Repelling Pests Away from the Kitchen Garden

Farmers who embrace organic farming can   seek creative ways of controlling pests and diseases in order to successfully put together a productive kitchen garden. Together with well aerated soil and the right amount of compost, disease and pest control is a vital part of organic farming. To achieve this, farmers can use plants with a pungent smell to keep away the pests.

One of the common plants   that a farmer can use is the onion, the leaves can be planted around the vegetables in a ring formation as they act as repellant to insects  causing diseases. Alternatively, mint or pyrethrum can be used for the same purpose.

Organic pesticide from plants like chives and Mexican marigold whose leaves once boiled   excretes  a juice  with a bitter taste that keeps insects away. The farmer can prepare the pesticide by taking the leaves and cutting them into small pieces, boiling them for about  half an hour and once the mixture has cooled add a bar soap to the mixture and create foam. The soap would make the leaves sticky once the solution is sprayed on vegetables which would then trap insects. Planting the plant around the garden  will also keep the pests away due to irritating smell.

Tree planting around the garden can also help in controlling the pests since trees acts habitat for birds and therefore the birds living in the trees will eat   pests like caterpillar hence protecting the farm from pest attacks.

Tobacco can be applied in keeping   off destructive pests   like armyworms from the farm. When tobacco powder are put in   maize stalks, it suffocates the armyworms since the worms breathe through their spores.

In addition,  farmers should also plant tithonia hedge around the farm that could be used in making compost since it has a lot of nitrogen. The farmer should also pant leguminous plants as part of crop rotation to improve the soil.

Soil Treatment Method

There are several methods of treating soil so that it can be free from   fungi  and bacteria. For fungi fungicides are used   and for bacteria, bactericides are used. The major methods are solarisation and fumigation. Solarisation involves thermal disinfecting of soil  by trapping  solar radiation under plastic mulch and is done to eliminate soil-borne pests. One cover most soil with clear plastic  to transmit heat as deep as possible into the soil. It is carried  out  for 3-8 weeks and probably during  the hottest periods of the year. Combination  of solarisation  and Dazomet or Calcium cynamid results in good  control of root-knot nematodes. Fumigation  involves the use of fumigants  to  treat the soil. They act as  toxicants to soil-borne pathogens and other harmful organisms. The most commonly used fumigants  are  chloropicrin which is a liquid applied  into soil that is already covered with plastic sheet. The treatment is carried out for 1-3 days under cover and for two weeks or until the gas odour cannot be sensed.1,3-Dichloropene is another fumigant which is effective in the control of nematodes, insects and also suppresses some weeds.

Pumpkins Farming

There are many varieties of pumpkins and they vary  in terms of size, shape and colour. They include  Cinderella, big max, atlantic giant , baby boo, lumila and spooktacular. These varieties can do well in most parts of Kenya.

Propagation and planting: Pumpkins are somewhat difficult to transplant, therefore are mostly direct seeded in  the field. Usually, two to three seeds are sowed per hill then later thinning is done  to leave a seedling. The spacing  is 2-3m by 3m but it will depend on the variety .The land should be prepared to a fine tilth.

Irrigation: Pumpkin requirements  are slightly lower than those of other vegetable crops. Peak water requirements during rapid growth and development may average 90 percent of reference evapotranspiration levels, decreasing to 70 percent during the final growth period. It   has an extensive root systems  and can obtain available ground moisture, thus reducing irrigation requirements. It is important to note that excessive irrigation can reduce crop yields by leaching crop nutrients or promoting disease. However, plant stress from limited water availability will also reduce fruit size and quality. Water stress will also lead to increased incidences of blossom end rot.

Fertilizer: Incorporate well-decomposed manure or compost at planting. A compound fertilizer NPK(15-15-15) may  be used depending on soil fertility. Generally, apply 15-20N/ha CAN three weeks after planting. Top dress every 14-21 days. It is recommended to do soil and tissue analysis regularly.

Earthing up: This should be done to prevent roots from coming out of the soil.

Mulching: Both synthetic and organic mulch may be used. Care  should be  taken not to lower  soil temperature.

Pests and diseases: Use the appropriate chemicals  to control pests and diseases. Bacterial  diseases are controlled by use  copper-based fungicides. Fruit flies are a major  problem and can be controlled by use of traps.

