 Tuesday, September 22, 2009
It's been a long time. Since the last post, i had raised my vegetable beds, added charcoal, perlite, chicken dung and soya meal to them as promised and just yesterday, added some much needed furniture to the garden. (will definitely post pictures of this slight transformation.)
There had been fluctuations of fortune in my garden. My heirloom tomatoes aren't doing that great. In fact i just threw away most of them, including the black plums, because they riddled with diseases and not fruiting much. Only consolation is that i have just transplanted new tomato seedlings to my beds. This time i hope i do not repeat the same mistakes as i had done before and stick to these tried and error practices.
1) pince the top of tomato plants so they can grow sideways, producing more fruits. I always wonder how to pince but now i read that all i need to do is simply to cut using scissors. (but doesn't this means the plant still can grow taller?)
2) Leave only 3 to 4 suckers per plant.
3) Stake early.
4) More sun.
5) Spray weekly with neem oil and soap.
6) Fertilize heavily. More potassium pls!
Am now growing food crops like the 3 types of tomatoes, dino kale, white cucumber (only one left after the other one was savaged by my hens. Sigh...), lettuces (also mauled by birds i believed), heirloom eggplants, peas, sweet pepper, heirloom carrots, orachs and lemon.
Garbage enzyme really works! My plants became greener and healthier after using it. I need to start making my own. But 3 months is a long wait.
After the 3 ill fated Cameron roses, i became rather fanatic about collecting fragrance roses and now am a proud owner of 5 pots of roses. (just bought one beautiful pink rose at Ang Mo Kio nursery today.) I do need to be more vigilant about spraying them and fertilizing them, because they attract rsm and become rather straggly easily. Invested in the famous be-1 yesterday because i saw the great difference in the roses between added and non added. Great thing about it is that it's organic. :)
Hope to add on more colourful plants to the garden to create a more country style. Been hankering to create a natural trellis for the potage. Have to think how. Also, i need to create an enclosure for my hens because while i love them alot, they have a habit of tearing my beloved plants.) Lots of food for thoughts.
8:08 PM | back to top
 First Post! Wednesday, April 08, 2009
At long last~~~~
After like months since i created this blog, i finally decided to write my first post. Woohoo!
In a space of a few months, reading my profile and description of this blog made me wince in embarrassment. I sounded so immature. Alamah! EDIT EDIT!
Since Monday, i had been spending a least 4 hours in the garden weeding, washing, repotting, pruning so much that my nails hurt and are turning black. (Not to mention that i am growing much darker.) I have always been pretty obsessive compulsive like my dad. Once i feel like doing something, i go all out. The catalyst is partly due to the arrival of my 2 chicks from a really kind gardening buddy on Sunday night! Will take a picture of them tomorrow. It feels rather surreal. We used to have many fighting cocks but was all given away before the bird flu now i actually have two of my own. They are really sweet and timid. And the presence of them really make me feel like i am living in a farm. Next in my wishlist, a mini cow. (lol, next to impossible i know but one can dream.)
My garden is still somewhat bare. I am hoping to rectify that and are frantically germinating most of the seeds i have. I also have a long overdue trip to FEF and World Farm. I need perlite, more edible seeds, BAY plant (!!), coleus, flowers, charcoal and compost. There can never be too much compost. I did baulked at the prices but since my compost heap isn't ready by a long shot (i keep on adding more stuff in.), i believe i do need them for now. I will also be expecting a vermicomposting kit on Sunday by Stephen Seah and i can't wait! I bought one packet of casting from him and boy did it worked wonders! Plants seemed more bigger and healthier. I also will be starting on garbage enzymes and aerated composting tomorrow. I made aerated compost a few weeks ago but the results aren't ideal enough. Must be me, that why i'm trying it again.
Talked to Kelmund today and he is as always, a hothouse of knowledge and enthusiasm. Just the tone of his voice is an inspiration. I learned from shifu that to make the soil diggable and very fertile, i should add in 30% of perlite and alot of charcoal. The latter allow fertilisers to be absorbed on the top soil which otherwise will be leeched away in rains or other extreme weathers. Perlite makes the soil looser.
