i have a zoo

Chapter 124 Abram
The hill not far from the side of the zoo office building is covered with a lush green forest.

At the foot of the mountain, a bluestone road surrounded by purple morning glory and yellow chrysanthemum twists and turns and disappears into the mountain, covered by green forests and shrubs. A brown-yellow log-style building stands on the mountainside, giving people a feeling of being away from the hustle and bustle. .

The fragrant breeze is blowing, spreading the fragrance of flowers, the sun is warm and comfortable, and everything looks so peaceful and beautiful.

In the side yard of the small villa, Qi Ming stood beside a large wooden box with a side length of one square meter, picked up a sack next to it, and poured dead branches and fallen leaves into it.

Now he's composting!
Simply put, it is to decompose organic matter into fertile humus, which is rich in organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms.

Composting does not happen overnight, and it is too late to start composting. He intends to use the compost after it is ripe in spring.

Although there is spiritual soil, the amount of spiritual soil is too small to use all the spiritual soil.

Moreover, in his plan, a field animal exhibition area will be built behind the zoo. Now the process of farming is also a process of learning and thinking. Knowing for yourself what changes will occur in the process of farming will make it easier to design the field exhibition area in the future.

The farming that Qi Ming intends to carry out is not a conventional planting method, but a healthier and more environmentally friendly agricultural method, which can be called organic agriculture, ecological agriculture, or Permaculture agriculture!
No chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides are used, and no greenhouse mulch is used.

If conventional farming is feeding the crops, organic farming is feeding the soil.

There is also a very complex ecological environment in the soil, providing a good living environment for various beneficial organisms in the soil, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and nematodes, and these organisms will establish a mutually beneficial relationship with plants.

Microorganisms can not only provide nutrients to plants, but also improve the ability of plants to prevent diseases and pests.

Good soil can also attract beneficial insects such as earthworms and arthropods to settle in the vegetable garden, and the organic matter digested and decomposed by them is used as nutrients to supply microorganisms as food.

Earthworms and arthropods are the source of protein for birds, which can attract them to the vegetable garden. Although birds may eat a small part of the crops, they can also eat pests. Generally speaking, the benefits outweigh the disadvantages !

When you focus on feeding the soil rather than the plants in your vegetable garden, over time, you build an entire ecosystem to help the plants grow healthier and more nutritious.

This creates a more permeable soil, which saves water and makes the plants more resilient in times of dry weather.

No pesticides or insecticides are used, and the vegetables grown are safe and healthy, and you can eat them directly without washing them.

There are actually many details in the implementation process, such as covering the soil with straw, fallen leaves, and newspapers, which not only have a moisturizing effect and reduce the frequency of watering, but also reduce the growth of weeds. After the straw and newspaper rot, they can be destroyed by microorganisms in the soil use.

Use different crops to rotate the land. Different crops have different root lengths and different nutrients.Crop rotation can be beneficial to the permeability of the soil and the reuse of nutrients, so that the land has the opportunity to repair and nourish.

Moreover, crops such as tomatoes and potatoes are very sensitive to pathogens. If they are planted on one piece of land, they are prone to disease. Rotation of crops can reduce the possibility of pathogens appearing.

After Qi Ming poured the branches and fallen leaves into the big wooden box, he also poured in a bag of kitchen waste, some egg shells, chopped banana peels, and coffee grounds, all of which were obtained from the cafeteria.

Xiaoli moved a small bench and sat not far away, holding a motley cat in her arms and petting it.

Maomao was lying in her arms, with its tail gently sweeping back and forth on her smooth arms, squinting its eyes comfortably, and making a "purring purring" sound.

It was the one that Qi Ming fed in the dormitory before.

Usually, he is erratic in the zoo, but today he came to the small villa again.

Xiaoli teased the cat, and couldn't help asking: "Director, why don't we adopt it!"

Qi Ming smiled and said, "Yes, it can add a little life to the house. But if you want to adopt it, you have to cut its balls."

Vaccines and so on have been caught and given once, otherwise we can't let it run around, stray cats have the risk of spreading feline plague.

The stray cats that can be seen in the zoo are basically neutered and neutered. Qi Ming also sees that there are no other stray cats in the zoo, so he keeps his balls uncut, otherwise it will be very troublesome if there are too many stray cats.

Although cats and cats are cute, they not only catch mice, but also catch birds and dig out their nests.

