EKPRAM

My Little Garden

Two weeks ago. I have posted about my seeding activity, and today I will continue make a post about the next process and the development of my plants. By the way, for two weeks ago, my seeds did not get enough sunlight. Perhaps it was causing my seeds growth was not perfect. Tall thin stems with small leaves. But, I'm not going to cancel the next steps of my planting process. I will repeat the process after all steps done, whatever the result. One more time, this is not tutorial post, this is just my experience from what I'm doing.

Prepare the Netpot

Setting Up Equipment
First step, I prepared a place for my planting and some equipment (all equipment I have got from my training a couple weeks ago).
1. Water and nutrition place, I used plastic bucket.
2. Netpot, 5 pcs
3. Flannel fabric, 5 pcs with size 1.5cm x 15cm.
4. Styrofoam, with 5 holes. Size of the styrofoam was equal to the width of the brim.

Fill bucket with water

Water And Nutrition
After the equipment ready, I filled bucket with water. I used 1 liter bottle water and I mix with nutrient A and B. (I wasn't sure how much), but I used bottle cap for measuring (a cap each nutrient). I shake the bucket to make water and nutrients blended perfectly.

Nutrition

Planting The Plants
The next step, I separated my seeds from group and insert one by one to Netpot. I did it with carefully for make the plant and the rockwool not broken. Previously I plugged a piece flannel fabric in the bottom of the Netpot. When the plant in the netpot correctly, I put the netpot in to the hole of styrofoam that's I placed on the bucket.

Separated The Plants

Now, my plants has already planted. we'll see how it goes. I just need to keep the water and the nutrition level and keeps the plant not dry out. It is also important to make the plants get enough sunlight. Because I don't have green house or place with skylight, I must be patient to move my bucket everyday. (also read the previous process of my planting here)

Place The Netpot with Plants into hole

   

My Little Garden  Two weeks ago. I have posted about my seeding activity, and today I will continue make a post about the next process ...

Lime seedling ready to plant

Raining last night gave us good news after 3 days in a row my village has sunny and blown by strong winds. The lime seedling has came from seedling farmer 5 days ago and waiting to planting under the trees in my garden. The planting schedule has postponed because the weather condition. Sunny and wind feared make the seedling dries and leaves fall off and than die.

But this morning the weather was good, and time to planting the lime seedling at the farm field that not to far from my house. The lime seedlings carried by barrow to the field. The field has been ready after preparing two weeks ago (waterways and irrigation). The waterways has been created lanes with distance each 2 meters along the field.

Attached seedling into the hole

Started with made hole at the field diameter 10 - 15 cm with deep 15 cm in center of the field between waterways (so distance hole with waterways was 1 meter). Distance the next hole about 1,5 meters. I put the lime seedlings when the holes were ready and filled the hole that seedling root already in with soil. I press the soil so that lime seedling stand properly.

After all off young lime trees stand, I cleaned waste of the seedling wrap. Because the wrap made from plastic, it would be disturb soil fertility. The trees will be fruiting after 1 year old, so need patient to wait. But to make the field productive, farmer usually also planting another plant for companion. Also in my field, the corn that planted last week already grown.        

The young lime tree

Lime seedling ready to plant Raining last night gave us good news after 3 days in a row my village has sunny and blown by strong winds....

Seeding results in My Hydroponics Training

After joined to the hydroponics training about few days ago, I tried to practiced my knowledge about how to seeding in rockwool. The knowledge gained is to be practiced. Apparently, It was not to difficult. I will share what I know about seeding for hydroponics gardening (Hydroponics Farm). Disclaimer : No guarantee this is the best way and certainly successful. I'm not a professional farmer. I just share my knowledge and what I'm doing now. It's can be tutorial but I'm not thinking it's 100% tutorial post. This is more like journal.

Cutting The Rockwool

Cutting The Rockwool

Rockwool is a popular material for use as a seeding and planting at the same time. So I used this material for my seeding. The important for how to cutting the rockwool is we must make sure that the rockwool fibers will be in the direction of the plant growth. I cut rockwool with a thickness of 2-3 cm. After that, I divided rockwool into same sections (modules) in 3 cm square (slice but not separate is better). Better if, the parts are not separate (still in unit but easy to be separated). I used a little hacksaw to make results more neatly (My trainer mention about it).

Made The Rockwool modules

Wetting The Rockwool

Wetting The Rockwool

After I had Rockwool in modules, the next step is make the rockwool wet. I used fresh water (I used bottled water because groundwater in area was not good, I though contains salt because the taste salty), I was worried this could hamper the growth of the seed.

Hole For The Seed

Make hole for the seed

   
When the rockwool was completely wet, now time to make hole for the seed. I used toothpick to make holes on rockwool (one section/module, one hole). I puncture the rockwool, as deep as approximately 1 cm. I turn the toothpick to make a bigger hole.

