Having been given the opportunity to cultivate a patch of land we’ve thrown ourselves at it.  There is a great primitive satisfaction that goes with growing your own food, and we are enjoying learning from two experienced farmers (our neighbours Takeuchi san and Buitsu san).  They have been offering opinions as to what seeds we should sow and how to manage an allotment but generally they’ve been ‘hands off’ allowing Eri and I to learn through trial and error.

The patch of land must be 15 metres by 20 metres.  Initially it was fallow occupied only by flowers, celery and black polythene.  Here is a picture:  (I added a squirrel eating a biscuit since the picture is actually quite a boring field shot)

Takeuchi san kindly ploughed and limed the field with a mechanical contraption, removed the flowers and the polythene (the celery is quite beautiful so it stayed) and so we were ready to get planting.  Having already propogated some lettuce seeds we split them and transplanted them to the field.  Takeuchi san provided some Nira and leeks so they went in as well.  We’d been given lots of seeds by our friends in Tochigi (cheers Scout and Maya) and so we sowed squash, watermelons, sweetcorn (from Buitsu san) and papayas (as an experiment).

Below you can see the corn rows.  We wondered how to mark the seeds; we gathered some rocks and stuck them in the ground next to the seeds.  Just then we heard a noise and it was Buitsu san carrying a yellow sack.  He asked us to guess what was in the bag.  We couldn’t.  Eventually he dipped his hand inside and scattered rice husks on the corn rows.  This acted as a marker.  It was rice husks from last years rice (he looks after three or four rice fields).  Beautiful, simple and natural.

Recently it has been scorching and my British translucent skin almost couldn’t take it.  Neither could our lettuce.  Even watering three times a day it was too much for some of the tender shprouty leaves.  We persevered and managed to save around 80% of the crop.  Thankfully it is now raining but this may be the beginning of rainy season…  Now we have to worry whether the lettuce will drown.  I will have to stand in the field with a 100 yen umbrella.  No problem.

Tomatoes will go in next..