Transplanting Vegetable Seedlings

 Hello, it's me again.

    I have officially ran out of ideas on how to make an intro. So.......

PLANTING METHOD

    You can plant your vegetable in 2 ways. Both of these method has their own perks and advantages so pick whichever you think is worth it.

    a) DIRECT PLANTING

It is basically as it is. You directly plant the seed to the soil. This method is the most common and simple method available. This method allows early maturation of the plants. It is also less labour intensive. The disadvantage of this method is that not all of the seed will be guaranteed to grow. This basically means that you are not fully using the available area for growing crops. This will also cause you to lose seeds. Not only that, your crops are also exposed to pest infestation. It also has to compete with weeds to get nutrient from the soil causing less overall growth.

    b) INDIRECT PLANTING

Indirect planting is the method where you sow the seed in starter (seed trays). Once the seedling reaches a certain maturity, they will be ready for transplanting. Advantage of this is that it allow a greater control of the growth condition of the plants. Each seedling are given access to equal amounts of nutrients. Not only that, the success rate for germination is higher. However, this method is considerable more expensive and requires more labour compared to direct planting. There is also the risk of transplanting shock during the transplanting process.

SEEDLING TRANSPLANTING

    This process is done by moving the fully germinated seedling and replanting it in a permanent location. There are certain criteria which need to be checked before the seedling are ready to be transplanted. They are:

    1. Seedling must be free of pest

    2. Have undergone vigorous growth

    3. At least have 2-5 TRUE LEAVES

    4. Is around 12-15 cm of height

*if the seedling has a disease, it is more beneficial to dispose them

TRANSPLANTING METHOD

    1. Water the seedling before you start pulling it out from the seed tray. This is done to reduce the shock effect.

    2. Carefully pull out the seedling without shaking the media from the roots.

    3. Immediately plant the seedling to prevent the roots from drying out.

    4. Gently press the soil around the roots. 

    5. Proceed to GENTLY water the soil surface of the seedling. Using high pressure/impact water will cause the topsoil the be separated.

MULCHING

    Mulching is done to protect the top layer of the soil. It is done by layering/covering the soil with a layer of material. Organic mulch such as tree bark, straws, shredded leaves and peat moss will apply a natural cover which gradually breaks over time. This will improve the soil condition as the nutrients from the mulch is released back into the soil. Inorganic mulch, such as plastic mulch, does not break over time and does not bring any other benefit to the soil other than providing cover. Overall, using mulch can prevent weed growth, water loss, controlled soil temperature and reduced soil erosion.

That should be it for now, see you next time. Goodbye.

Planting Medium Preparation And Planting Bed Preparation

 Hello again, how are you all?

    Well...... on to the next topic. So, in medium and bed preparation, there are 5 main points. They are:

    1) Site selection

    2) Soil condition

    3) Soil preparation

    4) Lining 

    5) Bed preparation

1) SITE SELECTION

    In order to get the most optimal plant growth, of course the first thing to do is to observe the condition of the site/area. First things first, check the overall irrigation situation of the area. See how the waterflow works in the area. If the waterflow is bad you will need to spend time and money to improve it. Also check the quality, quantity and sustainability of the available water source. Water source such as rivers, lakes and wells will help supply water to your planting area. The location and size of your field will also be important. Larger sized field need more effort and money to maintain. Also make sure the field has access to roads or at least is near enough to a road. This allows easier access to the area. Knowing the site history is also important. What kind of crops were planted before? What was this area previously used for? These things will decide what you need to do in the area. It is also recommended to use pesticides to remove any remaining pest in the area. 

2) SOIL CONDITION

    The next thing to consider is the overall condition of the soil. Healthy soil will lead to healthy growth of plants. First, identify the type of soil. Is it light and sandy soil? Is it moderate and productive soil? The texture of the soil will heavily affect the drainage of water. Sandy soil will offer great aeration and proper drainage while clay soil has better moisture retention. Generally, you want a fine balance between these two. You can do a simple drainage test to assess the situation. The ideal time for drainage is within 12 to 30 minutes. Water draining under 12 min is not good as it drains too fast, not allowing the plant to get enough water. If it is above 30 minutes, it means that the soil can retain water better which is good for certain plant that need moist soil. However, anything way above that meant that the soil has poor drainage. Plants cannot grow in these conditions. Soil test can also be done to identify nutrient level of the soil as well as the pH level and organic content. Acidic or alkaline soil will stunt the growth of plants. These can be remedied by liming or adding organic matter to the soil. You should test the pH level of the soil at least once a year.