Tomorrow will be weeding (again... gosh i hate it. As much as it is morbidly satisfying to hear the crack sound when i pull the weeds and roots out, it is supremely monotonous and tedious.), composting and fertilising. Wonder if i have the chance to go to the nurseries?
Some pictures
Heiroom tomatoes ordered from Amishland.
They were almost as tall as me but a rainstorm on Sun broke most of the stems with flowers and fruits. Sigh....
Potted fruited tomatoes
Unknown entity
I thought it was khari cheese pepper (a capsicum) but Kelmund says his doesn't look remotely like this. SIGHHHHHHHHHH... must be some sort of weed. Oddest thing is that all the seeds germinated to become this! So what is this?
Love this plant- Lemon Balms on steriods.
Given by Hanaabi and Appeceive. The very kind and friendly young couple. >_< 
Germinating seeds
Roses from Cameron Highlands
I hope they can survive. I recently moved them to a sunnier location and they don't seem to be doing so well now. Some of the stems are turning black. I suspect fungi disease but i dun want to use non organic methods. Cross my fingers and hope that at least one of each stem survive!
My pond
I waded into the water today to prune the plant in the middle (forgot the name, pai sei) and dispose some water hyacinth.
The lotus is gorgeous when it blooms. Will post a picture when it does. It smells menthol too.
A pity the flower only last only a day.
My rather bare garden
I need to dig and amend these 2 plots more. That is back breaking work. Haha, so i procrastinate. Need to also build a fence around the soil and the very invasive cow grass. Thinking of coloured stones.
Need to add more colours! Colours!!!
See the cow? Hhaa! Courtesy of my sis and her bf. Hope we don't get caught for this. Its lame though. One of the leg is broken. :(
ok, will update again tomorrow! Hope i have bought what i need tomorrow so i can post more pictures!
(Gosh, i took more than one hour to write this post.)
7:01 PM | back to top
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009
It's been a long time. Since the last post, i had raised my vegetable beds, added charcoal, perlite, chicken dung and soya meal to them as promised and just yesterday, added some much needed furniture to the garden. (will definitely post pictures of this slight transformation.)
There had been fluctuations of fortune in my garden. My heirloom tomatoes aren't doing that great. In fact i just threw away most of them, including the black plums, because they riddled with diseases and not fruiting much. Only consolation is that i have just transplanted new tomato seedlings to my beds. This time i hope i do not repeat the same mistakes as i had done before and stick to these tried and error practices.
1) pince the top of tomato plants so they can grow sideways, producing more fruits. I always wonder how to pince but now i read that all i need to do is simply to cut using scissors. (but doesn't this means the plant still can grow taller?)
2) Leave only 3 to 4 suckers per plant.
3) Stake early.
4) More sun.
5) Spray weekly with neem oil and soap.
6) Fertilize heavily. More potassium pls!
Am now growing food crops like the 3 types of tomatoes, dino kale, white cucumber (only one left after the other one was savaged by my hens. Sigh...), lettuces (also mauled by birds i believed), heirloom eggplants, peas, sweet pepper, heirloom carrots, orachs and lemon.
Garbage enzyme really works! My plants became greener and healthier after using it. I need to start making my own. But 3 months is a long wait.
After the 3 ill fated Cameron roses, i became rather fanatic about collecting fragrance roses and now am a proud owner of 5 pots of roses. (just bought one beautiful pink rose at Ang Mo Kio nursery today.) I do need to be more vigilant about spraying them and fertilizing them, because they attract rsm and become rather straggly easily. Invested in the famous be-1 yesterday because i saw the great difference in the roses between added and non added. Great thing about it is that it's organic. :)
Hope to add on more colourful plants to the garden to create a more country style. Been hankering to create a natural trellis for the potage. Have to think how. Also, i need to create an enclosure for my hens because while i love them alot, they have a habit of tearing my beloved plants.) Lots of food for thoughts.
