Grow Your Own Food

This November,  Makassar has experienced rain although the intensity was mild. Rain brings fertility to the plants in my garden. One of them is the red chilies. As I have explained in writing about any plants that I'm growing in my garden before, this chili is one of the plants that grow rapidly. Whereas only about 25 cm high, the fruit is quite dense. There are 9 chilies that had grown larger, not including that of the former would chili flowers that had fallen.

In addition to chili  plants that growing in pot, I also planting some other type of chili in the ground. I planted three red curly chili and three  big red chili. In general, the growth of this plants is good enough. I gave a goat manure to fertilize the soil because the compost that I made have not been finished.

When the chili plants start flowering, fertilizer should be given again so that the nutrients used in fertilization fulfilled. If crops suffer from lack of nutrition, the flowers will easily fall out and failed to form fruit. Similarly, provision of water, should be given adequate - but not pooled so that plants do not rot.

There is also a bit of a challenge in maintaining this chili plants. Chili plants grow along with the time of mango trees around the house to fruition. White Fleas that often exist in a mango tree also looks at my chili plants. These fleas suck nutrients in the leaves. The plants will look thin and the leaf will curl. If it looks a little bit at the bottom of the leaf, I just rubbed by hand so that the fleas away. If the number is quite a lot,  I sprayed the natural pesticides that made from garlic. This method is successful on a small scale. However, if the chili plants are planted in large numbers, it seems less effective way.

Chili, for most people in Indonesia are a must-have ingredient in the kitchen. Indonesian people always provide sambal - a type of chili sauce to accompany the main meal. However, it is contrary to the fact that I do not like spicy food. This chili has been requested by my household assistant to be made sambal. She said, "You do not like sambal, but  planted many chilies". I just laugh at these words. "I planted all these chilies for you", I replied with a smile. By harvesting the chilies from the garden itself, I can get a fresh chili as well save the money for herbs. 

About half a year ago, I began to learn farming by using the hydroponic method. This method is a method of cultivating plants without soil. Water supplied nutrients into the planting medium. Initially, I tried the simplest method of hydroponics,the wick system. In this system, the nutrition water flowed through the principle of  capillarity. I've tried to plant lettuce, pokchoy, and chili using this system.

I use a plastic container to hold nutrients water and using styrofoam sheets as well as the retaining cap so that the net pots not get into the water.  Wick system scheme that I use can be seen in the picture below.

Planting process with this system is quite easy. Lettuce seeds sown in rockwool measured 3x3x3 cm. Rockwool is made from heated pumice , then made to resemble the fibers. Rockwool must be kept wet. Do not forget to put the seed in a place exposed to direct sunlight so that the seeds grow well. After 7-10 days and have 3-4 leaves, the plants can be transferred into a wick system that has been filled with  nutrients water. The treatment is very easy to do next. I just churning the water in the container every day. The goal is that the water that is in a container that has enough oxygen to support plant growth.

Both types of lettuce is quite resistant to hot air in this place ranging 35-36 degrees celcius. Red lettuce will appear dark red when exposed to direct sun light with high intensity. I been puts them in place that is not too much sunlight and evidently the color of the leaves are not predominantly red.

Red lettuce rapid and grand rapid that there is at the top of this article was about 18 days after planting. Look fresh and interesting to be harvested soon. But I still have to be patient about 12 days left until ready to harvest size. In general, lettuce type is used as a salad ingredient.

I will share stories about my plants and my gardening activities through this blog. I dreamed of having a productive garden, so that the harvests can be used for everyday needs. Thus, I can consume more healthy and more fresh foods.

Chives

Pumpkin

To be honest, I have never bought pumpkin seeds. I only sow seeds  from a pumpkin that I bought in the market.

Lime

I bought this lime  a year ago. These plants almost died because of the drought (it was my fault !!) and is attacked by caterpillars. But in the end these plants can survive after being treated well.

Lemongrass

I have three groves of lemon grass, and this is one of them. Just like the chives, lemon grass is also very easy to breed. Only by separating the existing grove, lemon grass will grow on its own. Lemongrass is a plant that can survive in drought, and resistant to insects. This plant can also be used as a natural pesticide to repel fleas existing in vegetable crops.

Pandan leaves

Pandan leaves is one herb that is commonly used in Asian kitchen. Pandan leaves generally used to give flavor to desserts. I often add it when cooking rice in order to get a more aromatic rice.