okoroemeka:
yes,basal manure application is a must with watermelon,and pls be careful about melon,it's not rugged like cucumbers,it can die anyhow,for me melon is 50/50

20/80 self watermelon its meant for northerner where humid its low and temperature it's high. I've tried it twice, its does not worth it in raining season. Fruitflies also are great menace on it
Blight/wilt

FMCASH:
20/80 self watermelon its meant for northerner where humid its low and temperature it's high. I've tried it twice, its does not worth it in raining season. Fruitflies also are great menace on it
Blight/wilt

Before SW SS and SE farmers started using irrigation produce in abundance watermelon during rainy season, and they produce OP varieties more even till date. It's golden melon that has got more challenges, but very possible too.

Pests are not main problem during rainy sesson, not saying they are not at all. In my opinion, fungi or/and bacteria infection(s) killed your plants more.

High temperature is bad for your plants. Temperature during rainy season is extremely good for almost all veggies, but high humidity which promotes infection is the big challenge. If you can prevent rain from touching the leaves of your plants during this period, you have just hit jack pot. Greenhouse farmers make heck of huge profit during this period. Those who know understand me very well.

vosquare:
Please who knows the functions of these and their applications

Cc FMCASH
Cocoboms
Pistotita

These are hydroponic fertilizers. They are soluble in nature. Check out the prices. If SOP is cheap, it can replace Potash. But these ones are expensive. Sulphur in Epsom is enough for non hydroponics in my opinion. Also, if you can use granules, these ones are absolutely not necessary. Potassium and Calcium Nitrates are more than enough for you. DAP and Urea are cheaper options for Phosphorus and Nitrogen. And Nitrates are wonderful sources of Nitrogen too.

I use these fertilizers but only in hydroponic systems. I don't fertigate phosphorus. It is not necessarily to apply phosphorus to plants through fertigation . Only inexperienced farmers do it. Experienced farmers apply it once as basal. And since most are small farmers, uou can side dress again DAP, NPK, or SSP again at flowering. Why spend too much using these ones for phosphorus? Phosphorus dont evaporate like Cacium, so apply it as basal. . I hardly use Calcium Nitrate. Infact, I do t buy it. Agric Lime is what I use. If I can find dolomite, i wil dttch epsom. Why fertigate phosphorus? For what? Inexperienced farmers waste money ooooo.

Pistotita:


These are hydroponic fertilizers. They are soluble in nature. Check out the prices. If SOP is cheap, it can replace Potash. But these ones are expensive. Sulphur in Epsom is enough for non hydroponics in my opinion. Also, if you can use granules, these ones are absolutely not necessary. Potassium and Calcium Nitrates are more than enough for you. DAP and Urea are cheaper options for Phosphorus and Nitrogen. And Nitrates are wonderful sources of Nitrogen too.

I use these fertilizers but only in hydroponic systems. I don't fertigate phosphorus. It is not necessarily to apply phosphorus to plants through fertigation . Only inexperienced farmers do it. Experienced farmers apply it once as basal. And since most are small farmers, uou can side dress again DAP, NPK, or SSP again at flowering. Why spend too much using these ones for phosphorus? Phosphorus dont evaporate like Cacium, so apply it as basal. . I hardly use Calcium Nitrate. Infact, I do t buy it. Agric Lime is what I use. If I can find dolomite, i wil dttch epsom. Why fertigate phosphorus? For what? Inexperienced farmers waste money ooooo.

hmm,pistols!!!you are competent enough to replace my inept lecturer of crop science during my school years,but in the name of all the holy angels how on earth do you know so much, sometimes I think you maybe a crazy professor of agriculture tucked away in a research station deep in the bowels of a university campus with books piled from floor to ceiling.

okoroemeka:
hmm,pistols!!!you are competent enough to replace my inept lecturer of crop science during my school years,but in the name of all the holy angels how on earth do you know so much, sometimes I think you maybe a crazy professor of agriculture tucked away in a research station deep in the bowels of a university campus with books piled from floor to ceiling.

But SOP and MKP are modern fertilizers that aren't in any book that our old Skool profs are still using. It's cos I use them that I know about them. I was discussing with an Israeli 3 days ago, the main Hazera guy attached to Africa, and he was talking about attaching a technical guy with me, but when we finished discussion he was almost asking me to visit him in isreal. He said one thing....Nigeria is so backward in Agric. And I agree with him.

