Organic Gardening Projects Section 1: Gardening Basics Section 2: Fertilizer How-to Section 3: Efficient Microbe How-to Section 1 Gardening Basics This is a basic guide to principals of organic farming designated for the tropical climate and fauna in the Southeast Asian topography. Due to temperatures and various conditions, typical growing seasons range from September-November and February-June. Most fruit based growing seasons occur during the February-June period, as the vegetation requires more heat and a smaller range of temperature changes. Most vegetables can be grown year round, but to more success in the September-November period. When deciding which plants to grow, consider the following: -How much shade is available? -What is the soil type? Clay, sand, rock-based dirt -What are available methods of fertilizing the ground before planting? Preparing the growing area Firstly, it s important to designate the area either with stick markers or if you re given more resources, outline the area with a brick or stone demarcation. Not only will this prevent outside growth of grass, weeds and other invasive materials from, it will also help to maintain soil moisture and prevent livestock and children from eating/tampering with the plants.
Tilling the land Turning the land is the first step you need to take in starting any garden. For here, it is also especially important because the soil material can be less than hospitable for many plants that require more than 2 inch deep root structures. Using a hoe, shovel, or other instrument, loosen the soil by turning it and digging at least 6 inches deep. It is very important to make sure you remove grass (roots included) from the area. This is done much more easily once the ground has been tilled as you will have a much easier time removing the entire plant structure. Following this it is a good idea (if not very much necessary) to mix in your fertilizer. For every pound of soil there should be a 1/4 th component of fertilizer mixed in. Various Fertilizers When making fertilizer, make sure to allot at least two weeks before beginning your gardening project as it is necessary to allow time to collect and allow the materials to break down to be more effective in the soil. I highly recommend using fertilizer, especially in the soil makeup in this region. 1) The most simple fertilizer available is that of cow dung. The process of collecting cow dung should begin a week to two weeks before planting. This gives the dung time to collect, dry and in some cases ferment allowing easier dispersal as well as a more nutrient-rich mixture in the soil. You can begin collection by simply placing it in a designated area and allowing it to sit. Using palm leaves or grass, you can cover the dung and allow it to decompose over the period of time prior to planting. 2) A more complex, but just as easy is the cow dung-compost mixture. While you can do this without building a small structure of wood to hold the materials, it works much better if you make a small area where it can build into a larger pile. The basics of this suggest that by mixing ½ cow dung to ½ natural wastes (grass, palm leaves, kitchen waste, egg shells, etc.). By doing this, you can allow the materials and nutrients from the compost to mix in within the cow dung, creating a more potent and nutrient-rich fertilizer material. Same time scale as before. It is important to add between layers of dung and natural waste a small layer of ash from grass burning or leaves. This helps the process and soaks up some of the bacteria that is not necessary for growth. 3) A more time consuming, but very important method is that of BOKASHI. Basically, the method is that of a compost pile but with every 3/4 th compost, 1/4 th should be dedicated to wood chips or tree shavings. I originally thought that this would be a more difficult endeavor, but in reality wood chips and shavings are very much easily found. The theory behind this is that the living material of the shavings not only adds living nutrients into the natural waste, but also leaves a pleasant aroma. This is ideal for more residential areas and also for school-based gardening. I ll explain in the how to section how to make this in detail.
Containers for Compost collection Protective structure Many times, plants here have extreme difficulty dealing with the strength of the sun and for the most part, many vegetables require part shade, especially in the mid-day hours. Because of this, I recommend building a structure above the planting area to give some protection from the harsh mid-day sun. This can be done in various ways and is almost always very cheap. I have seen methods of using netting as a roof structure attached to poles (for more highend projects) to placing twigs and branches on top of the structure (some basic roofing is necessary to carry the weight, but there is an almost 100% chance that your students or co-workers will know how to construct this) to more scenic methods using bitter melon, gourd, or even traditional vine plants to grow on the roof of twigs in a trellis manner (this takes much more time obviously, but during your first growing season you can find plants that will do this job and by next season you may very well have a covered vine living roof). Below are some examples of different structures possible: Covered Garden using netting. A more high-end cost (100meters of this usually costs around $45-50) but highly-effective and longer lasting alternative. Only requires a basic skeleton structure to protect the plants from harsh sun rays while still allowing ample sun to come through.
