Organic Gardening with ECOV – Progress Report June 1st, 2012
by Bhakta Rafa.
The lord has shown his mercy and is showering us with blessings in the form of rain! With this hot weather we been getting lately, hopefully there will be enough water in the ground so the roots can grow nicely.
Watering tip – it is better to water deeply (5 gallons per blueberry bush for example) once a week, rather than watering a little bit everyday. The reason is, if you are only wetting the surface of the soil, the roots will grow shallow. Instead, if you water enough so it soaks deep into the earth, the roots will seek the water and grow deeper. That’s if it is planted on the ground. I’m not sure how it is different with raised beds. Ask Madhava Gosh. *
Our work in Madhuban continues. The tree line was cut down for firewood. We used the new space and planted 32 Chinese chestnut trees. Most of the trees are growing and have wire mesh protecting them from deer. A few still seem dormant, hopefully not dead.
Madhuban is a short walk south of the Palace of Gold. It is on the east side of a sharp bend on the road, across from Sankirtan and Ruci’s house. It used to be the entranceway to the Palace. It was on that hill that the first “Prabhupada Houses” were built. They followed Prabhupada’s instructions and built it with packed earth. One still remains. There is a nice walking path along the trees we planted. Perfect for a nature japa walk that is close to the temple. So please, come by, send your love and chant to our little trees so they can grow happy roots in our community.
In the Garden of Seven Gates, our 100 asparagus have grown steadily and fully. We will backfill their bed with more compost and lime, because they like a slightly alkaline soil.
The raspberries, currants and blueberries are also very well established; some of them are flowering already! Most of them have been mulched, with newspaper and hay, which is the key for keeping the soil moist and controlling weeds. Thank God for the rain today, because it has been about 2 weeks since they got a good watering.
Down at Bahulaban, there are 27 cows, part of the Goraksa Seva program. They have access to lots of green pasture, clover fields and woods. I’ve been having the pleasure of visiting them most days and creating a relationship with these wonderful devotees.
Part of EcoV’s plan for a sustainable future is working with animals, especially oxen, donkeys, and horses. Rama and Gopal are the two young ox we are hoping to train. Working with such strong animals is very dangerous, and nothing is for certain. The process is slow and must be in the mode of goodness, just like them. Here are the pictures:
Rama
Gopal
