Why do we Garden?

Nature's garden

For this blog post, I would like to consider the big picture of why we are drawn to gardening.  Taoist created gardens to improve human health, and in Mesopotamia the land was used as it was found, with hillsides, depressions, streams, paths and canals incorporated into the garden's plan.  A 17^th century guide advises readers to ‘spare time in the garden…. there is no better way to preserve your health’.  Since the beginning of time, nature has been used for its restorative value. 

Many contemporary studies show the direct positive impact nature has on humans.  It has been proven many times that nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical well-being (reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones).  In one study, patients in a hospital healed faster on the side that had a view to a natural space.  Findings have become so convincing that some mainstream health care providers have begun to promote nature therapy for illness and disease prevention.

‘Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better’. Albert Einstein

Connecting to Nature

Looking ahead, looking behind. 
How do you connect to nature?

Although we are part of nature, many in modern society are quite removed. We’ve become dependent on technology, removed from our senses or intuition.  People swirl unconsciously around their busy lives, oblivious to the natural world or where their sustenance comes from.  By spending time in nature improve our well-being, connect to that which gives us life and release pent up hormones and energy.  For example, when we lack serotonin (those feel good hormones) we are subject to depression. You can increase the serotonin in your brain by getting your hands dirty, getting in contact with the soil (and a soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae).  Feel better by playing in the dirt, this is where gardening comes in.

We don’t need to go deep into the wilderness to gain benefit from nature, often just out the back door. Nature provides answers, things to contemplate and learn, gets us curious and involved.  Consider the pine out back, can you appreciate its shade and the many winters it has withstood?  Be fascinated by how a little seed can metamorphosize into an edible plant...Observe how you feel the changing seasons…Be curious about the microbes affecting the character of the soil.  This is nature connection, this is when we are open to learning, growing and expanding. 

Nature's art...What can we learn to add to our garden?

The sights, smells, and sounds of the garden promote relaxation and reduce stress.  Observe the development of your plants, listen for the sounds of the wind and birds, appreciate the fragrance or texture of a plant.  And, what better way to take care of your body then to get stronger, or breathe harder, doing chores that come with having a yard and garden?  Makes 'exercise' much easier when you benefit in other ways!

From the National Garden Bureau, here are additional benefits of gardening-

* Garden for Exercise Get a good workout without even thinking about it.  Gardening can help reduce osteoporosis, strengthen or stretch muscles. And, after you're finished, you see immediate results in your garden as your physical health improves.

* Garden to add Beauty A house with a nice yard is a pleasure to look at and satisfying to live in. Think of the garden as another room to be enjoyed whether you are inside or outside.

* Garden to Learn Gardeners find that the more they learn about plants and gardening, the more they want to know. Gardening provides an outlet for creative and artistic expression.

* Garden for fresh, healthy Produce The satisfaction of nurturing and developing something for sustenance.  The food you grow yourself is the freshest you can eat.

Heart rocks in the natural landscape

* Garden for emotional needs and spiritual connections Gardens play an important part in our well-being. A garden might serve as a tranquil retreat or private escape from the demands of everyday life. The beauty of flowers can lift spirits, while pulling weeds can be a great release for stress and excess energy. A harvest of colorful flowers or tasty vegetables provides a sense of achievement and feelings of success.  On a higher level, gardening provides a spiritual connection to life. It's a miracle to take a tiny seed, nurture it, and watch it grow into a beautiful flower or delicious food for your table. Tending a garden also contributes to improving your own living space, the environment and our planet (from Why Garden? The National Garden Bureau's Top Ten Reasons).

So, why might you spend time in the garden?  Just by enhancing our awareness about why we garden may, in turn, increase our enjoyment and appreciation for the effort we put forward.  So, get out and play in the dirt, allow yourself to feel fascinated with the process of life, knowing we are part of all of this.  Gardening may be your therapy leading you toward a happier and healthier life. 

Joelle Dunaetz has a background in landscape design, wellness coaching and supporting people in getting out in nature. She enjoys educating people on how increase awareness, appreciate life and make healthy choices for their well-being and the well-being of the planet.  She also spends time at the Gilpin County Extension office and tinkers in her own garden.

Leguminosa, Sumber Pupuk Nitrogen

Hasil panen dan kualitas produk yang tinggi merupakan dambaan semua petani. Untuk mencapai 'gol' tersebut acapkali kita menerapkan cara-cara yang “tidak sesuai” dengan yang dibutuhkan oleh alam. Contohnya adalah pemupukan dengan menggunakan bahan kimia sintetis yang melebihi dosis anjuran. Penggunaan pestisida tanpa memikirkan dampak lingkungan kedepan yang akan dihadapi. Aplikiasi herbisida yang mengganggu vegetasi habitat organisme tanah, serta budidaya satu jenis famili tanaman yang sama sepanjang tahun serta kultivasi atau pengolahan lahan dengan menggunakan alat berat yang merusak habitat organisme baik yang hidup disuatu lahan pertanian. 

Beragam aktifitas kultifasi tersebut mengakibatkan berkurangnya kualitas kesuburan tanah. Akibatnya adalah  terjadi ledakan populasi hama dan penyakit karena berkurangnya kemampuan kompetisi organisme baik dan berubahnya kondisi fisik, kimia dan biologi tanah.

Kemampuan Leguminosa Dalam Mengikat Nitrogen Diudara

Jenis tanaman yang sangat fital dalam program rotasi tanaman salah satunya adalah tanaman leguminosa atau legume. Udara di atmosfir memiliki kandungan Nitrogen 75%. Dimana Nitrogen merupakan salah satu dari tiga jenis nutrisi makro yang dibutuhkan oleh tanaman dalam jumlah besar. Tanaman sawi (Brassica) sereal (jagung, oat, gandum, padi) dan tanaman buah-buahan membutuhkan Nitrogen dalam bentuk amonium dengan jumlah yang besar. hal ini dikarenakan jenis tanaman tersebut tidak memiliki kemampuan dalam memproduksi Nitrogen.

