Iyarkaiodu Naam - One with Nature

Curious about forest gardens? A simple forest garden contains three layers: trees, shrubs, and ground plants. For the adventurous gardener, a deluxe forest garden can contain as many as seven tiers of vegetation. A bountiful forest garden can produce plenty of food — you just need to take a page from mother nature’s book.  It’s time to look at forest garden design. A simple forest garden contains three layers: trees, shrubs, and ground plants. But for those who like to take advantage of every planting opportunity, a deluxe forest garden can contain as many as seven tiers of vegetation. As the illustration below shows, a seven-layered forest garden contains tall trees, low trees, shrubs, herbs, ground covers, vines, and root crops. More info http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/designing-a-forest-garden-the-seven-story-garden/

Green Manure Green undecomposed material used as manure is called green manure. It is obtained in two ways: by growing green manure crops or by collecting green leaf (along with twigs) from plants grown in wastelands, field bunds and forest. Green manuring is growing in the field plants usually belonging to leguminous family and incorporating into the soil after sufficient growth. The plants that are grown for green manure known as green manure crops. The most important green manure crops are sunnhemp, dhaincha,  pillipesara, clusterbeans and  Sesbania rostrata. For more information visit http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/org_farm/orgfarm_green%20manure.html

Where one plant helps the other, to work in harmony with nature. Learn and plant a 3 Sisters Garden, an old fashioned, but very effective farming technique. Like strip mining, modern agribusiness is based on yields extra cted from the land regardless of the environmental cost. This Native American garden, which was actually a form of small-scale farming, made the land richer. A 3 sisters garden can be planted on a smaller scale and grown in a raised bed as well. Plant the corn first. When the corn reaches 5 inches in height, plant the pole beans. About a week later, plant your squash seeds. The corn supports the beans, the beans provide nitrogen and the squash keeps moisture in and shades out the weeds. Harmony. READ:  http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/native-american-gardening-zm0z13fmzsto%20.aspx

Generally 45-48 plants are planted in one acre area. But, here a new method of planting was tried out, way back in 1960, which accommodates around 120 trees in one acre of land.  Zigzag pattern of Coconut plantation In this zigzag method of planting, each plant is spaced at a distance of 15 feet within a row. Two rows are spaced 15 ft followed by a third row  which is spaced at 30 ft. Plants in each row is planted at the mid point of the two trees of the previous row, thus making it a zigzag pattern. Due to this pattern, the distance between the trees between two rows comes to 16.77 ft. The 30 ft distance left after every two rows, helps the canopy to spread. This way of planting has not affected the light or air that passes through the plantation and zero cultivation has been adopted. Growing of intercrops such as banana and cocoa has also been possible during the initial years. With an yield of 80 nuts from each tree, it has been possible to harvest 9600 coconuts annually...