April 24-A Month of Agricultural Endeavours

On our farm, April has been an eventful month that is full of activity and productivity. Let’s take a closer look at the array of tasks we’ve accomplished over the past few weeks.

Cultivating Foundations:

In the first week, we focused on setting up drip irrigation to ensure a sufficient water supply. Last year, due to poor maintenance of the drip irrigation system, our coconut trees didn’t receive enough water during the summer, resulting in the loss of several trees. Refer:

To prevent a similar drought this year, we installed a drip line at a 4×4 spacing and also a one-and-a-half-inch vegetable drip line. Between the lines, we planted turmeric rhizomes. The primary goal of this dripline is to avoid drought during the summer, and so far, we have succeeded. However, we’ve observed varying growth rates of the rhizomes in different areas. We will continue to monitor turmeric’s progress and provide updates in future blogs.

Simultaneously, we spent two days thoroughly weeding the coconut field, ensuring that our highly nutritious crops have sufficient space and nutrients for growth.

In addition, we embarked on the process of air layering for select fruit trees, a technique that allows us to propagate new plants with desirable traits while maintaining the genetic integrity of the parent tree.

We applied farmyard manure (FYM) over two days to improve our ready-to-cultivate land area and prepare the soil for the following planting season. Rows and furrows are properly dug in the empty field to cultivate turmeric and onions.

Planting and Care:

The second week saw us begin the planting process, putting turmeric rhizomes (Black turmeric and Lakadong turmeric) in both our coconut and tapioca fields. This meticulous method assures appropriate spacing and depth for each rhizome, laying the groundwork for a plentiful harvest in the months ahead.

In parallel, we spent two to three days planting small onions in the gaps between fruit trees and the empty land.

Meanwhile, our continuous love to crop maintenance led us to spend six days intensively weeding the coconut field, ensuring that our coconut palms remained healthy and vibrant. Due of the heat of the sun, chili plant growth is slow at this time.

Refer: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5XZfX-i0WX/

Harvesting and caring trees:

Additionally, we had the opportunity to provide organic food products as return gifts for a housewarming function. For this event, we supplied 130 of our farm-grown coconuts, along with pepper and cinnamon.

In addition, we took on the important duty of applying natural fertilizers to our coconut trees, strengthening them against pests and illnesses and encouraging healthy growth.

In the meantime, we carefully packed the turmeric rhizomes that were collected last month and sent them to our clients.

Continuing Care and Yield:

Last week, three days were spent weeding the coconut field and the empty ground. And the dried copra was extracted from its shell and stored.

Our jackfruit tree is now in its third year of yielding fruit, and compared to last year, the yield has improved significantly. The weight of the jackfruits has increased, and their taste is simply awesome.

In 2019, we planted a jackfruit tree, and it is now yielding fruit for the first time. We are eagerly waiting to taste it.

Refer: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7DmTtdNp2-/

Meanwhile, the ripe bounty of our banana trees was harvested and promptly dispatched to local markets, where it is sure to delight discerning consumers with its exceptional flavor and freshness.

Resilience and Regrowth:

Absolutely. As you have been eagerly awaiting updates, we are delighted to tell you that our previously burned trees showed extraordinary resilience. We supported their recovery by diligently monitoring and applying natural fertilizers. We are happy to share that they are thriving again, showing the effectiveness of diligent care and sustainable techniques.

Refer: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7GHryJh4Fa/

We’re very happy with our burned trees’ resiliency; with proper care and natural approaches, they’re flourishing once more. It is evidence of both the strength of nature’s resiliency and our dedication to sustainable methods.

Stay tuned for the next month’s activities.