 Good day again, viewers. You are on the field with me, Philippe Sidney. Today we are at the Union Propagation Station, which was established many, many moons ago. This place, in fact, was established as a result of the production of cocoa plants. The ministry at the time was pushing cocoa as a project. So here used to be called a cocoa center. Since then, the place has been diversified into other crops, other tree crops like mangoes, avocado pears, citrus, and the likes. They're even producing ornamental plants for sale. So today we want to take you through, when you buy a plant here, what you should do, the aftercare of that plant. I'm sure you'll understand why, when we take you through, and we are hoping that this program, it's an instructional video to tell you exactly what you should do when you purchase a plant here from the Union Agricultural Station. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, as I said before in my intro, we are at the Union Propagation Station, and we will take you through the process of propagation here at Union, and the reasons why we propagate, there are lots of plants that cannot be grown by seed, and they can only be propagated vegetatively, okay? So if you do not have seed, obviously you will not be able to produce another plant. So the only way we can do it is either by budding, grafting, you know, we also have approach, grafting, you know, there are many types of grafting. We have top working, which we did some time ago, which we will show you as we continue. But today I have two grafters here with me who are employed at Union Agricultural Station, the Propagation Station, and they will take you through the process from the beginning, where we have to go and get rootstock. So introduce yourself, sir. I'm Jimmy Shalmane. Okay, and you are the propagationist? Yeah, yeah. Okay, and then you are? Alexis Joseph. Okay, those two gentlemen here are the ones who are doing both the grafting. Before we used to do budding, now they have, you know, graduated into grafting. But it's the same process because what you're doing is to try and that method to propagate plants so that they can bear very quickly in the future as we move. So take us through the process, sir. We started from the seed. So obviously that is lemon. So the reason why we use lemon is because it resists from pests and diseases. So after we burst that seed in riversan or sea sand. So you sow it in riversan, right? Yeah. So that the roots will come out straight. And after we put it in a bag, make sure you put a thicker stick and a clear hole and then put the seedling. Make sure it's straight. If it has a bend, if it has a bend, it's going to trap like... The food from going up. Yeah, so you do not want the bench root. You want the straight root. Okay, so the root must be straight because we're dealing with what you call a taproot system. So it must be straight. Okay, so that is your stock? It's my stock. Okay, what happens from there? From there you have to take out all, you have to prune it so that it makes sure it comes up straight because we want it straight. Beautiful. And make sure it has to be like a pencil size. Okay. And after... So from there, how long does it take from your sowing of your seeds to get to that, to that height? About six months. About six months. Okay, beautiful. Okay, continue. And then we'll let me show you all the process of the graft now. All right. After you pass it on, you take out all the bottom leaves. Make sure you take out all the bottom leaves. All right. Yep. And after that is done, you go and select your... Your sowing material. Okay, the sowing material. Now what do you... How do you select your sowing material? You go on a full grown tree. Make sure it's bain when you're taking it. Okay. They have to be bain. Okay, a full bearing tree. Yeah. All right. Okay. And after we use parafim, it's a tip. You pass the parafim on the sowing material. All right. To... That's for moisture. And it also prevents the pests. From interfering with the growing area. Yes. Okay, good. And what's next process? You cut. All right. You clean cut both sides. All right. Like a v-cut. All right. Make sure you clean, make sure it's in the center part. All right. After you split and that's clear line. All right. You can use any line to tie it up. Okay. And the reason why we tie it so that no water gets inside it. Beautiful. From time water gets inside it, the sowing material will die. It will die. Okay. And you have to tie it very tight so that you can create that fusion with the cambium layer and the xylemon flue. Beautiful. Great. So that is your grafting. Yeah. So what variety do you have there? That's Washington. Washington Neville. Beautiful. Okay. So you put Washington on the sour oil. And lemon. And lemon. Okay. Before they used to use the sour orange but they don't use that anymore. No. Okay. Why they don't? Because it gets diseases very quickly. Yeah, very quickly. All right. So this is resistant to diseases that we have. Beautiful. All right. Okay. So what's the next step? The next step after you suspect