Site Visit Report

Activity: Rootstock propagation

Site Name: Faith Nature’s Farm
Report by: Jacob Labita

Background:
The activity started when mint rootstocks from Dr. Leo Cahill arrived dated September 21, 2019. TO
propagate and maintain the quality of these planting materials, we hire the service of Mr. Roselito dela
Cruz, owner of Faith Nature’s Farm.

To successfully incubate the rootstocks before propagating them in the nursery, the following
considerations must be done:
Rooting medium Well-drained loam soil or peat soil with 20% perlite
pH 6.8-7.0
Potting 3-4 in pots
Temperature (2-3 days, 7-10 days) 22-25 oC, changed to to 18-22 oC
Humidity (2-3 days, 7-10 days) 90-100% under mist, changed to 70-75% remove mist
Light (2-3 days, 7-10 days) Light shade from direct sun, changed to direct sun
Growing environment Perfect in greenhouse
Fertilization Handful composted manure
Pest and diseases Weekly examination of the crop with sticky traps
Watering Mist 2-3 times/day
Harvesting planting material Stolons/Creeping roots should be cut back to prevent plants
from growing into each other
Duration 3-4 weeks from plugs
Transplanting Ready for nursery when root balls are well-developed

Location

 Soil’s clay soil texture, poor internal drainage and moderate occurrence of flooding limits the
productivity of the area
 Farm not ideal for corn mint growing, only for greenhouse incubation
 Next action: Look for alternative site as nursery

The aims of site visit are the following:

1. To make links between theory and practice: what the references are providing and what actually
goes on in field.
2. To evaluate the mint propagation of the farm against certain criteria (e.g. techniques, efficiency of
process), and discuss the relative strengths and weaknesses of what you observed.
3. To demonstrate that you observed and understood the most important features of the site and you
acknowledge that these are some of the most important aspects for successful commercial farming
after visit.
September 22, 2018

Prior this day of sending rootstocks to Faith Nature’s Farm, my farm in Brgy. Masaya, Bay, Laguna,
growing environment was prepared for the peppermint and corn mint. The mounted greenhouse made
of bamboo for body and plastic for roof can house 100 pots. The quantity rootstocks received last Sept
21, 2018 were 15 peppermints and 3 corn mints. From the box, the rootstocks were long so they were
cut to 3 pieces. The condition of peppermints are good while 2 of corn mints already had signs of wilting.
I helped the owner and full-time laborer for the farm, Mr. Roselito dela Cruz in planting them in pots.

To successfully incubate these planting materials before propagating them in the nursery, these were
the following considerations:
 Rooting medium -Well-drained loam soil or peat soil with 20% perlite
 pH -6.8-7.0
 Potting -3-4 in pots
 Temperature (2-3 days, 7-10 days) -22-25 oC, changed to to 18-22 oC
 Humidity (2-3 days, 7-10 days) -90-100% under mist, changed to 70-75% remove mist
 Light (2-3 days, 7-10 days) -Light shade from direct sun, changed to direct sun
 Growing environment -Perfect in greenhouse
 Fertilization -Handful composted manure
 Pest and diseases -Weekly examination of the crop with sticky traps
 Watering -Mist 2-3 times/day
 Harvesting planting material -Stolons/Creeping roots should be cut back to prevent plants
from growing into each other
 Duration -3-4 weeks from plugs
 Transplanting -Ready for nursery when root balls are well-developed

If the incubation succeeded after 3-4 weeks, by then we planned to deliver some of them other partners
and will incubate another set of rootstock in pots.

Month 1

He already incubated 15 pcs of peppermint and 3 corn mints in pots, will be multiplied for 4 months.
From 15 we have 60 pcs of peppermint. Only 1 corn mint survived which means.