Hunting is not purely for the purpose of feeding one's hunger, one has more energy to catch and play when one is full.

A few stray cats are acceptable, but too many will definitely have an impact on the number of birds in the zoo.

For some reason, the cat in Xiaoli's arms suddenly felt a chill in her lower body, subconsciously clamped her testicles, and raised her head vigilantly.

After Qi Ming threw the kitchen waste into the big wooden box, he turned it over with a wooden stick, and poured in some shredded and useless waste documents.Then he picked up a sack and poured a pile of animal feces into it. You can get a pile of these things in the zoo.

Xiaoli asked curiously: "Director, can paper be composted?"

"Of course you can! Clothes can be used for composting, just shred it. It's a bit like a witch's cauldron, and all kinds of weird things can be thrown into it."

Although the feces gave off a tangy smell, it didn't affect Qi Ming's interest.

While stirring, he began to talk: "Composting needs green and brown materials, green materials such as plant stems provide nitrogen and high humidity, brown materials such as leaves provide carbon and not much water.

This way of putting a little of all the raw materials is the best. If only one or two raw materials are used, the compost may lack a certain nutrient, and a variety of raw materials can ensure more abundant micronutrients and achieve a natural balance.

The feces I use are ring-tailed lemurs and macaques, which are pulled down by eating fruits and vegetables, and they must be nutritious.

Including the size of the compost bin is also particular. If the side length is too small or too narrow, the temperature generated during the composting process cannot be guaranteed.Large compost piles generate temperatures that favor microbial activity within, thereby speeding up the organic matter decomposition process. "

"How long will it take?"

"It's half a year. This method takes a long time to compost, but it's very convenient."

After pouring the materials in, Qi Ming covered the top with a layer of cardboard to reduce the infiltration of rainwater in rainy days and prevent the compost from getting too wet.

Then I took off my shoes, climbed onto the compost bin, and stepped on it to compact it.

Qi Ming looked at Xiaoli with a smile, and Xiaoli turned her head a little embarrassedly: "I always look at what I do."

"I'm wondering if you're going to shoot this in today's footage."

Mao Mao was on the ground, watching the two of them bouncing around on the compost bin, tilting their heads slightly, not knowing what they were doing.

Then I imitated it, tried to stand up on my hind feet, and jumped on the ground!
Seeing how the cat was learning to jump, Xiaoli said in surprise, "Director, this cat is so fun!"

Qi Ming couldn't help but look sideways: "Hey, it's quite interesting!"

After jumping for a while to compact the materials inside, I jumped off first, and then waited for Xiaoli to jump off the compost bin.

Open the cardboard and continue to pour the sack into it!
A little more material inside and a little more compaction can increase the temperature of the compost.

Cover it again, press it a little, and it's ok this time.

After composting, Qi Ming sat on the deck chair by the pool, basking in the wind and sun, hugged the cat and stroked it gently, and rested very relaxedly.

Xiaoli brushed her hair blown away by the wind, pushed aside an orange, took out one petal and handed it to his hand: "Speaking of adopting a cat, do you want to give it a name?"

"Ah~"

Qi Ming lifted the orange with his hand, opened his mouth and ate it in one bite

He licked his lips regretfully and asked, "What name do you want?"

Xiaoli thought about it seriously: "Should I call it Sanhua? Three suits, and there are no other cats."

Qi Ming scratched his chin: "Call it Huahua, it's more fluent, although it's a bit feminine, it doesn't matter."

Looking at the maomao in his arms who was being rubbed comfortably, lying on its back with its belly exposed, scratching its chin, "hehe" smiled evilly: "Anyway, the balls will be gone after a while."

Huahua looked puzzled: "Meow meow?"

The phone rang, and Qi Ming picked it up. It was the buyer.

"Hey, garden manager, you bought the potatoes and strawberry seedlings you bought before, and sent them to the farmland?"

"Oh, okay, send it here, I'll be home right now!"

Qi Ming rubbed Huahua's stomach, and thought about it: "Should we give this place a name too? Otherwise, it would be strange for others to call it 'Farmland'."

Xiaoli's eyes sparkled, and she suggested excitedly, "Laboratory? Composting field? Which one do you think is better!"

Qi Ming couldn't laugh or cry: "I don't think it's good?"

Seeing Xiaoli's slightly disappointed look, Qi Ming changed his mind and said, "Hey, it seems to be quite interesting, why don't we call it a farm house."

