Welcome to My Home. The First Year of Planting Seedlings Starting with Touching the Soil (7) / Natural Farming for Beginners

Previous stories are compiled in a magazine.

For the sake of reflection. Click here for the soil preparation articles.

This time, it's about "(7) Seedling Planting Work."

What I was taught at the second natural farming school was how to plant seedlings, focusing on summer vegetables.

Using various crops such as "sweet potatoes," "eggplants," "green peppers," "cucumbers," and "onions" as examples, I was taught tips and points for planting seedlings.

What was particularly interesting was the "cherry tomato."

Even for me, who doesn't even know the conventional way of planting, it is clear that this method of planting "cherry tomatoes" is a unique theory worthy of being called theAkinori Kimura (A.K.) style method.

The more I learned, the more my curiosity was piqued, thinking, "So this is how cherry tomatoes are planted when you observe the rules of the natural world through Mr. Kimura's eyes and apply them to cultivation!" and before I knew it, I was hooked on the fun of the Kimura-style agricultural spirit.

I'm not sure if my poor drawing conveys it, but this is the general image of how to plant cherry tomatoes.

Take a grown cherry tomato seedling,
prune it so that only the growth point remains,

A surprising flop. You plant it like this. lol

As if the seedling is lying down,
it feels like inserting it into the soil from a diagonal angle.

To prevent soil from covering it,
the trick is to place a small stone near the tip (growth point) of the seedling.

I remember in class, the idea was that by laying it horizontally, we could turn "this red-framed part" intosturdy roots (a foundation)!

The details are written in this book, so please check it out if you are interested.

Man, it's really interesting.
The many seedling planting techniques that Mr. Kimura has devised.

Because it is field know-how born from observation and experience, it is extremely rational and practical.

I felt that everything Mr. Kimura has observed over many years, even decades, is packed in here.

I was moved all over again by the realization that because he doesn't keep those results and wisdom to himself but shares them openly, I am now able to benefit from his teachings like this.

For the first year, I thought I would learn natural farming with the rhythm of 'what I learned at school → immediately implement it in my own field,' so

the next day, I immediately planted seedlings in my home garden.

Wearing a straw hat and a tenugui towel around my neck.

These are my farming gear items, which I bought at a Japanese sundry shop. Using accessories that match the scene makes me feel even more excited.

Using the method I was taught at school,
I proceeded with the work silently.

Soil feels so good.

Why is it that just touching it makes my feelings soften?

Or rather, is it already calm? Haha.
My own quiet world.

My home garden gets sun from noon to evening.
Since I started the work in the afternoon, the sunlight was dazzling.

The wind blew well that day, and it felt comfortable.

My first time planting seedlings in my life is complete.

Finally, in my home garden,
the crops have moved in.

I still have anxieties, though.
I want to see how far these small seedlings will grow.

I will introduce the growth of the seedlings and the harvest in future installments.
To be continued.

Records of natural farming are being serialized in this magazine.