A more Basic structure, but just as effective in covering the plants. This can be done with found materials. While it will require a more solid structure, the costs can be minimal. This is the garden I am currently building in my town. Planting Keep in mind that plants you want to grow and keep in mind the typical growing seasons. After allowing the soil to be mixed with the fertilizer, it s time to plant. Typically, a general rule of thumb is to allow plants at least 4 inches of space between one another. However, if you re growing plants such as gourds, pumpkins, morning glory and other large-growth fauna, allowing 8- inch radiuses will insure that they are not competing for the same nutrients and space. When planting, make sure that the entire root structure and 1/3 rd of the stem trunk is covered by dirt. During the first few weeks of growth the trunk will be weaker and will require more support from the ground. This also protects the weaker parts from strong sunrays. After planting, try and soak the soil. It s best if this is done in the morning or the evening. If you soak the soil and plants during mid-day the heat and sunrays could very well kill the plants. As a general rule, watering should be done before 9am and after 4pm. Caretaking Once your plants take root, you can continue to add small amounts of fertilizer to the area, but for the most part if you applied it at the beginning of the project, it s not extremely necessary. Some people will suggest putting a basic mulch-based cover on the soil. This can be done through wood chips, palm leaves, or hay. A very efficient and easy material to use for plant stability and growth enhancement is a probiotic material known as Efficient Microbes (E.M.) This is a method of fermentation which has had huge success in the Asia/Pacific region and is very easy to make and at low cost. I ll expand upon how to make this in an upcoming section. EM should be made at the same time as the fertilizer as it will take time to ferment and gain strength. Throughout the life cycle of the garden, invasive plants will continue to grow. A very important aspect of gardening is the basic maintenance of removing grass and other invasive plant growth to ensure that all nutrients are going to the plants rather than the non-native growths.
Section 2: Fertilizer How-to In this section I ll outline various Fertilizer methods for organic gardening. At minimum, I suggest you use cow dung during the garden preparations. With the soil quality being as bad as it is, it is very much necessary to at least include cow dung in your soil for good results. 1) Cow Dung: Prep time 1-2 weeks. The most simplistic form of fertilizer is cow dung. It contains probiotic materials and nutrients, which can help break down soil composition and add nutrients that are otherwise missing from the dry, clay-like soil seen in Cambodia. This is a very easy method and requires no funds and there is an almost infinite amount of cow dung available in your community, if you haven t smelled it already. All that is needed is to organize a collection area for the cow dung and build a pile. Every 4-6 inches, it is useful (but not required) to add a layer of ash. This can be done from burning a small area of grass or leaves, etc and then placing them on the dung. While your dung is sitting, it is a good idea to have a covered area or to simply place palm leaves over the dung to allow it to retain some moisture in the core but dry on the outside. This makes it easier to disperse in the soil while at the same time maintaining the nutrients needed. 2) Compost Pile: Prep time 3-8 weeks. During the Khmer Rouge, this method was used in a much more depraved way and has become something of a taboo for many communities across Cambodia. It hasn t been an issue in mine and has actually be employed by various farmers in the region, so this all depends on how your community reacts to the concept. This takes a bit more preparation but is very much worth the results you can see from it. This can be done with or without cow dung in the mixture. (I personally prefer using a compost/dung mixture) While you do not need a container, it does really help keep it all in one place and retain a greater percentage of moisture and heat inside, which is necessary for fermentation and decomposition. a. The first step is to build a container. This can be done employing various methods (two of which are pictured above in section 1). I prefer a mixture method, which allows more air to flow below and around the pile, ensuring enough oxygenation to occur. Using coconut husks as a floor base, you can build a bamboo or wooden enclosure with air slits in the ground. You can even place bricks on their side with the air holes facing outward, cemented together. b. Begin collecting natural waste from the area. This can be bananas, eggs, coconut husks, rice, fruits, vegetables, etc. If it can be broken down, it can be used. Bury vegetable, fruit and food scraps in the center. Keep adding your mixture of organic matter as the weeks go by, continuously building your compost pile until it is five feet wide at the bottom and three feet wide at the top. The center internal temperature should reach 120 to 150 degrees F. Turn the compost pile weekly. It should be ready to use in six weeks to two months.
