6 Tips for Starting a Windowsill Garden

1. Let the Sunshine In

Locate your brightest window and add a set of grow lights, if needed.

2. Make a Flat Plan

Whether you use flowerpots, a seed-starting box or repurposed grocery-store containers, make sure there are holes in the bottom for drainage and a liner underneath to catch excess water.

3. Get Dirty

Fill your chosen receptacle three quarters of the way with organic potting soil. Sprinkle a handful of seeds on top and cover with a light patting of earth.

4. Dampen, Don't Drown

Use a spray bottle instead of a watering can to hydrate the soil until germination.

5. Trim Regularly

To ensure a long yield and maximum bushiness, give greens a regular haircut even when you're not cooking with them. You can dry and store excess herbs for later use.

6. Care for the Air

To prevent plants from drying out, keep air flowing with an oscillating fan and use a humidifier to counteract winter's drying effect.

Source of Article:

Agriculture: 1 million farmers to get tips by phone

Farmers would have to provide their CNIC numbers, mobile numbers and details related to their agriculture land and crop for registration, says official. IMAGE: CREATIVE COMMON

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FAISALABAD:

The provincial government aims to teach farmers how to use modern production methods by sending them information on their mobile phones.
Agriculture Department officials said that by March the government planned to register one million farmers in the programme. The farmers will be trained to use modern technology to increase production, they said. Moreover, farmers will also be able to ask for solutions to specific problems by sending questions via their mobile phones.
They said that farmers would have to provide their CNIC numbers, mobile numbers and details related to their agriculture land and crop for registration. The details will be sent to a communication technology centre set up at the office of the agriculture director general. The centre will communicate with the farmers.
The Agriculture Department (Faisalabad extension) has been given a target of registering 20,000 farmers for the programme. A registration cell has been set up under the supervision of District Officer Chaudhry Abdul Hameed.
The DO said that the department hoped the programme would improve the farmers’ knowledge of crops and production.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2012.

Sheep Shearing Tips

 

Utilize these sheep shearing tips to help you keep pace on shearing day.
When you're trying to get through shearing a few hundred wool sheep or more, being ready for the day will help everyone stay on task.

• Bring the flock in the day before shearing
  Having the flock under cover will keep them dry. Wet wool does not shear or store well. Most shearers will decline shearing your sheep if the fleece it too wet.
  
• Prevent the flock from feeding and watering the night before
  The shearer needs to handle the animal and hold it in a secure position when clipping the fleece. This is far more comfortable for the ewe if she doesn't have a belly full of feed. Since the rumen can hold quite a bit of food it also makes the shearers job easier if the animal is empty.
  
• Set up in advance
  If your system is a portable one, set up the pens and race ahead of time. If it is a permanent set up make sure any repairs are done and the system is operational. The shearing crew are busy people and having to wait for set up only delays them for the next farm down the line.
  
• Sort your animals prior to shearing
  Keep animals of different wool types separate. This will aid you when it comes to the wool grading process.
  
• Have extra help on hand
  This sheep shearing tip can really make the difference on shearing day. Hire extra hands if needed.
  
  It can be a long day trying to keep up to a crew of shearers without having the assistance you need. You also hold the shearers back when you don't have enough help to keep up to them. As a rule of thumb have one person per shearer plus two to three extra for other jobs like moving sheep and packing wool.
  
• Consider doing other flock treatments at the same time
  You'll have the flock in anyway and if you can manage with an spare person to take on the extra duty, shearing day can also double as opportunity to do an annual flock treatment like vaccination.
  
• Have a head gate at the end of the race
  Catch the first ewe to come down the race in the head gate and leave her there. She'll stand comfortably and will draw the remaining animals up the race. This is one of the simplest sheep shearing tips to put into practice yet it can make a world of difference to how the day progresses.
  
  
• Prepare meals ahead of time
  One of the highlights of shearing day is that it involves a meal with friends. It's often customary to feed the shearing crew and the extra help who have graciously assisted.
  We often plan meals that can be put on to cook while we work. We've also utilized the cooking talents of family members and have had them attend to the cooking for us.
  If the day is long every ones spirits will be kept up with breaks for coffee and snack refreshments for energy. Our shearing crew enjoy healthy snacks that won't make them tired such as fruit and granola bars.
  
  
• Be flexibleSometime the shearers can't get to you on the scheduled day. Delays at previous stops can add up in a hurry. Don't be angry if the shearer phones to say he can't make it. Consider that he's also trying to keep a feasible schedule and route and is relying on a whole lot of other people being ready. A good shearer will be sure to come back and fit you in.