I would like to start a series of educational articles dealing with plants however these articles are what I generally consider to be Garbage Gardening. In the articles which follow you will be able to instruct your children in the fine art of growing plants from cast off waste that would normally end up in the trash. This is what I refer to as garbage gardening. We will begin the series with the Sweet potato plant.
The popular sweet potato is rapidly growing as a vegetable for those who are interested in their health. Years ago the sweet potato was traditionally the thanksgiving or Christmas product and rarely did one find it on the table menu for any other time of the year. This healthy vegetable is at home with a variety of spices and herbs blended skillfully to produce some very interesting and tasty meals. This healthy alternative is comfortable as a main dish, a casserole, made into a salad, excellent as an additive to bread and does just fine as a dessert.
When used as a main dish the sweet potato provides an economical and nutritional food. Just one sweet potato baked will provide over 8800 IU of the vitamin A, 42 percent for vitamin C, approximately 6 percent for calcium as well as 10 percent for iron however it contains merely 141 calories. This makes it a great item for those people who are watching their watch. This vegetable is low in its sodium content and an excellent source of fiber.
When purchasing sweet potatoes you should select only those with firm roots. Be sure to handle the sweet potatoes carefully to prevent them from bruising. When storing them place them in a dry, un-refrigerated location at a constant temperature of 55 to 60 degrees F. An important point here is Do Not Refrigerate as the lower temperatures below the 55 degrees F. tends to chill the vegetable giving it an undesirable taste after it is cooked.
To prepare your sweet potato wash it well and then boil or bake it until it becomes slightly soft. Should you boil it then drain it immediately. Completely cool the boiled or baked sweet potatoes. You can then wrap them individually with freezer foil leaving the skins on them. Next place in suitable plastic freezer bags, seal and label them appropriately.
The majority of prepared foods using sweet potatoes will freeze well; they will save you considerable time and energy. The sweet potato can be boiled, baked, fried, canned, broiled or frozen. In addition they can be cooked conventionally with your stove or oven as well as with a microwave.
Now I would like to tell you about a way to really catch your children's attention and make them appreciate the value of a sweet potato. When I was but a small child we would place a sweet potato into a glass jar with water. We would grow this plant merely for its decorative value. Here are the items you would need.
4 Toothpicks to support the plant
A glass Jar
Tap water
Start out by looking very carefully at your sweet potato that you would like to sprout. Look to see if you can find any small shoots starting to generate at one end. If you do this will be the end of your potato which should be facing up. The other end will be the part which you will be placing into the water.
Measure halfway towards the bottom of the sweet potatoes and stick the four toothpicks into each side. Space them evenly around the potato and make sure to leave about ½ of it out. The purpose of the toothpicks is to prevent your potato from falling into the jar of water.
Fill the jar at least ½ full of water and place your sweet potato into your glass jar. You may need to add additional water to bring the level to within an inch of the top.
Place your completed sweet potato jar near a very sunny window. Within a few days the sweet potato will start to generate roots within the water. After approximately a week leaves should begin to appear on the top.
Your children will quickly gain a new outlook on not only the sweet potato but garbage gardening in general. I will add more plants to the series at a later date.
Copyright @2008 Joseph Parish
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joseph_Parish
Monday, December 1, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Organic Gardening - Six Beneficial Tips!
Organic garden is nothing but gardening with the help of all the naturally endowed gifts that we possess. It deals with how well we use the natural endowments for the purpose of creating the garden of our dreams.
Why would anyone want to have an organic garden? Here is the answer to the question.
1. It is the IN thing to do. With the help of the kitchen and garden waste that we get, one can be very eco-friendly and put the waste into good use though it is quite time consuming than opting for pesticides and fertilizers available in the market.
2. There is very little usage of chemicals in case of organic gardening as we tend to use only what is naturally available to us. Hence, we can be safe from many serious consequences which are faced if chemicals are used. Many researches have proved that even small amounts of chemicals found in fruits and vegetables due to use of fertilizers and pesticides can cause great damage to our health especially among children.
It is believed that on an average every child swallows at least 4 to 5 times more cancer causing agents from pesticides than an adult. Organic gardening helps in eliminating this issue. We need to keep it in mind that the main motive behind using pesticides is to kill little organisms.
3. Organic gardens are very eco friendly. Usually, the pesticides that we use are washed into water which in turn causes a lot of harm to the organisms which thrive in it. This is eliminated in case of organic gardens.
4. Helps in saving costs. As we do not have to purchase fertilizers and pesticides for keeping away pests and insects we are saved from spending the extra buck. The items that we use for organic gardens mostly come from our kitchen cupboard. And many times, we can grow other plants with the ability to keep insects and pests at bay along with the main plant that we intend to grow. For instance, marigold is often grown along with vegetables as they are very helpful in repelling aphids.
Another solution for the pest problem is by using a mixture of 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with a cup of cooking oil and using three tablespoons of this mixture with a quart of water to use as a pest spray on plants.
