Ampalaya, or bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), is a crop that is suitable for year-round cultivation in the Philippines, though thrives best if grown from October to February. It must be planted in soil with pH levels 6 to 6.7. Image by Vishnu Vasu from Pixabay. Ampalaya is the main...
Cucumbers ( Cucumis sativus ), locally known as pipino, is a nutritious vegetable that’s packed with vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, as well as vitamins B and C. It is usually consumed fresh, pickled, and even as a refreshing beverage. Some folks even go beyond consumption cucumbers...
Known as kintsay in the Philippines, celery ( Apium graveolens ) is a vegetable that’s rich in vitamin C for stronger immunity, beta-carotene which promotes better vision, and flavonoids, which are powerful antioxidants. Its crunchy stalks contain not less than 12 additional antioxidants and...
Talong or eggplant ( Solanum melongena ) is a vegetable that is extensively grown locally. Producing this crop will only take three to four months when grown from seed. Photo by Dan-Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash. Eggplant is a popular ingredient in various Pinoy recipes, such as tortang talong or...
Oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) is a common variety of edible mushroom grown in the Philippines. It comes in pink, yellow, white, grey, and black, with white and grey being the more prevalent types. Not only does this provide healthy options for everyone, but edible mushrooms can also...
Tomato or kamatis ( Solanum lycopersicum ) is a common plant grown by many home gardeners because it is easy to care for and fast-growing. A tomato plant can grow up to three meters tall and matures within two to three months after transplanting. Tomato is a good source of lycopene, an...
Whether added into a stir-fry, steamed, or eaten raw with a side of bagoong, okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus ) is popular among Filipinos as a part of a healthy diet since it’s rich in vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants that help reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart...
Effective Microorganism Activated Solution (EMAS) is a fertilizer that induces the growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Natural fertilizers like EMAS make the soil, plants, environment, and farmers healthy and safe from any harmful chemicals. Photo screen captured from the...
Due to the pandemic, the public has become more health-conscious, making the naturally-grown products highly in demand over the past year. For this reason, more growers nowadays have also been looking for natural inputs that are safe for the people and the environment. One of their...
Behind healthy, successful plants is an excellent growing medium. Carbonized Rice Hull (CRH) is one of the many components that make for a good potting mix. CRH is the output of partially burnt rice hulls, or ipa in Tagalog. It is used as a fertilizer and soil conditioner for plant...
For this year’s AgriTalk, another batch of online series titled “AgriTalk: 2 Easy Learning” offers two-minute-long instructional videos on different topics about urban agriculture. The series will air from May 14 to June 30, 2021, at 10 a.m. The fifth and sixth episodes of this are all about...
Women play a pivotal role in agriculture. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that 43 percent of the global workforce in agriculture are women. In the Philippines, it is evident that there is increasing participation of women not only in agriculture, but also in other...
