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Due to the perils of the pandemic on public health and food security, the number of individuals who started farming went up. Among those who established a survival garden is Revelation Villarino Palado, a senior pastor at the New Life Christian Ministries church in Talisay, Batangas.

In Antique province, Irish Trogani, and her husband Francis, event suppliers, are part of those individuals who began growing plants during the pandemic to cope with stress. From a  hobby, the two entrepreneurs eventually found themselves making money from the plants they propagate. 

Delays and cancellations of plans seemed to be the new normal these days due to COVID-19. Husband and wife Irish and Francis Trogani, who both work as event suppliers, had to deal with the impacts of the pandemic on their business, especially when face-to-face mass gatherings were prohibited at the height of COVID-19.

In San Pedro, Laguna, Randy Maranan, a gardener and retired executive of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), recently shared about his jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) that weighs heavier than the current record holder at the Guinness World Records.

Randy Maranan, 62, a former executive of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), grows food in his backyard garden in San Pedro, Laguna.

Another vegetable that is widely consumed by Filipinos is kalabasa or squash (Cucurbita maxima). It contains vitamins and minerals that the body needs such as vitamins A, C, B1, B6, and B3, as well as potassium. It also has beta carotene that serves as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.

Rain can be a blessing or a threat to gardeners. Overly large amounts of rain can result in flooding, plant diseases, and soil erosion.

In two special episodes of AgriTalk 2020, Amy Eguia and Susie Marasigan, both from the Agricultural Training Institute - International Training Center on Pig Husbandry (ATI-ITCPH), demonstrated four different ways to process pork meat.

Small space didn’t hinder Imelda De Jesus, an urban gardener from Caloocan City, from pursuing her love for plants. What sets her garden apart from others is that she grows not only the herbs and veggies that we commonly see in home gardens, but also fruit-bearing trees that she mostly grafted and planted in containers. 

Due to the geographical location of the Philippines, we experience extreme weather conditions that on a yearly basis leaves significant impacts on the livelihood of both farming and fishing communities.

In the first part of this article, Cristina and Carlo Guerrero, owners of Athena’s Garden in San Juan City, shared the tale of how their garden has transformed from an unused, futile land to a thriving garden. Here, Cristina Guerrero, a professional biologist, has shared some tips in nurturing plants effectively based on her education and garden experience.