8:08 PM | back to top
First Post! Wednesday, April 08, 2009
At long last~~~~
After like months since i created this blog, i finally decided to write my first post. Woohoo!
In a space of a few months, reading my profile and description of this blog made me wince in embarrassment. I sounded so immature. Alamah! EDIT EDIT!
Since Monday, i had been spending a least 4 hours in the garden weeding, washing, repotting, pruning so much that my nails hurt and are turning black. (Not to mention that i am growing much darker.) I have always been pretty obsessive compulsive like my dad. Once i feel like doing something, i go all out. The catalyst is partly due to the arrival of my 2 chicks from a really kind gardening buddy on Sunday night! Will take a picture of them tomorrow. It feels rather surreal. We used to have many fighting cocks but was all given away before the bird flu now i actually have two of my own. They are really sweet and timid. And the presence of them really make me feel like i am living in a farm. Next in my wishlist, a mini cow. (lol, next to impossible i know but one can dream.)
My garden is still somewhat bare. I am hoping to rectify that and are frantically germinating most of the seeds i have. I also have a long overdue trip to FEF and World Farm. I need perlite, more edible seeds, BAY plant (!!), coleus, flowers, charcoal and compost. There can never be too much compost. I did baulked at the prices but since my compost heap isn't ready by a long shot (i keep on adding more stuff in.), i believe i do need them for now. I will also be expecting a vermicomposting kit on Sunday by Stephen Seah and i can't wait! I bought one packet of casting from him and boy did it worked wonders! Plants seemed more bigger and healthier. I also will be starting on garbage enzymes and aerated composting tomorrow. I made aerated compost a few weeks ago but the results aren't ideal enough. Must be me, that why i'm trying it again.
Talked to Kelmund today and he is as always, a hothouse of knowledge and enthusiasm. Just the tone of his voice is an inspiration. I learned from shifu that to make the soil diggable and very fertile, i should add in 30% of perlite and alot of charcoal. The latter allow fertilisers to be absorbed on the top soil which otherwise will be leeched away in rains or other extreme weathers. Perlite makes the soil looser.
Tomorrow will be weeding (again... gosh i hate it. As much as it is morbidly satisfying to hear the crack sound when i pull the weeds and roots out, it is supremely monotonous and tedious.), composting and fertilising. Wonder if i have the chance to go to the nurseries?
Some pictures
Heiroom tomatoes ordered from Amishland.
They were almost as tall as me but a rainstorm on Sun broke most of the stems with flowers and fruits. Sigh....
Potted fruited tomatoes
Unknown entity
I thought it was khari cheese pepper (a capsicum) but Kelmund says his doesn't look remotely like this. SIGHHHHHHHHHH... must be some sort of weed. Oddest thing is that all the seeds germinated to become this! So what is this?
Love this plant- Lemon Balms on steriods.
Given by Hanaabi and Appeceive. The very kind and friendly young couple. >_<
Germinating seeds
Roses from Cameron Highlands
I hope they can survive. I recently moved them to a sunnier location and they don't seem to be doing so well now. Some of the stems are turning black. I suspect fungi disease but i dun want to use non organic methods. Cross my fingers and hope that at least one of each stem survive!
My pond
I waded into the water today to prune the plant in the middle (forgot the name, pai sei) and dispose some water hyacinth.
The lotus is gorgeous when it blooms. Will post a picture when it does. It smells menthol too.
A pity the flower only last only a day.
My rather bare garden
I need to dig and amend these 2 plots more. That is back breaking work. Haha, so i procrastinate. Need to also build a fence around the soil and the very invasive cow grass. Thinking of coloured stones.
Need to add more colours! Colours!!!
See the cow? Hhaa! Courtesy of my sis and her bf. Hope we don't get caught for this. Its lame though. One of the leg is broken. :(
ok, will update again tomorrow! Hope i have bought what i need tomorrow so i can post more pictures!