Baca juga : Rotasi Tanaman, Solusi Pertanian Yang Berkelanjutan

Berbeda dengan tanaman leguminosa, leguminosa merupakan jenis tanaman kacang-kacangan yang memiliki kemampuan dalam memfiksasi atau memanfaatkan nitrogen di udara. Nitrogen akan dipecah menjadi bentuk amonium yang dapat diserap oleh tanaman dengan bantuan bakteri rhizobium sp. Kemampuan inilah yang menyebabkan tanaman legum apabila bersimbiosis dengan jenis bakteri rhizobium yang sesuai dapat mengurangi kebutuhan tambahan pupuk dengan kandungan nitrogen tinggi dari luar. Dari simbiosis ini bakteri rhizobium akan mendapatkan energi berupa asam amino.

Organisme tanah seperti bakteri, nematoda dan protozoa akan tumbuh dan berkembang dengan cepat di sekitar perakaran tanaman legum. Awal dari kemampuan tanaman legum dalam memfiksasi nitrogen udara sebenarnya dimulai dari infeksi serabut akar tanaman legum oleh bakteri. Bakteri masuk dan menginfeksi kedalam DNA perakaran. Akibat dari infekisi tersebut adalah tanaman legum memiliki kemampuan dalam mengikat nitrogen di udara dengan sangat efisien.

Bahkan tanaman legum herba seperti alfalfa, kembang telang (clitorea ternatea), kacang lab-lab (lab-lab purpureus), kacang kedelai dan kacang hijau mampu mengikat nitrogen di udara kedalam tanah sebanyak 50-250kg/ha. Nitrogen tersebut akan tersedia bagi tanaman legum itu sendiri dan bagi tanaman berikutnya. ketersediaan nutrien tersebut adalah saat akar tanaman legum terdekomposisi atau terurai di tanah.

Dengan jumlah nitrogen yang tersedia di tanah sebanyak itu, penggunaan tanaman legum dalam sistem rotasi dengan tanaman sereal (jagung dan padi) akan mampu mengurangi penggunaan pupuk Nitrogen sintetis. Bahkan dengan manajemen yang baik akan meniadakan sama sekali penggunaan pupuk sumber Nitrogen, baik yang berupa produk sintetis maupun organik (kotoran ternak atau kompos) dari luar. 

Ketika biomassa atau hijauan tanaman legum mulai dari daun, batang, bunga, biji dan akar tidak diberikan ke ternak melainkan dibiarkan terurai ditanah, maka selain nitrogen yang melimpah, residu hijauan legum tersebut akan menyediakan nutrisi kalium dan phospor bagi tanaman sereal yang ditanam. sehingga dapat menekan input pupuk sumber kalium dan pospor kedalam sistem. 

Apabila kita mengangkat akar tanaman legum, maka kita akan mendapati bintil-bintil yang tumbuh seperti tumor di perakaran legum. Didalam bintil tersebutlah tumbuh dan berkembang koloni bakteri yang bersimbiosis secara mutualisme yaitu bakteri rhizobium sp. Bakteri inilah yang membantu tanaman legum dalam memfiksasi nitrogen (N2) dan dipecah menjadi amonium (NH4) sehingga tersedia dan dapat diserap oleh tanaman.

Share ke temanmu apabila bermanfaat. Thanks for reading...

Sumber :
Collins, D., Cogger, D., Koenig, R. (2013) Soil Fertility in Organic Systems: A Guide for Gardeners and Small Acreage Farmers. A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication PNW646, Washington State University. 

Fukoka, M. (1992). The One-Straw, Revolution An Introduction to Natural Farming. Other India Press, Mudra, 383, Narayan Peth, Pune 411 030 India.
Magdoff, F., and Van, H. (2009). Buildings Soils For Better Crops Sustainable Soil Management. Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, University of Maryland and University of Vermont.

https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Legume-Rhizobium

Gambar :

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/image/0008/157490/fig2-innoculating.jpg

https://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/DGhCU62oqbIz-plrb_M0q0Go1cc/fit-in/2048xorig/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2015/10/01/862/n/1922398/a5fd28e2_shutterstock_130707287.jpg

http://bio1903.nicerweb.com/Locked/media/ch37/37_11xRootNodulesMacro.jpg

My Experience Counting Bees – Become a Citizen Scientist

by Jay Johnson

If you are an active gardener who loves growing all kinds of produce, or if you love to grow flowers and want to help support a national project as a citizen scientist and learn about the kind of native bees, bumblebees and other pollinators that may visit your garden, then you may find the following fun, useful and interesting. Or, if you are interested in science and the plight of bees and are thinking about starting a garden, I recommend you investigate a project I recently joined.

Bee's eye view

My journey started this year on one of my regular visits to the library, visits that include reading Horticulture. I live in Meeker, Colorado and am fortunate enough that they carry the magazine. In the March/April 2018 issue of Horticulture, the cover caught my eye: a picture of 2 sunflowers and the caption, “Be a Citizen Scientist in The Great Sunflower Project”. Intrigued, I checked out the magazine.

The Great Sunflower Project (GSP) was started by researcher Dr. Gretchen LeBuhn (LeBuhn) of San Francisco State University. At first LeBuhn wanted to find out the state of native bees (over 4,000) in the United States and Canada. The article continues to say she wanted to focus on bees since bees are queens of pollination and little is known how they are doing. With one research project being able to only focus on a small area at any time, she created the GSP.

