Rain rain, it's okay don't go away

Before I get to why I've made my peace with the rains...I'd share the embarrassingly curt and curtly embarrassing email MBF sent me.

" 

heart·rend·ing

  [hahrt-ren-ding]  Show IPA

adjective

causing or expressing intense grief, anguish, or distress.

Cucumber roots doing that to you? ;-)  "

So obviously, with ears 'fuchsia pink' (expression borrowed, not mine) and a soiled foot in my mouth I wish to amend my feelings for the cucumber roots from the above to exuberantly ebullient. Peace. 

As far, as the soiled foot goes...lunch time today again found me, at the soggy farmland of my aged friend. His son (who actually does the running around, to get the farms and the poly-houses going) was also present and who got really interested in hydroponics and in my small steps in that direction.. He has promised to pay me a visit tomorrow. He was also kind enough to allow me to help myself to another piece of discarded poly-film to cover the last bit of my greenhouse of sorts. A little further up the highway, I also purchased some shade net for the sides of the greenhouse. And so,

 with everything finally in place,

 I'm quite alright

 if it rains hard or light, day and night.

Early this morning I saw a chilly 'squashed' (pun intended). The golden yellow squash (or golden yellow zucchini for some), like the others has decided to strive for the skies while also building on bulk. Its resultant fall landed on the adjacent hapless chilly, which just about survived. This prompted me into building some sort of a support system for all the plants...like 'somebody to lean on'.

And the cucumber literally grabbed the twine with at least one of its hands!

It's also good to see the smaller plants in the NFT system, doing well.

Next, I intend to install a couple of additional NFT systems, dedicated primarily to Swiss Chard, Lettuce and Spinach. I also want to carry out a little experiment on the side. An experiment to coax the unyielding seeds of Rosemary, Parsley and Asparagus, which never germinated. More on that in the later posts. 

The farm yonder...

The monsoons persist. A near constant drizzle and my frequent absence brings a frown of concern on my forehead, for the health and well being of the little green beings back home. 

So early last morning, as I drove for home eagerly I reached the conclusion that the cage like structure had to have a poly film cover at the earliest. That and an electrical plug point. My problem was I didn't know where I could buy the poly film from. 

Racing past sluggish traffic, I happened to look off the highway in far distance. Yonder...is a word you don't just use any day. Only when what your eyes see as completely in context and resoundingly in relevance, do you give in to use words like that. 

I was still about 20 kms away from home. It was about to be time for work. Yet, I took a quick detour just to see the road leading to the farm, for future use later in the day. I was in for a little surprise that there didn't seem to be any road leading to the white structure in the middle of acres of tilled/ soggy farm land. So I just made a mental note of the general location and raced for work.

Noon. Lunch Break. No lunch. Fast drive. The car brought to a halt, about a half a km from the edge of the first fields that led to the poly-houses out yonder. Squish-squish. Leather shoes back to basics. Presented myself to an old man. Thankfully, he could understand the language. Tomato plantation, under the poly-shades. I ask for the place where I could buy the poly film from. Given some very very distant location. Dejection. Invitation to see the plantation inside.  Rudimentary. Still picking up. I ask him if he's heard of hydroponics. No. And then...my eyes fall on heaps of poly film just thrown around. My questioning eyes look at him. He says, 'waste'. May I take some!!?? 'Sure'. Three smileys in a row...followed by two with a sweat-drop of relief leaving the forehead. I realise, it's heavy...unwieldy...smelling of old mud and manure...soiling my torso and legs and face and also acts like a sail, the wind decides to play with and whisk it away along with me as payload. I lose balance. Fall into the field. Laughter. I get up...thank the old man again and resume my wobbly walk back to the car. If you look carefully beyond my prized possession, you'd see the figure of the old man in white against the backdrop of the poly houses.

Meanwhile, I have friends...who are accomplished electricians and have begun to set up the basic electrical requirements, under the un-shaded as yet, cage.

So, I reach back. Wash the two pieces of poly-film. It's a mix and match job. One from Germany (thicker, would diffuse sunlight more, is my guess)...one Indian...sturdy but with more allowance for sunlight. I'm not a chooser. I'm a fixer, in the process of fixing...

Fixed. Front...

                                      

And back...

A little peek-a-boo with the Underworld of cool Cucumbers. 

That's the fabled root system already picking up. Heart-rending.

It's also time to shift the raft from its window-side perch inside the house, to under the now poly-filmed structure.

For now, the 'green-house' looks sparsely populated with the three systems employing hydroponics doing encouragingly well. 

