It’s not always about taking but an equal amount of giving back too. No, I’m not doling out philosophical gyan just talking about my farm. The soil that gives us all the nourishment in the form of crops, needs nourishment too.
Currently I’m growing green grams on my farm, – not for our consumption, but for green manure to replenish the soil with nitrogen. The roots of leguminous crops fix atmospheric nitrogen in the soil and green gram being a short cycle crop is the best legume for crop rotation and fertilizing the soil naturally.
This was the patch that gave us abundant chilli harvest last year. Before I grow something else here, it’s time to show some love! Some TLC for my farm.
I am growing this crop to improve the soil fertility and structure. I sowed sprouted green grams just after rains and this is how it looks today.
Another week or two and we will gently mix it back into the soil and allow it to decompose. The plant parts being rich in nitrogen will nourish the soil and soil organisms; the subsequent crop will be well taken care of. Growing leguminous crops like green gram, black gram, cow pea etc is also excellent as ground cover crops. They not only help nourish the soil but also give weeds a good competition and discourage their growth.
There is so much happening on the farm right now that I could just burst with excitement. There are some new crops I am growing and working on my cottage-style flower garden. We went to the farm today and did a truck load of work, finished recording a very interesting video for my YouTube channel and had an amazing farming session with grade 5.
You have no idea how I am containing all the excitement in so I don’t overwhelm you. Just wait a while longer and I’ll share all the deets. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and my monthly Newsletter so you don’t miss any of the action going on here.