The basis of the GSP is to count pollinator visits per hour per flower on the same kind of plant across the country. LeBuhn chose to focus on sunflowers because they are easy to grow and are visited by many kinds of pollinators. Some of the visitors are the most interesting in the bee world, in particular those in the genus Melissodes. The male has long antennae, and they are called long-horned bees.

The GSP began in 2008, when LeBuhn sent an email to people in the southeastern U.S. asking them to plant specifically ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers. LeBuhn didn’t ask them to be scientists such as an entomologist; they simply needed to be able to count. Therefore, anyone can join the project. I myself do not have entomological experience, but I love to grow flowers, though I hadn’t ever successfully grown sunflowers before 2018.

Honey bee, species unknown

A critical part of the GSP is growing the correct variety of ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflowers, of which there are two. The one needed for this project is an annual, a cultivar of Helianthus annuus. Also critical to the project is that neither the seeds nor the plants are treated with pesticides. They should also be neonicotinoid-free.

 If you are interested in the project, there are 3 seeds companies I would trust to provide the correct kind of seed: Botanical Interests, Beauty Beyond Belief (BBB Seed) and Baker Creek Heirloom Seed (Rare Seeds). Botanical Interests has a bit of information on the GSP on the back of the ‘Lemon Queen’ sunflower seed packet. I am also willing to share seeds with anyone interested in the project.

Bumblebee, species unknown

Armed with the seed buying information, I set out to participate in the project. I ordered seed and shared with friends who either were willing to plant the sunflowers for the project or were just interested in growing the flowers. Fortunately, I was able to secure an extra plot at the Meeker Community Garden just for the sunflowers and planted in the June time frame. As of the date of writing this article, September 8^th, 2018, I have been counting bees since August. I started on August 26^th, 2018 and have counted 9 times so far. Though I haven’t been able to identify individual species to this point, I’ve noted mostly bumblebees, honeybees and other types of bee visitors.

The user friendly GSP website (http://www.greatsunflower.org) is where you go to submit your data, once you have registered.  Data to record includes: counts, plant species (as other flowers may be used if they meet certain criteria), number of flowers on the spike/bunch, date, time of day, number of minutes counted and name of pollinator only if certain of the name. The website also has tools to help you identify species if you are interested, as well as other information related to the project.

Sleeping bee

Overall, this has been a very fun and positive experience for me.  I would kindly ask you to join me this year if you have flowers that meet the criteria, or join me in 2019. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn and teach someone of any age about sunflowers and native bees. Happy gardening!

About Jay Johnson:

·         -  I grew up in North Dakota and moved to Colorado in 2007.
· I work in Natural Resource Management.
·  I took the Master Gardener training through CSU Extension in 2017

Beautiful Zinnias

by Vicky Barney
For several years, I’ve been working on an easy to maintain garden that attracts wildlife.  Native perennial plants with low water needs have been carefully selected and have replaced non-natives that need more water or don’t appeal to pollinators.  I’ve kept a few favorite non-native plants, like my annual zinnias.

The zinnia is a member of the Asteraceae family and is a popular garden plant in much of the world.   Most varieties are native to Mexico and surrounding areas, mainly in North America.  They are easy to grow, bloom in a variety of bright colors, and, even though they are not native, provide nectar to adult butterflies including painted ladies and swallowtails.  (See CSU Extension Fact Sheet #5.504 Attracting Butterflies to the Garden.)

There is a perennial zinnia native to Colorado called the Golden paperflower or Plains zinnia (Zinnia grandiflora). It grows up to 8 inches tall in a clump, with long lasting golden flowers, and is found growing on the plains, deserts, and rocky slopes of eastern Colorado.  I don’t think it is found here on the western slope.  Like most Colorado natives, it requires little water and lots of sunshine.   (See CSU Extension Fact Sheet #7.242 Native Herbaceous Perennials for Colorado Landscapes.)

The non-native zinnia hybrids, also sun lovers, grow up to 3 feet tall and produce flowers in a variety of colors - white, yellow, red, orange, pink, rose –that may last through late fall. Like pansies (another one of my favorite non-natives), they can be planted earlier in the spring than other plants as they are cold tolerant and can withstand a late spring frost.   Both benefit from regular watering.  Warning: zinnias cannot tolerate a fall frost and must be covered when temperatures dip overnight, something I experienced firsthand.  It was a sad morning last fall when I discovered all my newly opened blooms had died after a seemingly not-that-cold night spent uncovered. 

Zinnias are easy to grow from seed.   Select a sunny protected garden area two weeks prior to the last frost, or when trees are starting to leaf out.  Soil should be tilled 6 – 10” and amended to produce a medium that will stay moist until the seeds germinate.  Be sure to use seed packaged for the current year, follow the planting directions on the packet, and keep the soil moist until the seedlings appear. 

My experience with zinnias has been with hybrid seeds planted in containers with good potting soil. Seeds can be planted as late as June and will produce beautiful fall flowers.  The challenge is to keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate, given our dry climate.  I was a bit lax this year with my watering, resulting in sparsely populated pots of flowers, still beautiful but not quite as colorful.  In spite of this, the colorful flowers have been a joyful addition to the garden and have attracted late season butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees.  The zinnias have given me one more chance to see the pollinators before they disappear for the winter.

Vicky Barney gardens for wildlife and is a member of the Master Gardener Class of 2011.