It's time to populate the place more. And also to get some more film from my old friend. To cover the uncovered portions.

Skeletal beginnings

I'm back. Sadly just for a day...of which the productive hours were at most two. And this post would talk of those two hours worth of action.
But, first things first. Pictures of the cucumber plant duly 'Kratky-ised'.

And then of the skeletal green house...I hope to do something about giving it muscle and tissue in the coming week.

So, as I've mentioned before, the day you expect you'd get sometime off (because you're not well for instance, and hope to be excused for the day) and would use it at leisure to do what you want, happens to be the day you land up attending one of the longest meetings at your place of work (precisely from 09:45 am till 03:25 pm). The two hours finally began.

The first hour or so was devoted to the preparation of Grow Bed No 2 and transplanting five plants:

1. Yellow Capsicum.

2. Red Capsicum.

3. Chilli (Hybrid Hot Pepper).

4. Cherry Tomato.

5. Tomato Suhyana.

In addition the Grow Bed No 1 also had the following additions:

1. Corainder Imported.

2. Chilli Jwala Pariksha.

3. Chilli Vasudha (Hybrid).

Here's how it looks now.

The next hour was devoted to setting up the NFT (nutrient film technique) or the Raft System. Where in a trough is filled up (to a certain level) with nutrient rich RO water. This is covered with a plate with 12 holes, through which correctly sized net pots rest snug. The base of the net pots just about touches the nutrient rich water below. The seedlings so far nesting in the grow plugs are now transplanted- implying, simply placed along with the  grow plugs into the netted pots. An aquarium air pump is used to aerate the water in the trough. As a result, an efficient constantly aerated nutrient rich medium is ever-available to the root-system of the plants atop. I hope my plants find it all conducive. There's a catch to what I've done though...and I'm well within my rights to advise, "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME".

Actually, 'inside your home' is more like it. Ideally the NFT system should also be happily residing inside the green house. But my skeletal structure neither has the protection of a poly-film/ shade-net so far, nor an electrical plug point to feed the air pump. So for now, the system rests by a window inside the house that gets adequate sunlight for at least a few hours. To be on the safe side, I've let the lights of the room switched on too, for what it'd be worth (God forgive me for the next two days for this national wastage). So the entire system for the moment is a series of 'jugaads'. Don't believe that's a word!? Google for a book called:

Jugaad Innovation: A Frugal and Flexible Approach to Innovation for the 21st Century 

Navi Radjou (Author), Jaideep Prabhu (Author), Simone Ahuja (Author)

Here's how it all looks.

Incidentally, I'm not the only one who's wanting the artificial light inside the room to aid photosynthesis to the plants. While my method is more wishful and completely bereft of technology, there's an amazing revolution currently on in Japan. If interested, visit the links below to see what Japanese plant physiologist Shigeharu Shimamura, is doing with his start-up through Mirai Inc.

(This information through my very dear friend Tom)

http://www.gereports.com/post/91250246340/lettuce-see-the-future-japanese-farmer-builds

http://www.mitsuifudosan.co.jp/english/corporate/news/2012/0216/index.html

Hope to see a lot more of you all, next week.

Kratky-xhausted...

 This was one long weekend. And going to be one long week, well almost. I returned today, i.e. Monday morning, knowing that I was to leave again for three days this very evening. So I'm some place far far away from the adventure I got started back home...(equally far from the plants and the plants to be). But, one which left me 'accomplishedly' exhausted. He's the start point.

B.A. Kratky, Horticulturist

University of Hawaii CTAHR/TPSS

Beaumont Agricultural Research Center

875 Komohana

Hilo, Hawaii 96720 USA

The gentleman has come up with an amazing system. The details can be easily googled. I'd just simply outline what happened because of them today. As always was running late. Does it happen to all of us, that the day we're behind schedule is also the day we want to accomplish the maximum?

My aim: To set up a Kratky system to grow cucumber. When set up correctly, the system looks after itself till it runs out of 'fuel'. In my case, this may happen after 3 to 4 months. Which means, I hope for an almost steady supply of cucumber post fruition.

Items required: A huge container (200 l plus); Ideally, RO water to fill it up; Topping it up with the right nutrient in the right proportion; A netted pot which sits into the containers lid, cut to size; The cucumber seedling (with vibrant true leaves et al) cocooned yet in the grow plug, snuggled cosy into a rain of clay pellets, which have been poured into the netted pot. So it starts with this...

