Typhoon Koppu ("Lando") destruction in the farm

Typhoon Koppu, known locally as "Lando" that hit northern Luzon two weeks ago, severely affected the provinces of Aurora, Cagayan, the Ilocos and Cordillera provinces. But it also caused damages in nearby provinces of La Union, Pangasinan, and Central Luzon provinces.

In our farm in Bugallon, western side of Pangasinan, our caretaker said there were 2D/2N of non-stop rains plus very strong winds. The creek in the farm turned into rampaging river for 2 days too, eroding both sides of  the creek and cascaded huge volume of sand, rocks and stones downstream. Below, the way going to my treehouse, left side of the creek.

Right side of the creek. At least one tall mahogany tree was knocked down.

Huge volume of sand was deposited by the flash flood in this side. To the right of the sweet potato or "camote" was a rice plot.

The water used to flow in an inverted L shape. Previous floods and the last one deposited more soil and rocks there, the water now goes relatively straight.

This part has become deeper. Vehicles could cross this part of the creek before, now it is no longer possible.

Luckily, not a single tree around my treehouse fell. But they were battered by the strong  winds.

 This gmelina tree's roots were eroded by the flood, it fell down.

Luckily, only one sheet of the roof of my treehouse was blown away by the wind.

The creek and the rice field

The creek in the farm is among its most important asset. Its winding path can irrigate many areas of the farm for water-dependent crops like rice. Photos below taken last September 26, 2015, my last visit there. In this photo, my treehouse is about 30 meters away, left side of this spot.

Nong Endring Paragas, our caretaker, cleared this area of the creek so he can plant some camote (sweet potato), a crawling plant which is good in controlling grasses and cogons.

The rice field on the left and the creek on the right.

The newly-established camote, few weeks old.

The creek irrigates this rice field which Nong Endring has been tilling for more than three decades now. He plants and harvests twice a year. Harvest though is not big as there are many natural enemies there -- maya birds, rats, snails, etc. This field has no neighboring rice fields, so those pests' attention is not diverted elsewhere, only this area.

But Nong Endring keeps planting rice, partly to keep it clean and beautiful; otherwise, grasses and cogons will easily invade this area, and it will look ugly. My treehouse in the background, surrounded by mostly mahogany trees in the back and on its two sides, and the rice field in the front.

The ricefield viewed from the 2nd floor of my treehouse. I am greatly relaxed when I'm in the farm, even if I stretch my arms and muscles working on anything there. And especially after taking lunch at the treehouse, just resting my sleepy and tired body for half hour or less.

View on the right side of my treehouse.

Nong Endring expanding the rice field as the creek is shifting its path. That area where Nong Endring is standing on used to be the creek. After several years of flash flood, the water deposited eroded rocks, stones and soil here while it has shifted path on the right side.

Nature has its own work on natural landscaping and re-landscaping.
-----------

See also:
My swimming pool in the farm, 2005, June 10, 2011
Creek, canal and irrigation, September 05, 2011
Relaxing in the creek, January 05, 2013

Trees in the farm, Part 5

Photos below as of September 26, 2015, my last visit to the farm in Bugallon, Pangasinan. This is the main road going there. Passable by tricycles, non-4WD but higher clearance vehicles.

Peeping at the pathway going to the treehouse, between small mahogany trees and coconut trees.

My treehouse, surrounded by mostly mahogany trees on the left, back and right. Then the rice field of Nong Endring, our caretaker. On the left side are some acacia auri young trees.

Going a bit up, not passable to any vehicle because the creek has widened and deepened, after years of heavy flash flood every year. Trek by foot or bicycle.

Y foot path. To the left is going to the mango farm, to the right is going to the irrigation canal, more mahogany trees, and the upland.

The farm is being sold by the owners. Prospective buyers ask how many trees are there, wow. Difficult to answer, should be a few tens of thousands, big and small. Some parts have become new natural forest, the new trees just sprout like grasses.

Some parts of the farm are not conducive to any crops, not even trees could grow big. These are the rocky parts with some mineral deposits, mostly silica.

The irrigation canal. The trees here have grown rather more evenly.

Once the trees have established themselves, grasses and  cogons can no longer survive. No sunlight for them, no substantial soil nutrients for them as these have been gobbled by the elaborate roots of mahogany trees.

With zero mango harvest the past four years, revenues from selling lumber from some big trees have helped us pay for the monthly salary + SSS contributions of our two caretakers, Nong Endring  and his son Danny.
-------------

See also: 
Trees in the Farm, Part 3, February 11, 2013
Natural Regeneration of Trees, February 21, 2013
Tree Planting vs. Tree Growing, June 08, 2014 
Wasteful DENR Reforestations, October 22, 2014 
Denuded Uplands, Western Pangasinan, February 17, 2015
Trees in the farm, Part 4, June 23, 2015

Huge, old mango tree for sale

We are selling this huge mango tree in the farm in Bugallon, Pangasinan. It should be at least 100 years old. It has been producing less and less fruits (if the fruits survive the annual pest, "kurikong manga"), some branches are dying or dead, they just break and fall down. Before other diseases will cause more internal rot inside this huge tree, we are selling it to furniture-makers.

