Notes

HELE

Lesson 1: Importance of Vegetable Gardening

Importance of Vegetable Gardening

Vegetable gardening is beneficial to the gardener, the family, and community. It can be the start of an entrepreneurial activity which can be the source of livelihood. Principles learned in vegetable gardening can be applied in commercial farming.

There are some specific benefits one can gain when he/she engages in vegetable gardening. The benefits of vegetable gardening are as follows:

1. It can provide a free supply of vegetables for the family; thus it will lessen their food expenses. 2. It can provide additional income for the family. Extra harvest could be sold in the market as a source of income.

3. It can add available food supply in the community. People from the community can buy cheaper and fresh vegetables when produced locally.

4. It can instill the value of industry and love for manual labor/work. These values, when developed at a young age, will help one become a productive citizen.

5. It gives pleasure and a feeling of self-worth and fulfilment.

6. It is therapeutic or has a healing effect to the gardener. Boredom or idleness will be avoided when one is busy.



It is good for one's health. Gardening activities such as cultivating, watering, and doing other manual activities, are forms of exercise that can make one fit and healthy.

Dangers to the environment and health of the people may happen due to inappropriate agricultural practices. Examples of these are improper use of garden tools and misuse of pesticides and other chemicals.

To prevent these risks here are some tips for gardening:

1. Use the right tools such as sharp bolo, hoe, etc. with care. Be sure nobody is at your back when you dig using a grub hoe.

2. Read carefully the labels and instructions of chemical pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers before using. Be sure to follow the right kind and dosage needed. Wrong usage is dangerous to both the environment and people.

3. Wear an appropriate working outfit. Loose clothing is

recommended for easy movement. Long sleeves and a

hat or cap will prevent you from extreme heat and rain. 4. Protect yourself from the harmful effects of chemical pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers. Cover your mouth and nose while spraying these chemicals and use hand gloves in handling.

5. Wash your hands thoroughly after working in the

garden/field. 6. Take a bath and change working in the garden/field.

7. Clean the garden tools after use and keep these in a safe place.



Lesson 2 - H.E.L.E. 5- Planning a Vegetable Garden

Success in vegetable gardening will depend on a well- prepared plan. A gardener has to consider several factors in his/her plan for a vegetable garden so that the garden would be able to produce as much product as possible.

The following are factors to consider in vegetable gardening:

1. Site selection. A good location for a garden is in a space where plants can be reached with good sunlight and air and has access to a water supply. These are essential for plant crowth. The area must be easily drained of excess water so that during periods of excess rains, plants will not clog with water since this is damaging to the plants. It must also be free from stray animals so that the plants will not be destroyed by the animals.

Container gardening is an alternative way of planting vegetables in pots or any container. The containers may be lined up on the porch or any part of the house where plants can grow.

2. Soil condition. Vegetable production is best achieved when planted on well-drained, sandy-loam soil. Other types of soils, such as heavy clay soils, are compact: hence, air and water are hardly absorbed by the roots. Plant growth will be affected if heavy clay soils are used.

3. Water supply and quality. Water is the lifeblood of vegetable gardening. Water must not only be enough for the plants, but it must also be clean and safe for the plants to grow well.

4. Crop and variety selection. Select planting materials such as seeds and cuttings from a reputable supplier. The local Department of Agriculture office can be a source of viable planting materials.


5. Climate / Season. Agriculture experts publish a planting calendar that will serve as a guide to know what types of plants can be planted in each season. However, due to climate change, it is safe to choose vegetables that could be grown all year round. Some of these are sweet potato, eggplant, okra, pechay, bitter gourd, squash, sponge gourd (patola), chayote squash (sayote), and taro. Others are seasonal such as sweet peas, cabbage, carrots, and broccoli.




Lesson 3: Steps in Vegetable Gardening

Steps in Vegetable Gardening

There are steps to be followed in vegetable gardening such as land preparation, plot fertilization, sowing seeds, and taking care of plants. Learning and doing these steps will ensure a thriving, successful vegetable garden.