c. For the second layer, use kitchen scraps, manure, or plants. For your third layer, add leaves (if you shred them, they'll break down faster). Next, layer straw. Then repeat your layers. Put manure and other compost at the top. Finish with a layer of straw. In summer, you may need to water the pile to keep it moist. d. Once the pile has had time to decompose, you can begin applying it in the soil. 3) Bokashi: Prep time 2-8 weeks. This is a newer, but effective way to enrich your soil, especially if you are using a smaller area. I would still recommend enriching your soil with manure if you re using this method, but it does add a lot more nutrients to the soil otherwise. a. Begin by buying a container made from plastic (larger the better) or a few 6 liter containers. You can also do this using netting and wood (as pictured in section 1) as long as you make sure to ensure the area is almost entirely shaded. b. Your pile should be entirely natural waste such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, leaves, etc. c. In another container, using either shredded wood chips or rice husks (even grass from rice fields works well) make sure and shred them to almost grain size material. For every liter of these shavings, there should be a 1/3 rd liter of Palm sugar and 1/4 th water. Mix the shavings and palm sugar together well. Allow the mixture to sit for around 2-3 weeks in a tightly sealed container. Make sure that the container is out of direct sun light as it needs a darker, warm environment to maintain moisture. d. After the 2-3 weeks, your basic compost should be breaking down quite nicely. Mix the Bokashi mixture in the compost. For every 5 pounds of Compost, there should be 1 pound Bokashi mixture. The Palm sugar is relatively inexpensive and provides a great resource for probiotic growth. If you re only working with a small organic garden at school or at a community resource center, I highly recommend this method.
Section 3: Efficient Microbe How-to Prep time: 2 weeks, stronger the longer it sits. What is EM? Efficient Microbes is a probiotic organic farming method employing the basics of nutrient composition and bacteria growth that are beneficial for plant, livestock, and even human immunity. Employing natural materials, EM works with naturally occurring decomposition and fermentation to provide a probiotic nutrient that is usable for many ways. What you re going to need: -Plastic containers (depending on how much you want to make, you can use the 16 oz water bottles, 1 liter bottles, or even a 5 liter bucket. Just ensure that you keep the ratios the same. -Newspaper or any paper or cloth -Rubber band or string (tape also works well) -A dark place to keep the finished product Formula 1: Tomato-based (remember to keep ratios the same if you want to make more or less than this example) 1 kg tomatoes 2 kg Palm Sugar Preparation: make sure and wash the tomatoes before cutting and ensure that you have a clean working environment. Cut the tomatoes up into small pieces and place in the plastic container. Afterward pour the palm sugar in, mixing it thoroughly. You want to make sure that it is properly mixed together, or it may not be as effective. Once it is mixed, place newspaper, plastic, or a container (with holes punctured) on top and secure it. Place it in a dark area for a minimum of 14 days to allow basic fermentation to occur. The longer you wait, the stronger it becomes. After 2-3 months you can mix 3/4 th formula with 1/4 th water to dilute it and allow it to be used on a larger scale. This is also great for giving to livestock (especially chicks at early life stages) and is even a great supplement for humans to repopulate the colon with probiotics Formula 2: Garlic and Ginger-based (keep the ratios the same if you want to make more or less than this example)
1kg garlic 1kg ginger 1kg palm sugar Preparation: Peel the garlic and ginger. The garlic husks are great to keep in a separate bag as they are a great natural fertilizer and are rich in nutrients if you are also working on a compost pile. Keep the ginger peels, as you will be dicing those up and putting them in the formula. I recommend using a mortar and pestle to help mash the garlic and ginger into a pulp. The more broken down, the better. Do this separately. Chop the garlic and ginger finely to make it easier to handle in the mortar and pestle. Once the garlic is finely mashed, put it in the container. Then move onto the ginger. Once both are mashed, add the palm sugar and mix thoroughly. Once the formula is fully mixed, place newspaper, plastic, or the lid with punctured holes to ensure some air release, but not too much. Secure the top and place in a dark place. Allow 14 days minimum before using this. The longer you wait, the stronger it becomes. Finished EM formulas