Agriculture Business Week

“Ang halaman doon ay sari-sari. Singkatnas at talong, sigarilyas at mans, sitaw, bataw, patani, kundol, patola, upo, kalabasa, labanos, mustasa, sibuyas, kamatis,bawang, luya at linga…”

So goes a familiar line of the very popular Filipino folksong “Bahay Kubo.” The 18 crops mentioned in the song are Grown in the Bahay Kubo Garden of the Department of Crop Science of the College ofAgriculture of the Central Luzon State University (CLSU).

A new project of the department, the 200 square-meter garden serves as model for farmers and for urban families in growing organic vegetables in limited space. The garden has planting boxes for each crops. What’s interesting with this is that the crops are planted in the order these are sung in the folk song.

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Posted on August 12th, 2010 under Organic. Tags: Bahay Kubo, CLSU, Garden, Organic, Vermicompost. Comments: 2

A visit to this country leisure complex will make you truly appreciate the magical wonder of garden living.

For several years now, the bed and breakfast cum country leisure complex that is Sonya’s Garden has been attracting a growing list of local and foreign tourists. Aside from its healthy gustatory delights and world-class lodgings, the English-inspired garden is worth the visit especially to all veggies, herb and flower enthusiasts who want to experience the unique joy of seeing the natural beauty of “green living.” Here, weeds, herbs and a profuse display of tropical plants and flowers grow in wild abandon.

There are blue and pink hydrangea, orange dumbia, cattails, giant sunflowers, white Peruvian poinsettia and 40 other varieties blooming amidst gazebos, hammocks and antique benches.

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Posted on July 8th, 2010 under SPOTlight. Tags: Flower, Garden, Herb, Sonya's Garden, Tagaytay, Veggies. Comments: None

A model vegetable garden in a subdivision in San Fernando City in Pampanga could provide inspiration to other subdivisions in other parts of the country.

This is the half-hectare plantation of vegetables and other high-value crops in an open space in St. Jude Subdivision. There, the latest hybrid crops from East-West Seed Company are being grown using improved planting technologies.

The showcase is a project of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez in cooperation with the leaders of the subdivision and East-West Seed Company. The dream of the mayor, according to Myrna Manabat, the city agriculturist, is for the 127 residential subdivisions in the city to have their own vegetable gardens. This will be for the benefit of the residents as they would have access to fresh produce.

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Posted on June 17th, 2010 under Vegetables. Tags: Garden, Subdivision, Veggies. Comments: None

One way of stimulating interest in farming or hobby gardening is to form a group of similarly-inclined people. Just like what we have done at the Manila Bulletin. A number of staff members have informally formed the Vegetable Gardeners’ Club consisting initially of editorial staff members who are actually planting vegetables for their own consumption.

No, it is not a group registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is just a group of men and women interested in planting vegetables in their home gardens. There’s no membership fee and there’s no definite date of meetings. But discussions could be held any time whenever members of the group find themselves together over lunch or elsewhere.

The thing is that every member is proud of what he is doing. Johnny Asuncion, for instance, once excitedly related that he had counted more than 40 fruits from just one Diamante Max tomato plant that he grew in his backyard. He even knew exactly how many days he harvested the first fruit from the time of planting. And he claims that his plants are the first things he visits when he goes home. And also the first things he checks when he wakes up in the morning.

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Posted on April 12th, 2010 under Farming. Tags: Farming, Garden, Gardening. Comments: None

Flash flood, deaths of humans as well as animals, and damage to properties and many other wanton destruction of our environment are believed to be some of the ill effects of climate change.

With this in mind, the Cactus and Succulent Society of the Philippines (CSSP) will be presenting a flower and garden show with the theme “Gardening for a Better Environment” from November 20 to 30 at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. This is in cooperation with the Quezon Memorial Circle management headed by Engr. Zaldy dela Rosa.

Kevin Belmonte, an avid collector of rare cacti and succulents, and CSSP president Dorie S. Bernabe are co-chair of the overall show. They said that a commercial section will also be a feature of the show where Christmas gift shoppers can buy their favorite gifts for their loved ones and friends The commercial section is where plant growers and suppliers of gardening inputs can sell their products. There are still available commercial spaces for interested sellers, according to Dorie S. Bernabe.

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Posted on November 10th, 2009 under Events. Tags: Garden, Show. Comments: None

More and more Pinoys are discovering the business potentials of growing lilies.

The site should receive a good amount of sunlight since most lilies grow successfully in full sun. If it’s too shady, the stem of the lilies will stretch and will lean towards the sun. However, partial shade especially during midday is needed to preserve the color and to lengthen the span of the flowering season.

Growing lilies from seed
A good way of producing a large collection of lilies is through sowing seeds. To do this, a sterile soil is needed during the early stages of growth of the lily seedling. After placing it on pots and trays, sow the seeds an inch apart and cover them with about half an inch of soil. A good location WhcrV to put the said pots and traYs is in a cool green house on a window-sill. This should receive partial sunlight in a day. Germination rate of the seed increases at xvarincr temperature. One of the essential- things to remember is to constantly supply moisture and nutrients to the soil.

Lily seeds could be categorized into 2 types. This includes epigeal which cover lily seeds planted close to the ground. On the other hand, hypogeal includes lily seeds planted underground. Some of hypogeal seeds include the easiest to grow. They can germinate quickly and send up a leaf as early as 3 – 6 weeks after sowing (Asiatics and most trumpet types of lily fall under this category). Seeds under this category hide underground until they reached 3- 4 months of warm period. This will be followed by 2-3 months of cool temperature.

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Posted on August 5th, 2009 under Ornamental. Tags: Flowers, Garden, Gardening, Lilies. Comments: None

Gardeners can be practical too. They grow plants that are not only decorative but also economic in their garden.

Most of the economic plants produce parts that are convenient to use in the kitchen, or some other useful purposes. Just like the dragon fruit, for instance. This is a cactus that produces spectacular white flowers that could be made into salad. Although the flowers open at night, many of them remain open up to late in the morning for the gardener to enjoy. At the same time, it produces fruits that are very delicious, especially red-fleshed variety which is very sweet and full of anti-oxidants.

Nena Frondoso of Mandaluyong City combines fruit trees with her ferns, begonias and other ornamentals. She has fruiting duhat that is kept low by judicious pruning, green makopa that is a prolific bearer of crisp fruits, Abiu in container, variegated lemon and also dragon fruit.

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Posted on February 27th, 2009 under Fruits, Plant. Tags: Fruits, Garden, Gardeners, Gardening, Plants. Comments: None

Bring nature inside your homes by creating your own dish garden. It’s a great gift and a great source additional income.

0ne of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors during this rainy season is by bringing nature inside. And the simplest, easiest way to achieve this, even in a small apartment or office is by making your own dish garden.

Dish gardens can also be great living gifts that can truly make a loved one feel special. It can be made in a few easy steps, and both parents and kids will surely enjoy making. It’s an art that can be accomplished in as little as two hours, and can be a perfect relaxing activity for busy people. Since there are so many plants and pots to choose from, selecting what to use for your garden is already in itself fun to do. Just remember to choose plants with shallow roots that can thrive in your chosen dish or pot.

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Posted on July 24th, 2008 under Agri Tips, Ornamental. Tags: Garden, Landscape, Plants. Comments: None