CARA MENANAM DAN BUDIDAYA BUAH STRAWBERRY

Buah Strawberry sudah terkenal dimana-mana, bentuknya yang unik dengan rasanya yang manis segar menjadi keunngulan tersendiri bagi si buah berwarna merah ini. buah ini biasanya dapat dikonsumsi secara langsung jika sudah matang. Selain itu, buah stawberry juga sering diolah menjadi sirup, Selai, Jus,ataupun compote strawberry.

Tanaman buah Strawberry sendiri merupakan salah satu jenis tanaman buah berupa herba yg ditemukan pertama kali di Chili, Amerika. Salah satu spesies tanaman Strawberry yaitu Fragaria chiloensis L menyebar ke berbagai negara Amerika, Eropa & Asia. Selanjutnya spesies lain, yaitu F. vesca L. lebih menyebar luas dibandingkan spesies lainnya. Jenis strawberry ini pula yg pertama kali masuk ke Indonesia. 

A. SYARAT PERTUMBUHAN BUAH STRAWBERRY

1. Iklim

Tanaman Strawberry dapat tumbuh degan optimal di daerah degan curah hujan antara 600-700 mm/tahun.

Tanamn strawberry membutuhkan penyinaran cahaya matahari antara 8–10 jam setiap harinya.

Strawberry adalah tanaman subtropis yg dapat beradaptasi dgn baik di dataran tinggi tropis yg memiliki temperatur 17–20 derajat C.

Kelembaban udara yg baik untuk pertumbuhan tanaman Strawberry antara 80-90%.

2. Media Tanam

Jika ditanam di kebun, tanah yg dibutuhkan adalah tanah liat berpasir, subur, gembur, mengandung banyak bahan organik, tata air & udara baik.

Derajat keasaman tanah (pH tanah) yg ideal utk budidaya stroberi di kebun adalah 5.4-7.0, sedangkan utk budidaya di pot adalah 6.5–7,0.

Jika ditanam dikebun maka kedalaman air tanah yg disyaratkan adalah 50-100 cm dari permukaan tanah. Jika ditanam di dalam pot, media harus memiliki sifat poros, mudah merembeskan airdan unsur hara selalu tersedia.

3. Ketinggian Tempat

Ketinggian tempat yg memenuhi syarat iklim tersebut adalah 1.000-1.500 meter dpl.

B. PANDUAN MUDAH BUDIDAYA TANAMAN BUAH STRAWBERRY

1. Pembibitan

Buah Strawberry diperbanyak dgn biji & bibit vegetatif (anakan & stolon atau akar sulur). Adapun kebutuhan bibit per hektar antara 40.000-83.350.

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a. Perbanyakan dengan biji

Benih Strawberry dibeli dari toko pertanian, rendam benih di dalam air selama 15 menit lalu keringanginkan.

Kotak persemaian berupa kotak kayu atau plastik, diisi degan media tanam yakni campuran pasir, tanah & pupuk kandang (kompos) sengan perbandingan (1:1:1). Benih disemaikan merata di atas media & tutup degan tanah tipis. Kotak semai ditutup dgn plastik atau kaca bening & disimpan pada temperatur18-20 derajat C.

Persemaian disiram setiap hari, setelah bibit berdaun dua helai siap dipindah ke bedeng sapih degan jarak antar bibit 2-3 cm. Media tanam bedeng sapih sama dgn media persemaian. Bedengan dinaungi degan plastik bening. Selama di dalam bedengan, bibit diberi pupuk daun. Setelah berukuran 10 cm & tanaman telah merumpun, bibit dipindahkan ke kebun. Baca juga : Panduan Mudah Penyemaian Benih Stawberry

b. Perbanyakan degan Vegetatif

Bibit Tanaman Buah Strawberry secara vegetatif untuk budidaya Strawberry di kebun Tanaman induk yg dipilih harus berumur 1-2 tahun, sehat & produktif. Penyiapan bibit anakan & stolon adalah sebagai berikut:

Bibit anakan : Rumpun dibongkar dgn cangkul, tanaman induk dibagi menjadi beberapa bagian yg sedikitnya mengandung 1 anakan. Setiap anakan ditanam dalam polibag 18 x 15 cm berisi campuran tanah, pasir & pupuk kandang halis (1:1:1), simpan di bedeng persemaian beratap plastik.

Bibit stolon : Rumpun yg dipilih telah memiliki akar sulur pertama & kedua. Kedua akar sulur ini dipotong. Bibit ditanam di dalam atau polibag 18 x 15 cm berisi campuran tanah, pasir & pupuk kandang (1:1:1). Setelah tingginya 10 cm & berdaun rimbun, bibit siap dipindahkan ke kebun.

c. Bibit untuk budidaya Strawberry di polybag

Pembibitan dari benih atau anakan/stolon dilakukan degan cara yang sama, tetapi media tanam berupa campuran gabah padi & pupuk kandang (2:1).

Setelah bibit di persemaian berdaun dua atau bibit dari anakan/stolon di polibag kecil (18 x15) siap pindah, bibit dipindahkan ke polybag besar ukuran 30 x 20 cm berisi media yang sama.

Di dalam polybag ini bibit dipelihara sampai menghasilkan buah. Dapatkan Juga : Bibit Tanaman Buah Strawberry Unggul

2. Pengolahan Media Tanam

a. Budidaya di Kebun Tanpa Mulsa Plastik

• Di awal musim hujan, lahan diolah degan baik sedalam 30-40 cm.
• Lahan yang telah diolah dibiarkan selama selama 15-30 hari.
• Buat bedengan: lebar 80 x 100 cm, tinggi 30-40 cm, panjang disesuaikan degan lahan, jarak antar bedengan 40 x 60 cm atau guludan: lebar 40 x 60 cm, tinggi 30-40 cm, panjang disesuaikan dgn lahan, jarak antar guludan 40 x 60 cm.
• Taburkan 20-30 ton/ha pupuk kandang/kompos secara merata di permukaan bedengan/ guludan.
• Biarkan bedengan/guludan selama 15 hari. Buat lubang tanam degan jarak 40 x 30 cm, 50 x 50 cm atau 50 x 40 cm.

b. Budidaya di Kebun dengan Mulsa Plastik.

