Salad greens

Figs are in season recently and I enjoyed a lovely summer salad, complete with herbs from our own herb rack. It's amazing what a bunch of basil and a sprig of mint can do to a salad. 

It inspired me to try to work towards growing a bowl of salad sourced entirely from our garden. 

Starting with rockets and Mizuna. Planted the seeds on 17 Jan 2016. Seedlings spotted by 2nd day. 

The seedlings are very fast growing. They are 15-20mm by the 6th day.

So we potted the stronger seedlings. These are the Mizunas. 

Now it's time to keep fingers crossed again...

Update 2 feb 2016: 

The Mizunas are getting really pretty, with the leaves growing out. 

Cannot wait...

Update 10 Feb 2016:

Two and a half weeks after setting up our salad boxes from seeds, we are enjoying a mini harvest of fresh salad greens, literally from garden to table. 

Apart from the basil and mint, we harvested Mizunas and rockets.

These boxes look so happy and cheerful and they add so much zest to the salad.

Update 22 Mar 2016:

We have found a more permanent home for the 'salad bar'.

From top:

1st rack - basil cress

2nd rack - Thai basil & Mizunas

3rd rack - tomatoes & Mizunas

4th rack - rockets

Mizunas getting big and lush.

These rockets are really spicy. 

We sowed some wild rockets amidst the rockets on 20 mar 2016. These little seedlings are 2-day-old.

Next up, we will probably work on the milder greens. Xo

Chilli Padi

We got this happy little camper a while back.

I use Bioflora to fertilise weekly. Noticed that without fertilising, the drop in yield is apparent. So far this little pot has been offering 5-6 little babies every week. Enough for our own consumption and occasionally sharing. 

This little pot is so hardworking. I have considered repotting but decided to not rock the boat unnecessarily, in case there is transfer shock. I am also not too sure what type of soil is suitable. So I will just let it be for now.

These little Chilli Padi(s) are spicy, but not excessively. I harvest them green or just before they turn red. I am very consistent with the harvesting and do not let them age on the plant. It is important to be very careful when harvesting, because the flowers are very fragile and drop off quickly if agitated. 

Carrots

We enjoyed some organic finger carrots and decided to grow some carrot tops to see where they would go. 

On 8 Jul 2015, the carrots had greens on top, so there was a chance that they might grow.

This was a day after leaving them in water. Sprouting occurs.

On the 3rd day, shoots are seen. About a week later, I popped them into a pot. 

By 31 Jul the carrot tops were lush and green. 

Update 19 Sep 2015:

Nothing much happened to the carrot tops. Read that they should just hopefully bolt and develop seeds and eventually die back. One thing for sure, there would be no carrots.

On 5 Sep 2015, I sowed some carrot seeds in our seeding ice tray. 

By 11 Sep 2015, the seeds started sprouting. 

On 19 Sep 2015, potted the seedlings in soil. This pot is rather small - about 15cm wide and 17cm deep. I kept 2 pots of 5 seedlings each. So that's a total of 10 seedlings to try.

A little update on the carrot tops. It's been about 9 weeks after we grew the carrot tops. They are no longer green and lush. Some of the leaves have even started to turn red but there are no signs of flowers. This could be a lost cause. But they are very fancy and rather ornamental to have around.

Update 26 Sep 2015:

It's been about 3 weeks since we sowed the carrot seeds and a week since we put it in the soil. The distinctive carrot leaves are finally showing up. Such joy!

As for the carrot tops, the filigree leaves are just so lovely, I put them in little pots and enjoy the prettiness on the dining table. Xo

Update 2 Feb 2016:

It has been slightly over 16 weeks (4 months) since we planted the carrot seeds. 

We grow them in thin but tall containers. They are so pretty and resilient. We have been travelling, so we have returned a couple of times to dried up carrot tips, but always seem to revive them with a lot of water.

Recently, due to the rainy season, the leaves have been growing lush and happy. We are starting to spot some carrots peeking out of the surface of the soil too!

Xiao Bai Cai (Bak Choy)

I started a seed tray of 小白菜 Bak Choy on 12 Sep 2015. These are little growing machines! By the next day, little shoots have started to appear.

