Papaya flower, will it turn to fruit?

The first promising papaya flower emerged yesterday. Out of 12 papaya trees, this particular tree is a bit quick in displaying its vitality. The rest are still learning. When they are learning, flowers just open up for the day and drop off  a few  days later.  Like little birds learning to fly, papaya trees are learning too..

papaya early stage

papaya early stage

Papaya little fruit emerging

Papaya tree

Papaya in a row

bangchik and kakdah

Berkebun di Putrajaya

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

crotalaria pallida with fancy flowers

crotalaria pallida

crotalaria pallida

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Vegetable Garden

Moringa flowers - SECOND WEEK

Plants behave differently. Each has its own peculiarity as when to flower and when to bear fruits. Our single moringa tree has its first burst of flowers. Its all white except for slight yellowish filaments. Within a week, the buds open up the pure white petals, for insects to come and enjoy the taste of nature. The nectar!

Moringa flowers : WEEK 2

Moringa flowers - WEEK 1

I am tracking the emergence of little fruits in weeks to come.

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Backyard Vegetable Garden

Garden stakes, where do we get them?

I had used coconut husk as vegetable garden borders while gardening at Presint 14 years ago.  Now I am using wooden sticks to mark or put border where the seedlings are, to avoid trampling on them, and to discourage cats from pooing over the tiny plants. Living in urban place like Putrajaya, wooden sticks are not easy to find.  

Perennials like senduduk can offer reasonably good sticks, and in fact senduduk can live through a couple of prunings. I had used senduduk sticks while staying in Presint 14, from year 2008 to 2010. This time around, I make full use of pokok petai belalang ( leucaena ).  These leucaena trees which grow so fast, reaching a height of 12 feet within a year,  require regular pruning  to keep them at manageable height. The leaves will become mulching materials, and the branches suitable as stakes. There are five leucaena trees in my backyard garden right now.

leucaena branches as stakes

ulam raja seedlings visible among weeds.

Its good to have perennials and trees in the garden that can provide garden stakes.

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Backyard Garden

Birds nest fern, adding colour to backyard garden

One birds nest fern appeared as tiny baby beside Kakdah's roses pot sometime last year. I quickly had it transferred in a pot half filled with soil and let it grow under shade. It had grown big and healthy now.

The other three were taken from Hamimah's place in Sungai Batu recently. She has an acre full of matured oil palms which play host to different type of fern on their stems. We took three and they are adjusting to living in pots now.

 

birds nest fern

bangchik and kakdah backyard

If bird nest fern is well exposed to sunlight, its colour is yellowish green.  Under heavy shade, the colour will be a lot greener. 

bangchik and kakdah

Putrajaya Presint 8

moringa flower buds.

His name is Syed, our neighbour at the back.  His moringa tree had grown very tall and produced a lot of fruits (or moringa drumsticks). During one strong gust of wind, branches fell. He offered a branch, if I wish to grow.  Moringa tree can be grown from cuttings and seeds.  That moringa cutting had grown almost 20 feet and now  is ready to bear fruits. Its a bit quick I guess, just slightly over a year since I last planted them.  The flowers are still at bud stage.

Moringa flower buds at lower branch

Moringa flower buds on the main branch

The Moringa tree.

Kakdah had used moringa shoots as additions in scrambled eggs, and now she is contemplating her first  moringa drumsticks curry!!

Bangchik and Kakdah

Presint 8 Putrajaya

Seri Iskandar Home Garden, changes in less than two years.

Trees grow at such slow pace that the changes will be almost unnoticeable. Vegetables which mostly are annuals, grow fast but die young. Perennials and trees will stay long, giving shape and overall look to the garden.  I have been developing Seri Iskandar Home Garden for almost two years now.  Its quite surprising to see the rapid changes taking place by comparing the pictures.

.............................2014.............................

December 2014

.............................2015.............................

February 2015

.............................2016.............................

September 2016

September 2016

If I am not careful,  it will soon turn into little jungle.

bangchik and kakdah

seri iskandar home garden