farmeric July 21st, 2009
Gabi is one of the major rootcrops grown throughout the country. It can be grown almost anywhere, upland or lowland.
Image courtesy of stuartxchange.org
Land preparation and planting:
- Plow the field twice to loosen the soil.
- Harrow the field in a criss-cross manner to break the soil clods.
- Make furrows at a distance of 75 cm. Plant in the furrows. For irregular and hilly areas, plant in holes.
- For upland culture, plant the seedpieces 7 to 10 cm. deep in the furrows, at a 50 cm. distance between plants. When holes are prepared instead of furrows, slip the seedpieces into the holes and cover partially leaving the hollow around the plant.
- For best results, select a field with alluvial loam soil.
Fertilization:
The amount and kind of fertilizer to use vary from place to place.
- Apply 60-60-60 kg. of NPK/ha. to yield 30 tons/ha. Continue Reading »
Tags: How To Grow Gabi, Plants
farmeric June 28th, 2009
Malunggay tea processing is the method in which the leaves from Moringa oleifera are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing. Malunggay tea is considered a dietary source of important vitamins and minerals. Tea from malunggay is a healthy drink and contains a higher level of polyphenols (flavonoids), which are known for anti-oxidant activity.
Harvesting and collection of leaves for drying. Harvesting is done by picking 2-3 younger green leaves and with no signs of yellowing of the compound leaves with snap. Collected leaves are placed in a tray before transporting them in a drying shade.
Sorting and cleaning. Immediately after harvesting, collected leaves are cleaned and sorted out with un-necessary materials such as dust and laid out in a in a plastic tray or basket with 2-3 cm. fine mesh.
Air-drying. Air drying will last with in 2-3 days in a shade house and not sun dry for this will affect the quality of the tea if it is exposed to sun. The tea leaves will begin to wilt soon after picking, with a gradual onset of enzymatic oxidation. Air drying is used to remove excess water from the leaves and allows a very light amount of oxidation. The leaves can be left in a cool breezy room to pull moisture out from the leaves. The leaves sometimes lose more of their weight in water during wilting. Continue Reading »
Tags: allergies, coconut oil, flower, fruit, Health, Herbal, herbs, honey, malunggay, medicines, Plants, seeds, sickness, tea, treat, vitamins, worms, wound
farmeric September 4th, 2008
Nuts over Coconut by Nestor Cuartero
Coconut Tree of Life
WONDERS NEVER CEASE for the tree of life.
At the 7th National Coconut Festival held from August 7 to 10 at the Megatrade Hall of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City, guests were introduced to new coco health products, both edible and un, much to their amazement and celebration.
New health products that caught the eye of the festival-goers included coco sap beverages, skim milk beverages, gluten-free coconut flour, and fiber-rich low sugar food products.
Last year, in the same coco festival, we were won over by coco sugar, nutritious sugar made from coconut sap, which is supposed to be good for diabetes. Other previous revelations from the annual festival include Virgin Coconut Oil in its many variations, including VCO for massage therapy and well-being. In festivals past, also highlighted were other coco-based invetions like coco fiber geo textiles and coco biodiesel.
Continue Reading »
Tags: coco biodiesel, coconut, coconut oil, coconut tree, Food, Herbal, Plants, tree of life
farmeric February 5th, 2008
click image to see beautiful shots of coffee!
The morning of our childhood always began with a steaming hot, aromatic cup of coffee. Freshly brewed, barako coffee harvested, dried, and ground right in our home.
No one bothered to ask why we, children as tender as five or six years old, were allowed to drink the wicked brew so early in the day, and that early in our life. In Batangas, coffee-drinking is a daily, sometimes hourly, habit way of life, shared by entire families at breakfast, or at any time of night and day.
We drank coffee as we ate a breakfast of fried rice and dried fish before dashing off to school. We’d dunk our pandesal into it till the bread went soggy and unrecognizable but seductively delicious to our young taste.
Continue Reading »
Tags: antioxidants, brewed coffee, coffee, coffee beans, cup of coffee, diabetes, disease, Health, medical, Plants
farmeric January 2nd, 2008
It’s usually my habit to tune in to AM radio specially on my way to the office and back home early in the evening while driving. One particular Thursday morning , I was listening to DZMM program when I heard the lively tandem of Ariel Ureta and Winnie Cordero interviewing a guy who is a part of the on-going Herbal Festival 2007 being held in Quezon Memorial Circle,Quezon City. I listened attentively because the guy - which unfortunately I forgot the name, was talking about the good benefits of different herbs in our body. I just learned that only 10 of our numerous herbals/medicinal plants were approved by the Department of Health, namely:
- Bawang or garlic = reduces cholesterol in the blood.
- Bayabas or guava = my favorite, usually used to disinfect wounds (antiseptic). The fruit is rich in Vitamin C as well.
- Ampalaya or bitter gourd = very popular to treat or prevent diabetes, clinically proven to lower a patient’s blood sugar. Did you know that the products of Charantia, the company that made the tea from ampalaya (and capsule too), is now being exported abroad like U.S.A., Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan, Korea and parts of the Middle East? Continue Reading »
Tags: allergies, coconut oil, flower, fruit, Health, Herbal, herbs, honey, medicines, Plants, seeds, sickness, tea, treat, vitamins, worms, wound
