Munzy14:

nice work!.
Just wondering why the very easy one (Cucumber ), happens to be the one giving you headache. I have been on a freestyle with Cucumber. but i advice make sure you have ur naturally way of tackling fungi ready.
I am actually interested in your tomato update. I look forward to kick start one from August.

Very true with the bolded. That has been my Achilles hill with cucumbers. Yet, it has to be organic. And it has to be heirloom type for now. I need to get it right before going the hybrid way. (Just me anyways). I hope to record a profound victory this time around.

By the way, the tomatoes are doing excellently.

jidestroud:


Very true with the bolded. That has been my Achilles hill with cucumbers. Yet, it has to be organic. And it has to be heirloom type for now. I need to get it right before going the hybrid way. (Just me anyways). I hope to record a profound victory this time around.

By the way, the tomatoes are doing excellently.

That's good. however in preparation of your compost for the Cucumber, include wood ash. Just a measure to keep the fungi in check, while u make use of the baking soda every 3-4 days.
You will surely triumph.

please sir Mr jidestroud can you explain how to harvest ugu leaves in other to make it last longer

Adeoye007:
please sir Mr jidestroud can you explain how to harvest ugu leaves in other to make it last longer

Well, from my knowledge of Ugu planting, it could be grown both as perennial or annual plant depending on how you treat it.

Nevertheless, the cutting of your ugu after you have cut from the next available leaf, really has no effect on the lifespan of your ugu. All you need to do is make sure you irrigate it steadily, apply manure from time to time and take care of pest and diseases.

I do have an Ugu plant in the second year running now.

**Tomato Update - Blossom Drop**

A quick browsing through my home garden brought my attention to a negative development on my tomato plants. Most of the flower blossom were breaking off at the elbow. This is known as Blossom Drop. A few factors are responsible for these occurrence but I wouldn't go into much details. A few reasons are:

1. Weather conditions
2. Stress
3. Pollination issues
4. Improper fertilization
5. Too many blossoms
And lastly,
6. Diseases

In my case, I was able to identify the major reason why my setting blossom were dropping off. Due to the rains, I had stopped watering my tomato plants and left them to the mercy of the a downpour. Unfortunately, its been raining but just the short ones. I recent had my index finger into the soil recently and noticed how dried the earth was about after about 2inches down the top soil. Ooopse!!! I got carried away with the so much happenings around me. . Instantly, I mulched and started watering except it was a heavy rainfall.

Goodnews, the blossom drop is gradually stopping and I now have tomatoes coming out in their numbers.

jidestroud:

Well, from my knowledge of Ugu planting, it could be grown both as perennial or annual plant depending on how you treat it.

Nevertheless, the cutting of your ugu after you have cut from the next available leaf, really has no effect on the lifespan of your ugu. All you need to do is make sure you irrigate it steadily, apply manure from time to time and take are of pest and diseases.

I do have an Ugu plant in the second year running now.

Thanks for these tips. I'll adopt them so my ugu can serve me longer.

Cucumber Update - Planting Day 1

Finally, my cucumber goes into the ground today 2nd of August. The countdown starts now . This definitely will be my past attempt at it .Still trying to understand how I am successful at planting the difficult tomatoes and the easiest one of the all (cucumber) is giving me headache .

Planting Procedure
Prior today, I have been watering the already prepared beds daily up till this morning.

Seed per hole: 1 hole but 3per cluster with a spacing of 1cm between holes

Hole depth: About 0.5 inches in depth of holes.

Spacing used: 9 inches between rows of clusters.

I had to plant directly with nursing the cucumber seeds.

Now the waiting time begins.

Off to research on a very strong homemade organic fungicides to use for this project.

Coming soon is my homemade self irrigation system I intend to use for this project. All materials will be sourced within.

