A new automatic watering system

It is quite timely that we put automatic watering system in place with current hot spell.  Johoreans will talk about a stretch of windy, dry and hot spell for two weeks or so, then wind gets stronger right into March. Pasir Gudang International Kite Fest will be held on 15th February to 19th February 2012 to make full use of the strong wind.  Izmar came and put up the system last week. Nadzion, Khairul and a few others came too to discuss about the 2000 chili plant project. Automatic watering system was topic of the day. Suzana even suggested using monsoon drain water.... which will be feasible once eco-trail project roll out.

This is a different sprinkler, where water come out from long plastic tube through tiny holes.  It somehow cool down the temperature around garden plot, wet the soil and I am sure plants love it. It's twice daily, morning and evening. The system is about a water tank, a pump, electronic timer and many pipes....

automatic watering system: our garden in Johor

automatic watering system: bangchik and kakdah helper!

Our nephew Hakim and wife Aida came last week with their three young children, Ain, Adam and Ayu. Ain came out and play with the jet of water, when it was switched on..., the other two, a bit young to bother.... I am Tok Lang to them, but somehow Ain and Adam resort to their own version "atok"...... To Ain, it was fun walking through water jets, as if water wouldn't touch her.... and she kept asking "apa ni?" or  "what's this?"  

bangchik and kakdah

johor

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Another Gardening Adventure

First day of the year had passed. The weather changed from rainy to sunny.  While taking extra precaution to ensure plants had enough water, I forgot about myself. I was down for days with flu. Kakdah who was not affected , then assumed the responsibility to water plants twice a day.

Now there is a little bit change around the house. The large raintree has to go. The massive trunk and roots had pushed the roadside drain, displaced the alignment, leaving the drain broken and failed in its function . The roots had travelled too far, that some had knocked down pathways. After consultation with the neighbours, it was decided to knock two large trees down.

Most plants are flowering sweetly, with leaves so green. I was discussing the other day with friends, why plants in Johor grow so healthy. In fact most landscape contractors in Malaysia get their plants supplies from Johor. There are so many large nurseries in Johor starting from Muar to where I am staying now Pasir Gudang. It is all about weather here being kinder. It is never too hot. Evenings are breezy and cool. There is always clouds to soften burning afternoons.

flowers so sweet

the large raintree that has to go down

flowers white and yellow

leaves of raintree

the broken drain had to be repaired

it is hot.., but they keep on working

men and drain

the new irrigation system

Izmar and friends

the tubes for irrigation system

200 gal water tank ready.

We will have new irrigation system ready soon. Water tank and tubes are here already. Izmar from Kuantan came with the whole family to have a look at the site. He will come back within two weeks to help us out with the new irrigation system, as days get hotter and weather gets drier.

Happy New Year.

bangchik and kakdah

Pasir Gudang Johor

Three days without water, how does it feel?

How does it feel to be without water for three days? We never know for sure because we are blessed with rain almost every day. Imagine what  life would be in desert if left alone for days. But how can we imagine hunger and thirst without experiencing one. How can we imagine love if we never had one. We can go down the list: poverty, pain, anger, sadness, joy....... etc.

Tanah Merah was without running water for three days recently. Yeap, River Kelantan still flowing, rain do drop almost every other day but tap was completely dry. Since modern life is made so dependent on tap water, anything wrong with the distribution system will affect us. The other day, the big pump broke down, replacements had to be imported, so tap was dry for three days. They did send tankers to ease hardship, yes a basic emergency procedure. But modern life itself can't effectively cope even with good recovery efforts........ Since there was only two of us in the house, we went on low consumption measure and rationing usage. Our neighbour at the front with 8 children would suffer more.

I remembered how  Melaka in 1991 had to go through it's worst water  crisis when Durian Tunggal reservoir dried up after a prolonged drought. Millions of dollars had to be pumped in to handle water crisis; diverting water from other states, and sending planes up to do cloud seeding. Melaka Water Board finally had a new boss ...........Without trying to be too judgmental, we do accept that history of mankind was punctuated with crisis, fallen heroes, rising stars, and scape goats ......

Then another problem appeared right in front of us. Our own fertigation system! So I resorted to manual mode, rationing water to just once a day. Huh, how they cried, yellowing every leaves they had, ripening every chili they held, to survive on low water mode. It should take longer than three days to see us humans succumb to starvation ..... Like us, chili plants are fighters too. Trying to emerge as winners against all odds, is still within their DNA make-ups.  To survive against drought, to stay sane, to stay relevant is to see the light of tomorrow......

pic1 ~ chili leaves yellowing, chili ripening, thirsty.

pic 2 ~ chili so small, yet potent.

pic 3 ~ Kakdah picking ripe chili from 90 plants

pic 4 ~ chili plants looked so healthy 2 weeks ago

A lady from the far end, asked for 3 kilos. She runs a restaurant nearby. I didn't know how much Kakdah charged that day. With Thailand still suffering from flood which effectively reduced vegetable imports across the border, Kakdah should know how much to charge. A full time housewife, but there is no stopping for her to know the rule of supply and demand. She has  mental record of her chili sales...... I wouldn't ask.

bangchik and kakdah

Tanah Merah Kelantan

World garden blog carnival. Integrated Watering System.

Time rolled, events happened, and we moved along with the turn of events and time. In November last year, we shifted from Putrajaya to Taman Kota Harmoni , Tanah Merah Kelantan. The house is new, and the compound was completely bare when I came in.  Gardening demands a new approach here. We have to solve the issue of watering when ever we are not around.... sometimes for a week. Hence, integrated watering system has to be considered. And that is the focal point for World garden blog carnival hosted by fer of    mygardeninjapan.com.
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Integrated Watering System

The year 2011 is a switch from manual watering using hose, to a fully automatic system. We asked and looked around and at the end met a full-time farmer, Wan Azuar from Wakaf Bata a few kilometers towards Machang. He was once a computer engineer working with NEC, but life was a little bit globe trotting he said. A week in Japan, a week in Dubai, two weeks in Malaysia and so on. After 10 years he quit to be a full-time farmer, growing chili and rock melons to support his family.We engaged him to help us with the new integrated watering system, which includes drips, weepers, sprays and sprinklers for potted plants, orchid house, vegetable bed and lawn.

100 gallon water tank and 1 horse-power pump

The main distribution pipe, with subsidiary pipes sending water to different sections. Walkway is not complete yet, I dont know how long will this one take at the current working rate of one hour a day...

 a timer,
to control number of waterings and duration of each.

Kakdah's new orchid house.
The orchids will be watered almost like mist with fine sprinklers.

Seven roselle blooming simultaneously.
Tanah Merah had been without rain for almost two weeks now.
They need water badly, so they get sprinkler sharing with lawn and papaya.

 ubi kemili
or popularly  known as ubi keling in Kelantan

 ulam raja

raised bed watering system

hot chili (chili padi) and a row lady's fingers just transplanted. 

red chili with drips, 
still at four leaves.

Gardening ahead.
Year 2011 will be the year for us to get used to  the new watering system. Some adjustment has to be made on where to garden, the vegetables, the schedule, and containers, with the new system. We are still assessing the performance of the system if it needs some adjustments and upgrade. I hope I can handle the new system well and enjoy gardening as much. It costs a little bit but it is a necessity for now.... and I am thinking how to capture rain water as source of water for the garden.

Visit New Year Gardening Resolutions Blog Carnival

at my little garden in japan

bangchik and kakdah

Taman Kota Harmoni, Tanah Merah Kelantan