Friday, February 4, 2011

Lady's fingers; in two separate world.

I have a chance to see how eight lady's finger plants (okra or kacang bendi ) fare in a rain free environment, and compare them with another six in a normal raised vegetable situation. They are just 15 feet apart...


 row of eight lady's finger plants
rain free environment, in white poly bags

 one of the eight lady's finger plant.
Kelantanese call okra, kacang meo.

 row of six lady's finger plants
in the open raised vegetable bed.

One thing for sure, those in the open are enjoying more freedom. Roots can spread as far as they can  for water, nutrients and for better anchorage. With automatic irrigation system, I wonder if roots should spread far for water.  Probably they would just do that for better anchorage even though they are spoon fed with drips 3 times a day; at 8am, 12noon and 6pm. Tiny flower buds are quite visible in both. 

I guess Kakdah will just prepare fish curry with the first harvest......

Happy Chinese New Year!

bangchik and kakdah
Taman Kota Harmoni, Tanah Merah, Kelantan

Earlier post on lady's fingers /okra: 
at

19 comments:

  1. LonaFebruary 04, 2011 1:26 AM

    I think all of your plants look wonderful Bangchik. Your new gardens are really taking off.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 04, 2011 1:27 AM

    The Lady's Fingers...Okra plants are very green and healthy looking with both types of watering! And will produce abundantly in your garden, I am sure. I've never had fish curry with or without okra...look forward to when Kakdah prepares it!

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  3. Rebecca @ In The GardenFebruary 04, 2011 1:57 AM

    How lovely, what an interesting experiment. The fish curry sounds delicious. :)

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  4. meemsnycFebruary 04, 2011 4:53 AM

    This is a good experiment. I wonder which will do better?

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  5. Jenn's Cooking Garden!February 04, 2011 6:17 AM

    I love experimenting in the garden. Im going to do some testing this year as well! Your Okra plants look amazing! I love Okra in stir frys

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  6. Malay-Kadazan girlFebruary 04, 2011 6:49 AM

    Kacang meo, that is a new word again I learned for you.
    Kacang kelisa and kacang meo.

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  7. Janet, The Queen of SeafordFebruary 04, 2011 8:59 AM

    Bangchik, it is very clever to plant these vegetables in the white poly in the very dry environment. Know you will enjoy eating them in a short time!

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  8. Lrong LimFebruary 04, 2011 5:27 PM

    Hmmm, I enjoy eating eating okra, raw, and sliced... put them on top of hot rice, ummm, nice...

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  9. rainfield61February 05, 2011 9:47 AM

    It is good to enjoy hot curry during this holiday.

    A hot, hot and hot holiday.

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  10. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 06, 2011 8:08 PM

    Hocking Hills Gardener
    Thanks..,they are doing alright, but weather is getting drier and hotter. Plants cry for water.

    Theanne
    I hope they stay green and healthy until harvest. Fish curry is popular in this part of the world...

    Rebecca
    For now, it seems those in polybags are slightly taller and healthier. Quite understandable, when water remain in a closed area... whereas water spread far and wide in open raised bed.

    meemsnyc
    For now, those in polybags are a little bit better. I think over time, those in the open will overtake.

    Jenn
    Pests are shying away for now, leaving the young plants growing undisturbed. Good luck to your experiment..

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  11. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 06, 2011 8:16 PM

    Malay-Kadazan girl
    Kelantanese come with unique names for plants. Have you heard "keteneh" for petola and "ketereh" for gajus?

    Janet
    Okra is quick... I notice little buds forming already.

    Lrong
    Never tried raw okra. Kakdah always serve stir fried or add-on for curry...

    rainfield61
    Yes, the weather is getting hotter. But it rained a little on Chinese New Year.... as always.

    Bangchik and Kakdah
    Tanah Merah
    Kelantan.

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  12. J.C.February 06, 2011 11:18 PM

    Hi Bangchik, KakDah,

    It is lovely to see your garden in Tanah Merah developing. Very soon, you will have a lush vegetable garden.

    I would like to enquire about your water irrigation systems. Is it a DIY or did you buy it ready-made? Is it expensive? As we are always going back to hometown, I feel ashamed to trouble my next door neighbour to water my plant for me. I am thinking of alternative method of watering my plants when I am away.

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  13. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 07, 2011 1:02 AM

    ~JC
    A simple irrigation system. A tank, a pump, a timer and pipes. It costs a few hundred ringgit. You can do it as a DIY project.., or get a contractor to do it... as a starter google for fertigation or irrigation for ideas. You can go up cameron highlands where they use these extensively for vegetable growing. now.., I am almost a consultant!.. haha.

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  14. MalarFebruary 07, 2011 10:34 AM

    Teh lady finger plant looks so healthy! They must be enjoying your irrigation system!

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  15. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 07, 2011 9:15 PM

    Malar...
    I think they are enjoying the new irrigation system. Malar, you can even try aquarium set to water 10 pots or so, as long as there is a tank, a pump, a timer if you want it to be automatic..... of course there should be a way to let inlet for water into the tank.

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  16. miruku February 07, 2011 9:18 PM

    I have 24 plants but none of them grow as healthy as yours. Why ar? Harvested (only) 2 today, lol.

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  17. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 07, 2011 9:39 PM

    milka
    how would I answer that... make them happy with penetrable soil for the roots to play around... water and fertiliser as snacks... they will smile.

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  18. i amsterdamFebruary 08, 2011 5:10 PM

    Assalamualaikum,

    I like reading your efforts on planting/raising vegetables.. my plants vege or decorative, always die on me :D I suppose I did not give enough love and food for them :D

    I would like your permission to link this blog to mine, if I could. Thank you.

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  19. Bangchik and KakdahFebruary 08, 2011 5:38 PM

    ~i amsterdam
    wassalam...thanks for the visit. Of course you can link it.... Some plants die on me too... of old age or pest ridden..

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