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Journey Back to Nature. Jennifer Del Mundo-Morantte ENRM 233.
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Journey Back to Nature Jennifer Del Mundo-Morantte ENRM 233
My first camote harvest came from a a few sprouts from an old camote garden that was cleared. I wanted to see whether these clearing scraps can still grow into good quality camote.When I observed that this 6 sq.m. area was where the flood stays, I started to pile up more mulch materials and just keep pits beside bananas. Four months later, the big camote nodules have been coming out from the soil. Some were eaten by mice already. A piece would weigh 350g to 750g! So, camote(sweet potato) is really a perinnial plant that may grow well for longer periods.
I planted another batch and directed it to 1month-mulched area, and continue to observe if it wanted the new environment that I Assigned to the second batch. As Masanobu Fukuoka suggested, I tried no-tilling, just mulching, method. Well! I was just pleasantly surprised to see growth! After 5 weeks, I thought that my radish will not make it thru the scorching heat! I just decided to pull the withering leaves, and came out my premature survivors,2-5ins long! (Premature by 2-3weeks) This is my first batch ofradish I ever planted. I First grew them in my kitchen-nursery, then transfered them along with tomatoes in a soft soil. None of my seedlings survuved.
Oyster mushrooms naturally flourished in this nook of shaded logs from fallen Caimito and Mango trees. Oyster mushrooms grew in Caimito logs while Tenga ng Daga flourished in Mango logs (Pajo variety).
After so many trial locations for growing my tomatoes, I finally succeeded nearby the kitchen drain. I got more convinced that it is tomato’s haven because so many Along the run-off of the kithen sink where micro streams start to form naturally. Those whose trellis were steadily put up, they as high as 4 feet, with strong, almost woody stems, and friut very generously during the summer. Much Of the areas in the house have dried up except for the kitchen garden where the drain from kitchen sink nourishes tomatoes, garlic, calamansi, new patola and squash vines.
The parent tree of this Antocarpus camansi, around 20meters high, was sentenced to death last July 2014, after the storm Glenda, not because it fell. The neighbor pleaded to have it cut because it they fear that it might fall into their house come another superstorm or disaster. Even these baby trees are being asked by my mom to be removed. I just made my parents a deal that they shall be cut shorter/pruned once they reach 10 meters. At ten months, my adopted babies are Around 1.5meters high. By the way, Mother Nature planted them.
My first fruiting Papaya tree grew among the composting materials beside the run-off of our laundry area. This is the only papaya tree that fruited among the 5 trees. 3 of them were male while the other female did not survive the April (2015) heat. As papaya is said to be a plant with high nutrient and water requirement, this spot of the lot area where adequate sun, water and nutrient are all present should be its niche. The picture to the left was the papaya tree after 7 months. About 15 of the fruits are almost fullgrown while more buds are still developing. The learning that I wish to share here is that it is really the plant’s adaptability to the envi-ronment that we helped them with that makes them flourish. The more naturally present their needs are, the more sustainable life is for them.
These baby coconuts are in danger of not getting planted simply because people in the area (including my parents who happened own this house) do not welcome coconut trees anywhere in the yard. The residents are more fearful of getting their homes destroyed by falling trees, than getting their lands deforested or eroded. As an obvious effect, summer in Batangas is unbelievably scorching hot!
This rose apple tree (Macopa) was pruned the day before “Glenda”(July 15, 2014). Sweet maroon fruits abound after 9 months. Also the camote that spread underneath it continue to produce all year round. We just keep covering the runner stems with mulch and soil. We still enjoy some camote for merienda despite the summer heat. The camote garden prevents the grasses from growing. Some grasses that persist are easily pulled and used for mulching, thus protecting soil from drying up.
My first Luffa cylindrica (patola), whose trellis got blown away by “Glenda” , got their way to the coconut trees, the net fences and the roofs! But they come so plenty that I was able to sell some to the vegetable vendor who usually sells us patola and squash. It is so over-whelming to experience selling my garden pro to her this time. My Photographer at the Left photo could not help but selfie while on duty! I continued my observation particularly on the vines that got hold of the coconut palms. Those with vines did not Drop. They simply held on , as if lending their “palms” to the vines that try to reach up higher. Even the sayote joined the patola towards the coconut tree! Helping is nature to all creatures!
So when I saw this grass on a part near our kitchen garden, I would plant combinations of seeds or cuttings there. Malunggay, calamansi and ampalaya went well together in the kitchen garden, too. Like the papaya tree, some squash seeds liked the spot near the compost pit and scattered so fast and had good leaves. It covered many clay soiled areas and also clinged to some parts of the fence. Just as when the squash were to flower, my father taught me how to help the bees in polli- nating the flowers. I insert the male flower’s pollen into the female flower’s center. What a cultural heritage learned From my very own Papa! Pintopina or “Manimani-an as the townfolks call this grass, are now popular cover crops because of its nitrogen-fixing capacity. Beneath their roots are fluffy textured soils that is good to nourish any germinating seed.
Since my father is now 79 years old, I decided to live with my parents for a year In his hometown. I never knew that as I enjoyed taking care of him, I really got to appreciate more how his needs (human needs) so complements nature’s pro- visions, and vice versa. I start my day picking fresh malunggay, one young patola and some extra male flowers from squash- for the bulanglang, Papa’s favorite. Then, his urinal would be full of concentrated nitro-juice which I dilute for the banana trees, the sampalok and mango trees. So our fruit trees really are forced to bear fruit! We also have Banaba, Chico, Guyabano, Kamias, and Bignay.... My stories are so unlimited to told. But these are all about how nature always makes our lives sustainable for as long as we want It to be.