Insert The Seed To The Hole

My Seeds

The interesting step. I had 3 packs of seeds. A pack of kangkung (kale), a pack of Tha Kua Chai and a pack of  Green Rapids. Because I was curious with Tha Kua Chai (I never heard or know about this vegetable before) so I picked it. To insert the seed to the hole is tricky, because the seed small. My trainer advised to use toothpick to pick the seed and place to the hole (wet toothpick can make the seeds allow to attached). I pushed the seeds in to the hole carefully to make the seeds stay in the hole.

The Seeding Was Started (Maintain The Seeds)

My Seeds were 1 day old

I put the wet rockwool that contains seeds in the perforated basket (to allow water allow and make rockwool not damp and moldy. I maintain water content in the rockwool to not dry out. When rockwool began to dry, I soak the bottom of rockwoll with water for a while (Just the bottom as deep as about 0,5 cm and the water perk in to all rockwool). When the seeds started to brust (after 2 days), I put the seeds under the morning sunshine (I don't have green house or anti-UV roof, so I maintain my seeds under morning sunshine for a 2 hour). My instructors said, when the seeds are 15 days old, they are ready to be moved in to Netpot. So can't wait until the day comes.

My seeds were 2 days old and put under sunshine for the first time.

That's all, It was my experience about seeding for hydroponics farm. I will update the growth of my seeds in the next post soon. Hopefully my post today helpful, Thanks.                    
      

Seeding results in My Hydroponics Training  After joined to the hydroponics training about few days ago, I tried to practiced my knowle...

Visited Hydroponics Agrotourism of  Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia

I filled last Saturday with fun activities but full of benefit. Because lately I was interested with gardening, I decided to join a hydroponics training. The training held by Banyuwangi Hydroponics Community and Sumber Gondo Agrowisata and located at Umbul Bening Water Recreation. Umbul Bening Water Recreation located in Sumber Gondo Village, Glenmore Distric, Banyuwangi Regency.

Umbul Bening Water Recreation, Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia

I never gardening previously. I interested with gardening after read some article about hydroponic farm, how the way of gardening without must have a large garden area. I searching farmer who practice hydroponic gardening around my regency to learn more about hydroponic gardening.  Finally, I found Facebook Group called "Hidroponik Banyuwangi" and I ask to join this group. Mr Yon, the founder of the group accept and welcome me to joint the group.

After becoming a member of Group, I got a lot of information about hydroponic, and this make me more curious. When the community held a training about hydroponics I did not waste it and joint the training. Moreover, I need to know more about it, meet more farmer who expert and take their knowledge and someday I could be an expert like them. I took time to visit Mr Yon House and registration the training at once.

Hydroponic Vegetable

Saturday 17th, 2016 the day has come, I leave home at 10.00 am because need one and half hours to get to location and the training will start at 01.00 pm. I never visit to Umbul Bening Water Recreation before and finally I ended up wrong location. There was two water recreation in Sumber Gondo Village, the first (east) called Umbul Pule and the last (west) called Umbul Bening. I had entered Umbul Pule and made that water recreation staff confused when I ask about the training and mention Umbul Bening Water Recreation that located about 50 meters in the west of Umbul Pule Water Recreation.

The Participants

Eventually, I ended up in the Umbul Bening Water Recreation and greeted by training committee. I had half hours to make conversation with some expert like Mr Yon, Mr Choirur and more before the training started. Shortly, other participant also came and the training start at 01.00 pm.

The Starting Kit

The training started with hydroponics introduction, knowing the types of hydroponics system, practice how to seeding and ends with visiting hydroponics gardens. Every participants got starting kit that contain 1 bucket, 1 hollow styrofoam (the planting hole), 5 pack seeds from different plant (vegetables), 1 rockwool, 5 netpots, 5 flannel fabrics and papers.

Mr Yon and Mr Choiru the trainer team

Mr Yon explain about hydroponic gardening

The trainer explained how to start hydroponic farmer with  the starting kit. Although many types and system in hydroponics farming, but in this training we used wick system and focused with seeding, because seeding was crucial step to the success of farming in hydroponics. I learned step by step, from how to cut rockwool, wetting rockwool, make tiny hole in rockwool for place seed and how treat the seed. I also learned how to put the seed to net pot and how to nourishes.        

All participant of training learned basic wick system of hydroponic gardening

In the end of training, after ask and questions session we visited the hydroponic garden that located not far from training location. Every participant can explore the garden.

Visited The Hydroponic Garden

Another shot of Hydroponic Agrotourism (Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia)

    

Visited Hydroponics Agrotourism of  Sumbergondo Village, Glenmore District, Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, Indonesia   I filled last Sa...