Dragon Fruit

There was eleven (11) fruit on the plant and four ripened last week, so picked them.

Dragon Fruit are easy to eat. The skin pulls off quite easily. These are beautiful red, juicy and sweet. 

Acerola Cherry

I picked these yesterday and this morning. I washed them and placed them in the refrigerator until I decide what I will make with them.

 

Acerola Cherry

Acerola cherry trees produce fruit for about five months. In my region they typically start blooming in April with fruit ready to pick in May; however, I got very little fruit in May and none in June or July, but getting quite a bit in August.

I cover my tree with a net to keep the birds away, but it does make picking a challenge.

I pick fruit when they start to turn red, like the two at the bottom. They will ripen in just a day or two. Unlike many types of fruit, Acerola does not get sweeter the longer it ripens. The best time to eat Acerola is when it turns bright red, like the cherry at the top. It is sour when it is green and when it turns dark red. You will only have a few days to use them, unless you put them in the refrigerator; however, that will only give you a couple more days.

These cherries were picked the day before and set on a window seal. They were green with a little red. You can still see one cherry that has yet to ripen (center-left), but it will be ready tomorrow.

I'm getting 500-600 grams (17-21 ounces) of cherries every day or two, which is enough to make a few jars of jam.

After removing the seeds I got 378 grams (13 ounces) of pulp. I will boil the seeds and use a couple tablespoons of the water for the natural pectin. Then I will add 170 grams (6 ounces) of white cane sugar, teaspoon of vanilla and teaspoon of pectin, and boil it until I get the consistency I'm looking for.

In the end I got four jars of jam. The jar on the top right was made a couple days previous. I added too much pectin and it turned a beautiful red; however, it is thick, like Jello, not jam :) But it still tastes great.

Dragon Fruit

The Dragon Fruit from the flowers I pollinated on July 5 are starting to turn red and should be ready to pick sometime between 5-10 August or when the tips of the Brach's start to turn brown. 

The fruit on branches with only one fruit are much larger compared to fruit on branches with multiple fruit.

This branch has four fruit and each fruit is small. 

Branches with multiple fruit do not have the energy to develop large fruit.

Dragon Fruit are capable of producing fruit for five months and I'm starting to see new buds.

 

Guava (Red and Strawberry)

The red Guava are doing well with tons of fruit on the tree; however, I've seen a few fruit on the ground the birds got to, so I will need to wrap them.

Strawberry Guava are also ripening and I get a handful everyday. They are so good I simply wash them and eat them whole. I actually like these Strawberry Guava more than the red Guava.  

Potting Mix

I have two types of potting soil. Both are fine, but this brand has more organic material and may need some red clay balls to ensure better drainage. This soil is great for nutrient hungry plants, like tomatoes.

This soil has some red clay bits mixed in and is pretty much ready to use. 

I add 5% red clay balls (medium size) to my soil (potting mix) to promote better drainage and add some extra minerals to the soil. Plants need nutrients from organic material and fertilizer, but also need minerals, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), zinc, copper and the like. Most newly bought potting soils have most of the nutrients and minerals your plants will need to get started, but to give your mix a boost you can add mineral pellets, which is discussed below.  

Fertilizer is an important organic component. When I buy fertilizer, I always open the bag and let it sit a couple weeks before I use it. You do not need to add fertilizer to new potting mix since the potting mix generally contains most of the nutrients your plants will need to get started, plus there is a risk that fertilizer may burn the roots of young seedlings. I add one or two handfuls of fertilizer to the top soil of my plants after a few weeks and once they start to grow leaves, but not when they are fruiting. I also use fertilizer to rejuvenate soil I am going to recycle (5%), like with sweet potatoes. Solid fertilizer takes time to break down, so a good source to add to soil for the long term, but plants can get a nutrient boost from liquid and EM fertilizers.

This is concentrated liquid fertilizer. I will water my plants once a week with liquid fertilizer, if I have no EM fertilizer. So this is my back-up. See EM fertilizer below.

This is homemade Effective Microorganism (EM) fertilizer. EM fertilize is different from standard fertilize that simply adds nutrients to the soil; instead, EM fertilizer promotes the grow and health of beneficial microorganisms that plants need to stay healthy. EM fertilizer is easy to make with some molasses, water and EM fertilizer concentrate. There are tons of videos on YouTube on how to make EM fertilizer. I water my plants with EM fertilizer once a week. 

These are mineral pellets (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K)). They last a while and I add a handful every couple of months. There are different amounts depending on the type of plant, but I grow so many types I just get something in the middle.

This is a pesticide. I really do not like to use this since it is harmful to beneficial insects as well, but there are times I must; for example, spider mites, mealybugs and nettle caterpillars. I generally inspect my plants and remove pests by hand when I find them, but spider mites and mealybugs are too numerous by the time you find them and nettle caterpillars are painful. When I must, I will spray in the evening once all the pollinators are gone.

Second Floor Balcony

Green Beans

Bitter Melon (Goya)

Asparagus

Okra

Edamame (Soy Bean)

Peanuts

Satsumaimo (Japanese Sweet Potato)

Beni Imo (Japanese Sweet Potato)

Basil

Tomato

Spring Onion

Pineapple

Celery

Lettuce

Green Peppers. These green Peppers got stressed due to pests and the heat, so I removed all the fruit, trimmed the branches and added some nutrients and fertilizer. I will keep them in a semi-shaded area for a while until they recover. They should start producing new leaves and blossoms in about a month. 

Front Yard

I created a sitting area in the front of my house and surrounded it with beautiful plants.

Some beautiful flower arrangements my wife prepared for the entrance of the house.

Dracaena Garden.

Citrus tress (Shikuwasa, Kinkan, Mikan, Orange, Grapefruit), plus Canistel, Papa, Guava and Strawberry Guava. Some of the tress are fruiting.