This is how they have grown on the 3rd day! I have 1 seed in each cubby hole of the ice tray. We are looking at more than 80% success rate. 

Seedlings have grown to about 1.5cm. Now let's pray they keep up the good work!

Update 17 Sep 2015:

On the 5th day, I transferred the seedlings into individual cups. These are mini cupcake cups, around 3.5cm wide. Seedlings are about 2-2.5cm

Update 19 Sep 15:

It's been 1 week since we sowed the Bak Choy seeds. 

Potted the seedlings in a 40cm (l) X 15cm (w) X 15cm (h) trough. Seedlings are about 2.5-3.5cm. I have 2 troughs and about 32 seedlings in total. 

Update 26 Sep 2015: 

It's been 2 weeks since we sowed the seeds and the bak choy has grown.

These babies just sprout so quickly after potting in soil. I use chicken poo to fertilise weekly. Hope this works!

Stevia

Here is another mysterious plant. I got it from the nursery and the gardener called it 甜菊 (sweet chrysanthemum).

He explained that the sweet leaves can be used as a sugar alternative! Because I like to enjoy a daily cup of tea, this is exactly what I have been hunting around for. Gardener explained that boiling in water releases the sweetness of the leaves.

These floral buds will bloom into little white lovelies!

Update 10 Sep 15:

So I have gone on a wild goose chase trying to identify this plant. I can safely conclude that it is Stevia (甜菊). A South American native plant, also commonly called honey leaf plant, sweet chrysanthemum, sweet leaf, sugarleaf, etc.

Found a comprehensive article stating its benefits: http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/stevia-plant.html

But Stevia brings to mind the artificial sweeteners scares of being carcinogenic and used as a contraceptive. So some research is needed before trying it out.

Regarding its carcinogenic properties, appears that there is a general consensus that altered Strvia is the most damaging. The natural, unprocessed versions seem alright. Here is a rather comrehensive article: http://draxe.com/stevia-side-effects/

Regarding its contraceptive properties, the fear stem from its traditional use among the indigenous populations of South America as a contraceptive. Lab tests are not unanimously conclusive. Depending on website agendas, articles also sway.

I think this independent post by Norished Kitechen voicing their stand on Stevia, sort of sums up my current take.

http://nourishedkitchen.com/whats-your-take-on-stevia/

"How do I use stevia now? Occasionally I find myself served an herbal tea that has stevia leaves added to it. Meh.  I finish the cup and don’t ask for more." 

- Nourished Kitchen

In case I might have a change of heart and become more confident, here is how to use the fresh leaves.

Fresh stevia leaves can be used to sweeten tea or in sauces. A few fresh stevia and mint leaves will make a refreshing herbal tea when steeped in a cup of boiling water.

Tomatoes - Rubies on the Vine

Inspired by the bountiful tomato harvests of fellow local gardeners, I decided to jump on the bandwagon of growing tomatoes from seeds - especially since we have organic tomatoes in the refrigerator.

We made a lovely mozerella caprese and saved the stray seeds on the cutting board. The seeds were a little wet, so I left them overnight on the window sill.

I sowed the seeds on 22 Aug 2015. As usual, I like to germinate tiny seeds in ice trays as it means starting on less potting mix. The moisture conditions are also easier to control in smaller areas. I placed a seed in each corner of the cubby holes. Managed to fill 9 cubby holes with a total of 36 seeds.

On the 3rd day, the first sprouts started to appear. By the 6th, most of the seedlings were out.

To be candid, I am still clueless about the variety of tomatoes we will be getting. The label on the box just states that it's organic Rubies on the Vine from Mexico.

I am guessing (and hoping) it's going to be an indeterminate (vine) instead of a determinate (bush). As indeterminate are perennials. But it's a wild guess subject to more research. 

Some growers mention the possibility of hybrid tomatoes flowering but eventually not fruiting. Without much information about this variety, the risk of disappointment is omni-present.

Update 5 Sep 2015:

The seedlings have grown stronger. Some have even sprouted new leaves. So I decided to pot them individually before the roots get too entangled. 