they have, how they call you? Those are shoots that are growing below the graft. All right. So all that's lemon. Yeah. Beautiful. Okay. So you have to take it out. All right. Now people, that is very important. Because a lot of people come and they buy plants. And years ago, when we were using the sour orange stalk, people bought plants. For example, they bought a Washington Neville and they go home. And they believe, okay, they have a Washington Neville plant. Over the years, they were never taught to remove any growing shoots below the fusion hair. And then it will grow faster than the graft. Because it is closer from the root system that takes up food. So at the end of the day, it will surpass this. Okay. And of course, you can show us one of those that this is the lime, right? The sour orange. Okay. If you notice, here is the one that was budded. And then here is the sour orange stalk that has overtaken. And you realize how fast it's growing. It has taken over the sweet orange or whatever that you buy. So if you bought a grapefruit, you bought a sweet orange tree, this is where it's at. And the sour orange will take over. So after two, three years, you harvest your orange and you'll see the propagation station sold you sour orange. No, they did not sell you sour orange. Because the reason why? Because you did not remove those growing shoots below the scion area. And that is why it is important when you plant your plant, check it regularly to ensure that you do not have growing shoots below the fusion of that sweet orange that you have grafted. Okay. So that's one of the things. So here you have, again, a fully grown ready to plant. So you have your fully grown plant that you purchased and you are taking this plant to be planted. But before you plant, there's another problem I'm sure of you all know, you'll have seen it. You'll know how to handle it. It's the aftercare of the plant. You need to check the plant regularly, like I said, for the growing on the shoots. The other thing is pest and disease management. You will realize some of you will see the leaves are black and the leaves didn't just turn black overnight. It's because they are insect problems. They may be aphids and they are skin insects. You realize the leaves are curly and then on top of the leaves, which is the upper layer of the leaves will turn black. That's where you have a fungus called sooty mole. And if that covers the leaves, it will prevent the process of photosynthesis and then you will not have the, your trees producing the fruits that you would require. So you need to spray your plants. So if you want information, then you have to speak to your extension officer who will guide you and to tell you exactly what insecticide to use and what fungus side to use. Because if you look here, you realize this plant here is diseased and there are many, many, many types of diseases. You have insects, you have fungal diseases and the list goes on. So you need, if the leaves are attacked, you realize the plant will stay stunted. It will not go to give you that, the fruits that you require over time. So you need to take care of this, okay? So from now we're going to do the planting, okay? So we'll show you how to get the plants planted. Okay, we are at the point where you have purchased your plants from the Union Propagation Station. You have taken it to your farm or you have taken it to your backyard. We will show you exactly how to plant that and the reason why some people do not know how to plant a plant or a fruit tree. You realize the plant has a nylon bag. Now if you, some people do not know, they have to remove the nylon bag to plant the plant. Some people have planted plants with the bag and three, four years later, the plant is still stunted and they want to know why. Because the root system has not developed because the roots are surrounded in the plastic bag and it has nowhere to go. So we will show you exactly how to plant a plant. So we're going to dig a hole, okay? About the same depth with the plant that you're going to plant. You can get also some pin manure for starters so that the plant gets a very good start, okay? So you dig your hole, okay? And then you tear the bag, right? Make sure you remove the bag completely and if you notice, you realize the soil, the roots are getting ready to be established. If you look at some nice roots, the roots are very nice and then you put it in. The most important thing you have to note when you're planting, you do not plant, you realize that there's the soil level in the bag, you do not put more soil to reach up here. You leave it at the same level with the soil that was in the bag, okay? So continue planting, all right? Beautiful. Okay? And you just expose it so that it is the same level with the plant, okay? And here you have it, your plant is planted, okay? And then once that happens, in a few more weeks to come, then if you want to give it your fertilizer, your nitrogen, you can do that, self-reduce ammonia, and then you can give it your NPK, you know, in the next three months, and then you monitor it for