Step 6: The bamboo propagation

Is it possible to imagine a philippine farm without bamboo? Of course, the answer is: no! From touthpick to construction, the bamboo is useful for all. As we have only three small clumps of bamboos, we need to propagate this king of the family of the poaceae.The Bambusa spinosa we have is the most common bamboo in the Philippines, also called Kawayan (Kauayan) tinik. It can be used inside the windbreaks. For this first trial, we choose the culm cutting-1 node technique. After selecting the culm, it is cut at 2.50m from the soil: the middle third of the culm bears the best nodes for the cuttings. So the top of the culm is also discarded.

The longer branches should be cut at the second node and the secondary branches are discarded.

At the nursery, a medium is prepared with sand and vermicompost (1:1) and used to fill large strong polyethylene bags.

It is now time to cut the bamboo. It is important to have a very clean cutting and the saw for pruning is a better tool than the machete.

The cutting is then buried in the bag with an angle.

Last steps as usual: watering, mulching and spraying of microorganisms.

Our cuttings need now around 7 months of care (watering everyday, spraying,...) before replanting the news rhizomes with new shoots.

Step 5: The coconut clumps

There are a few coconut trees in the farm, not enough to quench the thirst of many students! If  we want 40 to 50 coconut trees in a classic pattern (7.5mx7.5m) we will need 2800 m². It is a too much big area. The clump technique (from Bill Mollison, Permaculture, A Designer'Manual, Tagari publication, Second edition, 2002) consists to group 10-12 coconut trees in a circle 5m diameter. The used space is reduced to 80 m² for 4 clumps of 11 coconut trees each.

In other terms 1 ha of conventional coconut tree plantation can accept 177 palms and very few place for intercropping. The clump technique increases the number of palm to 266 per hectare and 8000 m² are available for intercropping.

As the coconut trees are very closed, they will compete for the light and grow in direction of the exterior of the circle. Another advantage is the center of the circle will be filled with the husk, dead leaves and provide to the trees an excellent mulching and fertilizer. The area can stay clean without too much work.

We have now 44 coconut trees planted (4 clumps of 11 coconut trees) and .... a few years to wait before we can taste our bukos!

Step 4: Continuing the living fence

The boundary of the west side is in the middle of a crick used as ricefield. The barbed wire is really horrible in the middle of the rice and we wish to hide it as soon as possible. But what plant can accept these conditions of life? With Davoy, from Negros Forest and Ecological Foundation, we expect that the Madre de Cacao or Kakawate (Gliricidia sepium) can accept the challenge. If it grows, it will also provide free nitrogen to the rice and food for livestock.

So we deliver long cuttings we reduce to small pieces of 40 cm with a slant cut each side. Then, the bark downside is peeled a few centimeters. It avoids also to plant the cutting upside-down. 

A carabao of the village delivers the 880 cuttings along the ricefield. Everybody is happy to have finished the manual sawing!

A hole is made in the dyke, vermicompost is added and the cutting planted.

Result in a few week!

In fact, this row of Madre de Cacao is not really included in the windbreak and we have to start it from the bank of the ricefield. This place is very sensitive to erosion. A leguminous plant is choosen as usual. This time it is Cajanus cajan or Pidgeon pea or, locally, Kadyos. Use of Kadyos are multiple: food, fodder, apiculture, fuel, fibre, timber, medicine and even host for silkworm. It controls erosion and we need to protect the fragil crick bank. It fixes nitrogen and improves the soil.

Direct seeding is possible but its slow early growth during 2-3

 months can be a problem of competition. That is why we used the germination in plastic tray, transplantation at 25-30 days, vermicompost, protection with banana bracts and mulching. The time life of this plant is 5 years.

The first 100 (on the 250 needed) Kadios planted along the ricefield will fix the the bank with their roots longer than 2m.