The Broom Stick-The Flowers that Sweeps

The Tiger Grass commonly known as Broom Grass or Broom Stick plant is least bothered plant in the family of Grass except for few farmers who harvest it. It can be seen plenty along the farm road and highways in landslides areas to degraded areas. 

It's an abandoned flower in the degraded areas and normally used for sweeping the floor as Broom stick instead of offerings in the altars like other flower species. However, the merit of this sweeping flower is more than those colorful flowers in the altar which will be replaced next morning with fresh plucked ones.  

Nature has made evry species unique and human by chance put into use in its best purpose. This unique Grass flowers make the best Broom stick for sweeping and keeping our traditional home clean. The Broom is eco-friendly and easily available in the near by forest. One can grow in the small space in the kitchen garden with least care and mantainence. 

This Tiger Grass also know as Amliso in Lhotsham or Nepali is drought resistant Grass can be seen in degraded and open dry area. It is a soil binders in reclamation poor soil area which means the grass can adapt easily in such environment and make the area fertile for other Grass or trees to regenerate. It is not a invasive plant or grass so is highly recommended in poor soil area. For example, the plantation in mining reclamation area can kick start with this Tiger Grass for immediate soil improvement. It's roots can hold the soil and prevent it from soil erosion and slides in some extent. 

It can be planted in the pre-monsoon season during April-June for higher survival rate. The sapling can be taken from the mother Grass uprooting by spade or fork. One can also bring the sapling from the wild and directly plant it in the right season. Make the proper pit and cover with good top soil for fast growth for harvest in a year or two. Water it after planting the saplings if it is dry and not raining. 

The harvest season is in the winter which ranges from January to March. However, the harvest of the flower must be at right maturity for the best product. Not immature neither too matured. It has to be soft not too hard which breaks if it reaches the ultimate maturity. One can pull it out from the stem or cut at the base of the panicles and separate from the stem. 

The separated panicles can be properly dried. After drying, some flowers seeds should be rubbed on the floor by hands or feet  and throw away for proper softening of the Broom. The mother stem can be cut above the root soil and can be used as support for beans and other climbers vegetables. The plant after being properly cut for harvesting can be burnt with  dry leaves or twigs for proper growth of the new shoot for next season. The burnt ashes will give good soil conditions with required nitrogen for its growth for more product in the next lot.

Farmers can earn passive income from the Broom harvest even from a small plantations area. One farmer shares that he earned about Nu.1600/- selling about 80 pieces of Broom stick he harvested from his kitchen garden. Another farmer who has planted in larger space earns more than Nu.100,000/- in a year.