• Di awal musim hujan, lahan diolah degan baik sedalam 30-40 cm.
• Lahan yang telah diolah dibiarkan selama selama 15-30 hari.
• Buatlah bedengan: lebar 80 x 120 cm, tinggi 30-40 cm, panjang disesuaikan dgn lahan, jarak antar bedengan 60 cm atau guludan: lebar bawah 60 cm, lebar atas 40 cm, tinggi 30-40 cm, panjang disesuaikan dgn lahan, jarak antar bedengan 60 cm.
• Keringanginkan 15 hari.
• Taburkan & campurkan dgn tanah bedengan/guludan 200 kg urea, 250 kg SP-36 & 100 kg/ha KCl.
• Siram hingga lembab.
• Pasang mulsa plastik hitam atau hitam perak menutupi bedengan/guludan & kuatkan ujung-ujungnya dgn bantuan bambu berbentuk U.
• Buat lubang di atas plastik seukuran alas kaleng bekas susu kental manis. Jarak antar lubang dalam barisan 30, 40 atau 50 cm, sehingga jarak tanam menjadi 40 x 30, 50 x 50 atau 50 x 40 cm.
• Buat lubang tanam di atas lubang mulsa tadi.
• Pengapuran : Bila tanah masam, 2-4 ton/ha kapur kalsit/dolomit ditebarkan di atas bedengan/guludan lalu dicampur merata. Pengapuran dilakukan segera setelah bedengan/guludan selesai dibuat.

3. Teknik Penanaman

Siram polybag berisi bibit & keluarkan bibit bersama media tanamnya degan hati-hati.

Tanam satu bibit di lubang tanam & padatkan tanah di sekitar pangkal batang.

Untuk tanaman tanpa mulsa, beri pupuk dasar sebanyak 1/3 dari dosis pupuk anjuran (dosis anjuran 200 kg/ha Urea, 250 kg SP-36 & 150 kg/ha KCl). Pupuk diberikan di dalam lubang sejauh 15 cm di kiri-kanan tanaman.

Sirami tanah di sekitar pangkal batang sampai lembab.

4. Pemeliharaan Tanaman

• Penyulaman : Penyulaman dilakukan sebelum tanaman berumur 15 hari setelah tanam. Tanaman yang disulam adalah yg mati atau tumbuh abnormal.
• Penyiangan : Penyiangan dilakukan pada pertanaman Strawberry tanpa ataupun degan mulsa plastik. Mulsa yang berada di antara barisan/bedengan dicabut & dibenamkan ke dalam tanah. Waktu penyiangan tergantung dari pertumbuhan gulma, biasanya dilakukan bersama pemupukan susulan.
• Perempelan/Pemangkasan : Tanaman yag terlalu rimbun, terlalu banyak daun harus dipangkas. Pemangkasan dilakukan teratur terutama membuang daun-daun tua/rusak. Tanaman stroberi diremajakan setiap 2 tahun.
• Pemupukan. Pada Budidaya Bauh Strawberry tanpa mulsa: Pupuk susulan diberikan 1,5-2 bulan setelah tanam sebanyak 2/3 dosis anjuran. Pemberian degan cara ditabur dalam larikan dangkal di antara barisan, kemudian ditutup tanah. Pada Budidaya Bauh Strawberry degan mulsa: Pupuk susulan ditambahkan jika pertumbuhan kurang baik. Campuran urea, SP-36 & KCl (1:2:1,5) sebanyak 5 kg dilarutkan dalam 200 liter air. Setiap tanaman disiram dgn 350-500 cc larutan pupuk.
• Pengairan & Penyiraman : Sampai tanaman berumur 2 minggu, penyiraman dilakukan 2 kali sehari. Setelah itu penyiraman dikurangi berangsur-angsur degan syarat tanah tidak mengering. Pengairan bisa degan disiram atau menjanuhi parit antar bedengan degan air.
• Pemasangan Mulsa Kering : Mulsa kering dipasang seawal mungkin setelah tanam pada bedengan/ guludan yg tdk memakai mulsa plastik. Jerami atau rumput kering setebal 3–5 cm dihamparkan di permukaan bedengan/guludan & antara barisan tanaman.

5. Hama dan Penyakit Strawberry

Hama

1. Kutu daun (Chaetosiphon fragaefolii)

Kutu berwarna kuning-kuning kemerahan, kecil (1-2 mm), hidup bergerombol di permukaan bawah daun.

Gejala: pucuk/daun keriput, keriting, pembentukan bunga/buah terhambat.

Pengendalian: dgn insektisida Fastac 15 EC & Confidor 200 LC.

2. Tungau (Tetranychus sp. & Tarsonemus sp.)

Tungau berukuran sangat kecil, betina berbentuk oval, jantan berbentuk agak segi tiga & telur kemerah-merahan.

Gejala: daun berbercak kuning sampai coklat, keriting, mengering & gugur.

Pengendalian: dgn insektisida Omite 570 EC, Mitac 200 EC atau Agrimec 18 EC.

3.Kumbang penggerek bunga (Anthonomus rubi), kumbang penggerek akar (Otiorhynchus rugosostriatus) & kumbang penggerek batang (O. sulcatus).

Gejala: di bagian tanaman yg digerek terdapat tepung.