Gardeners use crops with many flushes (indeterminate), while commercial farms use Roma with just 1 flush or 2 flushes, but with many fruits, and that's it. But these Romas are so common that Sellers forced it on farmers just to make more money. So, I researched deep and looked for recent cultivars with olden days characteristics for gardeners. I keep using the word garden every time, but most of my readers do not get it. We guys are all gardeners. But there's huge profit in it. Gardeners use expensive seeds too.

My phone is my Agric Bible. I read so much. And I practice everything I read. If it is just theory, I cannot answer all questions most people ask me. Even during private chat, I don't just recommend, I discuss and give scenarios and experiences.

I started improving the day I decided never to use workers again. That was when my brain started working exponentially. I had to find solutions to many problems. I always laugh at new farmers. Ha! I am not God, but if I tell you, buy this net and leave that, but you continue arguing, I will leave you with your project. If I advise you against rapid horizontal expansion, but you feel I am not making sense, you will return after 1 year. If I tell you to use certain varieties but you keep arguing, or doing trial by error, you will meet it there. But above all, I like everyone to understand the concept and not just copy here and there.

The day I realised that Nigeria is backward in Agric was the day I ditched all our Agricultural institutes. And that was the day I started hunting for seeds all across the world.

I wish people are faithful. Give me just 10 good hardworking OND boys who can work hard, and we will pull millions out of 1 ha from now till next year August. As long as they can take instructions from me. Gone are the days I will go live on farm. And I believe anyone can do it as long as the interest is there. But I have not met anyone who is passionate about Agric like I take it. Most people are in it because they think it is a way out from poverty. But funny, it even sets poverty permanently in them. lol.

Agric is real science. It covers many disciplines - Micro biology, soil science, animal science, anatomy, genetic engineering, mathematics, logic, calculus, chemistry, etc. Agric is very broad. And only a man with broad mind can assimilate it.

Agric is real business. From marketing to book keeping, to accounting.

Agric is IT. You just must be informed about IT if you want to make it.

Agric is health.

OK...my next project is using drones. I was working on something and I know that drones will make it easier for me. I am buying one very soon by God's grace.

And I tell farmers, forget about all those chemicals. Get your soil right. Invest more in your soil. Treat your soil organically and stop using herbicides. Get your PH right. Get the right phosphorus and calcium needed for your plants in the soil. Leave all those npk foliar and spray micronutrients only. Return and tell me I am a liar. These are things I have done and worked for me. So, it is not a matter of piling up books. It is just determination to be a lone ranger and do things different and distinctly. The passion to be above average drove me to where I am today.

okoroemeka:
yes,basal manure application is a must with watermelon,and pls be careful about melon,it's not rugged like cucumbers,it can die anyhow,for me melon is 50/50

Water melon ehnnn.. . My friends and I invested on 6 hectres of water melon in April. It was all loss on investment. It was not funny at all.

sessytony:

Water melon ehnnn.. . My friends and I invested on 6 hectres of water melon in April. It was all loss on investment. It was not funny at all.

It's a trap if you go on large hectares without irrigation.
1. You will spend more on seeds good seeds; therefore, you will use cheap seeds.
2. You spend more on chemicals
3. You spend more on fertilizers
4. You cannot prepare soil very well
5. And many other issues.

Do not give up. Go on maximum of 1 acre when you are ready and install drip irrigation. Prepare your soil very well. If you decide to really do it excellently, find a close plot of land. 1 plot is enough and install stakes. You will harvest more on it. So, it's natural after buying drip to consider many other options since watermelon staking is expensive. But if you can do it, you will make much more than cucumber farmers with ease and rest of mind. Profit is sure with lesser work.

okoroemeka:
yes,basal manure application is a must with watermelon,and pls be careful about melon,it's not rugged like cucumbers,it can die anyhow,for me melon is 50/50

Watermelon is even better than cucumber. Leave cucumber for 3 days without irrigation and see what happens. But watermelon can survive it. The issue is that you decide to take care of cucumber treating it like a fragile veggie, but you just abandon watermelon crawling on the floor. Why don't you allow your cucumber crawl on the floor and return to tell me which is more fragile? Of course watermelon is tougher than cucumber anyday, anytime.

