Interview With Erma Gaborno, an inspiring home gardener

1-How did your love for gardening start? and how long have you been gardening?

Since childhood. We own hectares of rice fields and corn farms. We did gardening in school too.

2-How did you learn?

My mum loves gardening. I was always her assistant. I was in a very green environment.

3- How do you care for your garden in the summer, and how do you prepare your garden for the season after the summer?

Watering the plants 2 times a day. Most of my garden plants are hardy. To name a few,.Plumerias, oleanders, Bougainvilleas, jasmine, Rangoon creeper. The garden stays green throughout the year.

Post summer is a routine thing. Get rid of dried plants, pruned dried branches etc.

4- Describe what the growing season means for you? what are the most important crops you grow at home?

Best season of the year. It's the thing I always look forward to. Palm trees of course. Under them are happy flowering plants, mostly potted.

5-What are your favorite vegetables to grow at home? which ones do you make sure you grow each year?

Tomatoes are the top notch. Eggplants, peppers, herbs, sweet potatoes, potatoes never fail me.

6-What are the biggest gardening hurdles and problems you face in the garden?

Only the summer heat.

7- For you, which are the easiest most beginner-friendly vegetables to grow? ones a new gardener should try?

Tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, herbs.

8- Which garden pests and insects do you usually get in the garden, and how do you manage to control them?

Aphids, ants and spider mites. Sometimes grasshoppers.

I flash aphids and spider mites with strong water current.Ants eats the aphids.

9- What watering method do you follow? and what advice do you have when it comes to watering your plants correctly?

I prefer the pipes for the ground plants.Very convenient and economical. But I use a portable sprinkler for my potted ones.

10-Do you prepare any plants by starting them indoors before the season starts? which plants?

Always indoors. Mainly veggies.

11-Do you follow and organic method in your garden? or do you plant using both organic and inorganic practices?

I grow the veggies organically. I incorporate my compost into the ground.I used Bloomers ( from ACE) for my flowering plants.

12-Do you make your own compost? how?
Yes, I have an open compost bin. Open because it's made of chicken wire.

13-How do you fertilize your plants?

I just follow the instructions provided in the packaging.

14- What are some tips you have for new gardeners with little or no plant space? Have you had success growing in containers?

Containers are brilliant for any vegetable and herbs. I just just planted today a Moringa in a humongous container.

15- What are your tips for growing tomatoes?

Pruning the suckers makes it grow bigger and produce more fruits. And this is the ratio of the soil and manure I use. 3 bags of stinky manure to 10 bags of soil. I also add a bit of peat moss and perlite. I calculate the amount.

16- Tell us about your grape plant?

My grape plants did well for 3 years I guess. It dried up in one summer, but didn't sprout again;(

I bought /saplings recently, I'll see how well will they survive.

17- How has having a home garden enriched your life? Do you encourage people to grow food at home?

Relaxing for me. It's rewarding to grow your own food. The best place to start encouraging gardening is in school. If kids start planting at early age, they will developed into more passionate and lovable adults, more knowledgeable and appreciate the importance and the beauty of nature.

This way they know where their food is coming from and how it's produce.

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Posted on October 06, 2016

Alzainah Albabtain

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Interview With Erma Gaborno, an inspiring home gardener

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