5. A mulch of pine needles will help in controlling the growth of weeds and will also keep the necessary moisture intact.
6. Organic gardening ensures a great environment to live for the generations to come.
Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some greatGardening Secrets up his sleeves!
These is a must have weather your a beginner, enthusiast or an expert.It has helped me a lot in my current job related to organic farming.
Why would anyone want to have an organic garden? Here is the answer to the question.
1. It is the IN thing to do. With the help of the kitchen and garden waste that we get, one can be very eco-friendly and put the waste into good use though it is quite time consuming than opting for pesticides and fertilizers available in the market.
2. There is very little usage of chemicals in case of organic gardening as we tend to use only what is naturally available to us. Hence, we can be safe from many serious consequences which are faced if chemicals are used. Many researches have proved that even small amounts of chemicals found in fruits and vegetables due to use of fertilizers and pesticides can cause great damage to our health especially among children.
It is believed that on an average every child swallows at least 4 to 5 times more cancer causing agents from pesticides than an adult. Organic gardening helps in eliminating this issue. We need to keep it in mind that the main motive behind using pesticides is to kill little organisms.
3. Organic gardens are very eco friendly. Usually, the pesticides that we use are washed into water which in turn causes a lot of harm to the organisms which thrive in it. This is eliminated in case of organic gardens.
4. Helps in saving costs. As we do not have to purchase fertilizers and pesticides for keeping away pests and insects we are saved from spending the extra buck. The items that we use for organic gardens mostly come from our kitchen cupboard. And many times, we can grow other plants with the ability to keep insects and pests at bay along with the main plant that we intend to grow. For instance, marigold is often grown along with vegetables as they are very helpful in repelling aphids.
Another solution for the pest problem is by using a mixture of 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with a cup of cooking oil and using three tablespoons of this mixture with a quart of water to use as a pest spray on plants.
5. A mulch of pine needles will help in controlling the growth of weeds and will also keep the necessary moisture intact.
6. Organic gardening ensures a great environment to live for the generations to come.
Abhishek is an avid Gardening enthusiast and he has got some greatGardening Secrets up his sleeves!
These is a must have weather your a beginner, enthusiast or an expert.It has helped me a lot in my current job related to organic farming.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Welcome
This blog serves as an alternate platform from out main website at http://www.bollywoodveggies.com/for our visitors to give their comments, discuss on the farms they visited in the Kranji Country Side or give their views on related topics. It is also an area for us to share as much as we know about plants and herbs grown in Singapore. Propagational tips and caring for your plants and platelets. I hope that you will find the blog useful in some ways and hope to see you at our farm =)
Heres an extract from our bollywood veggies main page:
Heres an extract from our bollywood veggies main page:
Bollywood Veggies probably grows the most variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers etc. and is the largest producer of organic bananas and papayas in Singapore. They also specialise in fruit vegetables such as ladies fingers, long beans, cucumbers, bitter gourds. They also grow uncommon medicinal trees and herbs and probably the hottest chilli padi on the island. There is also a natural and beautiful lotus pond in the Sanctuary.
Here's one of the picture of the ever young looking owner Ivy Singh Lim( my dear boz) hahaha.
She has been holding the title the Gentle Warrior Farmer in Singapore but I like to describe her as a "strict Tigress with a gentle heart"
You can buy organically grown vegetables, pots of herbs and medicinal plants, have a lovely meal at the Bistro, or just stroll about on the farm. A great introduction for kids to farms. You don't have to leave Singapore to visit the country and farms
Opening Hours : 9am – 6pm (Wed – Sun, including Public Holidays) Admission charges (for individuals) : S$2.00 per person (above 12 and below 60 yrs) entrance fee to visit the farm area. Free entry to the BistroSunday, November 16, 2008
Main Crops Grown
Here are some of the main crops that are grown in Bollywood Veggies Pte Ltd.
In the list below I`ve compiled a small series of individual crops and their fact sheets.These crops are grown for the use in the Poison Ivy for their daily menus. All our farm fresh vegetables are grown organically. Their is a misconception and difference between organic vegetables and organically grown vegetables. An organically grown vegetable doesn`t automatically qualifies to be a organic vegetable,sounds complicated? Well actually it is not. Let me explain.
Organic vegetables are vegetables grown around very minimal environmental pollution factors. Environmental factors such as the rain, soil, weather and climate conditions plays a significant part. In Singapore however due to our small land mass, for example in Bollywood Veggies even if we do not use chemical fertilisers or use recycle water to irrigate our crops and plants, the natural rain water is polluted enough. Why? The locality of the farm although some distance away from the Tuas Industrial estate is considerably near when you think about it.
Day in and day out green house gases are being released into the atmosphere over Tuas Industrial estate. The likely hood of these rain clouds to travel over the farm is very high especially if a high wind draft occurs or during the monsoon seasons. Ever wondered why old folks, your grandparents and parents told you not to play in the rain or you will get sick?