Steps in Home Gardening:

1 Land Preparation. The first step to be done before planting is to prepare the land. The specific activities are the following:

a. Clean the area by removing the weeds and other unnecessary substances such as stones, plastics, among others.

b. Dig or till the soil using a grub hoe or any tool that can loosen or disintegrate its particles.

c. Prepare the garden plots. A plot is a measured piece of land whose seeds or seedlings are sown. The recommended size of plot is one meter wide and the length depends on the gardener's preference. A standard plot is dug 30.48-60.96 cm deep. Each plot is raised about 10,16-15.24 cm. In between plots, a permanent pathway or space is provided to avoid stepping on the plots.

2. Plot Fertilization. The purpose of plot fertilization is to distribute evenly the nutrients needed by the plants. The following are the steps:

a. Determine the soil condition. The assistance of an expert from a nearby office of the Department of Agriculture can assist in soil testing.

b. Once the soil has been tested, the amount of fertilizer needed will be recommended by the expert. It is advisable to use compost to enrich the soil. Compost is a mixture of decayed plant or animal wastes used to improve the soil condition.

c. Mix the recommended amount of compost with the soil ready for planting.

3. Sowing Seeds. There are two ways of sowing seeds.

a. Indirect planting done by sowing seeds in seed boxes before transplanting in plots. The steps are as follows:

1. Mix one part sand, one part garden soil, and one part compost (1:1:1).

2. Sterilize the mixture by pouring boiling water so that any fungus in the soil will be destroyed.

3. Put the soil in seed boxes or seed

4. Water the seeds regularly until the seeds germinate. Germination is the period when small plants or sprouts come out from the seeds.

5. If the seeds are sown too thick, thinning is done by pricking or removing some plants to avoid damages during transplanting.

6. Wait for small plants to harden the stems before transplanting. This takes about 3 to 5 weeks depending on the kind of plant.

7. A day before transplanting, the seedbed should be watered thoroughly to facilitate pulling and to minimize root injury.

8. Transplant seedlings late in the afternoon to prevent too much exposure to striking sunlight.

9. Partially cover the newly transplanted seedlings with banana trunk cut into proper lengths to prevent these from wilting due to the heat of the sun.

10. Water the newly transplanted seedlings of ten until they cre established.

b. Direct planting in plots - where seeds are sown directly in plots. This is usually applicable for planting bottle gourd, sponge gourd, okra, and squash. These are the steps:

1. Prepare the hills before planting. A hill is a small elevated land from the plot where the seeds will be sown. The distance between hills differs from each variety of vegetables. For example, for beans the distance per hill may be 25 to 30 centimeters but for squash it is 1 ½ meters to give enough space for the creeping stem of the squash.

2. For each hill, dig a shallow hole about 2 to 3 cm deep and plant 2 to 3 seeds per hill.

3. Cover the seeds with fine soil and water them using sprinklers.

4. Taking care of the plants. This involves the following

activities: a. Watering. Use a water sprinkler for watering. Leafy vegetables like pechay and mustard need to be watered every day. Fruit vegetables like okra and eggplant may be watered every other day while root crops may be watered once a week because these need only a small amount of water. It is recommended to water plants early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

b. Cultivation/Hilling up. It is the process of loosening the soil around the plant. However, be careful not to injure the roots when you do this. When the soil is loosened it will allow the water to reach the roots immediately for the use of the plants. It is also important for the roots to grow and spread. The roots cannot spread freely when the soil is compact. Hilling up is the practice of raising the soil from the canal in between plants. While watering the plants or during heavy rains, some soil from the plots erode or wash out to the canals. It is important to put back the eroded soil to cover the roots.

This practice is very applicable when planting root crops such as carrots. Carrots discolor when exposed to sunlight.

c. Weeding. This is the process of removing undesirable plants around the plants. Weeds compete with the plants in the cbsorption of nutrients from the soil.

d. Trellising. This is the procedure done when one sets up a trellis. A trellis is a frame with long pieces of wood or sticks interwoven diagonally (fence type) placed at the middle of each plot for twinning and trailing crops such as sponge gourd, string beans, and sweet peas.

e. Applying fertilizer. Use compost or liquid fertilizer every ten days. Fertilization is done either by using compost or commercial fertilizer. In applying compost, a handful of compost is mixed with the soil around the base of the plant, taking care not to damage the roots. For commercial fertilizer, follow the instructions on the label.



