The backbone of Thailand's economy is agriculture. In order to protect the integrity of the eco-system and promote sustainability, a growing number of farmers in Thailand use only organic fertilizers on their fields and home garden plots. An increasing awareness of the dangers presented by the use of toxic chemicals in commercial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides has launched a return to the old ways of simpler farming methods compatible with the rhythms and rules of nature. Many of the farming practices and organic fertilizer recipes are adaptable to home gardens everywhere. Does this Spark an idea?
Waste Nothing
Food scraps, garden and field weeds and waste, leaves, straw and animal manure is composted and tilled into the soil to amend the garden's nutrient content.
Organic Liquid Fertilizer
A traditional Thailand organic liquid fertilizer is prepared from waste from vegetables and fruits. Place six to 10 pounds of vegetable and fruit scraps in a five gallon plastic bucket. Add two or three pounds of brown sugar or six cups of molasses. Cover with rice water or coconut juice or a combination of both. (If rice water or coconut juice is unavailable, save the water from boiling potatoes or pasta.) Place a tight lid on the bucket and leave in a dark, cool place for six to eight weeks.
After the mixture has fermented, strain the liquid. The liquid is applied as a fertilizer by mixing 6 tbs. to 2 quarts of water. Pour the liquid in a spray bottle and apply to the foliage of flowers and garden plants weekly.
Add Banana Peels for Potassium
Thailand produces lots of bananas. Dead banana leaves, rotten bananas and banana peels are chopped and incorporated into the soil. The home gardener can take waste banana peels, chop them in pieces and incorporate into the soil around the base of trees, shrubs and garden crops. Banana peels are rich in potassium which is released into the soil as the banana peels decompose.
Fish Fertilizer
Seafood is a staple of Thailand cuisine. Home gardeners in Thailand incorporate the entrails and fish heads into the soil. Dig a hole next to garden plants or incorporate when planting. Cover well with soil to disguise the scent that may attract wildlife. If fish waste is not available, place a fish oil capsule at the base of the plant and cover with an inch of soil. Water with a gentle spray until the soil is thoroughly saturated.
Burning Organic Mulch
Cover the garden plot with 12 to 18 inches of straw or dry organic mulch material. In many parts of Thailand farmers cover their fields with rice straw and then burn the straw. The soil is then tilled and the nutrients from the burned straw incorporated into the soil. If rice straw is unavailable to the home gardener, alfalfa straw, piles of dead leaves or corn stalks may be substituted.
Tags: into soil, coconut juice, garden plants, home gardener, incorporated into, incorporated into soil