Coco Coir Baskets

Book documenting the rehab of Las Piñas-Zapote rivers launched

MANILA, Philippines -- A book that documents efforts of the Villar Foundation of cleaning up and rehabilitating the Las Pinas-Zapote Rivers, was launched Friday afternoon in Taguig City.

No less than former Las Piñas Representative Cynthia A. Villar, Managing Director of the Villar Foundation, and the book’s author, Joyce Crisanto, led the grand public and press launched at the fourth floor of Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street.

The 97-page book entitled ‘Saving A River, Securing Livelihoods’, is a detailed documentation of the efforts of the Villar Foundation not only to revive the Las Pinas-Zapote Rivers, but also the social enterprises developed along with the program.

Villar, through the Villar Foundation, created livelihood opportunities from the river rehabilitation program to alleviate the living conditions of the poor residents along the riverbanks. These include: water hyacinths (commonly known as water lilies) basket weaving, handloom blanket weaving, the coconut coir and peat enterprise and composter and vermi culture which turn waste into organic fertilizer.

Villar, the wife of Senator Manuel Villar, said these green social enterprises encompass environmental protection, waste management, livelihood opportunities, and even cultural promotion through the resulting products – such as handicrafts from water lilies, lanterns from bamboo and organic fertilizer. Now, hundreds of Las Pinas residents earn a decent living by making baskets, trays, slippers, and other functional and decorative items out of water lilies.

For her part, Crisanto said that the book chronicles the measures that were taken not only by the Villar Foundation, but also the many divisions and organizations, in reviving the Las Pinas-Zapote Rivers.

She added that the book was also made to educate and encourage the people to be more proactive on issues concerning the environment.

“So the book, in a way, it’s a documentation, it provides information, some anecdotes, some directions how to do composting, how to do the cleaning, but all of which the objective is to move our readers, to take more actions, to be more proactive when it comes to environmental issues.

Using Burlap Fabric in the Organic Garden | Suite101.com

Burlap is cheap, permeable, and biodegradable, giving it utility in multiple organic gardening projects. Organic gardeners should always choose natural burlap made from jute, a plant fiber that exhibits superior strength, yet decomposes easily in outdoor settings. Synthetic burlap is made from plastic or propylene yarn, and is unsuitable for garden use.

Weed fabric made from polypropylene geotextile is a mainstay at hardware stores. However, these landscaping fabrics have some disadvantages. They never break down in the soil, so after a few seasons, weeds can germinate on top of the fabric, anchoring it to the ground. Geotextile weed fabric does nothing to enrich the soil.

Natural burlap is an alternative to synthetic weed fabric. It prevents weed seeds from coming into contact with the soil where they can germinate, but its high permeability allows water to penetrate easily. Gardeners can lay yards of burlap across the garden bed, and cut slits through the cloth to place plants in the soil. Use u-shaped metal pins to anchor the burlap in the soil. The burlap can remain at the end of the growing season, where it will gradually break down in the soil.

Coco coir basket liners are commonly used in metal hanging baskets and window boxes to prevent soil from washing away. Although these coconut liners are natural and look attractive, they can cost more than $20 for large diameter pots. Burlap is an affordable substitute.

From a distance, few could discern the difference between burlap and coco coir, especially when tumbling flowers drape over the side of the planting basket. A single layer of burlap is too flimsy to hold the weight of a waterlogged hanging basket, so use several layers to create a sturdy liner.

Nursery owners often use burlap to contain the root ball of young trees for sale. There’s some confusion about how to treat these balled and burlapped trees at planting time. Some gardeners struggle to remove the burlap; others leave it in place to deteriorate in the soil.

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