Kabocha Squash (Japanese Pumpkin)

I planted these Japanese Pumpkin seeds around 1 March.

Six weeks later, I see the first blossom

(4/12)

(4/14)

(4/17) There are tons of flowers, but they all seem to be male. I will start collecting pollen from these male flowers in hopes some female flowers start to bloom. Pollen can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days, so it is best to collect a little each day and store in separate containers so the freshest pollen can be used when needed. 

(4/21) Still no female flowers, but the male flowers have successfully attracted one bee that's been pretty dedicated and visits the Nasturtium and Pumpkin flowers daily.

Papaya Tree

(4/13) This tree is just about eight months old and growing fast with lots of Papaya fruit and flowers continuously blooming.

(5/23) This Papaya tree is roughly nine months old and over 2 meters (7 ft) tall. It has quite a few fruit and still flowering, We are moving into typhoon season so I tied the tree to my banister to prevent it from being blown down. 

(6/7) This Papaya tree is growing quickly and full of fruit.

Potato (Jagaimo) Flower

I grow a lot of Potatoes, but never noticed any flowers. I can see the flower buds, but never actually saw a flower. So pretty.

Strawberry Propagation

I'm now propagating my Strawberry plants, so you can see planters sitting and hanging everywhere. I plan to propagate about 100 plants this year and hope I can get many Strawberries this year. Stay posted. 

Papaya Fruit

My Papaya tree is still producing delicious fruit.

Green Peppers (Piman)

My newest Green Pepper plant is doing well, but I removed some of the Peppers in order to get a few larger ones.

From my oldest plant.

(6/5) I transplanted this Green Pepper (Piman) plant to a larger container a couple weeks ago and it is now starting to flower. Green Pepper plants can last a year or more if taken care of. Key points to a long and productive plant is sufficient container space for a strong root system, regular feeding and watering, and trimming. Branches that start to grow outward faster than other branches can cause damage to the plant during high winds, so it is important to keep the plant symmetrical. You will notice I will need to trim to top right branch soon to keep it balanced. I have another plant that I planted in March 2019 and it is still going strong. I have gotten over 100 Peppers from that plant and it is still producing. 

Bolting

I have a number of plants bolting, which is great since I can replenish my seed stock.

Red Daikon Radish

Red Daikon Radish Flower

(4/19) Red Daikon Radish Flower

 Basil

 Cauliflower

 Cilantro (Coriander, Pakuchi)
(March)

Left (Garlic Chives, Nira) / Right (Green Onion, Negi)

(March/April)

(April) Red Leaf Lettuce

(April) Crown Daisy (Shungiku)

Passion Fruit Cuttings

I have a container in which I'm growing Passion Fruit cuttings, but there was so much space, so I decided to try and grow other things considering it will take a year for the cuttings to grow. The Celery will take 4-5 months to mature and the Red Cucumbers are vines, so should not block out the Pass Fruit cuttings. I am a little worried about the root growth, but will add extra nutrients to compensate. I'll know in a few months if I made a mistake.

Passion Fruit

Tons of Passion Fruit. 

There are about 20 Passion Fruit, but many are being hidden by the leaves.

Orange Tree

Orange Trees are doing well.

Valentine Sweet Orange

I planted seeds from a Valentine Sweet Orange on 4 February and they are starting to sprout. 

Herbs (Kale)

Herbs are growing well and the Kale (right side) is starting to sprout.  

Peanuts

I planted some Peanuts I got from a Farmer's Market late last year and they sprouted on 3 January. Peanuts are a sun loving plant and need five to 7 hours of sunlight. The plant should start to flower within 40 days from sprouting, but I had this plant in the shade, so it is a little late. Peanut plants are a tropic plant and thrive in hot and humid climates. The soil should be very loose free draining soil rich in organic matter. They require about 2 inches of water a week. 

Peanut plants need about a foot to foot and a half (30-45 cm) of space due to the unique way they produce fruit (Peanuts). The Peanut plant is a sort of vine and the closure to the soil, the better, so DO NOT prop it up.  

The Peanut plant grows small yellow flowers that self pollinate. Once germinated, the petals will fall off and the stem holding the ovary will grow downward and penetrate the soil, called Pegging. This process will create the Peanut pod under the ground. Each plant will generally have 30-40 flowers. Peanuts typically develop in 130 to 150 days, but regardless, wait for the plant to turn yellow and nearly dead before harvesting. Peanuts need the full life cycle to develop. Once the plant is harvested, remove the Peanut pods from the vine and let cure in the sun for a few days. 

(6/15) This is the peg that develops, which drives into the soil and creates Peanut pods.

Guava Tree

Pleased to find new Guava flower buds.

(5/1) The new buds are starting to flower and the one previous Guava fruit is growing.

(5/12) My one Guava (right) continues to grow and now there are a few more buds starting to flower (left), but it is rainy and I fear it will not germinate.

(5/16) The flower has already developed into a fruit 

Iris Flower

(4/20) So beautiful.

(4/15)

Green Peppers (Piman)

Some Green Peppers started to turn red, so I picked them all and will sit them on the counter until they completely turn red. Now that all the Peppers are off the plant I cut off all the mature leaves and added some nutrients. This particular plant is over a year old and when I have done this in the past it starts growing new leaves and blossoms.

Tomato Plants

It's April and starting to get my second harvest for the year.

Nasturtium Flower and Seeds

Nasturtium are beautiful and easy to grow, not to mention every part of the plant is eatable. It tastes like Japanese spicy mustard, called Karashi.

Seeds grow in clusters of three. The seeds are a little more potent and taste similar to Wasabi. I eat them while working in the garden.

Bees love Nasturtium flowers. I wonder if the Honey is spicy?

Chili Peppers (Togarashi)

I planted Chili Pepper (Togarashi) seeds from a Pepper I got from my mother-in-law on 23 October and five months later I have tons of Chili Peppers. 

Dragon Fruit

My neighbor gave me a Dragon Fruit plant that was about a year old. It grows quite fast. Today I noticed new growth and a small red flower. I think it is a Dragon Fruit, but not sure since I do not have any experience with this plant, but will keep you posted.

Passion Fruit

I think I mastered the pollination process. Originally my pollination efforts were about 25% effective, but now notice that more than half the flowers I pollinate mature. What I do is try and use the Anther from other flowers to pollinate and use three of the Anthers from each flower. In other words, heavy cross pollination. I now have over 15 fruit on the vine and see many more flowers ready to bloom, so except many fruit this season. Unfortunately, it takes about 45 days for the fruit to ripen, so have a while before I can enjoy eating them.