants. Also, apply herbicides or landscape fabric on top of it to smother it. It needs light to grow, although it can remain dormant for up to five years.

5 Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea)

Ground ivy, a common lawn weed, goes by several names. For instance, it is also called “gill,” “gill-over-the-ground,” and “creeping charlie.” Although considered a weed, ground ivy has a pretty flower, and when you mow this weed, it gives off a pleasing aroma. Ground ivy is also used as a medicinal herb.

How to control it: If you have a small area, dig and pull to remove this weed. It may be somewhat ineffective since stems or roots left behind can continue to grow and spread. Being persistent can lead to successful eradication. However, you can also rely on broadleaf herbicides applied in late September, then again a month later

6 Purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Purslane is a succulent in the Portulacaceae family that contains five times the amount of essential omega-3 fatty acids that spinach has; its stems are also high in vitamin C.8 It is a mat-forming plant with a crispy texture and interesting peppery flavour. It is often served raw in salads but can also be cooked as a side dish. It’s sometimes also called pigweed, but it should not be confused with Amaranthus retroflexus, also called pigweed, which is an edible weed in the amaranth family.

How to control it: Purslane can be controlled well by hand pulling if you do it when the plant is young and before it goes to seed. If it’s seeded itself, you can also use post-emergent broadleaf herbicide on young plants to eradicate it.

7 Stinging Nettle (Urtica )

Stinging nettle weed plant pointed leaves and serrated edges. The flowers of stinging nettle plants are inconspicuous. However, you’ll pay plenty of attention to its barbs if you’re unfortunate enough to brush against stinging nettle. The discomfort these weeds can cause seems inconsistent with the fact that stinging nettle is edible. But the young leaves of stinging nettle are cooked and eaten by wild foods enthusiasts. Just be sure to pick the right time and prepare properly to ensure safe consumption.

How to control it: This plant is best managed by hand pulling. Wear gloves to protect your hands from the stinging hairs on the plant stems. Also, perform close mowing to prevent the plant from developing its fruit.

8 Curly Dock (Rumex )

Curly dock weed plant with greenish blooms clustered on long thin flower stalks in sunlight

Curly dock (also called “curled dock” or “yellow dock”) is found all across the world. Each plant produces tens of thousands of seeds that remain viable in the soil for decades, leading to considerable invasive potential.

You’ll be able to identify curly dock by its greenish blossoms that cluster in long thin flower stalks at the top of the plant. After the flowers have dried and turned brown, they remain in place, making the plant easy to recognize. Be aware that curly dock is toxic.

How to control it: You can control curly dock by tilling and uprooting this plant. Mowing will prevent seed production and reduce top growth. If it becomes problematic, apply a post-emergent herbicide in the fall. You can also apply herbicides in the spring.
WARNING Curly dock is poisonous and should not be eaten.

9 Clover Leaf (Trifolium)

While many consider clover a “weed,” there’s nothing wrong with mixing a little clover into your lawn. The Irish think various tripartite clover leaves (such as the one in the photo) are “shamrocks.” The tradition behind the shamrock is quite distinct from that behind four-leaf clovers.

How to control it: Clovers are relatively easy to manage in the home garden by hand-pulling, cultivation, and mulch application. In large, landscaped areas, herbicides may also be necessary. Clover seeds have a hard seed coat that is heat tolerant; composting and solarization do not kill the seed. It can survive many years in the soil, sometimes making eradication difficult.

10 Wood Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Common yellow woodsorrel is a native North American weedy plant called shamrock or sheep’s clover. It produces yellow cup-like flowers with five petals from mid-spring to fall. Each leaf is divided into three heart-shaped leaflets. This herbaceous annual can also grow as a tender perennial and is found everywhere.

It grows erect, up to 15 inches tall, with stems that grow at a sharp angle (about 90 degrees) from the main stem. It has seed pods that bend sharply upward on their stalks. They may form colonies arising from slender but tough underground stems (rhizomes) but, more often, are individual, seed-grown plants. The weak stems branch at the base and sometimes will root at nodes. It can grow in most soils and conditions, even in the sidewalks’ cracks.

How to control it: Common yellow woodsorrel is best managed by hand weeding and mulching. It pulls up easily and does not rebound from roots left behind. Remove plants before seed pods develop. Most herbicides are ineffective, but you can try pre-emergent herbicides to prevent germination.