The new passionfruit trellises

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All three of our passionfruit plants with their new growing cages. I’m considering joining the tops so that the vines can intermingle and cross-pollinate.

Well, I finally got my act in order and went to the hardware shop to get the wire to complete my passionfruit trellises. They’re actually more like oversized tomato cages – three long poles are stuck into each pot, with a few rings of wire attached at different heights.

A closer look – this is one of my neater efforts… ;)

I don’t normally work with wire, so anyone who looks closely (in person) will notice that most of the rings are attached using different methods – that is, until I found one that I liked, and stuck to it…

As you can see, the plants are still growing rapidly. Not only are they taller but they are also branching out a lot everywhere! I hope that the “tomato cage” idea will be suitable for them, and more importantly, that the supports don’t eventually give way!

I also hope that they will be able to provide some form of shade and protection to the big bird’s nest fern that once flourished under our old apple mango tree, but has been struggling valiantly to keep growing after we cut the tree down due to disease.

Nicest of all, though is the way the area around the fern is shaping up. I’m starting to get some landscaping itches… ;)

© 2012 curiousgardener.com All rights reserved.


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G’day, Australian okra!

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Prior to harvest…

I love exchanging seeds with my gardening buddies, because it has drastically expanded the range of plants here in the Curious Garden. Thanks to them, instead of growing just the basic green okra (for example), I’ve grown burgundy okra, a few varieties of green okra, and now, the giant okra from Down Under!

“Giant” sounds quite impressive, doesn’t it? We just harvested our first two okras from the most matured plant, and while the bigger one may be just a tad old – the tip has hardened a little – the smaller one is probably a little young. I harvested both because just one was not enough for a meal…

I grew a few plants in the first round, but only one has grown nice and strong. The stem is thick and sturdy, and the plant simply looks healthy. In typical okra style, the flower buds began forming in a cluster at the top of the plant, and it now looks set to bear fruits for a while.

Oddly enough, the other plants are growing at differing rates. One is still quite puny – I am going to cull it, shh! – and the others still look quite juvenile with thinner stems and smaller leaves. I am quite sure I’ve fertilized them all the same, although they are growing in different locations. I guess the main thing is that they all are able to bear fruits, and if they space out their maturity stages, our harvest period should be lengthened. Who am I to complain about that! ;)

The first two fruits harvested

The first fruits are quite impressive. The largest one is close to 20cm long – 17 is close to 20, right? – while the smaller one is a regular 13cm long. I expect a good size to harvest them is around 15 to 16cm long.

Thanks go out from the Curious Family to Grandpa Weed for bringing seeds from his garden! :)

© 2012 curiousgardener.com All rights reserved.


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Shark fin melon buds!

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It really goes to show that plants that are watched too closely suffer from performance anxiety while those left to their own devices produce nice surprises…

My first shark fin melon plant that was transplanted to a big pot has been growing quietly in its allocated spot next to the fence for a few weeks. Once I had decided on that spot, I simply watered it when it didn’t rain and gave it the occasional fertilizer. Apart from that, I haven’t been scrutinizing it much, and it has been expanding its territory bit by bit.

Since it’s nearing the time of month when our gardeners come to trim and prune, I had to check that the vine was not in a position where it could be mistaken for grass or a weed and be lopped off, and guess what I saw?

One of the four forming flower buds along the stem of the shark fin melon plant!

Flower buds – yes, plural – four of them are forming along the vine’s stem!

The vine itself is nearing 2 metres long, and despite having tendrils, has not attempted yet to climb upwards, despite growing along the base of a row of tall cordyline plants. It is still growing from a flower pot, and I haven’t seen new roots forming yet along the stem, so I will continue to water the roots when the soil in the pot looks dry.

If there’s one thing I don’t like to do, it’s to over-water plants when they don’t need it…

Yes, I know these first flowers will likely be boring male flowers, but it does mark a new stage for the vines. Since it’s another cucurbitaceae, I expect the flowers will also be yellow, but I will definitely celebrate the event when the flowers bloom. :D

© 2012 curiousgardener.com All rights reserved.

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New sprouts arising

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It’s funny how there are times when you sow seeds and nothing happens, and then there are other times when you are just overjoyed at the sight of lots of new stems unfurling from the soil. I love those latter times!

Well, we have a few new additions that will be going out to the garden soon:

Bangkwang / jicama seedlings raring to go…

The next round of jicama plants, grown from the last seeds harvested from Mama Jicama.

I have no idea why, but roselle sprouts make me happy!

New roselle plants germinated from seeds harvested from the very last roselle plant here – coincidentally one that grew wild and was already dying out when I discovered it hiding at the edge of our lemongrass patch. Although the seeds were freshly harvested, they looked quite dehydrated to me. Remembering how they sprout in the pod while the fruit is still on the plant during rainy weather, I kept them in very wet soil. It took almost a week, but it worked!

My little forest of cucumber sprouts…

Cucumber plants (as reported a few days ago), still growing in the impromptu self-watering container. They will be transplanted once their true leaves come out.

New angled loofah plant.

My last angled loofah vine was strangled away by the vigorous snake gourd vine, so I have to start from scratch again… :|

Another butternut pumpkin plant to keep the first growing vine company…

Australian okra seedlings, the seeds courtesy of the Weed family. I’m not thrilled that they’re so leggy and may germinate a new lot just to get healthier plants.

There are other plants in the works, but until they sprout, they’ll get no mention here… ;p

© 2012 curiousgardener.com All rights reserved.


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