More updates soon.

jidestroud:
Cucumber Update - Planting Day 1

Finally, my cucumber goes into the ground today 2nd of August. The countdown starts now . This definitely will be my past attempt at it .Still trying to understand how I am successful at planting the difficult tomatoes and the easiest one of the all (cucumber) is giving me headache .

Planting Procedure


Prior today, I have been watering the already prepared beds daily up till this morning.

Seed per hole: 1 hole but 3per cluster with a spacing of 1cm between holes

Hole depth: About 0.5 inches in depth of holes.

Spacing used: 9 inches between rows of clusters.

I had to plant directly with nursing the cucumber seeds.

Now the waiting time begins.

Off to research on a very strong homemade organic fungicides to use for this project.

Seems cucumbers pest are some badass gangsters.

Hoping to see how you will deal with them organically cos I am pro organic too.

Are you still using Marketer?

Fluted seed multiplication through seed splitting - Repeated

Once again, ever since I found this technique out, I have been using it like every time - splitting from 2-4 parts. Saves me the trouble of looking for seeds to plant outside my garden.

Prior today, I had buried the ugu seeds in the sack filled sawdust and, watered it daily (lasts week sunday precisely). Today makes it 6days so I decided to check it out for roots development. Yup, good for some slicing up.

This time, I will be cutting up into two parts only (low on garden space already, as most of it would be gifted out).

The technique requires you cutting it such that each parts has a root attached to it. That's all.
After that must have been done, put it all back in the sack to promote further root development. The seeds should be good in the sack for another few days before planting.

That's all. Time to cut out 300 pieces. And all I need is just about 30.

Cucumber Update

Good news and Happy Sunday,

Exactly 3days today and all seems to be going well. I recorded 100% germination as ALL seeds grew forth (why did I waste my seeds sef )
I guess this where the journey begins. Time to starting making preparations for bombardment of organic pesticides / FUNGICIDES.

Zoooooom zoooooom. Service calls!!!

Goodnews, the blossom drop is gradually stopping and I now have tomatoes coming out in their numbers.
[/quote]
honestly the blossom drop was a huge setback for me last year. I am getting set to give tomato growing a serious battle.

Munzy14:


honestly the blossom drop was a huge setback for me last year. I am getting set to give tomato growing a serious battle.

Cool...

Garden Updates

So far, its been success all the way with every one of my garden plants (and I pray it remains So ). Everything experimented upon seems to be falling inline with my wishes.

Starting with the
Tomatoes
The tomatoes are out in their numbers and are gaining size daily. The issue with blossom drop has been reduced to the barest minimum with only a few evident.

Cucumber
This one just dey sweet my belle. I know I only just started but, I am very optimistic this is going to be a very successful journey.
I thinned in down to 2 per cluster today (what a waste). True leaves gradually emerging.

...Cont

Ugu Multiplication
Good news from this quarters too. Split seeds have gained roots and sprouting is visible emerging from the sawdust sack. I brought out for inspection and planting is good to go anytime from now (tomorrow I guess).

Pepper - Rodo and Tatatse
Good to have the news members of my garden doing well too. Transplanting should be done in another week's time.

Hello jidestroud. Please what is the ideal planting space for Ugu if one is staking?

jidestroud:
...Cont

Ugu Multiplication
Good news from this quarters too. Split seeds have gained roots and sprouting is visible emerging from the sawdust sack. I brought out for inspection and planting is good to go anytime from now (tomorrow I guess).

Does this Ugu seed multiplication have any negative effect on the expected yield?

excanny:
Hello jidestroud. Please what is the ideal planting space for Ugu if one is staking?

Does this Ugu seed multiplication have any negative effect on the expected yield?

Multiplication defects? Well, none that I know of. Been doing the multiplication technique for a while now and all are doing well.

On spacing, anything from (.5)1m x (.5)1m is perfect.

jidestroud:


Multiplication defects? Well, none that I know of. Been doing the multiplication technique for a while now and all are doing well.

On spacing, anything from (.5)1m x (.5)1m is perfect.

