Apple Mango Tree

 

I clipped the tip of the Mango tree a couple weeks ago and it is doing great. I want to keep this tree small. The trunk should be about a foot tall and let the branches grow from there. Once it is ready to flower, I will pull the branches down using a rope to make them horizonal with the ground. If a fruit is produced it will hang from the flower stem until ready to pick. Keeping the branch down will prevent damage to the fruit. 

Jewels Of Opar

These Jewels of Opar flowers grow wild. In this region many folks see them as a weed, but I think they are cute. I generally do not pull them, because they provide cover for the top soil.

 

Passion Fruit

There were a few Passion Fruit flowers bloom recently. This flower was pollinated on 20 September.

20 September

25 September

Lemon Balm Mint

This Lemon Balm Mint plant is doing well. I took some cuttings recently to try and grow more. 

This mint has a wonderful lemon aroma and makes delicious tea when lemon grass, Mexican mint and Lemon Balm mint is mixed. 

Stick Bug

I found a huge Stick Bug on one of my Shiso plants. Stick Bugs primarily eat leaves and was making small holes in the leaves of my Shiso plant, so I moved it. I hope it is doing well. 

Shiso (Beefsteak Plant)

I have two Shiso (Beefsteak) plants and both are doing well. One of the plants was looking weak, so I added new soil and topped both containers off. The extra soil helps the container retain moisture, which I think has made a huge difference. 

Kumquat (Kinkan) and Shikuwasa

Though the fruit in the above and below pictures look alike they are different. Above is a Kumquat (Kinkan) and below is a Shikuwasa.

 

Clove Basil

These Clove Basil plants are growing well and it seems like few pests bother them.

Front Yard Corner Garden

I have a new sitting area in the front of my house surrounded by my garden. It is starting to cool down, so believe I can spend more time there.

Orchid

 

I've had this Orchid for years and this is the first time it has bloomed.

Dragon Fruit

I pollinated 12-13 flowers, but some where a day late. In the end I have 7 fruit that made it.

Banana Tree

We had a typhoon three weeks ago and this Banana tree was blown over. I picked it up and leaned it against this container. About a week later I noticed this flower.

The flower is starting to open up and I can now see the Bananas. I will have to cut off the bell as soon as it hits the ground since this is such a small tree. 

Guava (Red)

I only have 2-3 more Guava on the tree. I picked these a few days ago, but they are larger than average. There are new buds on the tree already, so expect a new batch of fruit in a few months.

Frog

This frog has been living in my garden for a while now. When I first noticed it it was small, but has gotten big. 

Costus Flower

I got a Costus flower cutting from a farmer's market months ago and planted it. I was not sure it would grow, because most flower cuttings do not produce roots, but remarkably this cutting did.

Costus originated in South American. There are many verities with interesting names, such as Spiral Ginger, Torch Ginger, Crepe Ginger. They are not actual ginger, but some verities are used in the production of steroids, snake bite remedies for animals and many other medications. The flowers are crisp and have a ginger flavor, slightly bitter with an aroma of citrus.

 

Passion Fruit (Yellow)

 

The yellow Passion Fruit are starting to flower again. I pollinated this flower on 21 September. So far there has only been 7-8 flowers bloom, so not sure how productive these vines will be. 

I pollinated this flower on 21 September and it has already generated a fruit.

Dragon Fruit

As I mentioned in a previous post, Dragon Fruit produce five months a year. In my region, from May to September. I just picked the last fruit about 10 days ago and the plant is now starting to flower again. 

Clove Basil (Herb)

I got a few Clove Basil seeds from a local garden months ago and threw them in this planter. They final started to grow and the roots are going into the ground already. I need to think what to do with it, since it is a perennial and can grow 3 meters (10 feet) tall. Clove Basil smells like Cloves with a hint of thyme and cinnamon. It's tiny white flowers are bitter, but the leaves are sweet. I just like rubbing the leaves and smelling my hands, like Rosemary.   

