Shiso (Perilla, Beefsteak Plant)

Shiso (Perilla, Crispa, "Beefsteak Plant" has a unique flavor and used in a host of Japanese (Sushi) and other Asian dishes. Shiso is part of the Mint family and a Perennial, which means it lasts a long time. Shiso will self seed, but over time it may lose it's fragrance. There are Purple and Green types of Shiso. The green type is generally eaten raw, while the purple type is generally added to dishes to enhance the flavor. 

Front Yard

I planted some Cherry Tomatoes in the front of my house. I have many regular Tomato plants, but they are not doing well due to the humidity, so I've been fighting blight. Cherry Tomato plants do better during the warmer months and tend to be more resistant to deceases like blight.

I've tried many ways to fight blight, but I settled on plain soap and water. I use a wet rag and dish liquid and wipe down each leaf I find blight. This may not be practical for someone with hundreds or thousands of plants, but I only have about 50 plants. If you do this from the first time you see the fungus, it is not as demanding as you think. I remove the leaves and branches that are too bad, but take a few minutes everyday to clean the leaves I notice. Also, I cover the soil with straw or grass cuttings to prevent the fungus from splashing on the leaves when I water, as well as maintain moister.  

Second Floor Balcony View

Lettuce and Beans

This planter has Red (Sunny) and Green leaf lettuce, plus beans. I suspected ropes for the beans to climb. The are already starting to flower, but not sure if the beans are Bush beans or Flat beans. 

Red Lead Lettuce 

Green Lettuce and Beans, but again I do not know which type of bean since I planted both types. but they are flowering so will know soon enough.

Beets

My Beets are starting to grow, but the bulbs have not really matured yet.

Pakuchi (Cilantro, Coriander) Seed

My Pakuchi (Cilantro, Coriander) plant bolted and flowered. It now have seeds and will collect them once they dry and turn brown. I planted more Pakuchi from seed I gathered last season and placed the planter in my Herb garden. Pakuchi seeds can be dried and stored for future planting or powered and used as a spice. 

Tip: Cilantro seed pods actually contain two seeds. To encourage the seeds to sprout quicker, place the dry seeds in a towel and use a roller to break them up.  

Red Daikon Radish

Harvested one Red Daikon Radish (20 weeks old). Daikon Radishes are sweet and very mild compared to the standard small round radishes. We use minced Radish with a dash of soy sauce when eating fish, add it to Oden and my favorite is to cut it about an inch thick, boil it until it is tender, fry it with a drop of soy sauce and melt some mozzarella cheese on top.  Yummy!

The average length of a Red Daikon Radish is between 5-8 inches (12-20 cm)

The Radish was 6.5 inches (16 cm) and weighed 589 grams (1.3 lbs)

Potato (Jagaimo)

(25 February) Planted 18 January 

(26 March) Harvest Day (10 weeks)

Remove stocks 

I planted three Potatoes (450 grams / 1 lbs) and got back 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs), which is not a great return for me. I generally get a 5 to 7 times return, plus I got many small Potatoes. I was told that I should have cut some of the stocks to allow more energy to go to fewer Potatoes, which would allow them to get larger. I never heard that about Potatoes before, but I'll try it the next time.

Papaya Tree

I have some sad news. I loss one of my massive Papaya trees yesterday. It was windy, but should not have toppled this tree; however, after I collected the Papaya fruit and weighed them I now suspect it was simply top heavy. 

Just 3 years old.

This is my last mature Papaya tree. It is also 3 years old. Papaya tree typically remain productive for 8 or nine years, so lost out on a lot of future fruit, but I have one sapling starting to bear fruit and have another in a planter ready to be transplanted.

The weight of the Papaya I collected weighed over 20 Kg (44 lbs).

Iris Flower

More Iris flowers blooming.

Peach Fruit

Peaches starting to look like Peaches.

Guava Tree

I thought I loss two of my Guava fruit after some heavy rains, but when I look closely it appears the base of this flower is growing. I'm still not sure, but I think this is a Guava fruit. I'll keep you posted.

