18 July: They have sprouted!!

The picture says it all:) 

My chilli plant has finally fruited!!! 

Hip hip horray! 

Finally after all the depressing flower drops, I found a shady but unblocked spot behind a bigger plant for this chilli fellow. I found a big tile and provide some minimal shade from direct rain pelting. 

These few days have been Typhoon 3. The wind strength was ghastly n so I made the decision to bring my plant down before it snap in two. My plant has grown up to my waist now and since it isn't bushy n heavy bottom (but heavy top), I didn't want to risk it. 

The other 4 are still up there looking abit sickly, deprived of much needed sun due to the shower curtain covering them from heavy rain pelting. I couldn't be bothered to move all of them (too much work). So only my basil was brought down as well. Not sure if the other will perish from too much water. We will find out soon enuff...

16 Jun: My chilli plant flowered! Yeah!

Happy, is seeing your plant finally blooming flowers:) certainly hope more will follow suit!

To think when I first started in March, they were just seedlings grown from old chilli Seeds. The journey of excitement counting leaves, to the distress of seeing them dying from neglect when we went overseas till now nursing them back to health n flourishing. 

Never thought I could be so proud of myself. Haaa haaa

The rainy week has started n the wind is strong. I'm still in 2 minds if I wanna move the chilli indoor or leave them exposed to elements in this testy period. 

Meanwhile, someone gave me some seeds to plant. They come in hairy brown pods. Absolutely no idea what they are but hey they are starting to form seedlings a week later:) Whatever they are, gonna be a huge surprise. 

15 June: chilli plant flower bud showing more!

Now that I'm seeing flower buds in my Thai chilli plants, the excitement is rather hard to contain. 

Saw a few other flower buds forming but there's a leader of the pack showing a bit more of the potential petals.

"Potential" being the operative word since HK  weather has been so erratic with its share of hot sun n flashes of rain that makes this rather worrying for a novice gardener. Esp so when I have absolutely no shelter for my plants since they have outgrown their Ikea containers. 

Meanwhile my man is laughing at my pathetic attempt to grow California poppy flower seeds. I just know I'm not good with flowers.

My trees are still looking ok. New growths are forming at areas where the branches broke off so it's a relief for me. 

Still sprouting flowers or little noobs that are flowers so I take it they are happy where they are, though only 2 out of 5 are developing flowers. No idea why. 

My indoor plants are doing well except the calathea whitestar. I have no idea what went wrong n the top leaves started to brown n curl n look really sick. Lobbed off the 2 sickest looking leaves n shall see what happen. This pot is a real fussy pot n there is so little information out there for this relatively newly discovered plant that makes it really frustrating. I don't even know what I'm doing wrong!!! 

10 June: Gardening Novice Minding Her Biz up the Roof

Been scorching hot for a whole week here in HK n my Cory plants are half dead from heat steam, despite being in the shade!!!. Its almost sad to look at them...

It's a good thing I visit and tend to my plants at least once a day because really, you never know what creepy crawly you might find on them out of the blue. I was blind sided by this nasty spikey furry black, yellow and red stripes caterpillar on my rosemary few days back and on my chilli plant today! 

I caught them a little late on my rosemary so they had a good feast before I washed them down the pipes. I swear these caterpillars have invisible wings or something coz they would magically & unsuspectingly pop up from nowhere!! 

As for chilli plant, I manage to catch it at the base of the stem and since I didn't see any bitten leaves with holes, I must have caught that leaf muncher in the nick of time. 

When I tried to poke and prod the caterpillar off the stem, the damn bastard crawled so fast as if its on skates with many legs. I suppose when ur life depends on a quick getaway, there really is no mucking around:) Much to it's dismay, This chilli plant owner managed to flick it off to the basin and I started the flood gate of hell for the bugger. It was interesting in a way, to see the caterpillar examining it's surrounding n circling around as he realised the water is gushing towards it from all directions. Poor little fellow finally realised resistance is futile and off it went, swept into the drainage pipe as the water swirled around...bye bye leaf muncher! I leave u to ur fate in the sewers...

Meanwhile, I brought my basil back indoors last week coz of the amber rain and it didn't quite like it. I thought it was looking too bushy n gave it a trim but the little green monster decided it didn't like it's new look. So the spoilt brat decided to up the game n grew more leggy on me! Ended up now it is Looking abit weak and draggy. My man did laugh n said I have turned my basil from herbs to ornamental plant....not before having his plucking of a handful for our spaghetti sauce. 

