Agroleaf

🍁 LICHENS - The pioneers of ecological succession.

Some important facts are :

🔸Lichens are organisms composed of a fungi and a photosynthetic partner.

🔸They can thrive in extreme .

🔸Lichens come in diverse colors and forms.

🔸They play roles as pioneer species and sources.

🔸Lichens are susceptible to air pollution, acting as .

🔸Some lichens have medicinal properties.

🔸They can absorb and accumulate heavy .

🔸They have a slower growth rate but can live for centuries.

In the pic : Candelariella vitellina, Pannaria conoplea, Lobaria amplissima (Lichens) and Eucladium verticillatum (Moss). Commonly found in the temperate forests of Himachal Pradesh, India.

◼️Biochar◼️

Biochar is a form of charcoal that is produced through a process called pyrolysis, which involves heating organic materials, such as agricultural waste, wood chips, and manure, in the absence of oxygen. This results in a highly porous material that has a wide range of potential applications.

One of the primary uses of biochar is in agriculture, where it can improve soil health and fertility by increasing nutrient retention and water-holding capacity.

Biochar can also sequester carbon in the soil, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to its agricultural uses, biochar has potential applications in water filtration, energy production, and even as a building material.

Tomato Seed Extraction by Fermentation Method 🍅

A simple and cost-effective way to obtain seeds for the next planting season. To extract the seeds, the ripe tomatoes are cut open and the pulp is scooped out into a container with some water.

The mixture is left to sit for a few days, during which natural fermentation occurs, breaking down the pulp and releasing the seeds. Hence, utilising the help of microbes to do the job. The seeds sink to the bottom and can be collected, washed, and dried for storage. 🌱

The fermentation method is advantageous as it removes any pathogens or unwanted material from the seeds, resulting in non-sticky and higher quality seed stock for planting. 🌿

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What are Pollinators? 🐝🌻

Pollinators are organisms that help in the process of pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from male reproductive organ (anther) of a flower to the female reproductive organ (stigma) of the same or another flower, leading to fertilization and the production of seeds.

Pollinators include a wide range of animals such as bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, hummingbirds, bats, and even some small mammals like rodents. These creatures visit flowers in search of food, such as nectar and pollen, and accidentally transfer pollen grains between flowers. This helps plants to reproduce and ensures the production of fruits, vegetables, and seeds that form the basis of our food supply.

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Happy World Pulses Day!

Pulses are one of the important food crops globally due to their higher protein content. Pulses are an important group of crops in India, which is also responsible for yielding large financial gains by amounting to a large part of the exports.

Pulses are 20 to 25 percent protein by weight which is double the protein content of wheat and three times that of rice.

The main regions with high productivity are Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal delta region, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, coastal and eastern Karnataka and some parts of Maharashtra.

The country has exported 410,375.89 MT of pulses to the world in the FY 2021-22, with major export destinations being UAE, China, U.S.A, Nepal, Canada and Iran.

From Agricultural aspects: The nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses improve soil fertility, increasing and extending the productivity of the farmland.

In many regions, farmers plant legumes along with other crops, a practice known as intercropping, to improve yield and promote soil biodiversity.

In the pic: 13 heirloom varieties of pulses.

May you be blessed with happiness and well being to last through the year. Happy Diwali

Malabar Spinach 🌱

Basella alba is an edible perennial vine. It is native to the Indian subcontinent and is very easy to grow. It has palm-sized fleshy leaves and when eaten raw they have a slight crunchiness and taste of lemon and pepper. When cooked, the leaves and stems taste more like spinach, although the texture is denser. Malabar spinach leaves can be substituted for true spinach in soups, curries, omelets, etc.

The plant also produces small edible purplish berries that are an excellent source of natural colour.

Growing Malabar spinach is extremely easy, you just need some seeds to sow and they will germinate within a week. Malabar spinach vine can also be grown from stem cuttings, take 7-8 inches of healthy cuttings and plant them in a compost rich, well drained organic soil. You'll get a huge spinach vine in no time.

Brahminy Blind Snake 🐍

It is one of the smallest snake species in the world with only 4.4–6.5 inches (11.2–16.5 cm) body length. They are small, thin, shiny and nonvenomous.

They feed only on eggs, larvae and pupae of termites and ants. They're commonly found in the tropical and subtropical areas of Asia and Africa, but has been introduced in many other parts of the world.

They're often mistaken for earthworms and are easily spotted in the gardens after heavy rains. But there's nothing to worry as they are nonvenomous and their mouth is so small that they can't even bite you. So if you ever see these tiny creatures, admire them and just let them go.

