When Nature Surprises You: My Holiday Farming Experience
Weekdays aren’t usually when I work in the garden, unless I have to feed the animals — the goats, hens, and rabbits. However, since the Easter holiday is upon us, I now have enough time to tend to the animals and also work in the garden.
Yesterday, for instance, I decided to water the vegetables. You can see the green leaves. One of the vegetables, called Ugu, had started turning yellowish. I suspected it might be due to lack of water, but I do water it every now and then, so I was a bit sceptical. "Could it be that the soil lacks manure?" I wondered. I started considering getting animal dung to serve as manure.
Another part of the farm is where I planted maize. Since it hasn’t rained for about a week now, I had to do manual irrigation. I wanted to make sure the maize grows well and doesn’t suffer from drought. You can see how I watered it, ensuring the leaves didn’t dry out.
After the watering, I picked up a cutlass and cleared the weeds surrounding the cassava and the area where I planted maize among the cassava. I did that to maximize the land. I had to make sure I planted the maize before the cassava outgrows it. If I hadn’t done it this way, the maize would have been overshadowed and stunted by the cassava.
Today, I watered the maize planted in between the cassava again. While the cassava can survive without much rain, the maize can not. I used a watering can for that, with the help of some neighbours. Together, we were able to complete it in about two hours.
After that, I tended to the rabbits. Finally, the long-awaited days of their barrenness are over! Can you believe both rabbits gave birth within a two-hour interval? I wasn't even prepared for them this time. Ironically, when I was fully prepared before, they didn’t give birth. Nature has its way of doing things beyond our imagination. I had to improvise by getting a pot for one of the rabbits to give its kids food and warmth so they wouldn’t die.
As for the goat that gave birth and was later killed, her kid is doing fine. All I have to do now is provide it with milk and feed it regularly.
Truly, you never can tell what will happen or how things will turn out.