First Farm Planting

We need your help. Please join the Champions’ Club.

After our irrigation setup we will do our first plantings of reliable, local crops. These will include, by vertical biome layer:

Canopy Layer (L1)

  • Banana (Saging – Musaceae musa (spp), multiple cultivated species and hybrids1)
  • Breadfruit (Kamansi – Moraceae artocarpus altilis2)
  • Dalandan (Native citrus – Rutaceae citrus aurentia aka sinensis  aka citrus vulgaris risso, citrus longispina wester, using grafted saplings3)
  • Jackfruit (Langka, Nangka – Moraceae artocarpus heterophylus, using grafted saplings, cultivars4)
  • Pomelo (Rutaceae citrus maxima, using grafted saplings, cultivars5)

Lower (Dwarf) Tree Layer (L2)

  • Calamansi (Native Lime, Rutacea citrus (or citrofortunella) microcarpa, using grafted saplings6)
  • Dwarf coconut (Niyog, Arecaceae nucifera, dwarf cultivar – grafted saplings7)
  • Moringa (Malunguy, Moringaceae moringa oleifera, from cuttings, coppiced to L28)
  • Mulberry (Moras aka Bugo, Moraceae morus alba, rubra, nigra (white, red, and black fruited)9)
  • Papaya (Dwarf, Caricaceae Carica Papaya (cvr, X hybrid), multiple cultivars10)

Shrub Layer (L3)

  • Bitter gourd (Ampalaya- Cucurbitaceae momordica charantia, trellised to L311)
  • Wnged bean (Sigarlyas – Fabaceae Psophocarpus te tetragonolobus, trellised to L312)
  • Yardlong bean (Sitaw – Fabaceae Vigna unguiculata ssp sesquipedalus, trellised to L313)

Herbaceous Layer (L2)

  • Cherry tomato (Maliit na kamatis – Solanaceae solanum lycopersicum, multiple cultivars – L2+ as grown in systems, containers14)
  • Eggplant (Talong – Solanacaea solanum melongena, multiple cultivars15)
  • Green malabar spinach (Alugbati – Basasellacea basella alba, green cultivar16)
  • Okra (Dwarf, Malvaceae abelmoschus esculentus, multiple cultivars17)
  • Sweet potato leaf (Kamote – Convulvulaceae Ipomea batata, leaf cultivar18)
  • Tomato (Kamatis – Solanaceae solanum lycopersicum, multiple mid-size cultivars19)

Ground Cover Layer (L5)

  • Basil (Thai basil, Ocimum basilicum, other cultivars will also be tested20)
  • Bok choy (Pehcay – Brassicaceae brassica rapa subsp. chinensis, local cultivar21)
  • Chili pepper (Sili – Solanaceae, capsiceae L. capsicum L., local green cultivars22)
  • Chives (Dahon ng sibuyas – Amaryllidaceae allium schoenoprasum, local cultivar23)
  • Cilantro (Coriandrum sativium, local cultivar24)
  • Garlic (Bawang – Amaryllidaceae allium sativum, local cultivar25)
  • Lemongrass (Tanglad – Andropogonodae andropogoneae cymbopogon citratus, local cultivar26)
  • Lufa Gourd (Patola – Cucurbitaceae cucurbitoideae luffa, local cultivar27)
  • Mint (Peppermint – Mentha mentha × piperita, common28)
  • Nasturtium (Tropaeolaceae tropaeolum, L.29)
  • Onion (Sibuyas – Amaryllidaceae Allioideae Allium, Local cultivars30)
  • Oregano (Origanum vulgare – Plectranthus amboinicus (Loureiro) Sprengel is known as oregano in the Philippines, but is distinct and as a medicinal plant.31)
  • Parsley (Petroselinum crispum, common32)
  • Peanut (Mani, Fabaceae arachis hypogaea, local cultivars33)
  • Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, common34)
  • Saluyot (Jute – Malvacaeae Conchords, local cultivar35)
  • Society garlic (Sweet garlic, Amaryllidaceae allioideae tulbaghia T. violacea, commercial cultivar36)
  • Squash (Kalabasa – Cucurbita moschata Duch, local cultivar37)
  • Stevia (Candy leaf, Asteraceae stevia rebaudiana, commercial cultivar38)
  • Thyme (Thymus vulgaris, common39)
  • Water spinach (Kangkong – Convulvulaceae Ipomea aquatica, local cultivars40)

Rhizosphere (Root Crop) Layer (L6)