@pisotita,what's is the best watermelon seed to cultivate and how I can I get them in lagos

Pistotita:

Watermelon is even better than cucumber. Leave cucumber for 3 days without irrigation and see what happens. But watermelon can survive it. The issue is that you decide to take care of cucumber treating it like a fragile veggie, but you just abandon watermelon crawling on the floor. Why don't you allow your cucumber crawl on the floor and return to tell me which is more fragile? Of course watermelon is tougher than cucumber anyday, anytime.

I have planted technisem pointsett variety in small numbers sha like 10 without much care ie left it on its own without fungicides and nothing. The yield was ok

Bamocoded:
@pisotita,what's is the best watermelon seed to cultivate and how I can I get them in lagos

Please check market very well and observe if it's big fruits the market wants or medium sizes. The sweeter it is, the more you sell if retailing. But wholesale market does not care about brix level. Also, the color of the skin matters - light green, dark green, or tiger skin. There are many OPs that are good: sugar baby, kaolack, etc. Then, there are hybrids that are dry nice. In think Technisem has one of the cheapest cultivars that are very good. Check Technisem. Their tiger skin hybrid is damn good - Kolloss. And they have light green hybrid that is huge too. Your market should dictate what you use. Jubaili sells Kaolack too

EMMAACHILE:

I have planted technisem pointsett variety in small numbers sha like 10 without much care ie left it on its own without fungicides and nothing. The yield was ok

It's very possible during dry season.

The question is that what was the yield like? What is ok to you might be loss to me based on cost of production? Yeah. Hausas still cultivate pointset. And it must be during dry season. it's not cost effective to stake pointsett. It's why it's done in dry season. The comment I responded to was about watermelon on the ground, and rainy season issue. If you try that pointset during rainy season and you allow it crawl, you will regret it. I am confident of what I am saying.

You need about 1.5sqm for 2 seeds in the hole for crawling style cucumber. But for staking, you can have about 6 to 12 plants that all will survive in the same area. And you need more yield to justify the cost of staking.Its why SW, SS, SE cukes garderners should use hybrids. Where is the huge land to use for crawling cukes?

Have you heard of a cucumber farm that really performed well during rainy season and pointsett was used? And it's not wise to let hybrid crawl.

@Pistotita,may God continue to bless you.you are an inspiration to many of us here.
Please,like how many grams of kaolack seed will I need to cultivate one acre of land sir.
And I will like you to tell me any other thing I will need to also do for the watermelon project.
I just got an acre of land.

Bamocoded:
@Pistotita,may God continue to bless you.you are an inspiration to many of us here.
Please,like how many grams of kaolack seed will I need to cultivate one acre of land sir.
And I will like you to tell me any other thing I will need to also do for the watermelon project.
I just got an acre of land.

I am a drip person, without it, I don't talk. Even during rainy season, it must be installed. So, I assume you have 2km of 50cm emitters spacing. That's around 4,000+20% seeds. About 320grams. After sowing seeds, sow the remaining seeds in trays and transplant to replace those that fail to germinate. Honestly, this is just ordinary arithmetic that should not give anyone problem to calculate.

I have seen where two seeds are planted per hole. In that case, double the number of grams needed.

You need to understand farm set up dor watermelon. Everyone has his style. Nutritional management, and pest/diseases management are necessary skills you need to acquire.

Bro, I need to respect Mr. Okoro. This is his thread, and I think I am crossing my bounds. lol.

@Okoroemeka,God bless you for your works.
Please which type of cucumber seed will you suggest I go for and how many grams will be okay for three plots of land.
Thanks Sir.

Bamocoded:
@Okoroemeka,God bless you for your works.
Please which type of cucumber seed will you suggest I go for and how many grams will be okay for three plots of land.
Thanks Sir.

Bamocoded, with the kind of questions you are asking, I'm not sure you have gathered enough knowledge and experience to be successful in that one acre of land you newly acquired for farming.
My brother, don't go and lose your money oo!!!
It's better you work on half plot and learn how to cultivate watermelon and cucumber before you'll be jumping to 1 acre. You even mentioned 3 plots of cucumber, do you have an idea of how stressful it is to do just 1 plot of cucumber for some of us with experience, and you that is just starting wants to do 3 plots?? Hmmmm. It's well Please sir, DO NOT GO AND WASTE YOUR MONEY "IN THE BUSH" as Pistotita would say

A Word they say is enough for the wise!