Hope you compared your overall yield in terms of tonnage to the ones you planted whole?

Also, any advantage in making beds for Ugu planting?

excanny:


Hope you compared your overall yield in terms of tonnage to the ones you planted whole?

Also, any advantage in making beds for Ugu planting?

It has no effect on yield.

Making beds or not is totally dependent on the terrains (water logged, weed control etc). Ordinary tilling and land prep is good outside what is mentioned above.

hello, you are doing a nice job sir, and your thread kinda inspired me to go into agriculture ........you had issues with slugs last year, how did u eventually stop them from eating your crops?......seems there are lots of slugs in my garden too and I don't want them finish my sweat....lol..
cc jidestroud

hazel01:
hello, you are doing a nice job sir, and your thread kinda inspired me to go into agriculture ........you had issues with slugs last year, how did u eventually stop them from eating your crops?......seems there are lots of slugs in my garden too and I don't want them finish my sweat....lol..
cc jidestroud

Sorry for the late response.

Slugs in your garden? . I remember using crushed egg shell. Also, I think the crushed garlic spray did the job for me. Nevertheless, I did a lot of handpicking, and grew basil all over the garden. Can't really tell which did the job for me.

Tomato Update:

I hereby certify myself a tomato guru (just kidding). I have been able to grow tomatoes in all weathers (i.e Rainy and Dry season) without having any issues. Also, growing them using WITHOUT inorganic interference remains my greatest achievement. All organic introductions were totally homemade. .

Time to move on to CUCUMBER my Achilles Hill .
Let's see how it goes.

Lovely pictures from the tomato section of my garden.

More pictures

jidestroud:
Tomato Update:

I hereby certify myself a tomato guru (just kidding). I have been able to grow tomatoes in all weathers (i.e Rainy and Dry season) without having any issues. Also, growing them using WITHOUT inorganic interference remains my greatest achievement. All organic introductions were totally homemade. .

Time to move on to CUCUMBER my Achilles Hill .
Let's see how it goes.

Lovely pictures from the tomato section of my garden.

lol kudos!. I just envy this tomato.
well, am getting set for it. still at the nursery stage.

Munzy14:

lol kudos!. I just envy this tomato.
well, am getting set for it. still at the nursery stage.

Waiting to see how it goes. God's speed.

I need all the assistance I can get with this cucumbers walahi!!

jidestroud:

Waiting to see how it goes. God's speed.

I need all the assistance I can get with this cucumbers walahi!!

Cucumber, u only have fungi to battle with. just don't give a room for it to over power u.
As for fertilization, cow dung or cured poultry waste is your best bet. Every 15days application.

Munzy14:

Cucumber, u only have fungi to battle with. just don't give a room for it to over power u.
As for fertilization, cow dung or cured poultry waste is your best bet. Every 15days application.

Fungi to battle with

Fertilization 15days application

Lots of water


Noted!!

jidestroud, what could possibly be the problem with this tomato plant?

I tried this stuff the leafs dried on my what am I doing wrong??

jidestroud:
Day 27: (Scent leaf propagation "Basil"

Basil to be inter-cropped with my tomato plant

Since I have opted to use biological/organic means as much as possible on my farm, I have been constantly checking out plants that are of mutual benefits to one another. So today, it's Basil aka scent-leaf nursing day.

Unfortunately, I could lay my hands on the seeds so I opted for the self propagation way.

The rest is explained in the pictures.

All I have to do now is wait for roots to develop. This should take roughly about 2weeks. *i'm a very patient farmer. Lol

excanny:
jidestroud, what could possibly be the problem with this tomato plant?

Hi, I can't really make much of the picture posted. Not too detailed but, from what I can see, it is probably a soil defect. Could you help upload a clearer picture so we could make proper examination of the plant.

AmadeusCho:
I tried this stuff the leafs dried on my what am I doing wrong??

The Basil dried up in the jar of water?