Mar 2023

The proper use of compost and diverse nutrients in Eva’s EM ferments have extended the harvest period of her winter crops. She can still produce tender pea sprouts and super delicious strawberries that are completely free from pests or diseases up to March. She’s also making progress to grow choy sum this spring, which she’s never been able to do because of wet weather which induces severe pests very easily.

Eva’s farm is on a lowland so it’s more likely to flood in heavy rains. To prepare for the wet season, she has been clearing the waterways to help the excessive water drain. 

  • Unbelievably good strawberry (pale color variety from Japan) under warm weather. Completely free from pests or diseases. The chlorophyll level is also measured as we taste the strawberry, not the best reading but not bad in this unsuitable weather for strawberry.

  • Pea sprouts are growing big but still tender. Eva can still harvest them daily and get several catties from only 6 very short rows. She’ll probably keep the pea up to early April.

  • The contrast between choy sum applied with compost as the base and EM ferments as additional nutrition and those without is obvious. The next step would be improving the plant health further so the pests could be reduced.

    Choy sum has been impossible to grow over the past years in spring as the warm and wet weather promotes pests and diseases, but Eva’s now able to do so, which marks a great progress on her crops’ health.

  • Materials, mostly nut pulp from the herbal tea factory, arrived for Eva to make a new batch of EM ferments.

  • Waterways cleared to prepare for wet season.