How big in terms of diameter at breast height (dbh), I don't know, I did not bring a measurement device, but it would require about three men to hug the tree. Below, our farm caretakers, Nong Endring Paragas and his son, Danny.

There are many huge branches at the top, but some of them are already dead/rotting and some are dying, can no longer sustain even few leaves.

About 11 or 12 years ago, we also cut a huge, old and decaying mango tree in the farm. This is our dinning table in the house made from that mango tree. About 2 inches thick.

The wooden desk made from some big branches of that tree.

If there are buyers interested for that lone mango tree, please email me at noysky_oplasky@yahoo.com. Thanks.

----------

See also:

Upland mangos sweeter than lowland mangos?, June 12, 2007 
Cecid Fly or "Kurikong Manga", March 19, 2012

Hoping for a mango harvest this year, February 17, 2015

Rice planting season

I visited the farm in Bugallon, Pangasinan last Sunday, July 12. Here is the rice field in front of my treehouse, being tilled by our long time caretaker, Nong Endring Paragas. To save money, he and some rice farmers just spread the rice seeds randomly.

Advantage is that they save on the cost of labor planting. Disadvantages are (a) this requires more seeds, (b) grasses and weeds can grow simultaneously with the young rice plants, and (c) more difficult to remove weeds later that compete for soil nutrients and sunlight for the crops.

Below, this is outside the farm. Another rice field in front of the house of Nong Endring's son, Danny, who also helps in the farm. The women in the photo (with umbrellas) are uprooting the young rice, bundle them, to be transported to nearby rice fields for planting with equal spaces in between them.

Another side, just beside Danny's house. The south west monsoon (aka "Habagat") has resulted in nine days and nights of almost continuous rains in western Pangasinan-Zambales and nearby provinces.

The daily rains have actually continued until about middle of this week. This road has become a mini-canal for more than a week

Another set of rice fields, near our farm. Lots of water.

A mama carabao and her few months old kid. A few farmers still use farm animals to till the soil. This is non-costly of course but work is slow. One hand tractor can do work of perhaps 5 carabaos.

Above are among the sights that I enjoy whenever I visit the farm.
------------

See also: 
Creek, canal and  irrigation, September 05, 2011
Rice Farms, July 11, 2012 
Around My Treehouse, May 02, 2013 
Maya Bird as Rice Pest, May 05, 2014
Fields of gold, harvested, March 02, 2015

Trees in the Farm, Part 4

An update from a blog post I made last August 21, 2013. Photos below I took last Sunday, June 21, 2015. Here, on the left side of my treehouse. Avocado, mango, mahogany, other trees.

Mostly mahogany trees, and mostly growing  and  regenerating on their own. 

They need clearing, removal of other trees that are too close to each other, usually within one foot apart. Ideal for good growth is about two meters or around seven feet apart.

I originally posted these last August 21, 2013:

We started planting mahogany, acacia auri, eucalyptus and other trees in the farm in 1992. Only about 300 seedlings or less. Then we started producing our own seedlings in 1993 or 94 and planted more in the mid 90s.  By early to mid-200s, we stopped planting as the trees we planted earlier were already producing their own seeds and seedlings. This tall acacia auri is different because it has a straight trunk. It has no choice as it was surrounded by other big trees, mahogany and various native species. Plus tall bamboos, just beside a creek.

Mahongany trees near my treehouse.

Many of these young trees simply grew and regenerated on their own.

Mahogany trees near an irrigation canal.

View of the trees near the creek from a hill within the farm.

One of about five surviving agoho or pine trees, on a rocky area beside the creek.

It is refreshing to see the trees that we planted one or two decades ago are now mature.
------------

See also: 
Trees in the Farm, part 2, September 06, 2012
Trees in the Farm, Part 3, February 11, 2013
Natural Regeneration of Trees, February 21, 2013
Around My Treehouse, May 02, 2013 
Tree Planting vs. Tree Growing, June 08, 2014 
Wasteful DENR Reforestations, October 22, 2014 
Denuded Uplands, Western Pangasinan, February 17, 2015

Terraces Below the Treehouse

The stone terraces below my treehouse has been relatively stable, no big erosion happened. But is also a bit neglected, some unstable terraces were not repaired, lots of grasses and small vines. This photo taken last May 09, 2015.

After being cleaned, near-collapsing terraces were repaired. The uprooted grasses and vines were used as filling materials along with soil behind those stones.

Updates, taken last May 20, 2015. View from the 1st floor of my treehouse.

I don't know how to adjust my cameraphone against glaring noontime sights like this. Not clearly visible, but the repaired stone terraces are now  high, 2 layers or rows.

When I go back there, more rows will be constructed.
-------------

See also:

Terraces, Part 10, August 30, 2014

Terraces, Part 11, October 22, 2014

Terraces at Mahogany Area, March 10, 2015

Terraces, Part 13, March 13, 2015

Terraces Beside Narra Trees, May 10, 2015