3) SOIL PREPARATION

    After assessing the soil, the next step should be preparing it. What kind of preparation depends on the soil condition that you previously assessed. Ploughing, harrowing and leveling the field are done on the soil. This helps releases the nutrient back into the soil. It also helps in removing weeds and insect nest (such as ants). This can help reduce potential pest and disease infection. Not only that it also improves the overall soil to plant contact which further improves plant growth. These preparation generally done before you start planting or for the purpose of land clearing.

    For land clearing the are two primary way that can be followed. Either by hand (manual) or mechanical (machinery). Not only that, occasional usage of chemical (weedicides) to clear out lands has been seen amongst farmers. There are several ways to till the soil. Primary tillage (or ploughing/sub-soiling) produces rough surface finish. The process of loosening, displacing and shattering the soil and mixing it in fertilizer, plant material, pesticides, result in soil with a rough texture. Secondary tillage, produces a finer and smoother soil surface finish. It is mostly done by using various combinations of equipment as disc harrow, hoe, shovel and rotary tillers. Using a combination of both tillage is also possible but it will increase your maintenance cost.

    Soil amendment is another process which will help improve the soil physical qualities. It is basically a process where you add other material to the soil. Examples of soil amendment are as such:

        a) Mulching - help conserve soil moisture, promote rooting, control weed, keep soil warm

        b) Composting - increase water retention, resiliency and reduce waste stream

        c) Fertilizer - provides essential nutrients (N,P,K) to plants

4) LINING

    Lining is fixing of points in the field where planting is to be carried out. There are 2 type of lining; straight lining and contour lining. Lining can ensure a more efficient field operation as it provides a uniform crop spacing, equal access to nutrient, water and sunlight, improves aeration, encourage quick and easy harvesting and easier movement in the area (machine, fertilizer etc). Example of tools needed for lining are:

    ● Lining rope (100 m long)

    ● Lining stick/ planting peg (1 meter long) 

    ● Measuring tape(30m – 50m) 

    ● Compass 

    ● Guides poles

5) BED PREPARATION

    Finally, the bedding. A bed is a medium or platform used to plant a crop. First thing to do at the planting bed is to remove unwanted vegetation. This can be done physically by using shovel and trowel or chemically by usage of herbicides. The bed can be formed manually by hand or by machine (bed tiller). There are 3 type of bed which can be used. The type of beds used are dependent on the soil condition and climate of the area. The first one is the flat bed. It is generally used if the water availability is adequate and there are no drainage problem. The next one the the raised bed. These bed are best used for clayey soil, poorly drained soil and is under high rainfall. They are generally 10-30cm high from the ground level. It can provide better drainage, a double topsoil layer and is easier to reach. However, this bed is not suitable if the area is in dry season as the water drains into the alleyway. Finally, the sunken bed. It is primarily used in dry region because of the low water capacity. It is constructed 2-5 cm below the soil level. The advantage of this bed is that the water will be collected inside the bed instead of running of the the side.

    

Well, that should be all from me for now. See you later.

Seed Treatment and Germination Methods

Hello everyone,

    It's me again, how are you all? Hope you are fine. Anyway, just want to update you all on what I learned this week. Better buckle up because there's a lot. 

    First thing first, a little bit about plant propagation. So what is plant propagation you ask? Well, in simple terms, it's basically how new plants grow (either from seeds, cutting, or any other parts of the plant). There's 2 main way of plant propagation, sexual propagation and asexual propagation. Sexual propagation is basically the plant growing from seeds (which can be found in fruits for example). Asexual propagation (or vegetative) however, does not rely on seed. Instead, they can be propagated by using parts of the plant like leaves, stems or roots. This can be occur either naturally by the plant (eg: sugarcane) or artificially by people. Artificial method such as cutting, grafting, budding and layering are some of the method people use propagate plants. But this time, I will only focus on the sexual propagation.

SEED SELECTION

    So you want to plant a tree or crop, but you don't know which one to choose? Don't worry, I got you. Here are some criteria to help you decide which seed is the best:

    1) Fresh and healthy seed 

    2) Mature seed

    3) Pure lineage

    4) Properly stored seeds

    5) High germination rate (at least 70% germination rate)

    6) Free from pest 

SEED TREATMENT

    Some seed require some treatment to ensure better propagation rate. The treatment can be done biologically, physically or through the use of chemical agent. These treatment also offer protection to the seeds. They are also used to soften hard seeds or break dormancy allowing easier germination process. Here are some type of treatment:

    1) Scarification is method where you intentionally damage the seed to allow them to germinate. Not all seed need to be scarred, so you might want to do some research on the seed that you're planning to plant.