A plastic tank, I was assured was of 200 l capacity. But when I emptied these...

with my Maths of 20 x 10= 200, I realised that the tank was still short by about 100 l. Getting that much of RO water in a jiffy was not easy. Lugging it from the source into the back of the car was difficult. Lugging it from where the car was parked to the tank was even more difficult. And pouring that much of water, was kind of back-breaking. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was a drop-drop, drip-drip from the two plastic plugs you see at the tanks' bottom. You tighten them too much, they break. You live with, the nutrient rich water feeds terra firma along with the cucumbers roots. So, a plumber was summoned...who heroically, without much ado used the age old friend of plumbers across the world-a thread-to plug the leaks. The tank duly filled.

As I'd said, I was running late for the airport. So the preparation of the nutrient solution (between checking on the internet for details for the same and making unsuccessful calls to my garden-guru), the settling of the seedling into the clay pellets in the netted plot, the mixing of the proportional nutrient into the tank and the final placing of the netted plot, all happened within a span of about 15 minutes. I had a sheen of sweat on my forehead after that and I also forgot to take pictures. But, I promise to do so on reaching back.

Meanwhile, the frame for greenhouse, its foundation etc progress steadily.

Have never waited for a Thursday evening as eagerly, as I do now.

Look! It's (not) a greenhouse!!!

It's not been raining. But again, it's not been 'not raining' either. So the clouds stay put, with not a glimpse of sun. And it drizzles on whim. And the stalks just seem to continue to grow taller. Understandably, I've been a Constant'ly' concerned Gardener. And so, I decided to do something about it. Rudimentary--but i thought it'd work.

And then I thought it was too rudimentary for comfort. And I looked around. Until, I found something!!! A cot that's not, caught unawares. And this happened...And the plants got all the sunlight there was and none of the rain, that in any case hardly was.

Psychologically and hopefully realistically, I believe the plants did well with the contraption. Looking forward to sunnier days ahead. 

Alongside, the plinth dedicated to the real green house, trudged along patiently through the day...

Dug!!

Course dirt!!

Rubble!!

'Trance'planted !

Alright, so before I go any further...I intend to grow my vegetables primarily through Hydroponics as you might have guessed by now. Much as I would like everything to grow into the Raft System (on this later), there are plants that need more space. The French Bean and both the Zucchinis (green and golden) fall into this category. So they need something called the Aggregate or Media based system. That's where the Grow Beds come in to play (for pics see Cache 52 blogged on 09 Jul 14). 

Come evening and I look forward to preparing my first grow bed over. Honestly, it took longer than I expected it to. The innocuous looking coco-peat bale takes a bit of work and 2 and a half buckets of water to get from this...

then this...

to a very earthy consistency. Your work becomes interesting with a dull ache in the lower back; and all the more demanding while being carried out under the vigilant eyes of a praying mantis...a brown one at that. Seriously, I've never seen one that's as brown.

So as I worked, Brownie watched and finally I transplanted the three true-leaved pioneers. As if on cue, Brownie decided to move up for a final inspection.

This I felt, was a bit much...especially as I'm not familiar with the dietary preferences of the insect with sticks for parts of its body. So he was gently coaxed to take off and rest aloft the low branches of a mango tree in the vicinity. Meanwhile this is how the grow bed awaits tomorrows' sunlight and nutrients.

I'm upbeat for the obvious reasons, but I'm also a little worried. For I recollect my garden-guru at one time commenting upon the dearth of sun-light being one of the reasons for longish stalks under true-leaves. I find my stalks to be 'Magic Johnson' wannabes. I hope I'm wrong or soon proved wrong. And... I do get the full blown irony of the fact, that across the nation as the farmers rejoice rains...here's me hoping for the clouds to part for a healthy share of 'photonic' energy for my warriors.

Leaves of Truth

Was supposed to be back early morning on Monday (14th Jul). Unforeseen circumstances and forces beyond my control, delayed my arrival by about 12 hours. So I reached late in the evening, clumsily fumbled with the lock and entered (read barged) into the house, not just because of the urgent need to use the wash room, but to check on the polythene shrouded babies...4 more were ready to be kept out! Chilli Vasudha, Chilli Jwala Pariksha, Imported Coriander and Basil (planted by MBF). I'd spare you the details at the wash room.

A trip outside, welcomed me to a couple of beautiful True Leaves on the French Bean. 

It's one thing to read about science and how plants live and grow etc. It's quite something else when you actually see it happen at your own hands. I was mesmerised. Meanwhile, the Zucchinis are showing promise too. I hope to transplant the three musketeers by evening today.

Enid Blyton

So the Famous Five, reared their heads tall on the morning of 10 Jul 14.