Lesson 4 Preparing Organic Fertilizer

Preparing Organic Fertilizer

An organic fertilizer, also known as natural fertilizer, is a type of fertilizer derived from plant and animal wastes. Compost is a kind of organic fertilizer made from grasses, banana stalks, leaves, manure, and other plant and animal wastes When these wastes are fully decomposed or decayed, they can be collectively called organic matter.

Using organic fertilizer is a safe way to maintain and keep the soil healthy. It will not leave residues that will lessen or deplete soil fertility. It is cheap because any plant and animal wastes in the home and backyard can be used to prepare this.

Here are two methods of preparing organic fertilizer. 1. Liquid fertilizer. This is a kind of organic fertilizer used to spray on the plants. Fermented plant juice (FPJ) is one way of preparing liquid fertilizer. When sprayed to the plants, this will help for the fast growth of the plants. According to experts, this will also help in photosynthesis. The following are the steps in preparing FPJ:

a. Gather green leaves of grasses, sweet potato, kangkong, alugbati, and other green leafy vegetable wastes. Gather these in the morning since the hormones in leaves are active in the morning.

b. Cut the leaves finely.

c. Mix one kilo of finely cut leaves with one kilo of brown sugar in a basin. d. Put something heavy (weight) on top of the mixture and wait for five hours.

e. Remove the weight, cover with clean paper, and secure the cover with a string. f. Put it in a cool, dark place and let it ferment for 7 to 15 days.

g. Gather the juice and store in plastic bottles. Do not fully close the bottles so that the gas can move out from the container.

h. To use the FPJ, mix 2 tablespoons of the juice with one liter of water and spray this on the leaves of the plants. i. Do the spraying late in the afternoon since the stomata or opening of the leaves are open during this time.

2. Compost Making. There are some advantages of applying

compost to the soil: compost turns heavy and compact soil into smaller sizes, thus helping the roots to extend and widen the feeding areas of the plants for food. It helps water to enter the soil and therefore prevents excessive drying. It helps in the free circulation of air the soil which is also needed for the plants growth These are the steps in making compost:

a. Choose an area that is flat and partially protected from direct sunlight and heavy rains

b. Dig 10 to 20 cm deep around the area to create a shallow tank

c. On the base of the composting site, place a cover lining of plastic to prevent leaching of nutrients

d. Gather plant materials such as grasses, leaves, or trimmings of vegetables and fresh animal manure (chicken dung, pig, and carabao manure among others) and bring these to the composting site.

e. If plant materials are big in sizes, chop or shred these to make them smaller for easy decomposition

f. Mix the chopped/shredded plant materials with an equal amount of animal manure (50:50 ratio)

9. Pile the mixture into a heap measuring at least 1 meter (m)

x 1m x1 m.

h. Cover the heap with any suitable material like banana leaves, coconut leaves, or jute sacks.

i. On the third or fourth day, turn the heap inside out to

introduce air inside.

j. Do every two days to facilitate decomposition. The compost will be ready in 14 to 18 days.

k. Check the resulting compost. A mature compost is indicated by black/dark colored materials, absence of foul odor, and unrecognizable original compost materials.










Lesson 5: Materials in Woodworking. Metalworking, and Bamboo Crafts

Materials in Woodworking, Metalworking, and Bamboo Crafts

There are basic materials used in woodworking. inetalworking, and bamboo arts and crafts. Learning the materials used in these various fields will help to prepare and guide you in choosing the right materials appropriate and suitable for any project.

is one of the areas under Industrial Arts. As you create a project from wood with the aid of tools and skills, you can make whatever the mind can imagine. Working with wood is not easy at all. It requires skills in handling different powerful tools which in due time needs to be developed in order to manipulate all of these tools safely and effectively. Woodworking can be a hobby to anyone who loves to work using his/her hands.

Metal work is also related to woodworking, the only difference is the medium that you are going to use, which is metal. Basic metal working involves different skills such as cutting, marking, and drilling among others.

Going into bamboo arts and crafts, on the other hand, is quite different compared to wood and metal working. Bamboo arts and crafts make use of bamboo which is a very versatile material and widely used for everyday resources and products in rural areas.