  • Cassava (Euphorbiaceae Manihot esculenta41)
  • Galangal (Greater galangal, Zingiberaceae alpinia galanga, commercial cultivar42)
  • Ginger (Luya – Zingiberaceae zingiber officinale, local cultivar43)
  • Purple sweet potato (Ube – Dioscoreaceae dioscorea alata, local cultivars44)
  • Sweet potato tuber (Kamote – Convulvulaceae Ipomea batata, tuber cultivar45)
  • Taro (Gabi – Araceae colocasia esculenta, local cultivars46)
  • Turmeric (Tarmaret – Zingiberaceae Curcuma longa, commercial cultivars47)
  • Turnip (Singkamas – Fabaceae Pachyrhizus erosus, aka Mexican yam, Mexican white turnip, jicama48)

Initial Concept Many of these plants are legumes that fix nitrogen, which will help with soil development on a new farm plot. We are heavily intercropping for biodiversity and staggered seasonal harvests. This is not going to be the final form of the property as we will attempt to discover local cultivars with the more common crops. Our trees are all selected for a two year to first fruit from seedling with the exception of breadfruit which is such a useful staple that we are willing to wait a few extra years.

As of 2019 Nora has already been sourcing, testing and cataloging local cultivars of smaller plants. The specific genetics are unknown without a proper assay so for our lower biome layers we are taking a more experimental approach. We can afford to do small test plantings – literally test beds – as we will rotate and intercrop with legumes to initially build soil. Initial intercropping with immature trees will also be pursued. We will also consult with Central Luzon State University to see what they have available in their nurseries.

Pollinator Insects: We will maintain a large and genetically diverse population of Kiwot, native stingless bees, as pollinators. European honeybees will also be considered for limited pollination and honey production. Integrated pest management strategies to keep both our plants and pollinators healthy will be deployed on a test basis and then in full once we have vivaria to breed the required insect species. Concepts involving mobile enclosures for black soldier flies as pollinators will be explored. These would be bred for livestock feed and waste management but may serve a tertiary role as pollinators.

Short Perennial Transition: As we test the crops above and condition the soil we will add perennials to the list. Eventually we will optimize the labor required for the farm so that a significant amount of our production does not require replanting or weeding – only care and harvesting. We have a list of short (max. 2 year) time to harvest perennials that need to be sourced. This will also increase the biodiversity of the farm, resulting in a disease and pest resistant polyculture biome.

