Good day hivers! It's @Mac once again sharing you some of the things I used to do during childhood years. Today's blog is for all the farmers out there. Have you ever wondered how and when is the best time to apply fertilizers on your corn plantation? If you do, I suggest you to be with me till the end because today, I'm going to share you a secret. But before that, let me show you what you're gonna miss if you'll skip🤣😂😝
Corn ear cracked open as the kernel expands.
How Did it happen?
It was Sunday Evening when my older sister called me on messenger and asked me something about what might happened to her chicken. It has swollen face with white substance inside. With this hint, I suddenly thought of something. It is an infectious coryza. An acute respiratory disease of chicken. Well, it's a common disease. I usually encountered this kind of infection in my boss's backyard chicken farm. As long as they'll eat, they will survive. So, I suggested her to use ambroxitil powder as treatment.
Ambroxitil powder is my best choice when it comes to respiratory illness whether it's an acute or chronic. A week later, I called her for an update and she said that the swollen thing on the face gradually grows as if it will explode anytime from that moment. I was shocked in disbelief and asked if there's any mucus discharge in the affected eye and she said yes. So I guess that the previous medicine doesn't work.
The next morning, I decided to went home and buy another medicines. This time, two different tablets and one powder all at once per day. Amtyl and Doxylax, & Premoxil powder. These three combinations should work when correctly administered in 5-7 days.
I arrived at her place at 10:00 in the morning and handed her the medicines together with the hair coloring shampoo that I bought in the city few days ago. Then, I told her the dosage and how to administer it. Also, I reminded her to always clean the water jar. Then, I relaxed a bit.
In the afternoon, My sister offered me to go with her in the farm and harvest some young corns to broil. It's my second time visiting her farm and I remembered the large corn ears. I also recalled my other sister from the city visited there with her kids a year ago and enjoyed broiling corns. She said, this time, the corn ears were even larger than before.
My sister and her 2 kids
Feeling excited, I hurried up and go with her in the farm. As we arrived, it's indeed a very healthy corn plants in a rocky field. More than 8 feet high all the way to the tassels.
Each ear is longer than a finger span. The large ears were evident as some of the plants were knocked down due to its overweight that the stalks can't hold anymore. Some husks were cracked open revealing the young corn kernels inside. I was stunned in amusement. I even forgot to take pictures as I'm overjoyed with the scene. Each plants were having brace roots that could help it withstand strong winds.
As we walked through the farm, my sister started to cut and harvest young corns for me to bring back home. I asked her, what's the secret? I mean, how come that of all the corn plantation around the neighborhood, only yours grew this tall and large? Actually, she answered, I'm just new to corn farming. I am asking my old friends from somewhere on how to grow and what to do. They told me Two important factors that could affect the health of our plants.
the weeds.
We need to pull them out before it covers the plants. In my case, I can't focus on removing the weeds because the farm is way far from the house and I still have goats and chickens to take care of aside from the household chores. So, my option is to use herbicides to spray and kill the unwanted weeds and grass when my plants are less than 10 days old. With this, they can't compete the plants with the nutrients from the soil.
the fertilizers.
We all know that our soil has incomplete nutrients especially when we planted the same plants consecutively every season. So, my friend suggested me to spend money for fertilizers.
Apply fertilizers two times.
Firstly, when the plants were 15 days old, and lastly, when the plants were 45 days old. I just followed their instructions, and thanks God it works.
Afterwards, we've collected 1/2 Sack of young corn. As we went home, I noticed a familiar vine.
It's a native/wild ampalaya or Bitter melon. Unlike the common bitter melon that we saw in the vegetable market, wild ampalaya has a small, pointed oval shaped fruits with thin soft spikes. Due to its fruit's size and color, we can hardly see and pinpoint them.
Look at the pictures below
Can you spot the fruits in these vines?
There it is
It's a rare size actually. Most of them are small.
I've collected some ripe and green fruits. I brought ripe fruits to were I'm staying so I can plant them for consumption.
The green ones were sliced and I made a spicy salad out of it.
Bitter melon
Hot and spicy salad
When we arrived at my sister's house, I then cleaned the corn and packed them in a bag. Some of them were broiled for the dinner. I missed eating "inanag" or broiled corn. I cooked about 8 pcs and it satisfied my cravings.
I've spent the night there since my nephew wanted me to. We just talked about random things, and then, I bought load for their television and we watched Batang Quiapo and then slept.
The next day, I'm preparing myself for a trip back and my brother told me that he harvested his string beans. He offered some of it for me to bring home together with the corn. He said, it's better if you'll bring more because they'll only buy it from us for ₱5.00 per kilo. It was indeed a blessing from above. But I won't bring more than I can.
Thanks to the hardworking farmers out there who strived hard and earn a little.
An hour later, I arrived in ilihan. We then cooked the corn.
That's all for today. Thanks for reading and supporting my blog. I hope this could help you in the future 🙂😊.