Can papaya handle clitoria ternaeta?

Truly, I am a bit obsessed with permaculture lately, so allowing clitoria to go up papaya tree is somewhat natural. Climbers in the wild will climb any tree to touch the sky, as their weak stems cant keep them straight.

Clitoria ternaeta climbing up papaya tree

Clitoria ternaeta is a fighter. It seems to enjoy its pest free heritage. It can however choke any weak plants, with its thick foliage as it continues growing and blocking lights out of the host plant. I wish the two can be truly friendly, papaya alllowing clitoria to piggyback and clitoria oferring nutrients to papaya roots through its nitrogen fixing prowess.

Of course I will play the role of referee, not allowing clitoria to overrun. 

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Vegetable Garden

Clitoria ternatea: the third, fourth and fifth

It's very much a waiting game. The first plant produced white flowers and the second blue. The third is hinting what is to be expected , a pale shade of white. All of single petal. After a while, the branches combine in a big mass producing flowers all over with a mixture of white and blue flowers. Too bad I cant stay in Putrajaya much longer to see how white really blend with blue.

single petal clitoria ternatea:  first, second and third plant

the first plant: white
The first plant and second plant blend well, white and blue. 
It seems blue is more than white.

 The first clitoria ternatea with white flower 
and an aging blue flower at the far end.

The second clitoria ternatea: blue flower

The third clitoria ternatea : white

 the first bean, i do hope it matures within a week

the second bean, still tiny

the fourth and fifth clitoria ternatea plants

I did try germinating the double petal clitoria ternatea. Out of three seeds, one germinated early and is now growing in a container. The second one appeared 3 weeks later, now still in tiny little pot. The third is still sleeping.  With Clitoria Ternatea, each seed is unique. They are so independent that they choose their own time to break the seed coat, and show the their green first pair of leaves. They are different from amaranths where germination is orchestrated brilliantly in big mass and almost instantaneous.

 double petal blue clitoria ternatea in a pot, the fourth plant.

 another double petal clitoria ternatea, still a baby, the fifth plant.

bangchik

Clitoria Ternatea, blue appearing

blue flower: clitoria ternatea

blue flower: clitoria ternatea

blue flower: clitoria ternatea

close-up of blue flower: clitoria ternatea

Flower bud of white clitoria ternatea from the first plant

flower bud of blue clitoria ternatea from the second plant

When the first flower of Clitoria Ternatea appeared as white, I thought the other two plants sharing the same trellis will definitely be white as well. To my surprise, the second plant produce blue flower. Now I am waiting for the third plant to bloom, what colour of flower would the plant display.. The post on Rosiah's garden displayed clitoria ternatea, which is more elaborate than the flowers in my garden. They belong to different varieties I guess.

bangchik

I thought Clitoria Ternatea is going to be blue

top of the trellis

the winding clitoria ternatea

clitoria ternatea, the flower bud

clitoria ternatea, the flower bud

clitoria ternatea, the white flower

clitoria ternatea, the white flower

I am expecting it to be blue, but it turns out to be white instead. There are three plants growing, and this flower comes from the most energetic plant. I really have to wait for the other two to bear flowers, if it is going to be white or blue. The hunch is the flowers will be white too. Therefore to include blue in the garden, I have to ask Rosiah my sister to spare some seeds.

bangchik

The story of a vegetable bed.

 First lets see what was there before. It was the very site of our first papaya, which has grown so tall almost to the roof of our double storey semi detached bungalow. We had enjoyed a lot of sweet red slices of papaya over many months. At the end the plant  had died due to termite attacks.

papaya was the first plant to grow

I quickly filled up the void with sunflowers which grew into little forest. That too has gone with their bright yellow flowers.

then replaced by sunflowers

When we first transplanted the three seedlings of clitoria ternatea, sunflowers were still around, still flowering. Now the whole bed is for clitoria. 

Clitoria ternatea, the latest.

clitoria already at the top of trellis

The three seedlings are at different stages:

One, the most vigorous plant has completed its winding to the top of trellis. The shoot would probably be wondering why it has to go horizontal now.

The second clitoria has different story. It was not as energetic as the first one, trailing behind. It has completed two rounds of winding around the slanting bamboo stake before a strong gusts of wind loosened the grip and the whole tiny stem was dangling, dancing in the air with nothing to grab. I offered assistance by tying it back to the stake. Now the plant is making a new winding process. If we look closely we can see the missing loop due to wind.

The third one was a late comer, It germinated weeks after the first two. In fact I was about to give up and empty the tiny pot that I notice a tiny shoot appearing. With me now is three clitoria ternatea at 3 different stage of growth even though, there were sown at the same time and seeds coming from the same place. I am expecting a pretty blue flower anytime now.

bangchik

Giving clitoria ternatea a room

 There is a change in plan, clitoria ternatea are not going to be planted directly outside the kitchen window. We shift the site 2 meters away. Kakdah will still enjoy the view,  at a diagonal which is a bit to the left. The two plants are protected by the shade of sunflowers which is blooming right now. Within a month, that bush of sunflowers will go, then clitoria will have the whole bed to themselves with trellis to climb.

a pair of clitoria ternatea near sunflower plants.

close-up of clitoria ternatea

Putting trellis up, 

will not disturb what sunflowers are busy doing right now, 

that is yellowing and flowering, 

before blue become a new colour

for that site.

bangchik

Clitoria ternatea from India is here..

clitoria ternatea 
or kacang telang

 seedling clitoria ternatea

after 5 days

two seedlings of clitoria ternatea
the other two still sleeping.
after 7 days.

clitoria ternatea seedlings 

after 10 days.

The other two still sleeping

Clitoria ternatea seedlings after 12 days.

the other two have given up probably.

Originating from the island of Ternate, Moluccas Indonesia, the seeds do make an interesting  journey from India to Malaysia within the region it should be very familiar with. I could have seen this plant somewhere, but cant really pinpoint exactly where. But now is the opportunity to let them grow right here in our little garden. We discussed, and Kakdah want them somewhere close to the kitchen, so that she can enjoy the bright blue blooms every time she does her cooking.

I really have to sacrifice a row of pokok kadok to let the new member in.

bangchik