Click back to the Development Roadmap

///// Under Construction /////

Endnotes

  1. Banana: Philippines Cultivars: Musa acuminata, Musa balbisiana, and Musa × paradisiaca for the hybrid Musa acuminata × M. balbisiana
    • Buñgulan 45 – dessert usage
    • Cardaba (Saba Sub-Group) 47 – banana chop usage
    • Saba (Saba Sub-Group) 49 – cooking and processing
    • Grand Naine (Cavendish) 51 – exported, also used for ketchup  and flour
    • Cuarenta Dias 53 – fresh table dessert banana
    • Lagkitan 55 –  used fresh or cooked
    • Lakatan 57 – fresh eating, dessert
    • Latundan – fresh use as dessert, sweet and mild
  2. Breadfruit: Major fruit crop in South Asia and Oceania used as both a vegetable unripe and a fruit ripe. Good source of complex carbohydrates. From Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/11775/growing-breadfruit/?amp
  3. Dalandan: Native Philippines Citrus. A sweet-tart popular citrus with green skin and bright orange, juicy flesh.
  4. Jackfruit: World’s biggest fruit, popular in the Philippines. From Wikipedia  and https://businessdiary.com.ph/4294/jackfruit-production-guide/?amp. Cultivars: 
    • Sinaba – This variety has thick flesh, small seed, and good eating quality.
    • Tinumbaga – This variety has thinner flesh, a stronger aroma, and sweeter taste than Sinaba.
  5. Pomelo: Philippines cultivars, from https://www.cropsreview.com/pummelo.html:
    • Amoy Mantan – Common, local
    • Aroman – Common, local
    • Guanximiyou – Common, introduced from China
    • Long’anyou – Common, introduced from China
    • Magallanes – Common, local
    • Mintal – Common, local
    • Panacan – Common, local
    • Shatianyou – Common, Introduced from China
    • Siamese Selections – Common, Introduced from Thailand
    • Sunwui Luk – Common, local
    • Wendanyou – Common, introduced from China
  6. Calamansi: aka. Limonseto, Philippines lime, This fruit breeds true from seed, so only one naturally  occurring  cultivar is known in the Philippines. From Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/4343/calamansi-production-guide/?amp.
  7. Dwarf Coconut: There are at least 36 commonly  grown coconut cultivars in the Philippines, and the dwarf cultivars are several of these. They are shorter and more early fruiting than the tall cultivars. From https://businessdiary.com.ph/3062/coconut-production-guide/?amp
  8. Moringa: Multipurpose legume shrub for food (leaves, fruits, roots), livestock forage, biomass for composting, shade, and nitrogen fixing for other crops (q.v.) Wikipedia and http://kalikasan-philippines.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&catid=88&Itemid=440
  9. Mulberry: There are thousands of cultivars in Asia. It is an increasingly popular Philippines crop. Tasty juicy fruit and edible leaves for tea or animal feed high in protein. From Wikipedia.
  10. Papaya: Common local cultivars are below. Many more exist, with dwarf cultivars like Hainan growing in popularity from Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/2620/papaya-production-guide/?amp:Cavite Special – This is a popular semi-dwarf type that blooms 6 to 8 months after planting. The fruit weighs from 3 to 5 kilos each and mainly eaten fresh.
    • Hainan – This is a recently imported dwarf Chinese dwarf cultivar gaining in popularity.
    • Sunrise Solo – This is a new improved high quality selection with reddish orange flesh, each fruit weighing half a kilo.
    • Sinta – This the first Philippine-bred hybrid papaya, semi-dwarf, profile, sweet and flesh and weighs 1.2-2.0 kg./fruit.
    • Waimanalo – A high quality variety with orange yellow flesh, each fruit weighing from one-half to one kilo.
  11. Bitter Gourd: Common vegetable in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean – aka bitter melon (except in Australia where that is a different plant), bitter squash, bitter apple. Many cultivars with local analysis pending. From Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_charantia
  12. Winged Bean: Popular perennial bean, with all parts of the plant edible. Grown for fresh and dried use in cooking, composting, and nitrogen  fixing for soil improvement. Only one cultivar. From Wikipedia  and https://pfaf.org/USER/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Psophocarpus+tetragonolobus
  13. Yard Long Bean: A type of green bean popular in the Philippines. From https://businessdiary.com.ph/8981/pole-sitaw-production-guide/?amp, common cultivars:
    • BPI-Ps 3 – Green podded variety
    • BPI-Ps 4 – Green podded variety
    • NSIC Ps 4 – Green podded variety
    • PSB-Ps 2 – Light green podded variety
    • NSIC Ps 5 – Light green podded variety
  14. Cherry Tomatoes: Though tomatoes are a marginal crop in central Luzon we have selected a number of cultivars suited for containers, aeroponics and aquaponics. With a small size we can grow these plants in tightly controlled conditions and their short time to harvest holds potential for high yields. We will test the following heat tolerant cultivars (via Tomato Fest and West Coast Seeds):
    • Green Grape tangy sweet 60 days
    • Gold Nugget 54 days
    • Black Cherry 64 days (a founder favorite, tastes like plum)
    • Isis Candy 67 days (very sweet)
    • Nikolay Yellow Cherry 69 days
    • Prescott 69 days
    • Taxi (saladette) 68 days
    • Red Robin 50-55 days
  15. Eggplant: The most popular vegetable in the Philippines, with at least 16 commonly cultivated varieties. Local cultivar analysis pending. From Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/19329/eggplant-production-guide/?amp
  16. Green Malabar Spinach: Common cultivars are green and red. Green has a superior texture, flavor and is less fibrous. Propagates true from seed.
  17. Okra: Okra is popular  in the Philippines for use in many dishes. Cultivars include camping smooth, various dwarf cultivars. Local analysis is pending.
  18. Sweet Potato Leaf: Sweet potatoes are raised for both leaves and tubers. The orange tuber cultivar has excellent leaves, the harvest of which will inhibit tuber growth. Local analysis of other cultivars is ongoing. More information at https://businessdiary.com.ph/4609/sweet-potato-production-guide/?amp.
