Different Types of Garden Crops grown in Situ

Today is Tuesday. Even though school is in session but wouldn't be busy as we normally do. this is due to educational week celebration 🥳🎉. The agenda for today is Career talk with the students for them to know their job market when they complete school. That would exactly 9 am. So, I decided to use about an hour to visit school practice Garden to perform some activities. Many Garden crops cannot be grown at stake unless we nurse them.But these are crops that are grown in Nsitu. I have devided my lands into 3 plots growing sugar cane, pineapple 🍍 and okra. This is not crop rotation system.

Sowing of sugar cane

Sugar cane is one of the crops that prefer to be grown in swampy or water log areas. But it can also be cultivated at where the soil wet. At the garden close to house, you can supply water daily to wet their roots.

It's cultivated using the stem cutting or one can also use the crown. I bought two growing sticks to expiriment at this piece of land. The following activities was done:

Measuring and cutting of the stems about 15cm longs. I made sure that I get at least 2 internodes and nodes. This is where the buds can emerge easily. The leaves on the stems were dressed.

2• The next was sowing. I sown the stem cutting with the buds showing up. it is sown like sowing cassava. I then watered the base till it wet.

_{sowing sugar}

Pineapple 🍍 bearing fruit

My pineapple has beared fruits. some would be ready to harvest with 2 months time. The cultural practices that need to be done on the pineapple garden is weeding. They fruits are healthy even though I have not applied any pesticide. I removed few weeds with my hands.

_{my pineapple bearing fruits}

My Okra infested with pest

Locust or grasshoppers 🦗 and caterpillars are the main pests affecting my okra on the field. The fruits are free from infestation, but the leaves are the parts that the locusts and caterpillars feed on. I applied pesticides last week which has reduced the invasion of these pests. But, when I visited the garden today, I saw that the locusts and caterpillars have pierced through most of the leaves.

The second application of the pesticides would be done on Saturday. the caterpillars can also pierce through the flowers and destroy the ovary and ovule from developing into fruits. So, I need to take proper management skills to control them.

There is no symptoms of diseases that have shown yet, but I am monitoring their growth to see if there are any I can prevent them before invading in the crops.

_{Okra garden being attacked by locusts & caterpillars}

Most of my Okra have bear flowers and others bearing fruits. I pruned some of excess branches which are of no used, especially the dried base ones.

I have decided to add up more vegetables like tomatoes and egg plants to get varieties of vegetables for supplementing my daily meals. That's the essence of keeping home gardening.

Look forwards for more updates in this #Gardenjournal - October challenge. It's my pleasure having you around!!!