Saturday, July 17, 2010

Updates from My Garden

What have been growing in my garden?

My first chilli hanging on the plant.


My chilli plant is suffering from 'leaf-loss' and yellowing leaves. This is the balding part of my chilli plant. I wonder if any hairloss shampoo will help?? Or is this due to attack of mealybugs? I have been spraying some of my chilli plants with a concoction of garlic, bird's eye chilli & dish detergent.





From my visit to CETDEM's Organik Day event, I am able to solve this puzzle on why I have 'Ulam Raja' and Japanese Ginseng plants growing in my garden. The seeds of these plants were accidentally included in the pack of Marigold seeds that I bought. Ha ha...isn't that good news! Buy 1 free 2. Seen here is my one and only Ulam Raja, growing healthily. During my recent trip to Kerteh, I have eaten a lot of this herb with rice during lunch time.



I think this is a Balsam plant. I suspect the seed for this plant was included in the pack of Marigold seeds that I bought from CETDEM in April. Would anyone be able to confirm for me if this is a Balsam plant?



For the benefit of fellow gardener, Ting, from Growing Vegetables with Ms. Green Fingers, who asked how a garlic plant looks like. Here is the garlic bulb that I placed into the ground and left to grow. I was away for several days and some of the leaves had browned and wilted. The plant looks like spring onion, don't you agree?



A Yen Kee pineapple that I bought came with a slip at the bottom of the plant. The fruit seller told me that I can grow the pineapple from this slip. Yen Kee pineapple are widely grown in Klang and this pinepple produces sweet fruit that is less fibrous than our local type of pineapple. Root has sprouted from this slip. However the growth seems to be very slow.


My radish plants are flourishing well. You can see a radish bulb peeping out from the soil. I read on the internet that radish must be grown quickly to ensure that the bulb will be plump and tender. If it is lacked of water, it will grow to be hard and dry. Radish also need several hours of direct sunlight to grow well.


I think I have overcrowded my radishes. The bulbs may not grow to be big. Never mind. This is my first experience of growing radish. I shall learn from this mistake.



Our new neighbour, Uncle Tong, offered me 2 bulbs of Calathea Makoyana when he re-potted his plant. I have seen admiring the foliage of this sold at Giant Hypermarket and had been admiring Uncle Tong's plant from afar. He made my day when he offered those bulbs to me!


Calathea makoyana is also called Peacock Plant because of the decorative color patterns of the upper leave surface. The leaves are being hold on long thin stems and do have a remarkable capability to adjust their position to the angle of light. Growing up to 2' ( 60 cm ) and preferring filtered sunlight.

10 comments:

Bangchik and Kakdah said...

I grow small chili again and again. chili plants seem to let go the old leaves especially after a round of flowering and fruiting. Then new shoots appear and little buds. The yellowing leaves you have there could be what i mention. Could be disease or over watering...
Your ulam raja.. haha.., thats real luck. Next you can save the seeds from that plant.
Cheers, selamat cuti hujung minggu. ~bangchik

kitchen flavours said...

Hi JC, I don't have much luck with chili plants too, usually after the first fruits, it will wilt and die. Sometimes it will wilt after the flowers have bloomed. I do not know why either. Your radish looks well and healthy. Did you grow them from seeds? I grew mine from the radish that I bought from the market. It grew healthily but sadly it died too, I think from too much water (from the rain!) As for the pineapple, I grew them before but not the Yan Kee ones, mine was harvested at the end of about 18 months. It is a slow process, but it is worth waiting when you bite into your own juicy homegrown pineapples! I was actually looking for this Yan Kee variety but couldn't find any. But I'm not in a hurry, will plant it when I found it! Hope yours turn out well and hopefully this variety can be harvested before 18 months! Have a nice day!

Stephanie said...

JC, that looks like a nice chilly! I like the pattern of this calathea. Really looks like a peacock feathers ;-)

Btw, your rich soil drains well? I am afraid I have to repeat my earlier comment. When my plant drops leaves it's most probably sign of wet feet or pot clogging.

You really have green fingers! Your radish and others all look so healthy and wonderful. I am sure you are going to have a rewarding harvest soon :-D

Btw, did you sow other seeds into that pot? The leaves look like vinca periwinkle leaves that I have.

Blur Ting said...

Thanks for showing the garlic!

Yes, that is a periwinkle for sure. Balsam leaves are jagged, like saw tooth edge.

I suspect your chilli may be infested. I get this problem all the time. Few months ago, my friend gave me a healthy young seedling and for once, I have managed to grow it into a matured and healthy plant. It is full of chilli now.

James David said...

Nice garden.
I guess its not balsam rather its periwinkle. Give a little more sunlight and it will start to bloom.
But I suggest you replant it separately as its known as a poisonous plant - you don't want to plant it with your vegetables.

Malar said...

That's nice big chili! I'm not sure on why the leaves are yellowing. May be over watering could be the problem...
Your radish looks so healthy!
It's Vinca! wow so many seeds in 1 packet! You must be lucky!

J.C. said...

Thanks all for your comments. Glad that I have my own vinca periwinkle plant now. I have been admiring the blossoms at some neighbours houses. I love that it has regular blooms, just like the fishbone flower that I have. I will repot it in order not to have this poisonous plant in the same bed as my edibles.

Kitchen Flavour, I grew the radishes from seeds. Try it.

Tanamera Kayu Ara Spa said...

You green the earth. Thank you.

Sunita Mohan said...

What a lot of vegetable plants and herbs growing for you, J.C.!
You mentioned that you were away for some days, maybe the chilli sufferd from lack of watering like the garlic did. Frustratingly enough they show the same symptoms of leaf-loss if they've had too much water too. But you can always prune it back a bit till just above a healthy leaf node and get more healthy leaves sprouting soon.

Autumn Belle said...

I am curious what colour will be the flowers of this FOC vinca. Looking at your Peacock Plant, I think I'll gonna get one for myself too.

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