Pengendalian: dgn insektisida Decis 2,5 EC, Perfekthion 400 EC atau Curacron 500 EC pada waktu menjelang fase berbunga.

4. Kutu putih (Pseudococcus sp.)

Gejala: bagian tanaman yg tertutupi kutu putih akan menjadi abnormal.

Pengendalian: kimia dgn insektisida Perfekthion 400 EC atau Decis 2,5 EC.

5. Nematoda (Aphelenchoides fragariae atau A. ritzemabosi)

Hidup di pangkal batang bahkan sampai pucuk tanaman.

Gejala: tanaman tumbuh kerdil, tangkai daun kurus & kurang berbulu.

Pengendalian: dgn nematisida Trimaton 370 AS, Rugby 10 G atau Nemacur 10 G.

Penyakit

1.Kapang kelabu (Botrytis cinerea)

Gejala: bagian buah membusuk & berwarna coklat lalu mengering.

Pengendalian: dgn fungisida Benlate atau Grosid 50 SD.

2. Busuk buah matang (Colletotrichum fragariae Brooks)

Gejala: bah masak menjadi kebasah-basahan berwarna coklat muda & buah dipenuhi massa spora berwarna merah jambu.

Pengendalian: dgn fungisida berbahan aktif tembaga seperti Kocide 80 AS, Funguran 82 WP, Cupravit OB 21.

3. Busuk rizopus (Rhizopus stolonifer).

Gejala:

buah busuk, berair, berwarna coklat muda & bila ditekan akan mengeluarkan cairan keruh;

di tempat penyimpanan, buah yg terinfeksi akan tertutup miselium jamur berwarna putih & spora hitam.

Pengendalian: membuang buah yg sakit, pasca panen yg baik & budidaya dgn mulsa plastik.

4. Empulur merah (Phytophthora fragariae Hickman)

Gejala: jamur menyerang akar sehingga tanaman tumbuh kerdil, daun tdk segar, kadang-kadang layu terutama siang hari.

5. Daun gosong (Diplocarpon earliana atau Marssonina fragariae)

Gejala: Daun berbercak bulat telur sampai bersudut tdk teratur, berwarna ungu tua.

Pengendalian kimia dgn fungisida Dithane M-45 atau Antracol 70 WP.

6. Bercak daun

Penyebab :

1. Ramularia tulasnii atau Mycosphaerella fragariae,Gejala: bercak kecil ungu tua pada daun. Pusat bercak berwarna coklat yg akan berubah menjadi putih;
2. Pestalotiopsis disseminata, : Gejala: bercak bulat pada daun. Pusat bercak berwarna coklat fua dikelilingi bagian tepi berwarna coklat kemerahan atau kekuningan, daun mudah gugur;
3. Rhizoctonia solani Gejala : bercak coklat-hitam besar pada daun.
4. Pengendalian kimia dgn fungisida bahan aktif tembaga seperti Funguran 82 WP, Kocide 77 WP atau Cupravit OB 21.

6. Panen Buah Strawberry

Tanaman asal stolon & anakan mulai berbung ketika berumur 2 bulan setelah tanam. Bunga pertama sebaiknya dibuang. Setelah tanaman berumur 4 bulan, bunga dibiarkan tumbuh menjadi buah. Periode pembungaan & pembuahan dapat berlangsung selama 2 tahun tanpa henti.

a. . Ciri & Umur Panen

Buah sudah agak kenyal & agak empuk.

Kulit buah didominasi warna merah: hijau kemerahan hingga kuning kemerahan.

Buah berumur 2 minggu sejak pembungaan atau 10 hari setelah awal pembentukan buah.

b. . Cara Panen

Panen dilakukan dgn menggunting bagian tangkai bunga dgn kelopaknya. Panen dilakukan dua kali seminggu.

7. Pasca Panen

Pengumpulan : Buah disimpan dalam suatu wadah dgn hati-hati agar tdk memar, simpan di tempat teduh atau dibawa langsung ke tempat penampungan hasil. Hamparkan buah di atas lantai beralas terpal/plastik. Cuci buah dgn air mengalir & tiriskan di atas rak-rak penyimpanan.

Demikian Informasi mengenai Panduan Budidaya Tanaman buah Strawberry agar mampu tumbuh dengan optimal dan berbuah dengan lebat, semoga bermanfaat. Semoga dapat memberi gambaran anda yang hendak berkebun buah strawberry di halaman rumah anda. Tertarik berkebun strawberry?

https://www.jualbenihmurah.com/

TIPS PANDUAN MENANAM SALAK

TIPS PANDUAN MENANAM SALAK

1. Syarat Tumbuh

Tanaman salak merupakan tanaman asli hutan Indonesia, tanaman salak ini dapat ditemukan di daerah dataran rendah dengan ketinggian sekitar 50 meter hingga 800 meter diatas permukaan laut. Tanaman salak baik ditanam pada lahan yang memiliki derajat keasaman atau pH tanah sekitar 4-7,5, memiliki curah hujan sekitar 200-400 mm/bulan, memiliki kelembaban sekitar 80%-90%, serta memiliki suhu sekitar 20°C-30°C.

2. Pembibitan 

Pembibitan salak dapat dilakukan dengan cara generatif melalui biji dan dengan cara vegetatif melalui pencangkokan.

a. Pembibitan melalui Biji

Biji yang berasal dari tanaman unggul dan buah yang telah tua.kemudian biji tersebut disemai pada bedengan, ember atau kantong plastik lalu diletakkan pada tempat yang teduh. Lakukan penyiraman secara rutin agar kelambapan media semai terjaga.