Pistotita:



It's very possible during dry season.

The question is that what was the yield like? What is ok to you might be loss to me based on cost of production? Yeah. Hausas still cultivate pointset. And it must be during dry season. it's not cost effective to stake pointsett. It's why it's done in dry season. The comment I responded to was about watermelon on the ground, and rainy season issue. If you try that pointset during rainy season and you allow it crawl, you will regret it. I am confident of what I am saying.

You need about 1.5sqm for 2 seeds in the hole for crawling style cucumber. But for staking, you can have about 6 to 12 plants that all will survive in the same area. And you need more yield to justify the cost of staking.Its why SW, SS, SE cukes garderners should use hybrids. Where is the huge land to use for crawling cukes?

Have you heard of a cucumber farm that really performed well during rainy season and pointsett was used? And it's not wise to let hybrid crawl.

I had similar experience like @ EMMAACHILE's. Someone cleared a plot of land in my street, I observed it was meant to secure d land from land grabbers, and I remembered I had a can of pointsett about to expire, I got d land sprayed, dumped d seeds inside so that it can expire inside d bush there . no fungicides, no heaping and it was in april/may in the wet area of ikorodu. didn't spend much cos I felt d owner of d land might want to erect structure on d land anytime.
After 1 month, I went there, I was impressed wt what I saw, I was forced to apply npk n spray insecticide once. I sold over 20 bags, dashed out to pple in d street, even d spoilt fruits are much(due to poor shelf life).
I later found out that pointsett is very resistant to d. mildew, but shelf life is just 3days.

Bamocoded:
@Okoroemeka,God bless you for your works.
Please which type of cucumber seed will you suggest I go for and how many grams will be okay for three plots of land.
Thanks Sir.

it depends on your area preference,the east favours cu999, while the west is Murano or medium size greenish cukes,that 3 plots you are talking about is not a small project,best u test half or one plot this rainy season and perfect your strategy for the dry season,if you even get the 3 plots right,u may have marketing challenge and low prices now,a well managed 1 plot is better than a careless 3 plots,we planted 1500 on half plot and we harvested 3 times and having ₦100k in sales and we will harvest again tomorrow,,even with poor prices of ₦3000-3500k,I am yet to see a crop that can produce such revenue,in that size of land.

EMMAACHILE:

I have planted technisem pointsett variety in small numbers sha like 10 without much care ie left it on its own without fungicides and nothing. The yield was ok

that's is expected from a few crops in the backyard,but try and invest like ₦50k in 2-3 plots of Poinsett variety without good management and watch how your money and effort will wave bye bye to you.

OluchiDelly:

I had similar experience like @ EMMAACHILE's. Someone cleared a plot of land in my street, I observed it was meant to secure d land from land grabbers, and I remembered I had a can of pointsett about to expire, I got d land sprayed, dumped d seeds inside so that it can expire inside d bush there . no fungicides, no heaping and it was in april/may in the wet area of ikorodu. didn't spend much cos I felt d owner of d land might want to erect structure on d land anytime.
After 1 month, I went there, I was impressed wt what I saw, I was forced to apply npk n spray insecticide once. I sold over 20 bags, dashed out to pple in d street, even d spoilt fruits are much(due to poor shelf life).
I later found out that pointsett is very resistant to d. mildew, but shelf life is just 3days.

I hope you do not feel I am trying to justify my points, or proving I know so much. Not my intention sir.

It is very exciting to interact with fellow farmers. I don't think I mentioned mildew in particular, but if I did, I may meant something else.

1. Pointsett is used by seed makers to cross other varieties to get resistance to some diseases.
2. April and May are no more rainy seasons to me. June - end of 1st/2nd week of July, then September to October are the months rain are heavy these days. So, these are the months I meant.
3. It's more of fruit rot, then fruit flies set in, and that's it.
4. New plot of land has no or little mildew spores. It's why I alway cry crop rotation. If we rotate well, we will never need chemicals, and yield will be higher. I think crop rotation is coming back soon just like how free range poultry style has found its way back.
5. Inside the city is bit free from pests. Pests population increase very fast in the forest.

