Book launch

Powdery mildew - what is it? how to treat it?

Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a variety of plants. Infected plants have white powdery spots on their leaves. It will look as if someone has sprinkled some flour on them. As a result of this leaves die, growth of plants get retarded and yield starts to rot leading to the death of the plant. 

Listed below are some natural remedies which can help in treating powdery mildew.....

1.Milk: Diluted cow milk 40% + water 60%. Mix well. Spray weekly once. 

2. Garlic: In a mixi blend 2 to 3 bulbs of garlic with some water and add 5ml soapnut solution to this. Strain and keep aside. Take 10ml of this concoction to a litré of water and spray.

3. Water: Just simple watering will wash away the mildew...give your plants a good rub dub.

4. Baking Soda: 1 tbsp baking/cooking soda + 5ml neem oil + 5ml soapnut solution + 3-4 litres of water. Mix well. Spray once in 15 days.

5. Vinegar: 1 tbsp vinegar in 1 litre of water. Mix well and spray weekly once. Be careful not to spill over to other healthy plants élse they could die.

6. Prune: Over crowding and poor air circulation will also result in mildew.

7. Copper Buttermilk Spray: Soak copper wire or vessel in buttermilk, dilute ànd spray. Detailed recipe is there in my upcoming book Home Gardening - the Natural way.

8. Onions: Soak onion peels in water. Dilute and spray

9. Bio Fungicides: Pseudomonas florescence or Trichoderma viridi 20ml to a litré of water when sprayed will work wonders.

10. Turmeric:  Diluting little raw milk with turmeric powder and water and spraying will hélp control powdery mildew.

11. Ash: Make a concoction of 1tsp ash + 1 litre water + 30ml raw milk. Mix well and spray.

Happy Gardening!!!!

Snails & Slugs - Organic remedies

Snails and Slugs are pests which love moisture. They are night creatures in the sense that they love to come out at night. They thrive in moist locations. They are known to attack plants at every stage of growth which leads to weakening of the plant and sometimes killing it too. So here are some of the organic ways by which we can try to control them in our gardens. 

1.  Sprinkling coffee grounds around our plants. The smell acts as a deterrent.

2.   Using wood waste as mulch. Regular watering on this causes the wood fibre to loosen. The pests don't like to cross over these wood chips as they hurt their soft bodies, hence making these a natural barrier. Over time these wood chips decompose and add to the nutrient content of your soil.

3.   Making natural barriers using crushed egg shells and sea shells. These too are abrasive to their soft bodies. Over time these decompose and are a good source of calcium for the soil.

4.   Wood ash sprinkled around not only increases humic content in the soil but acts as a natural barrier.

5.   Slugs can't cross over copper. So using copper tape around your pots and plants act as a deterrent.

6.   Growing natural repellant plants like garlic, chives, chamomile help in keeping them at bay.

7.   Making beer traps at strategic locations around the garden help in controlling them. They get attracted to the smell of beer and get drowned in it.

8.   Wheat bran or corn bran canbe sprinkled around the plants. This when eaten by the snails and slugs cause desiccation and death.

9.   If the numbers are less just handpick them carefully using a tool and dispose.

10. Pick them up and drop them in a bucket of salt water and then dispose them off.

Happy Gardening!!!

Neer Brahmi

Neer Brahmi is a medicinal plant. It's botanical name is Bacopa Monnieri, family - Plantaginaceae. It's more commonly known as Indian pennywort, herb of grace, Brahmi, water hyssop. It grows abundantly in marsh land which means it's water tolerant. Likes acidic soil. Grows like a hanging creeper and also branches out. So it's good to grow them in hanging pots too. They are very easily propagated by cuttings. Take 3-5 " cutting with few leaves and nodes and dip it in aloe vera Juice. Aloe vera acts as a rooting hormone. Plant it in wet soil. 

This herb got its name from our creator Brahma. There are mentions about this power herb in our Vedas, the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita which are over 3000 years old. They mentioned the benefits of Brahmi in promoting Medhya ( Intellect) Rasayana (rejuvenation) and more.

So the question then arises that how does one use this magical herb? Well everything in excess is bad so remember that we need to use it as minimal as possible. 

It's got a bitter taste. It's said not to be taken on an empty stomach. It could cause nausea or gastric problem. So how do we consume this? Well one could eat 5 to 6 tender leaves raw,  or,  pound them and boil it with water and add some honey to reduce the bitterness and drink this concoction after a meal. It will help boost your brain power or memory. It's said our sages consumed this so that they could retain the scriptures which they studied for years without any problems. I have read of people using the leaves while making dosa batter but I would advise you to please check the bitter quotient before adding this. Some sun dry and powder and use, the efficacy of this am not so sure. So it can be safely said it's tonic for the brain.

It's a maintenance free plant so do grow this.

Happy Growing!!

Do feel free to share your views and knowledge on this in the comments. 

How to grow Pineapple at home

How to grow Pineapple at home

https://youtu.be/1qIWHXw7cPQ

Summer Care For Your Gardens

Mulch, mulch and mulch....spread a layer of dried leaves around your pots. This helps retain moisture in the pots and with time the dry leaves decompose and it is a nutrient rich manure for the plants.

Water well and if needed water twice...once in the morning and once in the evening

Cover your plants with a shade net. If you don't have a green house no worries, use any old bedsheets or sarees and tie them up.

Solarise your soil, this is the time when you can rework your garden and deweed it. 

Do not trim or cut down your trees in summer, they need the foliage. 

Keep a container with water for the birds, squirrels to come have their fill.

Sow greens, they are the best to grow in summers.

Repair your trellises, re-paint your pots and stands.

Do not over fertilise your plants. 

While spraying 3G please dilute 1:15  with water, the quantity of 3G to be used should be less. The heat and the oil in the 3G could burn the leaves in summer.

Water early morning's or late evening. Water deeply once a week...which means water till you see the water trickling out from the drain holes in the bottom of the pots.

Use materials like cocopeat, perlite, vermiculite which will help retain moisture in your pots.

Do not re-pot in summer.

Peppers, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, courgettes, bitter gourds, okra, brinjal can all be grown in summer.

Keep your pots clustered together as a group. 

Wilting, leaf curl are signs which say your plant needs more water. 

Hope these points work for you.

Happy Growing!!!