Green Garden Looper 🐛

Chrysodeixis eriosoma
It belongs to the moth family Noctuidae. A widely distributed species, it is a pest in Japan, China, India, Sri Lanka, the Malay Peninsula and Australasia. It can also be found in Hawaii and is recorded in mainland North America and Russia.

This little fella here is found munching on my heirloom tomatoes.😁

💮 ICE FLOWER 💮

Mesembryanthemum harlequin, Fig Marigold or Pebble Plant etc. A succulent plant from barren, arid and warm regions of South Africa. It's an annual bedding/cover plant that produces daisy like flowers in the shades of pink, red , magenta, yellow, white and orange. It's a mesmerizing plant to brighten up rock gardens, walls and paths. The seeds are super tiny, it resembles sand grains. It's an open-pollinated plant and can be easily grown from seeds.

Here you can see a Pink Ice Flower along with its tiny seeds.

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

20+ Mosquito 🦟 Repelling Plants 🪴

Mosquitoes are serious insects and the deadliest animal on the planet as they spread various deadly diseases among humans and other animals. Being a vector for numerous disease transmitting pathogens and parasites, they can cause Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya, Zika, West Nile virus, Lymphatic filariasis, Encephalitis and so on.

Therefore, it's important to repel them from the residential areas particularly during rainy season to avoid mosquito breeding. So, here's a list of plants that can be planted in and around the house to play the role. These plants will not only repel them but also increases the biodiversity of predators and pollinators in your garden.

1. Basil
2. Marigold
3. Lemon Grass
4. Lemon Balm
5. Rosemary
6. Catnip
7. Lavender
8. Garlic
9. Onion
10. Mint
11. Peppermint
12. Scented Geraniums
13. Citronella Grass
14. Sage
15. Pennyroyal
16. Thyme
17. Bee Balm
18. Floss Flower
19. Nasturtium
20. Indian Lantana
21. Horsemint
22. Tansy
23. Indian Borage
24. Common Wormwood
25. Cinnamon

Plus eliminate the standing water as much as possible and if you have a pond, try to add guppy fish in order to destroy the larvae. You can also create some smoke from the dried leaves of the above plants to increase their efficiency.

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

🌱 Cover Crops 🌱

Cover crops plays a vital role in a field or garden. These are the crops used as a ground cover to help deal with various aspects such as :

1. Conservation of water by acting as a green mulch, to prevent excessive loss of water through evaporation.

2. Conservation and improvement of soil and it's biodiversity.

3. Cover crops like mint, basil, oregano, thyme etc acts as a repellent for various pests like white flies, mealy bugs, aphids etc.

4. Helps in providing a additional income for the farmers and market gardeners.

5. Some cover crops are also known to improve the overall quality of the main crop, for example :- Oregano when grown as a cover crop in the grape field, increases the quality of grapes.

Some basic cover crops are : Mint, Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Fenugreek, Clover, Alfalfa, Rye, Peas, Radish etc.

Cover crops can be grown anywhere whether it is your field, kitchen gardens, raised beds, pots etc.

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

MULTIPLY YOUR TOMATO PLANTS WITHOUT SEEDS 🍅

It's a simple trick and many of us are aware of this.

1. Simply cut off a small side branch (aka suckers) from the main tomato plant.

2. Take multiple cuttings and place them in a glass/container having water.

3. Change the water every 2-3 days to avoid any fungal growth.

4. Place the container in a well lit space (not under direct sunlight). Indirect light is necessary for the development of roots.

5. Within 7-10 days, beautiful root development will take place.

Now you can plant your cuttings in a potting mix that will be genetically identical (clone) to the mother plant 🌱

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

Red Paper Wasp (Ropalidia marginata)

They are dark reddish in colour with yellow spots and are found in India and as far as New Guinea. They show very aggressive behaviour.
But most importantly they are pollinators 🌻 for many plants and are parasitic on caterpillars 🐛 (lays eggs inside them) and hence controlling the pest population naturally.
Plant as many as flowering plants as you can which are seasonal and wait for nature to work for you 🌱.
Here, a Red Paper Wasp can be seen pollinating a marigold flower.

🌱 🌽 CORN MICROGREENS 🌽 🌱

Highly nutritious and delicious super foods.
They're really sweet and mildly fibrous.

Here I've grown them by using :
1. Tissue paper
2. Water

They took a while to grow (18 - 22 days) as compared to other varieties of microgreens.