    2) Fungicides and insecticides are very commonly used as it is not only very effective but also very easy to use. They can prevent fungal diseases and insect infestation. An example is using Thiram (fungicide) to prevent fungal diseases.

    3) Water soak treatment is a process where you soak the seed in hot water to kill some pathogens. However, this does not protect them from soil organism.

    4) Microbial inoculant is the use of beneficial microorganism to improve nutrient availability in the soil. These microorganism are added to the soil and are harmless to the plant. 

    5) Plant growth regulator or hormones can be used to regulate certain growth on the seed.

PRECAUTION

    While these treatment seems simple, it is better to be safe and follow certain rule so that it doesn't harm anyone or kill the seed. Make sure to label the treated seed so that you can differentiate the treated seed from the untreated ones. Also, make sure to use the correct dosages of chemicals and hormones. Over-dosage can affect the seeds. Dosages are often written in the bottle or package of the chemical so do not ignore it. Most importantly, keep them safe from human and animal as some of the chemical are  very harmful.

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTOR AFFECTING SEED GERMINATION

   There are several thing that you need to consider before planting the seed. Firstly, the lighting of the planting area. Depending on what type of plant your trying to propagate, the lighting of the area will be different. Providing some shade in the area is also advisable. Having constant access to air and water is also important for plant germination. The surrounding temperature also needs to be considered. 

METHOD OF SOWING

    Okay, so we've good the proper seed, proper treatment and proper surrounding. Next we need to sow the seed. Sowing seed can be as simple as placing them in soil. But some method offer better advantage and result than others. Some sowing methods are as below:

    1) Direct Sowing

    2) Planting Germinant

    3) Transplanting emergence

    4) Miniplug transplant

COMPONENTS IN SOIL MIXTURE

    There are many things that you can use to sow the seeds in. Depending on what you use, the seed will get different benefits. The most commonly used are soil and organic material. Other alternatives can be used such as peat moss, compost, sawdust, vermiculite, rice hull, pumice, perlite, rock wool and sand.

That should be all for now. See you next time.

First week of the course

 Hello,

    So this is my first blog post so I don't really know what to say about it. All I would like to say is that I am fairly new to this online study session since I spent my last year staying at home helping my parents after ending my diploma. Well...... enough about that, on to my first week of the class.

    Anyway,  regarding for my first class for the subject, it started with a brief explanation on the course outline followed some introduction on the subject as well as some 'ice breaking' session with the class. We did delve into the subject on farming equipment on the day, which introduced us to some familiar tools such as a spade, rake, shovel etc. There were some unfamiliar ones for me such as the hand cultivar and pruning shears. Turns out there were actually a lot more specific tools used for gardening/farming than I thought.

    There was also a brief explanation on the preparation of planting area (plowing, farm bed preparation and lining). I will learn about this topic in more detail in the future so stay tuned.

    Subject on proper farm maintenance was also touched, mainly on the tool maintenance. Taking proper care on tools can help them last longer, which in turn will reduce cost for the equipment repairs. Farming tools should be properly washes every time after they are used. BUT!!! more importantly, make sure that they are dried properly before they are stored or else they will rust very fast. Storing the tools in proper place will also allow you to keep track on them. Speaking of which, make sure to keep records on your tools. Keeping record of farm tools usage can help prevent the tools from disappearing or stolen. For tools that have bolt or screws, grease them up to allow smoother turning and movement.

    There are also 'special' tools used in farms to ensure the growth of the crops. These are divided into 4 groups which are; physical, biological, cultural and chemical control measure. A prime example of physical control is by altering the environment (humidity, water, light etc.), making it unsuitable for pest to live in. Biological control measure is basically using organism that are natural enemies to the pest that harms your crops. Meanwhile, cultural control measures are the practices/farming technique used on the farm. For example, like crop rotation and polyculture (planting various crops in an area). As for chemical control, well...... it's kinda self explanatory. You use chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides to control pest and weeds. But do remember that these chemicals will impact the environment so make sure to properly think about using this method.

    That should be everything that I learned on the first week of this course. See you next time. Thanks.