The Welgrow substrate is so well aerated it is not too difficult to separate the seedlings.

Most growers recommend thinning down the seedlings at this point. However, I am too inexperienced to decide which seedling is a better specimen to keep and which one to discard. So I decided to keep all the well formed ones, which is majority and if need be, use them to experiment growing techniques. 

I transplanted the seedlings individually into mini cupcake holders. 33 seedlings made it. Way too many. I would give them away if I am more confident that they can fruit. 

So it's back to research work before I decide what to do with these little lovelies! 

Update 26 Sep 2015:

Almost a month after sowing the seeds. These tomato seedlings are finally putting out more leaves. It looks like these seeds sprout quickly but grow slowly.

Update 3 Jan 2016:

The seedlings grew quickly after potting. Within a month, they grew to about 30cm and started flowering. For the longest time, the flowers just dried off. I read that hybrids usually do not fruit and thought this could actually be one of those.

It is about 4 months since we sprouted the seeds and the 2 surviving plants are about 1m tall.

Yesterday however, a singular tomato was finally spotted on one of the plants. It's exhilarating!

Let's hope there are more to come!

 

Mystery yellow lemon

We picked up a pot of what looked like yellow lemon from a local nursery that we have not visited before. The seller was very determined to make the sale. A yellow lemon tree ranked quite high in my bucket list, so it was not too difficult to succumb to the idea. Even though this was a small plant, it was laden with fruits. A good sign of fertility. I assumed.

The idea of tree ripened lemons was just too good to be true. 

At the nursery, I did notice that the leaves looked odd and tired. They were also caked in muddy sediments. I was concerned but was assured that they were watered with reused water and all was fine. I was given clear instructions that there was no need to prune or remove any leaves.

So I happily lugged the pot home and gave it a good rinsing and watering. I placed it alongside our happy limes and stared lovingly - as I do with most of the newbies. As the water on the newly washed out leaves started to dry out, I noticed some of the leaves did not look right. Many young leaves were curled, some were deformed... Even as a novice, it does not look like good news. A quick google, and further examination revealed a severe problem of leafminers! Highly contagious and hard to eradicate. 

Immediately set out to isolate. First thing was to spray neem oil on all the existing plants, especially those that came in direct contact. 

Then started to work on the infected plant. Upon closer inspection of the undersides of the leaves, the infestation distinguished by distinctive maze-like trails was extensive! Practically every leaf visible was affected. Pensively started to trim the leaves. Worse hit branches were entirely pruned off. Possibly only 3% of the leaves were left by the time I was done. Certainly not recommended, but this was a really bad case. The fruits still looked decent, so they were kept intact.

Not knowing if I was doing the right thing, this intensive pruning was a wild shot. Nothing happened for a week. This was how barren the plant remained 3 days after the butchering.

There was a lot of remedy work after this on the other plants as well. I was on high alert. 2 days later, the infestation was spotted on one of the lime plants and a cherry apple, I swooped in mercilessly! The cherry apple came from the same nursery, so I am not too sure if it came with the infestation. But the lime I knew for sure was in the pink of health and was in contact with the lemon for barely a couple of hours. That's how fast and contagious the leafminers are! Inspected and trimmed off every single infected leaf as soon as signs appeared. Infected leaves are placed in plastic bag, tied up and disposed - out of reach of the plants. 

It's been 10 days and I am still paranoid about checking and pinching off any leaf that might even vaguely be spotted with symptoms of leafminers. Plus I am still fastidious with spraying affected plants with neem oil, once every few days. Especially the citrus - both the lemon and lime - because they are the leafminers' favourite. 

As for the lemon tree, I was relieved to notice little green nodes developing 5 days after the shave. On the 7th day, little shoots were finally visible. 

So happy to see the little shoots sprouting throughout the almost bare branches.

Despite the scare, the lemons fruits are still going strong. We've had 2 good lemons that ripened to a deep yellow, on the branches. The fragrance is unparalleled by the store-bought lemons. 