Steps are provided with below pictures :-

Common garden weeds 🌱 that are found abundantly in India and in South Asia 🌏
Weeds can be used for composting as they serves as an excellent source of nitrogen or they can be simply incorporated deep in the soil as a green manure.
These 10 common weeds are :
1. Euphorbia hirta
2. Lantana camara
3. Avena fetua
4. Boerhavia diffusa
5. Cynadon dactylon
6. Achyranthes aspera
7. Amaranthus spinosus
8. Cyperus rotundus
9. Echinochloa colona
10. Phalaris minor

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾

Chickpea Microgreens 🌱

Highly nutritious super food, can be grown in only 8 - 12 days (depending upon the climatic conditions of an area).
I've grown these in a soil less media and the output looks like a beautiful, miniature forest 🌳🌳🌳

These are absolutely amazing 😁 and looks like small berries 🫐🍒
But are actually smallest tomatoes 🍅
More Spoon Tomatoes coming this way, I hope they will ripen in a week or two.

🍅

MICROGREENS 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱

One of the easiest crop you can actually harvest without having a field.
They are highly nutritious and are among the superfoods.
Studies have shown that they have 4 to 40 times higher nutrients then their matured versions. They are good for garnishing, can be eaten as salads or in soups. They come in various varieties like Amaranthus, Sunflower, Chickpeas, Corn, Coriander, Fenugreek, Basil, Broccoli, Radish, Moong, Marigold Microgreens and what not.

Here are some steps on how to grow Microgreens, I've used Yellow Mustard Seeds to grow Mustard Microgreens in water :

Solanum pimpinellifolium (world's smallest variety of Tomato) or Spoon Tomato.
They are fruiting heavily and are growing continuously. Can't wait for them to ripe 😁🌱🍅

Upcoming updates on World's smallest variety of Tomato 🍅. The Spoon Tomato or Solanum pimpinellifolium. It is considered as the first variety of Tomato from which modern tomatoes have arrived.

Simple steps to make a Kokedama for beatification of home gardens, it can be placed indoors as well as outdoors.
The idea has its origins in Japan🇯🇵🎎, where it is a combination of the nearai bonsai🌳 and kusamono planting styles.

Know your pests and act accordingly to eradicate them from your Garden.

🏡 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾 🐌🐛🦗

Some Herbs 🌿 that repel pests and Insects from the garden and hence decreases the work load in eliminating them by yourself 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾.

🌿 Aphid Control 🌿

Aphids are very notorious insects that suck up the sap (nutrients) out of your plants and starve them to death ☠️⚰️
Therefore it becomes necessary to eliminate them.

The following three methods are really effective in nature and are highly recommended to eradicate the Aphids.
So, here we go :-

1. Spray Garlic Water :- Dip some Garlic cloves in a jar of water for 1-2 days and spray that water on your Aphid affected plants. Due to the presence of active sulphur compounds in garlic it not only acts as a powerful pesticide but also as an effective fungicide.

2. Attract Natural Predators :- Insects like Mantis, Jumping Spiders, Ladybugs etc are natural predators of Aphids and are helpful in your garden. Flowers and herbs such as cilantro, dill, fennel, marigolds, scented geraniums and cosmos are good choices for luring the ladybugs. Whereas densely arranged plants attract Mantis and jumping spiders.

3. Creating Smoke :- By creating some smoke with the dried herbs like Tulsi(Ocimum tenuiflorum)/Holy basil, Lemon grass, Mint, Giloy, Rosemary, Thyme, Lavender etc. Dried parts such as leaves, stem, and roots can be used for creating only smoke and not fire. The smoke must be kept near to the affected plant in a vessel.

👨‍🌾 Happy Gardening 👩‍🌾 🌼🌱

Alternatives or substitutes for Coco peat :

1. Peanut Shells :- they are light weight and decompose easily. They also provide nutrients to the soil unlike to Coco peat which does not provide any nutrition to the plants. Peanut shells can also be used as Mulch for potted plants. Crushed peanut shells are ideal for its use.

2. Rice Husk :- they are also light weight and are enriched in nutrients. These are easily available from nearby rice farms or from a nearby sheller.

3. Leaf Compost or Leaf Mold :- this is one of the most popular and most nutritious alternative to Coco peat. Basically these are decomposed leaves and are really easy to make.

4. Saw Dust or Wood Scrapings :- literally speaking , this is the least used alternative to Coco peat, as it absorbs the nutrients out of the soil. So , to use it effectively one must use " Decomposed " saw dust/wood scrapings.

Happy Gardening 👨‍🌾👩‍🌾🌱🥦🌷🌿🌽🌼🌻

A unique method to grow more than 5 fruits and vegetables in a single pot/container.
In this method basically companion plants are chosen , these plants behave symbiotically and helps each other by providing nutrients and also helps in controlling any insect infestation/pest attack. With the help of this , one can produce more fruits and vegetables per unit area.
Also known as multilayer gardening and is a blessing for terrace gardeners 🌱🌼.

Some important tips on deficiencies of different plants and their cure.
You can compare from the following chart and you will get to know that from which deficiency your plant is going through.