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.
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