Setelah berumur sekitar 1 bulan biji mulai mengeluarkan akar dan akan bertunas. Setelah berumur 3-4 bulan bibit dapat dipindah tanamkan ke lahan tanam.

b. Pembibitan melalui Cangkok

Bibit cangkok diperoleh dari tanaman yang unggul, pernah berbuah setidaknya 2 kali, sehat dan memiliki anakan yang cukup untuk dicangkok. berikut adalah cara mencangkok :

1. Rumpun salak dibersihkan dari dedaunan kering dan juga sisa tangkai buah.
2. Pilihlah beberapa anakan yang akan dijadikan bibit.
3. Kemudian pisahkan anakan dari indukan dengan memotongnya menggunakan pisau, namun jangan sampai benar terpisah dengan indukannya.
4. Siapkan media tanam berupa campuran tanah dengan humus atau pupuk kandang halus.
5. Siapkan botol bekas air mineral atau infus, lalu tempelkan ke pangkal calon anakan dan isi dengan media tanam yang telah disiapkan.
6. Jaga selalu kelembapan media tanam dengan melakukan penyiraman setiap hari. Biasanya setelah satu bulan akar mulai tumbuh.
7. Setelah 2 bulan penyapihan, pisahkan anakan tersebut dari tanaman induk.
8. Kemudian lepaskan mwdia tanam dan pindahkan bibit cangkok ke polybag tanam atau keranjang.
9. Untuk mengurangi penguapan dan stres tanaman maka lakukan pengurangan daun pada bibit.
10. Letakkan bibit tersebut pada tempat yang teduh. Setelah berumur sekitar 1 bulan, bibit dapat dipindah tanamkan ke lahan tanam.

3. Persiapan Lahan Tanam

Lahan yang akan digunakan untuk budidaya salak, ditanami tanaman perlindung untuk mengurangi intensitas cahaya matahari karena pada habitat aslinya, salak tumbuh dibawah naungan pohon dihutan. Tanaman pelindung tersebut biasanya turi, lamtoro, albasia atau yang lainnya. Tanaman pelindung tersebut ditanam dengan jarak sekitar 10 m x 10 m atau 12 m x 12m.

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Setelah itu lakukan pembersihan lahan tanam dari gulma atau tanaman pengganggu lainnya. Selanjutnya butlah lubang tanam dengan ukuran sekitar 50 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm dan diberi jarak sekitar 2 m x 2 m. Tanah galian lubang tanam antara bagian bawah dan atas dipisahkan .

4. Penanaman Bibit Salak

Sebelum melakukan penanaman, lakukan pemupukan dasar dengan menggunkan pupuk kandang dan pupuk NPK yang dicampur dengan tanah galian atas, untuk menghindari serangan hama tanah maka campurkan pula dengan furadan 3g. Semua itu sesuai dengan dosis tang telah ditentukan.

Jika tanah pada lahan tanam terlalu masam, lakukan pengapuran dengan menggunakan kapur pertanian.

Jika semuanyan telah siap, lakukan penanaman segera. Polybag atau keranjang tanam bibit dilepaskan. kemudian masukkan bibit ke lubang tanam dan timbun kembali. Setelah itu pasang ajir dari bambu agar tanaman salak tidak mudah roboh terkena angin atau air. Lakukan penyiraman setelah itu.

5. Perawatan Tanaman Salak

• Penyulaman
• Segera lakukan penyulaman pada tanaman yang tumbuh tidak optimal atau mati dengan bibit yang baru agar tanaman dapat tumbuh serempak.
• Penyiangan
• Lakukan penyiangan pada gulma atau tanaman pengganggu lainnya yang ada disekitar tanaman salak secara rutin agar unsur hara yang dibutuhkan tanaman salak tidak berebut dengan gulma tersebut.
• Pemupukan
• Lakukan pemupukan secara rutin 2 kali dalam setahun atau setiap selesai panen dengan menggunakan pupuk kandang dan pupuk kompos. namun untuk hasil buah yang lebih maksimal bisa gunakan pupuk kimia berupa pupuk NPK atau campuran pupuk Urea, TSP dan KCl.
• Sistem Pengairan dan Pembubunan
• Sistem pengairan tanaman salak dibuat dengan cara membuat galian tanah diantara tanaman salak.
• Setelah berumur 4 bulan setelah tanam lakukan pembubunan agar penopang batang semakin meninggi dan tidak roboh. Biasanya pembubunan ini dilakukan bersama dengan pemupukan.
• Pemangkasan
• Lakukan pemangkasan pada daun yang kering dan sudah tua, agar daun yang baru terangsang untuk tumbuh dan juga mempernbbaiki pertumbuhan manggar calon buah. Pemangkasan tersebut dapat menggunakan pisau atau yang lainnya. Selain itu, lakukan pemangkasan padaanakan yang tumbuh terlalu banyak pada batang utama.
• Penyerbukan Bunga
• Tanaman salak dapat melakukan penyerbukan dengan bantuan angin atau serangga, namun hasilnya tidak optimal. Nah, maka diperlukan penyerbukan buatan, penyerbukan tersebut dilakukan saat bunga telah mekar. Bunga jantan dari tanaman jantan dipotong kewmudian dipukulkan perlahan diatas bunga betina atau bisa juga dengan memotong bunga jantang diatas bunga betina. Setelah bunga berina diserbuki tutup dengan daun agar serbuk sari tidak tertiup angin.
• Penjarangan Buah
• Sejak 6-8 minggu bunga mekar. Lakukan penjarangan buah, buah yang tumbuh tidak ideal atau cacat dibuang dan apabila buah terlalu berhimpitan maka kurangi pula agar nutrisi yang disalurkan lebih lancar dan buah dapat tumbuh dengan sempurna.
• Pembungkusan Buah
• Setelah penjarangan, buah dibungkus dengan menggunakan kain atau keranjang bambu. Pembungkusan ini bertujuan agar buah aman dari serangan hama.