If we put all these together, we should be able to majestic better decisions.

Pistotita:




Watermelon is even better than cucumber. Leave cucumber for 3 days without irrigation and at happens. But watermelon can survive it. The issue is that you decide to take care of cucumber treating it like a fragile veggie, but you just abandon watermelon crawling on the floor. Why don't you allow your cucumber crawl on the floor and return to tell me which is more fragile? Of course watermelon is tougher than cucumber anyday, anytime.

People say watermelon is "Ogbanje" plant. Lol.

excanny:


People say watermelon is "Ogbanje" plant. Lol.

after doing manual weeding on a 50+ days old melon farm the crops simply started to wilt and die and the hardest part is that it has already formed hundreds of heads,it's tough to see someone money and effort waving bye bye like that,and the ones that survive was attacked by squirrels,rats,grasscutters, porcupines,etc,they destroyed the remaining balls,if you want to do melon make sure you plan for pre emergence herbicides application that can last 100 days no weeds,plan for drip irrigation,if you spray water on melon na die be that,also have a rodent deterrent in place to aviod damage to the balls.

okoroemeka:
after doing manual weeding on a 50+ days old melon farm the crops simply started to wilt and die and the hardest part is that it has already formed hundreds of heads,it's tough to see someone money and effort waving bye bye like that,and the ones that survive was attacked by squirrels,rats,grasscutters, porcupines,etc,they destroyed the remaining balls,if you want to do melon make sure you plan for pre emergence herbicides application that can last 100 days no weeds,plan for drip irrigation,if you spray water on melon na die be that,also have a rodent deterrent in place to aviod damage to the balls.

Too many obstacles!

Pistotita:


I hope you do not feel I am trying to justify my points, or proving I know so much. Not my intention sir.

It is very exciting to interact with fellow farmers. I don't think I mentioned mildew in particular, but if I did, I may meant something else.

1. Pointsett is used by seed makers to cross other varieties to get resistance to some diseases.
2. April and May are no more rainy seasons to me. June - end of 1st/2nd week of July, then September to October are the months rain are heavy these days. So, these are the months I meant.
3. It's more of fruit rot, then fruit flies set in, and that's it.
4. New plot of land has no or little mildew spores. It's why I alway cry crop rotation. If we rotate well, we will never need chemicals, and yield will be higher. I think crop rotation is coming back soon just like how free range poultry style has found its way back.
5. Inside the city is bit free from pests. Pests population increase very fast in the forest.

If we put all these together, we should be able to majestic better decisions.

Not at at all brotherly at d bolded. I was only trying to point out dt despite my Bad AP wt respect to "unfavourable" climate(those days when we had little or no issue wt climate change), pointsett still kinda proved rugged. But as u ve mentioned that the " city factor" contributed largely, this I did nt dispute.

okoroemeka:
after doing manual weeding on a 50+ days old melon farm the crops simply started to wilt and die and the hardest part is that it has already formed hundreds of heads,it's tough to see someone money and effort waving bye bye like that,and the ones that survive was attacked by squirrels,rats,grasscutters, porcupines,etc,they destroyed the remaining balls,if you want to do melon make sure you plan for pre emergence herbicides application that can last 100 days no weeds,plan for drip irrigation,if you spray water on melon na die be that,also have a rodent deterrent in place to aviod damage to the balls.

i avoided cucumber thinking water melon will be a better option. our millions went down the drain. 6hectres of water melon. we resorted to spraying maize on the land.

Watermelon is a wonderful crop which is highly profitable. It does not have too many issues as portrayed by OP. And the man who went on large hectares is one of the farmers who rushed into it without acquiring adequate knowledge. There are ways to prevent rodents from destroying it. Those who know about it love it. If I point to 10 monikers on nairaland, they will bombard this thread and rubbish cucumber to the extent all followers here will just follow watermelon thread. But will they agree to do it? lol There are masters in every crop, and I have my way of identifying them, talk to them, and learn from them. lol. You wan learn watermelon on cucumber thread, you don miss road, oga.


Please, do what you know, write about it, and just leave other crops. Instead of the man who lost 10 ha to find out from watermelon farmers where he got it wrong, he is talking more about his failures on cucumber thread. If I was him, I would find solution on watermelon threads. Is it cucumber thread you will get solutions to your challenges?