Okay, here is a two week comparison. It looks like it is growing. 

Watermelon (Suika)

(3/28) I planted Watermelon seeds about 10 days ago and they are starting to sprout.

(4/4) Grown so much in the past 7 days.

(4/12) The sprouts are one month old, so I thinned them down by selecting the strongest looking plant in the group and removed the rest.  

(4/13)

(5/6) 5-weeks old

(5/12) Starting to flower after 6 1/2 weeks

Celery (Propagating)

I planted this Celery plant in late October from a Celery core and once I use all the ribs from this stock I will plant the core again. So, if you use one stock of Celery a month and plant a new plant every month for five months, you will have an endless supply of fresh Celery by replanting the core of the stock you used last.

I place the core in water until I can plant it, but this is not necessary. The core can be planted immediately as long as it is watered well and kept in a shaded area until new leaf growth begins. Ensure the core is planted in new soil and preferably a different planter to minimize disease and nutrient depletion.

I cut all the ribs off except for the very center. This allows the plant to focus all its energy into developing new root growth. I bury the core in the soil to around where the white line is.

Aloe (Transplanting)

I always wanted an Aloe Vera plant for it's many uses.

 1. Repeals certain garden pests.

 2. Hand sanitizer (3 parts isopropyl alcohol to 1 part aloe vera gel).

 3. Soothes burn, stops mosquito bit itching and is eatable.  

So, when my neighbor moved away and offered me this plant, I graciously accepted. 

Aloe is not a fussy plant. It grows in most soil as along as it drains well, so standard potting soil is just fine.

Aloe produces what is referred to as Pups. 

The Pups are attached to the mother at the base and can be cut or broken apart. Try and untangle the roots the best you can, but you can cut the roots if they are too tangled. Once separated, place the plants in a shaded area for a day to allow the wounds to heal over.   

Fill a pot with soil, plant the Aloe, water well and place in a shaded area for a week to 10-days to allow the roots to adjust. 

Herbs Garden

Dry Herbs are fine when fresh Herbs are not available, but the flavor of fresh Herbs is exceptional. Many Herbs grow well in planters, grow quickly and do well indoors or shaded areas with some exceptions, like Rosemary.

Additionally, some Herbs like Garlic Chives, Green Onions, Kale, Rosemary are perennials, which means they last a very long time. I detail many of the traits of these Herbs in separate posts, so feel free to browse the Category list on the right side on the page. 

(10 April) Add some Mint plants to may Herb Garden.

Peach Tree Fruit

I lost a few Peach blossoms during heavy rains a few days ago, but a few made it, plus I found a few new blossoms.

Front Yard

I really do not have an actual front yard, but rather a large parking space. It has a lot of direct sunlight and I wanted to use it to grow stuff, but did not want a lot of ugly planters sitting around, so tried my best to make them look presentable. Here is what I have so far.

Containers:

   Top left: Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha Squash)

   Top Right: Watermelon

   Center: Tomatoes

   Right Planter: Guava Tree

How I construct my planters: I use plastic containers I pickup from the recycling center for free. They are different sizes and colors, but perfect for planting since they are generally long, wide and about 2 foot (61 cm) deep. I fill them about half way with mulch I also get from the recycling center for free. Most plants do not use more than a foot of dirt and most use less than that. I drill holes on each side about 1/2 inch (1 cm) from the bottom. Since the containers are so deep, it is good to keep a little moister at the bottom. I fill the rest of the container with good potting soil and add nutrients based on what I will grow in the planter. The mulch at the bottom will break down in about a year giving you great organic material for the next year. Next I build a simple frame around the container (no base). I simply use 2x2 beans and staple black gardening fabric inside.  

This planter contains Passion Fruit cuttings. They will take about a year to grow, and I plan to train them to grow up my fence railing. 

I cover the cuttings until they start to grow, but remove the cover when there is no direct sunlight; otherwise, the humidity and lack of airflow will wilt and eventually kill the plants.