Butterfly Pea

This Butterfly Pea plant has taken over my Persimmon (Kaki) tree. It has produced seed pods, so I will be able to grow new plants. I need to do something with this plant at some point, but for the time being I'm using the flowers to make tea, purple ice cubes and sometimes purple gel for desserts. 

Shiso (Beefsteak Plant)

I have two Shiso plants. One is not doing as well as this plant, so I recently added some nutrient pellets, fertilizer and fresh soil. Both are starting to do better. Shiso is a perennial and can last for years, so important to feed them on occasion. I will keep them in containers and on the patio. The last time I grew them I had them in a container, but their roots went into the ground and they got massive. I want to try and control their size. 

Apple Mango Tree

 

This Apple Mango tree I started from seed is doing well. I wish I had a place to plant it. Need to think about that, since it is time to transplant it.

Lemon Balm Mint (Herb)

I bought some Lemon Balm Mint from a supermarket and planted them a few months ago. They are doing fine. This Mint has a very strong Lemon aroma and great for tea. 

Guava (Red and Strawberry)

Guava season is nearly over. my tree has a few new flower buds, but do not think it will produce many new fruit. 

Soybean (Edamame)

These Soybean (Edamame) are almost ready to harvest. The plants are super healthy and the bean pods are really filling out. I actually bought three seedlings from a nursery a few months ago, but Caterpillars destroyed them; fortunately, the plants had a few beans on them, so I let them dry and planted them. These plants are the results.     

Tomato

I'm noticing many Tomato sprouts lately. These are just a few containers I've found Tomatoes. They are self seeded, so not sure what type of Tomato they are. Also, there is one Green Pepper plant (bottom right). 

When I find sprouts, I am cutting all but one plant to allow it to survive.

When I find sprouts I will separate the containers. Tomato plants can get fungus in the hot and humid region I live and it spreads quickly, so keeping them separate helps. Also, it is important to feed them well while they are young. I add some fertilizer, mineral pellets and EM solution.

Cilantro (Pakuchi)

I'm always trying to grow Cilantro (Pakuchi) since we love it, but like I mentioned in the String Bean post they had their own growing season. I planted many seeds, but only one seedling sprouted. 

 

String Beans

I grow String Beans year around. The plant grows well and is even flowering, but no beans. As with many plants, even though they may grow they may not produce.  

 

Spearmint (Herb)

I had a Spearmint plant on my second floor balcony that I forgot about. I thought it was going to die when I found it, but noticed the stems were still flexible, so I transplanted into a container I had a Mikan tree graft and it went crazy. 

I trimmed the Mint many times to make tea, but it is just getting too long, so I took some cuttings and transplanted them into this container. I took pretty thick stems and planted them directly in the soil and watered them well. Two weeks later they are growing well. There is also a Strawberry plant in this container. Don't know how that got there, but those runners often find a way. 

Dragon Fruit

I picked the last of the Dragon Fruit and gave most to my friends. Dragon Fruit have a five month growing season from May to September, but I do not see any new buds. Perhaps now that I've picked these it might start to blossom again. Stay tuned!

Dragon Fruit

All the Dragon Fruit are ready to pick. There are five fruit on this side of the plant and two on the other side.

Guava (Red and Strawberry)

It is peak Guava season and I go out in the mornings to find fruit all over the ground. Of course, I've wrapped them, so they are not damaged.

I'm finding the average Guava is between 150 and 200 grams, which are pretty decent sized. I'm also getting tons of Strawberry Guava. They ripen quickly and I'm trying to eat them, but there are just so many.

I made jam using Strawberry Guava. I did not use pectin, so it is like a thick syrup; however, it tastes great and perfect for yogurt.

Peanuts

My Peanut plants grew well, but recently started to die back so I decided to harvest them. 

Wow! I only got a handful of Peanuts :)