Harvesting: Pumpkins are ready for harvesting after four to five months. When harvesting the fruits, leave a stalk of about 2cm to prevent injury of the fruit and increase the  shelf-life. You can also add value to the pumpkins by cutting into small pieces, drying and then milling flour. The leaves are also  used as a vegetable and the seeds  are fried and eaten like peanuts.

Market: Pumpkins have a good market locally and internationally. You can sell your produce in supermarkets, local markets,  hotels and for traders in major towns. You can also advertise on social media like Facebook and also in print media so that consumers can be aware of your products.

Watermelon Farming

Before  venturing into watermelon farming, it`s important to consider the availability of the market, the type of soil in your locality, the best varieties suited for your location, availability of water and the cost of production. The crop requires long periods of sunlight. The ideal regions  for melon growing are Kajiado, Makueni, Kitui,Machakos and other warm regions. The quality of the fruit tends to be low in the highlands since it is a warm-season annual crop. There are different varieties that do well in Kenya and  they take three to four months to mature  and  one should always buy certified seeds. The plants require adequate water as excess  water makes the melon seeds rot, the fruits bursts and rot too resulting in losses.

The crop does well in well-drained loamy soils that are rich in nutrients. The soil should be slightly acidic. Warm temperature of 15-30 degrees Celsius  is ideal for the growth and development of this crop. Watermelon does well 1,500metres above sea level. The crop grows well in areas that receive an annual rainfall of 600mm, irrigation is necessary. Spacing should be 1.5x1metres on average. The land should be prepared to a fine tilth and early enough to allow the seeds to dry. Watermelon seeds are planted directly on the farm, they  can also be sowed in a nursery and transplanted later. Direct planting reduces disturbance to the soil. One should sow the seeds in seedling trays and pots as this reduces damage to the roots during transplanting.

The land should be weed free especially during the early stages of growth but weeding during flowering can result in flower abortion or mechanical damage. Fertilizer should be applied in line with the soil test analysis. However, proper nutrition at vegetative and fruiting stages ensures good yields. During planting, DAP can be applied as this ensures proper root development .CAN should be used for top-dressing. The crop should not be planted in an area that had cucurbits before, cucurbits include pumpkins, courgettes and cucumbers. These are attacked by the same diseases and pests that ravage watermelons.

One should control fruit flies, as these pests attack young fruits, affecting  their growth. Whiteflies suck the cell sap and excrete honeydew on the leaves, affecting growth. With time, the honeydew forms soot that interferes with photosynthesis. The fly transmits viral diseases. The pests can be controlled by crop rotation, maintaining  filed hygiene, use of traps and chemicals. Other pests that attack watermelon plants are leaf miners, the red spider, mites and aphids. One should  also be on the lookout for diseases such as downey mildew, damping-off and powdery mildew.

Harvesting is done three to four months after planting, depending on the variety of the watermelon. One should be careful to avoid bruises and breakages that result in low fruit quality and sometimes render the fruits unmarketable.

 

Transforming Migowa School into a Green School

A green school is a school where students are surrounded by trees, a vegetable garden, toilets, and clean water points. It is a school where we can learn good eco-responsible behaviors at an early age and train a new generation that is more respectful of the environment.

In most schools, children are exposed to an unhealthy environment. They do not have toilets or water points to wash their hands and drink water. Green schools are the solution through Songa Green, a youth initiative to increase environmental conservation, combat climate change and offer environmental education for a greener future, Migowa Secondary School demonstrated her ability to establish a greener environment through planting trees in the month of October.

The exercise dubbed Migowa Tree Planting Week enabled the students to take advantage of the long rains and engaged in the noble project of tree planting.

 The coordinator of Songa Green Initiate, Mr. Byrone Paul thanked all the teachers and students who took part in the tree planting project.

 

 

Migowa School Tree Planting Week

 Through Songa Green Initiative, Migowa Students engaged in tree planting exercise as they aim to make their school green and realize SDG goal 13 of climate action. The exercise that ran for one week  in the month of October enabled the students to contribute towards environment conservation.

The  students  took advantage of the long rains and engaaged in the noble  project of planting trees as they aim to make their school Green.

 The coordinator of Songa Green Initiate, Mr. Byrone Paul thanked all the teachers and students who took part in the tree planting project.