Everyone would know by now that I do not have green fingers. Most everything that I planted would all die eventually. People told me how easy it would be to plant cangkuk manis – just stick the stalks in the ground, they said and I did just that but nothing happened. They just dried up and died.
Well, it so happened that one fine day, I decided to stop by my friend’s shop to buy some organic fertiliser for whatever was growing around my house and my missus was attracted by the little packets of flower and vegetable seeds that they were selling…and she ended up buying one, ladies’ fingers’ seeds and she insisted that her sister-in-law had some of those at their house and it was so very easy to grow. Hmmmmm!!!! Isn’t that what everybody says all the time?
Over the next few days, I saw the packet on the table…and everyone would know by now how I just cannot stand seeing things sitting idle in the fridge. I guess the same applies here as well so I took the seeds and planted them. I did not know how to go about it so I just poked a hole in the ground, put three seeds in and covered it with soil…and by George, they sprouted in no time at all!!!
There were three seedlings growing out of each hole so I pulled two out and planted them separately. The stalks were very flimsy and fragile so I used those disposable chopsticks…
…that I could find in the house for the much-needed support.
Yes, they grew and grew and were quite big already…
…when I saw one of them flowering…
What? So soon? Does that mean I will have my own ladies fingers to lightly boil or steam for my ulam…
…or I can fry with sambal belacan (dried prawn paste) and hay bee (dried prawns)…
*Archive photo*
…to enjoy?
Incidentally, that was my first ever harvest of my ulam raja leaves. I got two seedlings from Peter, the nice boss of Payung Cafe, but they were attacked by birds and I only managed to salvage a sprig less that two inches long and thankfully, it survived and has grown into a full grown plant. Yes, the birds are still at it, I think, but never mind! There’s a lot to spare.
Back to the ladies’ fingers, I am not getting my hopes up too high as I saw the ones planted by my girl’s colleague around his quarters at their school in the jungle…
My! My! They are huge!!! At least three or four times the size of mine and even the flowers are big…
…and look! The ladies’ fingers…
…are growing really well, I must say.
I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what happens eventually as far as mine is concerned and in the meantime, I can be glad that my ulam raja is doing all right and I also transplanted these…
…that I found growing out of the cracks in my driveway and they are looking good and are flowering some more.
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
A promising start to a green future, Mr Wee. The future is bright, the future is green.
If the seeds are small, I would be inclined to stick it in a small pot of compost, then thin it out when the plants are stronger. The roots are rather fragile. There are exceptions to the rule. Where birds are a problem, nettings or a homemade cage would do the trick. If you really want to push it, interplanting of companion plants should do the trick, too based on my experience. I had lots of birds overlooking my raised bed but I didn’t have any problems with the birds. Growing veg in such close proximity can encourage diseases but I didn’t have such problem
apart from a bit of blight. Feed the soil to feed the plants because the former will encourage the growth of microorganisms and promote healthy plants.
Disease? Choi! Choi!!! Touch wood!
YES! Your fingers are finally green. Congratulations. I saw on your FB the cute little okras growing. I have 5 plants and they are enough to give me regular supplies of ladies fingers for dinner. This is addictive. Soon you’ll be planting more vegetables.
Addictive? no, thank you. Such a chore! I’m in my garden every morning and evening, if it is not raining, doing the watering, weeding, trimming and everything, keeping the whole place neat and clean but that’s the only exercise I get so I keep at it. Otherwise, I would probably do like what a lot of people did – had their whole garden cemented.
Ooo this looks like a promising harvest! Hopefully by the start by 2017 you’ll be able to gaze with pride at your garden and reap the juicy, fragrant rewards! 😉
Fingers crossed, I’m certainly looking forward to that!
Finally your ladies fingers are sprouting. That’s a good start. Soon there will be bountiful harvest. Oh, best if steamed & eat with cincaluk. Yummy!!!…
With cincaluk? We usually have cut cucumber with that, everything else with sambal belacan.
I feel you with the green fingers – or lack there of. We’ve been trying (unsuccessfully) for years to grow food on our balcony. Incidentally, we’re going to a workshop next weekend in another attempt to learn something new. 🙂
It has been a learning experience. After all that I have gone through, now I would willing pay for the vegetables at the wet market or supermarket, just a couple of ringgit for a packet.
A start to plant own veggie. I would want to do that too. Actually I tried but so far nothing bears. Haha. Other than spring onion, I have no luck in planting veggies.
I plant spring onions a lot – my missus helps herself to them and uses SOOOOOO much. If she is making her kim chi, sekaligus…all gone! Tsk! Tsk! Then I would have to plant new ones. 😦 Glad that my first attempt at planting vegetables is looking good – hopefully, we’ll get some to eat soon.
You better than me, if i plant, sure all goes to heaven…
No worries, there are a lot like you, I know. Hehehehehe!!!!
Gardening could be so addictive. Welcome to the green finger club. hehe. I’m still no expert in planting edible plants. 😂
I don’t bother planting flowers, just maintain the existing ones, some that my missus planted before. I plant serai, pandan, kunyit, daun kesum, Thai Basil…spring onions and my mint and lemon balm are struggling to survive. First attempt at growing vegetables and I am very happy with how it is turning out.
Well done. Should grow very well once it gets started.
Praying and hoping. Looking good.
Congratz! You deserve an award!
Thank you. 😀
I definitely don’t have green fingers. I do, however, love all the greens in your photos!!! 🙂
For one thing, the green is kind of soothing, nice to look at and I love the smell of a freshly owed lawn. I cannot understand how people could cement everything…their whole compound, no green at all.
I have planted chilies and tomatoes but the harvest was so little that I decided not to bother anymore. Lately, I have not been having much luck with planting. The basil cuttings that I attempted to plant have all died 😦
My Thai basil is doing all right, did not really plant it – it just grew out of nowhere…like my cili padi or my cherry tomato. Maybe the birds brought the seeds, lots of birds in my garden. But they do grow old though and would wither and die but at least, not until after a bountiful harvest.
Wow this is good for someone who does not have a green finger. I dont have it as well and trust me the only thing that I can grow are weeds, even the hardest dying herb like mint dies in my own hands
Yes, my mint – I am desperately trying to keep it alive but from the look of things, I don’t think it will last much longer. The people at the shop told me that sweet basil would be the easiest to plant so I bought that and it did not last very long. Not cheap, these plants here. So annoying!
Sounds exciting!! Hope you have a big harvest soon.. looking forward to the ladies fingers dish.. I love them too!
I hear they have some health benefits – gotta eat more!