Thursday 28th June 2012
The bed of basil before planting (left), the same one after planting (right)
Today we gonna turn the left picture into the right picture. Let's work step by step as usual.
- The steps:
1. Taking the corn off
6. Watering
The future bed of basil is an old bed of corn. According to these pictures, we have to take off the corn and the weed in order to have a clean and kindly ready soil :
The corn bed (left), the corn bed started to be cleaned (right)
Old corn is going to be used as compost. All is useful in permaculture.
2. Weeding
The weed grows everywhere, anytime. That's why weeding is an every day work. No chemicals but a positive energy to clean it ! !
Why is this so important ? The weed is a vegetal, plants are vegetals ... they use the same resources : water, nutriments, etc ... If we keep the weed, it will use a part of the resources expected for the plants. Moreover, the weed can feed the chicken of Buddha Garden. All is used in permaculture.
A brave weeding action (left), a good weed harvest (right)
Chicken are saying "it looks yummy !"
All is useful in permaculture
3. Drippers checking
The bed is now ready to receive the basil plants. Before planting, we have to check if the watering system is going well. That's why we check the drippers. Have a look on the previous page "Week 1 - Day 3" to know more about it.
Let's remind what a dripper looks like
4. Planting
All the planting steps are also described in the previous page "Week 1 - Day 3" . That page concerns the lady fingers planting, know that it is the same to plant basil. Have a look on it for the details. Only know that the basil plants has to be placed not too close from each other, and not so far in order to plant as much as possible.
A (very) short illustration by these pictures
5. Mulching
Let's take time to describe the mulching step.
As you should know, mulching means putting a lot of dry leaves on the soil, in order to keep it wet and feed it with nutriments given by the leaves, which have a compost role. So, conclude that mulching is really useful under the indian tropical weather ! !
The following pictures show how we collect the mulch, and how we spread it on the soil :
Collecting mulch in the wheelbarrow
Spreading mulch all over the bed ...
... still spreading untilf the bed is full of mulch ...
... note that mulch doesn't cover the plants to not damage them and because they need the sun light.
6. Watering
No need specific explanations ... right ? Then appreciate Sébastien's work.
Even with a watering system like drippers, any plant needs an important water quantity after being planted
The bed is finally ready. We were about 4 people to realize all these steps. It took around 2h. We are starving, and really happy to have our tamil breakfast as every day !
Delicious ragi (left), happy starving workers (right)
Thank you so much for cooking Shivakaya !
Let's end with nice faces
Cats say :
"The next page is talking about how making compost, and will also end with a nice face"
