Grapefruit garden let grass grow freely

BINH PHUOC After successfully converting the green-skin pomelo garden cultivation process from traditional to organic, the pomelos are much more delicious. He feels relieved and very happy.

BINH PHUOC After successfully converting the green-skin pomelo garden cultivation process from traditional to organic, the pomelos are much more delicious. He feels relieved and very happy.

That is Mr. Nguyen Van Tam, owner of a nearly 2-hectare green-skinned grapefruit garden in Minh Long ward, Chon Thanh town, Binh Phuoc province.

He boasted: “This green-skinned grapefruit garden is nearly ten years old. At first, it was taken care of like any other garden, using fertilizers and chemicals. The yield was good, but the grapefruit was hard to sell, the output was unstable, my wife often took it to the market and sold it cheaply, but it still didn’t sell.

By 2021, thanks to the organic farming consulting group that showed me how to do it, I followed it. At first, the trees lacked vitality, the fruits were fewer and smaller, but I saw many insects, bees, butterflies, and ants in the garden. By the second year, the trees looked more plump, the fruits were still the same, even if the appearance was not as beautiful, but the segments had more juice and a sweeter taste.

I realized the great benefits of clean farming so I was determined to do it. Now, after 4 years of organic care, using only biological products from pest control to nutrition as advised, the soil in the garden is increasingly humus-rich, softer, and more porous. When I put my hand in the soil, it feels cool, then I look at the worms wriggling in the handful of soil in my hand, I feel the soil is full of life, I love it."

The smile of old farmer Nguyen Van Tam after successfully converting his grapefruit garden from traditional farming to organic farming. Photo: Hong Thuy.

Following Mr. Tam to the grapefruit garden, I was surprised to see the weeds growing wildly, knee-high, looking like a wild garden. Walking a few dozen meters into the garden, my pants were not only soaked from the recent rain but also covered with weed seeds.

“I haven’t weeded in the past week because I had to go to the city. The soil is now very loose and fertile, and it’s the rainy season so the grass grows very quickly. Tomorrow I have to hire more people to help, and it will probably take 2 days to finish. But I only use a manual mower around the base, and I still keep most of the grass to create a favorable environment for beneficial insects to live, balancing the ecology in the garden,” said Mr. Tam.

Mr. Tam’s grapefruit garden currently only uses organic fertilizers composted from organic soil, bat manure, chicken manure, fish protein, vermicompost, oil cake and agricultural by-products mixed with microorganisms. To prevent pests, he uses preparations cooked from mahogany trees, lemon, lemongrass, garlic and chili. Thanks to this, investment costs are also greatly reduced.

Currently, after following the organic process, the grapefruit segments in his garden are more delicious, softer and sweeter, and the yield has also gradually increased. In 2020, the first crop after switching to organic farming, the yield reached 10 tons of fruit/ha, the selling price was still only 25 - 30 thousand VND/kg depending on the model. By the second year, the yield increased and the consulting group introduced some consumption points in Dong Xoai City (Binh Phuoc), Ho Chi Minh City, the price was not high but the product was sold out.

By 2023, the yield was equivalent to traditional farming, and the selling price had also increased significantly. Although he did not have a brand and the price was not high, he no longer had to sell it at the market and it was no longer unsold. “In the past, I used to give grapefruit to neighbors and relatives, but I only said it was homegrown. Now when I give it away, I add that it is organic and of high quality, so I feel happier,” Mr. Tam smiled and boasted.

Mr. Tam's grapefruit garden is overgrown with weeds, but the grapefruit trees are still growing very well. Photo: Hong Thuy.

Mr. Tam confided that when doing organic processes, he gradually gained more knowledge. According to him, organic farming in general is not simply about not using chemicals but must follow a whole process from seeds, soil, water, how to use the products, how to care for and monitor the process, then harvest, preserve, consume...

“Natural farming requires accepting that the initial yield is lower than traditional, depending on each person’s experience. Another difficulty is that the initial product appearance is not beautiful. But if you persevere, you will receive many great benefits. That is environmental protection, safety for your health and that of consumers, fertile land, which is the foundation for sustainable development. As for the product, once it is known to consumers, there is no need to worry about output, the price is also better, it is easier to preserve, and the preservation time is longer,” said old farmer Nguyen Van Tam.

Source: https://nongsanviet.nongnghiep.vn/vuon-buoi-de-mac-suc-cho-co-moc-d406588.html