I'm grateful that I feel like I've developed the right instincts and feelings for understanding the seasons. Everything is going well in my garden.
My plants are currently adapting quite well to extreme weather. A few months ago, I experienced a major setback when my tomato plants failed to bear fruit due to a lack of rain.
A few months ago, I failed to read the weather. So I planted crops without any reference to the weather and temperature in my new area. But failure is a learning process.
In my new area, from May to July, there was no rain at all. Then, in August, it started to rain occasionally. And in September, October, and November, there was heavy rainfall every day. It tapered off in December and January. In February, March, and April, the rainfall became even less.
This November, the rainfall was very heavy. It rained every day. I was worried about my shallots.
Fortunately, my shallots were ready to harvest. Signs that shallots are ready to harvest are that the bottom stem near the bulb is soft and no longer feels firm when held.
That's also why the shallot leaves appear to be drooping. The leaves are no longer upright.
Well, the reason I planted shallots was also because they can reduce pests, as well as other plants.
Meanwhile, the chili plants have started to bear fruit. I hope the chili plants will be strong without the shallot plants.
I started harvesting the shallots. I was very happy that after three months, the shallots were ready to be harvested.
I planted all of this organically. So, for fertilization, I used fermented goat manure in powder form.
With regular fertilization, every two weeks, the shallot bulbs became larger. In fact, they were larger than the shallots sold at the market.
I was very grateful. Even though it rained heavily, my shallots were still harvested on time.
After harvesting the shallots, I cleaned off the remaining soil from the shallot bulbs.
I cleaned off the soil with a soft brush and a soft cloth.
Look, the shallot bulbs look shinier than before. Then, I dried the shallots.
To dry the shallots, I usually use a small pole. As you can see, I used a tripod, which I usually use for video shoots.
The harvested shallots should be dried like this, along with their leaves. This ensures a longer shelf life. This ensures the shallots don't rot. And I have a supply of organic shallots for later cooking!
Best Regards,
Anggrek Lestari
Anggrek Lestari is an Indonesian fiction writer who has published two major books. Now She is a full-time content creator. She has a goal to share life, poem, and food content that makes others happy and can get inspiration.
Contact Person: authoranggreklestari@gmail.com
Discord: anggreklestari#3009