As the second child, he still has a high degree of shame.

Anyway, as long as you are not embarrassed, it is others who are embarrassed.

Xiaoli nodded happily: "I think it's good!"

After discussing the name of the farmland, Qi Ming stood up and went down the mountain to pick up the buyer.

After a while, he returned to the side yard with a few bags.

There are a lot of things that can’t be moved in one trip, especially the navel orange saplings that look like bushes. He and the purchaser carefully moved them up so as not to touch the leaves and affect the growth.

The soil in the vegetable garden has been sprinkled with spiritual soil and turned over!

There are two big pits three meters apart that are ready for navel orange saplings, and apple trees have already been planted.

After filling the soil, Qi Ming went to the water tank next to the vegetable garden, scooped up a basin of water and poured it on the saplings.

In organic agriculture, water use is also very particular. It is best to use rainwater or well water. Generally, urban tap water uses disinfectants containing chlorine and ammonia to kill bacteria that are harmful to humans, and at the same time kill microorganisms in the soil.

If you want to use it, you have to stand it for 24 hours, waiting for the chlorine and ammonia to evaporate.

It hasn't rained in the past two days, and the water in the tank is tap water that has been left standing, with some spiritual water mixed in it.

The leaves of the saplings were blown by the wind and swayed gently, and the water droplets slowly dripped from the leaves to the ground.

The green leaves drenched in water look full of vitality and make people feel very happy!

Qi Ming then placed the potatoes 20cm apart in the planned area, buried them slightly in the soil, and covered them with a layer of hay.

Also watering a little water even if it is planted, it is still very simple to grow potatoes!

For strawberries, some special clover-shaped flower pots are used. By rotating and misaligning, the card slot at the bottom of a pot can be stuck to the edge of the pot below, so that they can be stacked into a hexagonal pagoda shape.

When watered on top, the poured water overflows downwards through holes in the bottom, and the bottom tray receives excess water and debris for recycling.After the strawberries grow, each layer can also receive sunlight.

Moreover, this kind of strawberry tower is also very space-saving. A pot has three petals, and a strawberry seedling is planted in one petal. 10 strawberry towers are placed side by side on the edge of the vegetable garden. Stacking six layers is 180 plants, which is a space of two square meters.When it is mature, not only is it more than enough to eat by yourself, but you can also share it with friends.

It can also be mixed with other things, which can reduce pests and diseases, such as coriander, rosemary, lettuce, etc. The mixed species of snowball and strawberry can help attract insects to pollinate and attract natural enemies of pests. The strong aroma of coriander can To repel pests, marigolds can sacrifice themselves to attract pest attacks.

However, Qi Ming thought it would be easier to plant the first time, and then consider various combinations later.

Following Qi Ming's example, Xiaoli shoveled a shovelful of soil mixed with spirit soil from the vegetable garden, put it into a flower pot, made a hole in the middle, and then picked up a strawberry seedling and put it in, and then filled it with soil .

Qi Ming glanced at her and said with a smile, "No! You've missed a step."

"Huh?" Xiaoli was a little surprised, she obviously followed suit.

Qi Ming picked up a strawberry seedling and demonstrated to her: "Before putting it in, stretch the root system gently with your hands, which is more conducive to the root system breathing and growing in the soil.

When burying the soil again, the soil only covers the root system, not the root cap, which is about the section above the beard as thick as a finger. "

"Oh!"

Xiaoli observed carefully and found that Qi Ming would indeed touch the strawberry seedlings twice with his hands before planting. It looked like a bard playing a harp or a mage enchanting an item. It turned out to be this function.

Some admired and frustrated: "Principal, why do you know everything!"

Qi Ming smiled and said, "Learn, I'm actually a beginner in farming. It's okay, if you don't understand, I will teach you."

It took half a day to plant all the strawberry seedlings!

After planting, Qi Ming spread a layer of pine needles that fell from the Huguan pine tree in the flowerpot to moisten and fertilize the soil.

Strawberries are more afraid of waterlogging, too waterlogging will lead to a decrease in production, so this time it is useless to water the pot, but use a shower to fill the water tank with water, shake it gently and sprinkle it down.

After all the plants were planted, Qi Ming wiped off his sweat, looking at the vegetable garden that had been taken care of and turned into vitality, he couldn't help feeling a sense of accomplishment in his heart!

Perhaps this is the joy of farming.

(End of this chapter)