Materials Used in Woodworking

The following are the different materials used in

woodworking.

1. Engineered wood - also called composite woo
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1. Engineered wood - also called composite wood, man-made

wood, or manufactured wood. This includes wood products that are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibers, covers, or boards of wood. This wood, which is modified purposely, is created in order to suit any woodworking project. It is tested to ensure its quality. Engineered wood products are used in a variety of applications, from home construction to commercial buildings, to industrial products. The products can be used for joists and beams that replace steel in many building projects.

2. Wood finishing materials used to refine or protect a wooden surface. These materials are used and applied in the last stage of wood processing such as oil, dye, and varnish.

3. Adhesives -help to firmly attach and connect two or more pieces of wood together. One example of adhesives is wood glue, which is commonly seen in local markets.

4. Fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) - a woodworking

material that has three main components-fiber, matrix, and interface. FRC is very useful and has a big advantage in the environment because it is recyclable and can be used repeatedly. It is used for outdoor deck floors, fences, and railings.

6. Spalted wood - a wood with a coloring effect caused by fungi. Fungi are found on dead trees that have high moisture content, further leading in their production. With its great coloring effect on the wood, spalted wood is commonly used by woodworkers to attract buyers in the market.

6. Wood putty-also known as plastic wood, is commonly used by woodworkers to fill holes that are found in wood. Wood putty is applied before the wood, or the final product is finished. It is also used to conceal holes created by drills and nails.

7. Veneer -thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 millimeters (mm). One good example of wood in which veneer is present is plywood which consists of 3 or more layers of veneer.

Materials Used in Metalworking

Metalworking processes, though varied and specialized, can be categorized as forming, cutting, or joining processes. They require a similarly wide range of skills, processes, and tools.

1. Stainless steel - the most popular material in metalworking

because the quality is very promising. It is one of the most commonly used metals in many infrastructures. Stainless steel varies from one another, depending on its ability to resist corrosion, high temperatures, and shock resistance.

2. Aluminum one of the metals used in many metalworking projects for its flexibility. Aluminum is classified based on its quality and characteristics such as chemical and water resistance, cost, outstanding formation of shape and appearance, ductility, and corrosion resistance.

3. Straight oil - also known as the cutting oil which is used in different metalworking processes such as refining. It also acts as a cooling substance applied to the metal when cut. Metal cutting generates heat because of friction, causing the deformation of the metal. It also acts as a lubricant that lessens friction; thus, avoiding heat generation that deforms the metal.

4. Soluble oil - also called emulsifiable oil. Emulsifiable oil is a light, chemical artificial oil that acts as a lubricant in many metalworking processes such as grinding.

5. Synthetic fluid - a type of oil that is significantly opposite to soluble oil. The synthetic fluid does not contain any petroleum which is a basic material insoluble oil. It is commonly used to help wet the metal workpiece and acts as a detergent substance.

Materials Used in Bamboo Arts and Crafts These are the following tools to be used in bamboo arts

and crafts.

1. Bamboo - forms into a light, exceptionally durable, and very hardwood that is tough enough to be used for construction, furniture scaffolding, flooring, roofing, and many other bamboo projects. Scaffolding is a temporary structure that can support the object or building in terms of repairing or cleaning.

2. Varnish - used as a protective coating applied to wood furniture to maintain its quality. It is a hard-wearing. transparent or colored, decorative, and preservative finish that highlights the wood surface.

3. Wood glue - an adhesive used to tightly bond pieces of wood together.

4. Nylon string - a long, thin piece of twisted thread that is used to attach, tie together, or hang things.

5. Nails-pin-shaped metal objects used as fasteners, as pins to hang something, or sometimes as decoration. Generally, a nail has one sharp pointed end and a flattened head; however, headless nails are also available.

6. Paint - any liquid, or gum composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, changes to a solid film. Substrate is a material in which an organism lives and grows. It is commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture to objects. Paint comes in a variety of colors.

There are different types of paint such as watercolor and synthetic. Synthetic paint is high performance latex or water-base
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There are different types of paint such as watercolor and synthetic. Synthetic paint is high performance latex or water-based paint. Paint is typically stored, sold, and applied as liquid, but most types become solid when they dry.