Pistotita:

I prefer you speak for yourself only sir. You cannot speak for others on public forums. And I know there are many who feel like you. You still call what I wrote here as parables. What exactly do you need? If I give you what I do exactly, can you afford it? The best I can do is to give you principles I followed when I started. And I do not write chemicals on public forum. Do you have idea of different formulations I give out daily free? I will tell you your problems. Read on!

Are you sure you are a new farmer. Well, I did not ask stup.id questions like the prices of products directly. Rather, I asked the process of knowing prices. And I was told to go to market and I did so. After going to market, I returned to give the person updates, and the guy loaded me with more info. So, you can see the difference clearly. When you want people to assist you, try to do your part. How can someone who is in Anambra ask me for prices of Abuja or Lagos? For what? Is that not stupid question? Except for comparison purpose, but to rely on my figures? Is it not stup.id?


I know farmers do more cucumber not based on what I read on nairaland, but this is what market told me recently. As at 2016, cucumber is very expensive in wet season. Most farmers in SW, SS, and SE produce with rain, but go to main market and you will think the hausas are still operating. But if you check, you will see hybrid fruits which means these ones are not from the hausas. Also check the bags, and how they are closed. I do not rely on what I read here. I rely on figures and market observation. I live by my principles sir. Now, cucumber is no more profitable like before.


I visit quality threads. This thread has got some good stuff in it. Have your read the maize thread I posted on? And was my own thread only about cucumber? The maize thread OP and I have shared quality info btw each other if you care to know. Ok? And have you read my comments on @jidestrouds poultry thread? And my comments that I am going to start one soon? For your info it was fish I really wanted to do after dropping cash crops. But cos I am trained to do market research, I dropped it cos I realised that the cost of feed is like 70% of the cost of production. And extremely high. I noticed fish farmers are even talking about growing corn. And I said to myself, why would I grow corn to feed my fish? Double work. Then, why can't I just grow corn and forget fish if the profit of corn is equal or more tgat fish production. But if I had come one nairaland to ask, fish farmers would have debated how profitable it is....poultry would say same...bla bla bla. But I sat down myself and put in place all costs of production. My figures showed me that crops are more rewarding. Simple as A B C. If you like poultry, fine. If not, fine. I don't een have to do poultry. And I do not have to visit the thread also bro.



I think you just attacked me unjustly here. And you need to apologize. Guy, someone bought 11 cans of okra seeds from me at reduced price cos I was not gonna use the seeds. How did it happen? He contacted me fast as soon as he read about some crops I wrote, and here uou are saying I did not write about them. Are you for real? And funny, the day he took the offer, 3 more people wrote me, and I told them sorry it is no more available. I am even the one running after him to give me updates cos I need him produce quality fruits which I am using my contacts to sell. Another person contacted me yesterday about market. He mentioned six good crops I have written about that he wants to do. And I have to chat him till we agreed on just one new crop for the sake of conveniency. And he can dive into others later. Funny, he's got market for it already. So, I told him to forget my contacts for now, and he saw sense in it. We still have many things to do in future. I yold him "Start that, do it well, and keep the relationship growing". And that was it.

Do you know how many people told me to my face that they cannot assist me when I started? And later returned to me for help? But God has been so gracious to me. I can call 25 Shoprite, Spar, HubMark, Eko Hotel, Sheraton, etc vendors to assist me sell. But I gat to know you before I share my links. You must be consistent. And I don't want any door closed cos of the terrible attitude of my recommendations. Do you know the number of procurement officers who ask me to assist them with sourcing for products? Can I fulfill all? No no no no! Do I need a cut from what you are selling? Of course not. See, the Lord has made me a nation like Jacob. He called him Israel. I am blessed more than I can imagine myself. So, forget the cra.p that I do not assist. You have not got because you have not asked, and you have not proved yourself worthy to be assisted.

Have you read about the varieties I use? Have you read about some brands I say are fake, even mentioned one here. Have you read about soil preparation I gave put? Have you read about nutrients formulations I wrote on my thread? How to use SSP snd DAP. Come on guy! Did you read the detailed nutrition for maize in the thread? As a matter of fact, I exchange mails with the OP, and we shared knowledge.