certain diseases and to ensure that you do not have pests, you do not have any fungal diseases on your leaves to prevent the manufacturing of your food, and then your plants should be able to give you to bear within a year, a year and six months, and then you are good to go. So here you have it, the planting. So that goes for any plant, mangoes, citrus, avocado pears, all right? And even your ornamental plants that you're planting, you plant it just like this. You do not plant, use the put too much soil to cover the stem of the plant, or else if that happens, sometimes you can rot the stem, okay? So this is, as you can see, is well done, and that should be able to give you a very good plant, good growth, and should be able to bear and give you some good fruits in the coming, you know, months to come, okay? The other thing I would like to mention is we also propagate hair. We do not propagate it, we actually grow them, that is coconuts. Coconuts are not grafted, you hear people ask about grafted coconuts. We do not have grafted coconuts. We have varieties, we have dwarf nuts, it meaning that the plant, the coconut plant, that variety can bear very early, and it can be very short, and it can grow. But that doesn't mean over time it will not grow tall, all right? It just tells you that it's called a dwarf nut, it bears very early. So we do not have what you call grafted coconuts, we don't have that. And you hear it all the time, there's nothing called grafted coconuts, all right? It's dwarf nuts. Okay, I just want to take you back a bit just to remind you of what was done here by the two gentlemen who are the ones doing the grafting and the propagation of various plants here at Union Station. I want to thank them for being here to show us what they do here and to ensure that we have plants on a regular basis so that you can come in here and buy plants. Once you buy a piece of land, you build your house and you want to plant a few plants in your backyard. However, there's another thing that you should be reminded, not because you see that plant there is short, that you can plant another one two feet away, all right? You need to know the correct distances to plant your fruit trees, all right? For limes, it's 15 feet apart. For oranges, it's 20 feet apart. For grapefruit, it's 25 feet apart, okay? Because if you plant those plants at 5 feet apart because you'll be recognized that they are small, at the end of the day, you'll have a jungle in your backyard, okay? And then you want to know what to do. Once the plants are planted closely, the canopy are going to intertwine with each other and then you have a problem, you know, when it comes to the amount of fruits to get from those trees. So you plant them at the required spacing and then you should have a very good production in your backyard. So gentlemen, I want to thank you for being here and for giving us the assistance. Thank you again, you know, and I'm sure that you will continue to do, you know, assistant producing more plants at Union Station. So thank you for being here. Thank you very much. You've been watching on the field with me, Philip Sidney. Like I said, we are at the Union Propagation Station where they produce a variety of plants for sale to the public, to farmers, to those landscapers, to you who just bought a 10,000 square feet of land, you want to build your home and you want to plant plants in your backyard. Feel free to come here at Union Station to purchase those plants. But remember the tips that you heard earlier and you saw what we explained to you. This is what happens at Union and the aftercare of your plant is very important. So I don't want you to come again and see that you purchased sour orange plants from Union. Just remove the growing shoots from below the scion, which will be sour orange or lemon. Once that is out, then you'll have your tree growing to give you the production that you deserve. But before I close, I just want to remember a few things about Union because there's a bit of nostalgia for me. I was trained at Union Agricultural Station as a cadet officer and as a student, in fact. And then here was the place I came to do my practical. And I became the manager of this station some years later and I really enjoyed my stint here. But I want to, I can recall and remember some names that remain predominantly in my mind. People like Mr. Fede, people like Matilda Harvey, who worked very hard here, KT Julian, Leona Louis, those are the people that I know when I was here. They were the brothers and they were the ones who did a lot of work here. The drivers, Mr. Dickinson, Gigi, you know, and the list goes on and on. But those are the names I can remember. I don't want to mention too many. Maybe I might leave out a lot of people if I don't mention the names and get offended. But what I can say, they worked tirelessly to ensure that the trees around St. Lucia, they were responsible for the budding and grafting of those trees. So again, thank you for viewing. We'll be back again somewhere in St. Lucia, on the field with Philippe Sidney. Goodbye.