Although the fruits are oblong, the skin when sliced is not too thick. The texture of the citrus skin is also considerably smoother than a lemon, although not as smooth as a lime. It does however ripen to a rich yellow on the tree, is super juicy and only moderately sour. Mildly bitter, but that could be due to poor growing conditions.

Because it displays qualities of both lemon and lime, it could be either or a hybrid. It also does not fall clearly into descriptions of common lemon varieties. The closest I have found is Sweet Lemon, native to South East Asia. But it cannot be pin-pointed. So it's lineage is still a mystery for now. But it looks more like a lemon than a lime, so I'll call it a Mystery Lemon for now. 

The fragrant lemon works perfectly on its own in ice-cold sparkling water, or with a honey drink.

Lessons learnt from this episode:

1. To not introduce newly purchased plants directly to existing plants. Especially if they come from dodgy nurseries! 

2. To be more confident of gut instincts when it comes to spotting troubled plants.

Now fingers crossed that after the leaves sprout, there is no revival of the leafminers. Also hopefully, we can work on getting the plant to flower and fruit! 

Update 9 August 2015:

It's Day 11 since the massive pruning and trimming. New shoots are going strong, averaging 1 to 2cm. Looks promising. 

However, traces of leafminers still found on some of the remaining leaves. So the war still goes on. Infected leaves are immediately removed, placed in bags and disposed far away. Spraying of neem oil happens on alternate nights after sunsets. 

Update 31 Aug 15:

It has been a month since the war against the leafminer moth. I have been cutting off affected leaves and spraying neem oil. But the young shoots seem to encourage more activities.

With so few leaves left on the plant, I started to inspect the plant more closely. I notice a colony of tiny flying insects. A quick Google reveals these are the adult moth that have been producing larvae that are causing all the leaf mining activities. Unfortunately, intensive spraying of neem oil does not deter the adult moths too much. They are very productive and expand the colony quickly. I realised more drastic actions needed to be taken. 

So I had a go at eliminating the moths. Not easy at the beginning, as there are a lot of them and they fly off quickly. I realised that if I spray the neem oil directly at the moths, in quick successions of 3-4 spritz, it sort of petrifies them and then I move in quickly to squash them between my fingers. 

I learnt to spot the adult moths by going on all fours and looking under the leaves and stems. In this picture, you can see three moths. They are about 2-3mm long, black and white (so they look a little grayish) and they usually stick out at an angle from the underside of the leaf/stem. Here you see 1 on the underside and 2 above because they have been disrupted, took off and landed on top of the leaf instead. 

On the first day, I must have cleared out 50-60 adults. It was endless. I continued everyday for what feels like a week of forever. The moth population gradually dwindled. It has been 1 month since the start of the battle and the past couple of days were the first time we did not spot any moths. But the suspicion is still gnawing at my conscience. No wonder seasoned gardeners cringe at the mention of leafminers. 

On a lighter note, I saved a seed from the first lemon we harvested. Removed the shell from the pip and poped it into substrate. 

This is the happy seedling 25 days after sowing. It may or may not fruit, it could also take years to mature. But I am just keeping it as a momento for now.

Update 23 Feb 2016:

This happy lemon plant has been through a lot. Countless rounds of neem oil spraying, extensive pruning, draught, caterpillar feasting...

I leave it isolated on the balcony, with full morning sun. Apart from the occasional leaf miner moth, it has been taking its time recovering. 

The bare branches are the work of caterpillars of the common lime butterfly, which love the leaves. I leave them on the plants until they moult into green instar caterpillars (then I rear them in glass bottles, but that's another story). I used to think the caterpillars are wasteful feeders. But I subsequently realise that the nibbled stalks tend to grow better shoots. So they are nature's pruners. 

Now, 5 months from when we first started trying to exterminate the leafminer moths, we are finally seeing flower buds!!!

It is such a relief to spot an explosion of flower buds. Xo

Update 1 Mar 2016:

Such a glorious day and the lemon flowers are starting to bloom!

Receiving love from the morning sun.

These blooms are so fragrant and has attracted a happy bee. I have been tapping the flowers to hopefully help pollinate.

Fingers crossed for lemons : )