I am shocked with the bolded. Bro, are you saying there are no straight forward organic farming threads on Nairaland? Ok...I gave someone a moniker in a private chat and he was so surprised. I read too. I research here on nairaland. Brother, dig deep sir. There is no need to repeat what has been posted here. And did many of you guys take such threads serious? I read a poultry lady who said she does not have the time to prepare anything and she just orders from the guy. Ok. You may say I am advertising for him but heaven knows I don't even know him. And I am not going to mention any moniker. Cos the way people think and respond to recommendation is serious. You wanna know more, get in touch..What is hard in that? I give free stuff even in private. But if you push in for more of my time, be ready and willing to pay which I know many cannot afford. If I tell lies about answering questions, people would have come up here to refute it. But I am shocked that you are not contended with what I have written on this nairaland. While you are complaining, many are sending success stories to me. Do you have the idea of how many people I sent free materials/seeds to? Do you have the idea how many people I have taking from zero (knew nothing about ordinary cocoyam, but now doing hydroponics) without collecting kobo? But they spent their money and dig deep. You Have no idea how long I stay online answering questions sir. Or do you think I operate only on nairaland? Oh...you just do not understand I chat with 7 or more people simultaneously many times. There was a day I was chatting with 22 people. You do not have idea sir. And even people who discuss private affairs with me. I am more careful these days cos men are evil.




It is not because I spent cash, but the best way to learn is introduction by the trainer, next is self study by the trainee, and then discussion btw both. I want to benefit from people too. It is like you do not want to study at all bro. And that is terrible. A lady was telling me yesterday how young men don't like studying these days. And I kept defending even the youths. Many graduates did not write their senior honors projects in Nigeria. They do not like studying at all. But guy, this your requests with all I have written is a shock to me.

I treat all like adults and not like new farmers. Oga, I have faults too. I have mistakes. And did you read about my debts? See, I am clearing debts daily as you are reading from me. Past mistakes, mistakes in collaboration, trusting people, doing more than I could put me in the situation. And we thank God for his mercies. I am just passionate about farming. That's all. else, I would have left it cos stakeholders in the industry are terrible.

Bro, send you pictures of my research area? Come on! What kind of request is that? Come on!. And even post it on a public forum? Ha ba! If I run away now, I think I am justified bro. Post my lab on nairaland? To show what? I beg, think before you ask questions or requests. A beg. Ha ba!

Finally, I want to ask you some questions. Which question have you put acrossed me on my thread, or outside my thread that I have not answered you @Yampotatocarrot? Did you make a single comment on my thread? Or did you ask me any question there? Did you even follow me to show you are reading my posts? Did you show interest that you are learning from me? You follow me silently. Neither did you make one comment on my thread, nor ask me questions, yet you said I talk in parables. If you see parables on my thread, have you really buzzed me on the thread or privately to ask further questions? Think about it. I know many people follow me ently, even big consultants that dont share info at all. Even people in ministries and givernment departments. Well, you need to really apologize to me. I rest my case!

@Pistotita Talk is Cheap! I would love to see just a single image showing some all the hectares you are supposedly cultivating. I always butt heads with people (most of them are Nigerians) who want to make things seem like rocket science. I admit you drop some useful info (for example, effect of PH on plant absorption of certain nutrient) but omg it is buried understand tonnes and tonnes of unhelpful text. I would really love to see you simplify some of your post and also be more concise as it would help people be more engaging. Remember the main task of a teacher is not to confuse his student but to help them breakdown (i.e. simplify) the subject at hand.

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Wizs2019:


@Pistotita Talk is Cheap! I would love to see just a single image showing some all the hectares you are supposedly cultivating. I always butt heads with people (most of them are Nigerians) who want to make things seem like rocket science. I admit you drop some useful info (for example, effect of PH on plant absorption of certain nutrient) but omg it is buried understand tonnes and tonnes of unhelpful text. I would really love to see you simplify some of your post and also be more concise as it would help people be more engaging. Remember the main task of a teacher is not to confuse his student but to help them breakdown (i.e. simplify) the subject at hand.

Guy, you will be alright.

