Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting a lovely family of an old lady whom I've gotten to know through our shared prayer group. She also happens to be the owner of Timmy, my furry friend.
It was nice to see her again, especially Timmy, who was all over me, wagging her tail and seeking all my attention. Of course I granted it, I guess she missed me as much as I missed her. Just as we were playing, Timmy's attention shifted to a lizard that landed on the ground from the wall, and was making an escape. Immediately she took off after it, her action startling the lizard who frantically ran for his dear life. Oh poor lizard, I hope he finds a safe place soon.
I called after her but she was already engrossed in her rendezvous with the lizard - or rather wild goose chase. Laughing at her antics, I turned my attention to her owner who was equally amused by the scene, and we started chatting.
In this course of our chat, I asked how they were preparing for the upcoming farming season. She shared their plans for planting corn, cassava, pepper and other crops, adding that they had already prepared a nursery for the peppers. She then invited me come see how the peppers are thriving.
The nursery was a simple yet ingenious setup: cement bags filled with soil were neatly arranged on a bamboo stanchion.
The young pepper plants looked healthy, promising a bountiful harvest.
She noted that her younger son, who owns the project has been diligently tending to the nursery to ensure they thrive well. He waters them every morning to keep them moist, and had already prepared a farmland where he would transplant them once they're strong enough. He has also bought bags of poultry manure, which will serve as fertilizer, and had equally applied some on the peppers.
I was amazed at the nursery setup, the health of the pepper plants, and I couldn't help but commend his hard work in contributing to the local food supply.
While still at the nursery, another woman joined us. The woman, a pepper farmer, commended the young man's ingenuity in setting up a unique nursery. However, she noted that the plants were positioned to receive direct sunlight, which might be too intense for them at their tender age.
Feeling concerned that the direct sunlight could be detrimental to their growth, she advised the young man to protect them from intense sunlight. She suggested using palm fronds to create a makeshift shade, positioning them beside the peppers to filter the sunlight.
Upon a closer inspection, she noticed some of the peppers had their tender leaves eaten off, revealing early signs of insect damage. So she recommended that he purchase "Red Force", a fungicide to protect his nursery. She also found the roots were beginning to circle, indicating the soil in bags was insufficient to support the pepper's root growth. She told him to add more soil to the bags.
She went ahead to explain to the young man how to apply the Red Force. She instructed him to mix a certain quantity of Red Force using a cap in a bucketful of water, and use the solution to water the peppers every morning for the first seven days. After that, he should take a break then resume the application after another week.
Finally, she demonstrated the most effective method of transplanting the seedlings to maximize the use of farmland and promote healthy growth and production.
After carefully listening to all she said, I felt grateful for the valuable information she shared on how to care for young pepper plants. Her visit was worthwhile, and I'm glad I learned something new.
I'm confident that I will be able to grow and tend pepper now if I decide on it. Knowledge is empowerment.
Enjoy this short video of the nursery.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=leoshorts10/xulwscxzkq
Thank you for reading.
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