Basically one of the main reasons is due to the high level of contaminants in the air and it will get wash down in the rain. In olden days the level of contaminants are very small due to smaller industries but this is no excuse. Many government in the world are making efforts to reduce their carbon emission in the air. For example in Australia, the government will soon impose carbon emission tax on businesses. This will encourage industries to look for alternative methods and research on new technology to reduce their carbon emission and this will directly help in reducing global warming.
I am sure in the long run, there will be incentives given by the Australian Government for those that are able to reduce their carbon emission by employing various technologies and methods. These company that are labelled eco-friendly companies might have more premium market opportunities, rebates in their carbon tax or funding for their researches.
In Bollywood Veggies we grow our vegetables and crops organically but we do not claim them to be organic. We do not use SYNTHETIC chemical fertilisers and pesticides but instead we employ various methods to grow our plants and crops. We incorporate all these various control methods and tactics into an IPM (Integrated Pests Management) Programme. This will be discuss in a diffrent entry so look out for it!
Anyway as stated above here is the list of some of the major crops that we grow on the farm ranging from horticultural produce, fruits trees and herbs together with spices. I hope this list and its fact sheet serve as a general outline for those of you wanting to try growing these plants in your own backyard or in your homes =)
(Dear readers I apologize the fact sheets are not uploaded yet but do look out as I will post the link really soon. The format of the fact sheet will look something like the one in the Kang Kong Section)
Common Name: Lady`s Finger/ Okra/ Bhindi
Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Kang Kong
Scientific Name:Ipomoea aquatica
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Sweet Patato/ Daun keledek
Scientific Name:Ipomoea batatas
Fact Sheet
Common Name:Papaya
Scientific Name:Carica papaya
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Citronella/ Limestone
Scientific Name:Cymbopogon calcicola
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Lemon grass/ Serai
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon citratus
Factsheet
In the list below I`ve compiled a small series of individual crops and their fact sheets.These crops are grown for the use in the Poison Ivy for their daily menus. All our farm fresh vegetables are grown organically. Their is a misconception and difference between organic vegetables and organically grown vegetables. An organically grown vegetable doesn`t automatically qualifies to be a organic vegetable,sounds complicated? Well actually it is not. Let me explain.
Organic vegetables are vegetables grown around very minimal environmental pollution factors. Environmental factors such as the rain, soil, weather and climate conditions plays a significant part. In Singapore however due to our small land mass, for example in Bollywood Veggies even if we do not use chemical fertilisers or use recycle water to irrigate our crops and plants, the natural rain water is polluted enough. Why? The locality of the farm although some distance away from the Tuas Industrial estate is considerably near when you think about it.
Day in and day out green house gases are being released into the atmosphere over Tuas Industrial estate. The likely hood of these rain clouds to travel over the farm is very high especially if a high wind draft occurs or during the monsoon seasons. Ever wondered why old folks, your grandparents and parents told you not to play in the rain or you will get sick?
Basically one of the main reasons is due to the high level of contaminants in the air and it will get wash down in the rain. In olden days the level of contaminants are very small due to smaller industries but this is no excuse. Many government in the world are making efforts to reduce their carbon emission in the air. For example in Australia, the government will soon impose carbon emission tax on businesses. This will encourage industries to look for alternative methods and research on new technology to reduce their carbon emission and this will directly help in reducing global warming.
I am sure in the long run, there will be incentives given by the Australian Government for those that are able to reduce their carbon emission by employing various technologies and methods. These company that are labelled eco-friendly companies might have more premium market opportunities, rebates in their carbon tax or funding for their researches.
In Bollywood Veggies we grow our vegetables and crops organically but we do not claim them to be organic. We do not use SYNTHETIC chemical fertilisers and pesticides but instead we employ various methods to grow our plants and crops. We incorporate all these various control methods and tactics into an IPM (Integrated Pests Management) Programme. This will be discuss in a diffrent entry so look out for it!
Anyway as stated above here is the list of some of the major crops that we grow on the farm ranging from horticultural produce, fruits trees and herbs together with spices. I hope this list and its fact sheet serve as a general outline for those of you wanting to try growing these plants in your own backyard or in your homes =)
(Dear readers I apologize the fact sheets are not uploaded yet but do look out as I will post the link really soon. The format of the fact sheet will look something like the one in the Kang Kong Section)
Common Name: Lady`s Finger/ Okra/ Bhindi
Scientific Name: Abelmoschus esculentus
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Kang Kong
Scientific Name:Ipomoea aquatica
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Sweet Patato/ Daun keledek
Scientific Name:Ipomoea batatas
Fact Sheet
Common Name:Papaya
Scientific Name:Carica papaya
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Citronella/ Limestone
Scientific Name:Cymbopogon calcicola
Fact Sheet
Common Name: Lemon grass/ Serai
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon citratus
Factsheet
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