 In fact, the polythene sheet covering the grow plugs, looked tent like at dawn...and for a moment I thought a little animal had decided to investigate and was now inside helping itself to some greens...but that was the cucumber, straining out reminding me of an ever inquisitive Mir Cat. I knew these had now to be shifted to the sun. But I wasn't sure. So the garden-guru was called up at an ungodly hour...and he picked up!!! Sure enough, five minutes later they were out, under a make shift mesh-dome.

Just before I left for office, I checked on the poly-sheet shrouded guys once more and was rather surprised to see two more, ready to move out. So Spinach and Swiss Chard join up. The Secret Seven therefore...

Alright...alright...I know...way too many similar looking pictures. But man!! is it exciting!!!! Anyway, the rate at which these things want to get out to sun to get to the stage of bearing true leaves, I feel I better be prepared and be some steps ahead. So the first thing that comes to mind is, where would these finally be transplanted. "under a greenhouse!!!" replies the child in me. "and where do we have a greenhouse?" asks the adult in me. Child, "let's get one!!!". Adult, "Let's!!!"

Be very careful what you promise to kids. For, a promise is a promise.

Real estate...the first requirement to a green house. There's this piece of land beside my bedroom, where the previous occupants had supposedly had a rose garden growing. Surprisingly all the plants are healthy, but I've never once seen a flower. 

So I've had all the rose plants transplanted to another spot in the house. Shankar helped me with that. Shankar also prepared the ground and is trying to get it to be a make shift hard-standing. And now it looks like this.

I've gotten around to convince some people to further do it up for me in the coming week. Shall keep us all posted. Meanwhile, last evening I've prepared a litre each of the two types of nutrient rich solution, simply called Grow A and Grow B.

This morning, the secret seven have grown to finally a total of 15!! Okay...I'd spare you...so no more pictures of a similar nature. But there's this one thing that I saw and I was truly wonder-struck. More so because the seedling seemed to be yelling out (literally) to draw attention to its roots!

That ladies and gentlemen, is the Golden Zucchini.

And this ladies and gentlemen, is me displaying that sometimes I just don't know when to stop. 

So before I sheepishly sign off for the weekend, I'd like to share that I'm a bit concerned for the health of the Methi seedling. That's the top most girl in the left most column. I hope she does fine. I'm also concerned for the overall well-being of the rest of the plants in my absence for the next two days...when those under the poly-sheet would continue to be there, all by themselves in a locked up house and those outside would be completely reliant on Shankar to feed them aptly with the nutrient solution and sunlight. God bless my warriors!!

Cache 52

So my stuff arrived yesterday. It weighed 52 kgs and VRL logistics were efficient enough to deliever it within 3-4 days since, the packages began their journey from Bangalore. (It's a different story that they  took an almostsimilar time, in finally handing me over my consignment as they unprofessionally and laboriously struggled with the paper work. No cribs still.). But before that...a little something that I learnt the evening prior. My best friend (MBF) had dropped in. As the evening matured, I reluctantly spoke of mybitintheplace. He saw it...and commented on the chosen template (Ethereal, if I'm not wrong). More specifically, he enlightened on the weaver birds seen in the template. So how it goes in the Indian context is...and I quote, (read Ctrl+C/ Ctrl+V) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baya_weaver  

"The nests are partially built before the males begin to display to passing females by flapping their wings and calling while hanging from their nests. The females inspect the nest and signal their acceptance of a male. Once a male and a female are paired, the male goes on to complete the nest by adding the entrance tunnel. Males are almost solely in charge of nest building, though their female partners may join in giving the finishing touches, particularly on the interiors. Females may modify the interiors or add blobs of mud. A study has found that nest location is more important than nest structure for the female when it selects the nest and mate. Females prefer nests high in trees, those over dry land, and those on thin branches."  Unquote. I like  to see a connection here. 

So here's how it looked when it just arrived:

And this is how, when I opened it up:

By way of introduction...here's a disassembled grow bed...

When assembled it becomes this...

This would be filled with the coco-peat bales (each weighs 5 kgs) and watered for the coco-peat to get to a non-sticky soil like consistency. The bale looks like...

Meanwhile...at least 5 seeds have promisingly unshackled. Methi, French Bean, Rucola (aka rocket leaves), Cucumber and Golden Yellow Squash (aka golden zucchini). Isn't it a miracle!!!!??? And I very fondly and aptly recall here my friend quoting another friend (possibly quoting from someplace else), 'the mighty oak you see was one nut who stood his ground'.