Transcript Journey Back to Nature

Journey Back to Nature
Jennifer Del Mundo-Morantte
ENRM 233
My first camote harvest came
from a a few sprouts from an old
camote garden that was cleared.
I wanted to see whether these
clearing scraps can still grow into
good quality camote.When I
observed that this 6 sq.m. area
was where the flood stays, I
started to pile up more mulch
materials and just keep pits beside
bananas.
Four months later, the big camote
nodules have been coming out
from the soil. Some were eaten by
mice already. A piece would
weigh 350g to 750g!
So, camote(sweet potato) is really
a perinnial plant that may grow
well for longer periods.
This is my first batch
ofradish I ever planted. I
First grew them in my
kitchen-nursery, then
transfered them along
with tomatoes in a soft
soil. None of my seedlings
survuved.
I planted another batch
and directed it to
1month-mulched area,
and continue to observe
if it wanted the new
environment that I
Assigned to the second
batch. As Masanobu
Fukuoka suggested, I
tried no-tilling, just
mulching, method.
Well! I was just
pleasantly surprised to
see growth! After 5
weeks, I thought that my
radish will not make it
thru the scorching heat!
I just decided to pull the
withering leaves, and
came out my premature
survivors,2-5ins long!
(Premature by 23weeks)
Oyster mushrooms naturally
flourished in this nook of shaded
logs from fallen Caimito and Mango
trees. Oyster mushrooms grew in
Caimito logs while Tenga ng Daga
flourished in Mango logs (Pajo
variety).
After so many trial locations for growing
my tomatoes, I finally succeeded nearby
the kitchen drain. I got more convinced
that it is tomato’s haven because so many
Along the run-off of the kithen sink where
micro streams start to form naturally.
Those whose trellis were steadily put up,
they as high as 4 feet, with strong, almost
woody stems, and friut very generously during
the summer. Much
Of the areas in the
house have dried up
except for the kitchen
garden where the drain
from kitchen sink
nourishes tomatoes,
garlic, calamansi,
new patola and
squash vines.
The parent tree of this
Antocarpus camansi, around
20meters high, was sentenced
to death last July 2014, after the
storm Glenda, not because it
fell. The neighbor pleaded to
have it cut because it they fear
that it might fall into their house
come another superstorm or
disaster.
Even these baby trees are being
asked by my mom to be
removed. I just made my
parents a deal that they shall be
cut shorter/pruned once they
reach 10 meters. At ten
months, my adopted babies are
Around 1.5meters high. By the
way, Mother Nature planted
them.
My first fruiting Papaya tree grew among the
composting materials beside the run-off of our
laundry area. This is the only papaya tree that
fruited among the 5 trees. 3 of them were male
while the other female did not survive the April
(2015) heat.
As papaya is said to be a plant with high nutrient
and water requirement, this spot of the lot area
where adequate sun, water and nutrient are all
present should be its niche. The picture to the
left was the papaya tree after 7 months. About
15 of the fruits are almost fullgrown while more
buds are still developing.
The learning that I wish to share here is that it is
really the plant’s adaptability to the environment that we helped them with that makes
them flourish. The more naturally present their
needs are, the more sustainable life is for them.
These baby coconuts
are in danger of not
getting planted simply
because people in the
area (including my
parents who happened
own this house) do not
welcome coconut trees
anywhere in the yard.
The residents are more
fearful of getting their
homes destroyed by
falling trees, than
getting their lands
deforested or eroded.
As an obvious effect,
summer in Batangas is
unbelievably scorching
hot!
This rose apple tree (Macopa) was pruned the
day before “Glenda”(July 15, 2014). Sweet
maroon fruits abound after 9 months. Also the
camote that spread underneath it continue to
produce all year round. We just keep covering
the runner stems with mulch and soil. We still
enjoy some camote for
merienda despite the summer
heat. The camote garden
prevents the grasses from
growing. Some grasses that
persist are easily pulled and
used for mulching, thus
protecting soil from drying up.
My first Luffa cylindrica (patola), whose trellis
got blown away by “Glenda” , got their way to
the coconut trees, the net fences and the
roofs! But they come so plenty that I was able
to sell some to the vegetable vendor who
usually sells us patola and squash. It is so overwhelming to experience selling my garden pro
to her this time. My
Photographer at the
Left photo could not help
but selfie while on duty!
I continued my
observation particularly
on the vines that got hold
of the coconut palms.
Those with vines did not
Drop. They simply held
on , as if lending their
“palms” to the vines
that try to reach up
higher. Even the
sayote joined the
patola towards the
coconut tree!
Helping is nature to all
creatures!
So when I saw this
grass on a part near
our kitchen garden, I
would plant
combinations of seeds
or cuttings there.
Malunggay, calamansi
and ampalaya went
well together in the
kitchen garden, too.
Pintopina or “Manimanian as the townfolks call
this grass, are now
popular cover crops
because of its nitrogenfixing capacity.
Beneath their roots are
fluffy textured soils that
is good to nourish any
germinating seed.
Like the papaya tree,
some squash seeds
liked the spot near the
compost pit and
scattered so fast and
had good leaves. It
covered many clay
soiled areas and also
clinged to some parts
of the fence.
Just as when the squash were
to flower, my father taught me
how to help the bees in pollinating the flowers. I insert the
male flower’s pollen into the
female flower’s center.
What a cultural heritage learned
From my very own Papa!
Since my father is now 79 years old, I decided to live with my parents for a year
In his hometown. I never knew that as I enjoyed taking care of him, I really got
to appreciate more how his needs (human needs) so complements nature’s provisions, and vice versa. I start my day picking fresh malunggay, one young patola
and some extra male flowers from squash- for the bulanglang, Papa’s favorite.
Then, his urinal would be full of concentrated
nitro-juice which I dilute for the banana
trees, the sampalok and mango trees. So
our fruit trees really are forced to bear fruit!
We also have Banaba, Chico, Guyabano,
Kamias, and Bignay....
My stories are so unlimited to told. But
these are all about how nature always makes
our lives sustainable for as long as we want
It to be.
Thank you for
joining me and my
youngest in this
journey.