(Gosh, i took more than one hour to write this post.)
7:01 PM | back to top
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Me
I am an inexperienced but passionate gardener.
My huggest project currently is to spruce up and get my very old and neglected garden into shape.
So bear with me while i ramble about my endeavors and waxing lyricals about plants.
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Links
Those Close Ones
Green Culture Singapore Forum
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tagboard
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about this site
designer: Stephanie (kyuusho)
banner: sweetsugar
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All Plants
Heiroom tomatoes
White Rabbit (dead)
Purple Plums (Kelmund; ganna diseases threw away)
Brain (dead)
Matt Wild Cherry (s)
Fantome du lao (s)
Tim Black Ruffles (s)
Hartman Yellow Gooseberry (yellowing but produced 2 fruits so far)
Transparent (did not germinated)
Other Vege and fruits
Cameron Highland Lemon Tree
Headless Kailan (Karen; ganna gall fungi)
Chives (Maeyi)
Mango tree
Citrus
Mulberry (Dead: Karen)
Common Eggplant (dead)
Heirloom Eggplants (s)
Belimbing
Elephant Yam (I think)
Dwarf Banana (Neighbour)
Butter Dwarf Bean Rocbrun (germinating again, always attacked by snails)
Gerkin Cucumber (did not germinated)
Chiko Burdock (always do not germinate)
Purple Sweet Potato (World Farm)
Earth Ginseng (Kelmund)
Salad Burnett (dead)
Garden Lettuces (g)
Lettuces (not that healthy)
Nai You Pak Choy (harvested)
Leek (Disappeared)
White heirloom carrots (s)
Dinosaur Kales (s)
Sweet pepper (s)
Heirloom Cucumbers (s)
Musk Orkra (mauled by dunno what, super depressing)
Herbs
Oregano (Sky)
Stevia (dead)
Bay (s)
Lemon Balm (Hanaabi and Appeceive)
Chocolate Mint (Sky)
Orange Mint (HL/Sky)chao da
Swiss Mint (Sky)
Kala Mint (Patrick)
Sweet Basil (Maeyi)
Lemon Grass (chao da)
Curry Plant (Kelmund's Nice neighbour)
Lemon plant (Kelmund's nice neighbour)
Creeping Rosemary
Gotu Kola (Patrick)
Unidentified Basil (HL)
Unidentified Basil (Karen)
Cat Whiskers (Sasa)
Lavandula angustifolia
Lavandula multifida (dead)
Chamomile (chao da)
German chamomile (germinating)
Dill (ran its course)
Valerian (did not germinate)
Marigold (dead)
Milk Thistle (s)
Bee Balm (did not germinate!)
Thyme (varigated)
Flowers
Sunflowers (s: Patrick)
Balsam (s: Abby)
Petunia (purple; gorgeous)
Moon vine (g)
Gardenia (repotted)
Butterfly Bush (g)
Highland Roses (yellow, red and pink) all chao da, umm.. one still hanging by a thread.
Roses ("Double delight", "Prosperity" (Maggie), "7 sisters", 2 unidentified)
Brunfelsia Americana (always ganna some sort of pests)
Creeping Murraya (not flowering)
Hydrangea (not flowering)
Chrysanthemums (produced buds but never flower)
Osmanthus (dried out)
Jasmine doubled petaled (s)
Bougainvillea
Shui Mei
Banana Magnolia
Epicia (Neighbour)
Coleus
4 o' clock (Yong kuan)
Brugmansia (Islaverde)
Datura (Lam Wk)
Others
Bamboo
Bamboo orchid (Yong kuan)
Succulent (Yong Kuan)
Cotton Plant (Bugman)
Lady of the night orchid (Digitalgate)
2 other unidentified fragrant orchid (Digitalgate)
1 unidentified orchid (Sasa)
Purple Velvet (Talos)
Neem (Angel/ Dead, didn't root)
g: Growing
s: Seedlings
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Passions
Loves fragrant plants, edibles and herbs.
Rewind
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