  19. Tomato: Popular world wide and in the Philippines. Cultivars are either determinate bushes that stop growing at a certain height or indeterminate vines that never stop growing. Sizes of fruit range from cherry size(we will start with these) which produce early  to late-season, saladette medium size, to massive 1 to 2 pound beefsteak types, and can be  colored white, yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, black, brown, green, and multicolored. Flavors vary widely by cultivar as does usage fur fresh use, juice, sauce and canning. Cultivars: Although are thousands of known tomato cultivars worldwide,  around 6 are recommended for commercial production in the Philippines based on the usage of the fruit, whether it is for fresh eating, canning, or sauce. (see article) We will also use “heirloom” true to seed cultivars when possible  which grows well in the tropics. From Wikipedia and https://www.pinoybisnes.com/agri-business/tomato-production-guide/?amp.
  20. Basil: Herbs are becoming popular in the Philippines, we will grow a variety of cultivars including Thai basil.
  21. Bok Choy: Popular green. From Wikipedia and https://ep.franphil.com/growing-chinese-cabbage/ Cultivars:
    • Sakata Tropical Delight, a heading hybrid
    • Condor Shanghai Pak Choi, a heading hybrid
    • Baby Pak Choi
    • Black Behi Pechay
    • Flowering Pechay
    • Choy Sum
    • Green Shingkang
  22. Chili Pepper: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  23. Chives: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  24. Cilantro: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  25. Garlic: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  26. Lemongrass: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  27. Luffa Gourd: Used for food when young and tender, and luffa scrub sponges when mature, from Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/3472/patola-luffa-gourd-production-guide/?amp. Local cultivars require analysis.
  28. Mint: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  29. Nasturtium: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  30. Onion: We will grow common commercial cultivars. From https://businessdiary.com.ph/6051/onion-production-guide/:
    • Granex (flat)
    • Grano (round) type
    • Short day onions
  31. Oregano: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  32. Parsley: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  33. Peanut: Versatile crop popular in the Philippines. From Wikipedia  and https://businessdiary.com.ph/8977/peanut-production-guide/?amp. Cultivars recommended  by the Philippines  government:
    • UPL Pn-2 – 104-111 days.
    • UPL Pn-4 – 105-110 days.
    • UPL Pn-6 – 105-110 days.
    • UPL Pn-8 – 100-110 days.
    • BPI Pn-2 – 97-101 days.
    • UPL Pn-10 – 98-100 days.
    • PSB Pn-2 – 101-103 days.
    • PSB Pn-3 – 103-104 days.
  34. Rosemary: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  35. Saluyot: Grown for its leaves which are cooked. Known for a slippery texture. From Wikipedia and https://ep.franphil.com/production-guide-and-growing-of-saluyot-jute/. Unknow local cultivar, possibly “pula” or “put” already in nusrery.
  36. Society Garlic: We will grow commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  37. Squash: “Kalabasa” is the Philippine word for squash and is sometimes used interchangeably to refer to both summer and winter squash (Cucurbita maxima, Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita moschata). The Philippine Bureau of Plant Industry refers to kalabasa as “Cucurbita moschata Duch,” which includes several varieties of winter squash. From https://www.hunker.com/13406992/how-to-grow-kalabasa-philippine-squash.
  38. Stevia: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  39. Thyme: Commercial cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  40. Water Spinach: This is a popular green in the Philippines that grows in wet and flooded conditions. From Wikipedia and https://www.pinoy-entrepreneur.com/2010/04/05/kangkong-production. Local cultivars possible, subject to analysis:
    • Lunting Pangako – broad leaves
    • Pinchit – broad leaves
    • Kangkong Tsina – narrow leaves
    • Chinese Upland – narrow leaves
  41. Cassava: Popular tropical root vegetable that needs processing to remove a toxin, hydrocyanic acid.  Sweet cultivars, low in hydrodynamic acid are used for eating after processing while bitter cultivars are high in this acid and not used for eating. From Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/3546/cassava-production-guide/?amp.
  42. Galangal: We will grow an unidentified commercial cultivar already in the nursery. Further cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  43. Ginger: We will grow an unidentified commercial cultivar already in the nursery. Further cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  44. Purple Sweet Potato: Popular in deserts and baked goods. From Wikipedia and https://businessdiary.com.ph/1747/ubi-purple-yam-production-guide/?amp Cultivars
    • KINAMPAY VARIETY – Kinampay, known for its sweet aroma and good taste, is dubbed as the “Queen of Philippine Yams”. It has smooth and round roots. Ubing Kinampay is classified into five (5) varieties, original kinampay, kabus-ok, tamisan, binanag, binato
    • VU-1 (BASCO UBI)
    • VU-2 (ZAMBALES UBI) – LA 167
    • VU-3 (LEYTE) – LA 100
  45. Sweet Poatato Tuber: We will grow an unidentified commercial cultivar already in the nursery. Further cultivars will be tested as they are sourced.
  46. Taro: Popular Philippines root crop. Cultivars: dasheen and eddoe sub types, crop is polymorphic. From Wikipedia  and https://businessdiary.com.ph/3519/how-to-grow-gabi/, and http://www.nzdl.org/
  47. Turmeric: We will grow an unidentified commercial cultivar already in the nursery.
  48. Turnip: The Philippines turnip, singkamas, is a different plant than known in the west. it is known as jicama in Central America, Mexican yam or Mexican turnip in the United States. The beans are toxic but the tuber is edible. The white cultivar is favored in the Philippines.

Expansion Species

The following species are under consideration for the first farm planting:

  • Purslane (Ulasiman – Portulaca oleracea L., available cultivars, Layer 5)
  • Soursop (Guyabano – Annona muricata L., available grafted saplings, Layer 1)