All intending watermelon farmers be warned,it is not an easy crop to grow,do not be deceived by E-farmers throwing mouth watering returns,if it's too good to be true,then it's probably is,WM cannot be planted on any soil, location or season,it's a crop that needs militry precision on timing on when to plant it,you cannot just wake up and decide to plant melon,we have done a melon farm that was devastated by any animal in the bush that has teeth's,but closeby a novice farmer did his own and harvested abundantly,ask me what happened,the novice farmer in his ignorance planted the melon without regards to proper spacing and the vines caused such an entanglement that animals cannot find any way through,we on the other hand use proper melon spacing to get high yields but ended up creating highways for any manner of animals to zoom in and out,it was actually funny seeing the novice first time farmer harvest more than 500-1000 balls of melons, while us the so called experts that even sold him the seeds watch in utter frustration and bewilderment.

I harvested 11 and half today from my two plots.
I am indebted to you all for the guild. Especially Okoroemeka and pistotita. 44 days old farm.
But I almost cry today seeing that many of the flowers are aborting.

Expert farmer indeed that cannot differentiate cross pollination and nutrient impact on fruits. And the efarmer told him the effect as soon as he started. The same way Monalisa is terribly bad to him. Imagine cultivating the cultivar at this time. Expert bush practical farmer wey no fit choose the right cultivar for the right season. Expert wey himself wrote that tomato is terrible and he cannot do it. That tomato is so difficult meant everyone should be aware that it is no go area. Lol. How can watermelon be easy? If watermelon is too hard, then golden melon is "touch not my annointing". A beg, make a carry myself commot. Must person be able to do everything? That I or you cannot do it does not mean others cannot. So, leave it at that. You are not good in it. Finish! Expert indeed! Mono crop farmers can argue too much. I am not also not good in everything, and I will not start saying a particular crop is terrible. What I always do is to hunt for people who know about it, lay my complains, and get tips. And if I find the crop is not just my style after talking to people, I always say It's not my style. And not that it is a terrible crop. So frustrating with my present health issue, and I could just blast a farm, and ask selected ppl to visit and take all the pictures in the world to post for all "show me your picture" cos if you are expecting pics from me, you will not get them. We don pass that stage. Prove what to you? Lol. E farmer dey tell am wetin go happen even before he got to the stage....didn't we tell the so called expert Monalisa was not a good cultivar for this season with less downy mildew resistance before he started. The same proverb he used for us we go use back for am. "One eyed man wey dey lead blind people be king" in their world

Practical farmer that keeps justifying cultivating same crop in same area. Why will cancer not kill because of over bombarding crops with chenicals? Crop rotation na agric science in primary school we learned am. Abi no be so? So, the readers too no get that from elementary education, but followed the practical chemical farmer who then resulted to abusing Metalaxyl and bombarding the field with chemicals. Who sprays such consistently like Mancozeb? Only on nairaland. It is well. We will not die of chemical cos of nairaland by God's grace. It's true, one should start getting really scared of eating vegetables in Nigeria these days.

Looks like bros is annoyed and threatened here. We no say make you no continue shinning among your people. It takes maturity to see more positive highlights from someone else while in ones domain. A beg have a nice time on this thread. A don commot.

Idemujoseph:
I harvested 11 and half today from my two plots.
I am indebted to you all for the guild. Especially Okoroemeka and pistotita. 44 days old farm.
But I almost cry today seeing that many of the flowers are aborting.

that looks like cu 999 to me,but why does it looks yellowish and not too greenish,looks like you left it too long before harvesting and it my be the cause of the fruit abortion,also try and put npk and also spray foliar fertilizer if possible,fertility is another cause of light coloured fuits,low fertility shows obvious signs before the real damage sets,in cucumbers you may have normal sized cukes but it will be light green and the leaves will be pale green of yellowish,in pepper the first sign is the fruits will lose pungency and hotness.

okoroemeka:
that looks like cu 999 to me,but why does it looks yellowish and not too greenish,looks like you left it too long before harvesting and it my be the cause of the fruit abortion,also try and put npk and also spray foliar fertilizer if possible,fertility is another cause of light coloured fuits,low fertility shows obvious signs before the real damage sets,in cucumbers you may have normal sized cukes but it will be light green and the leaves will be pale green of yellowish,in pepper the first sign is the fruits will lose pungency and hotness.

OK noted sir. Thank! you