6. Pemanenan Buah Salak

Tanaman salak yang berasal dari biji akan mulai berbuah setelah berumur 3-4 tahun setelah semai bahkan lebih. Tanaman yang berasal dari cangkok akan mulai berbuah setelah berumur 1,5 dan akan berbuah optimal setelah berumur 2,5 tahun. Buah salak akan matang setelah berumur 6 bulan setelah mekarnya bunga.

Gilpin County Food Bank Garden

by Sandy Hollingsworth

Sometimes one’s love for gardening blossoms into a way to contribute to your local community. In Gilpin County there is a food bank for those living food insecure. It was started in 1995 by county Human Services and need has grown more rapidly in the past four years to now serve an average of 70 families a week. There is also a weekly summer lunch program for children, averaging 50 monthly, to come and select food from items displayed in a welcoming way. Like many food pantries fresh produce is lacking among the donated foods. To help address this need, a group of volunteers decided to install new beds at the nearby CSU Extension community garden located at 9200 foot elevation, to plant, tend and harvest produce each week. An experienced gardener already volunteering for the Food Bank recruited a Colorado Master Gardener and three waterers who set up a schedule to insure the gardens were nurtured throughout the growing season.

In May we started by constructing two raised beds with wire hardware cloth stapled to the bottom to keep critters from tunneling in from below. This means the soil in the beds is only 6” deep but it has worked great for growing more shallow rooted vegetables like arugula, chard, spinach, beets, turnips, carrots, snap peas, snow peas, kohlrabi, broccoli raab, kale, lettuces, dill and radishes. We started out by doing a soil test by the Colorado State University Soil Lab and learned that we needed to add nitrogen and more compost. We added alfalfa pellets, ammonium sulfate, blood meal and compost at rates suggested by the CSU lab to improve the soil over a few seasons. After amending we started planting seeds in half of the beds in early May then succession planted throughout the season until early September. I’d started seedlings of cucumber, chard, kale, cherry tomatoes, and lettuces at home which were added to the beds after the soil had warmed. We used floating row covers to deter critters and keep the plants protected from the wind and intense summer sun plus to regulate soil moisture and temperature.

In addition, the community gardens acquired large metal troughs and we were assigned two. One we drilled extra drainage holes in the bottom before filling with planting mix and the other we used as is with an open small drain plug near its bottom. The latter we designated to grow several varieties of small potatoes and the other was planted with deeper rooted vegetables like cherry tomato and broccoli, longer carrot, more beets & raab, plus onion and vegetables we weren’t sure critters would gobble like baby bok choy, cilantro, butter lettuce, yellow squash and cucumber. For fun and to entice pollinators we added marigold, petunia, annual vinca, and red salvia (the hummingbirds relished that). The real pollinator attractor ended up being the broccoli raab flowers.

In mid-June we were blessed with a large donation of beetroot, celeriac, and red Sorrel plants from the Ace Hardware garden center in Nederland. Luckily, we were given an unused plot to plant these after amending and weeding. This plot we did not install a raised bed or hardware cloth but did put chicken wire fencing around it and bird netting on top to deter browsing critters. This meant each planting area was set up a bit differently for our own demonstration comparison of methods.

All of this made for a bountiful harvest of cool season vegetables agreeable to being grown at high altitude in a shorter growing stretch. By late September we have harvested over 130 pounds of produce for the Food Bank to give people wanting some fresh vegetables to have raw or to cook.

Of course, as with all gardening, we have our list of lessons learned. Given that we had an ever-expanding garden with gifts of starts and seeds, plus since we had not gardened together as a team, our garden was not as planned out as it could have been. We added starts as they arrived in space available. This made harvesting less efficient with lettuce, chard, greens and root vegetables in multiple locations instead of grouped together. It also meant we didn’t group longer producing vegetables together and had some height competition. The broccoli grew so large it shaded out the cucumber and squash starts which were admittedly poorly placed in hindsight. 

Another lesson was that hardware cloth was impenetrable to critters so the in-ground bed without it got hammered and many of our beets and radishes in that plot were taken. Stomping on the underground tunnels to collapse those ended their shenanigans. Also, the fencing helped once we had added it later but it would have been best when we first planted. The floating row covers worked great if we had the edges well tacked down with metal poles, lumber, rocks or clips, so that there were no inviting openings. However, the hail poked holes in them followed by the wind tearing them so that the swiss cheese looking covers let in pollinators (Yae!) but also voles (Boo!). Replacing them with new covers and being sure to tuck in edges prevented more intruders which had already dug up most of the carrots and then beets plus clipping off the pea vines just because they could. Drat! 

The potato trough didn’t drain enough so the soil was muddy mid-season and some plants rotted rather than produced many potatoes. Maybe hilling potatoes too deep in the trough and enthusiastic overwatering added to the problem. We also found it a challenge to dig downward bending over the trough to harvest.

All in all, it was a fun, rewarding season with a wide variety of produce harvested and given to the Gilpin County Food Bank. We look forward to future years when we will plan the layout of our garden beds better, continue to amend to reach ideal soil nutrients according to the soil test, relocate some plants to better depth beds, plant vegetables like squash and cole crops in ground beds since critters don’t nibble them to reserve space in the troughs for critter enticing vegetables.

We also liked swapping stories with other community gardeners about what crop varieties work best. We’ll always need a team of volunteers to tend the gardens to succeed in growing fresh produce and help feed residents of our community.