So I brought Sulky Basil up again for some sun, and to have some play time with his green brothers n sisters, cousins n all. Maybe it's just my imagination but it def looks more perky up here basking in the setting sun, blue skies n chilling breeze. Spoilt brat.

Sulky basil towering over his teeny weeny cousin Oregano. 

Lavenders.

I don't even want to go there. 

Let's just say Hong Kong's amber rain has been merciless and lavender def do not like torrential downpour. I might as well have said I have invented clayish lavender water in a pot:( 

Oh back to chilli plant. 

Funny how the 6 seeds are growing up so differently, with different speed sizes and health. 

The 2 plants moved from indoor to outdoor is suffering from stunted growth, curled baked leaves ( immense heat n indirect sun is still bad idea) so they remained in their small pot n hopefully will catch up soon.  The other 4 pots seemed to be thriving n one possibly flowering soon, with a flower bud in the horizons. The leaves are incredibly huge now, longer than my fingers now!

I won't count my eggs, or chilli yet but exciting this is!!  Will my plant get to flower? Hope the weather doesn't play up on me to cause their demise!!! 

Meanwhile, my oregano herb seemed to be growing well...I think it has grown bushier in 2 weeks judging from the three pictures. Didn't realise it like a drought like environment till belatedly... We learn something everyday. 

May 2014: my beloved plants...gone from near death n back again.

After their week of near death experience....my chilli baby plants have bounced back to life thankfully!! 

Like a proud Mama, I watch their new development everyday, seeing them growing new leaves to replace those lost due to my inexperience. Such simple joy! Of course all my man asked was "so where are the chillies?!!" I gave him my best death glare:)

From experience, I realise now that the longer I delay taking the seedling out to the open to stand up to the variety of weather, the tougher it is on my plant. 

I did an experiment. I moved 4 pots out to the open (didn't harden them to climatise for 2 weeks as required but I was lucky it was cloudy that period)

The 4 that were growing in the open blossom and bounced back from withered and sickly yellow leaves. The 2 I left indoor was growing at half of the rate. 

With just 2 weeks head start, the first four seedlings have grown thicker stems, as well as huge leaves regardless of pot size. The 2 indoor ones were like captain America before being pumped with super being serum. U get the drift... See the stunted growth of the newly converted outdoor version & comparatively lesser leaves as those shown above?

Another mini test I did was to crushed hard boiled eggs shells and mixed it into the soil. Maybe 2 weeks are too early to tell, maybe I'm imagining it but I suspect it contributed to the greening back of leaves from earlier sickly state.

However given my roof has no shade and the summer sun is mercilessly intense, some of their leaves were bleached much to my horror. 

So had to construct some form of "rain n sun" shade that can withstand the constant wind, but not completely depriving them of the light. 

Let's hope this works!

I dread to think of Typhoon 8 though. Gonna be a bitch shifting all my pots!!

Not quite sure wats going on with that rosemary. It looks kinda sickly to me and so I'm not eating from it but just growing it to build up experience. I think I overwater it back when it was indoors n just when the stem started to brown, I brought them up n expect them to die but nope, maybe the sun cured it n now I see new leaves. Still, we shall see. 

As for my darling lavender, not good prognosis. I think it's too hard n hot at their tender age. They are dropping like flies. I must not have dry off their leaves after watering  n the sun scorched them. The younger ones just died. Damnit. One has purple leaves now. A sign if it dying soon. 

On a happier note, I'm proud to present my healthy bushy Basil!! See how much it grows!!! Comparing to the last photo I showed, such a difference one week made! Again, my man only thinks of eating them.... Sob sob. Good thing I grew plenty of basil for his plucking. They do taste quite good with my fried eggs I must say:)

It's close to 6pm now and the sun is finally setting. Time to keep the laundry n start cooking! 

May 2014: It's the Season to Grow Herbs!!

May 2014

My green fingers are on full steam ahead and I have been planting several things. Some more successful than others.

Starting from March, I had been growing chilli plant from seed. The progress was awesome until it hits a snag when we went off a week back to Oz on hol without watering and so the seedlings suffered a drought shock and started to drop leaves. So I'm back to tending it with ample TLC and hopefully to resurrect it without having to go back to Square one.

Looking back at the whole process from an inconspicuous seed, it is rather fulfilling to watch them grow from nothing. Everyday, it's a joy to see them growing taller. I dont have much morning light indoors and so its so funny to watch them bend sideways reaching towards the light and I have to do pot rotation every day to get them growing straightup.

Right now, my chilli plant seem to be bigger and I decided it's time to move them up the roof.

Mar: After 1 week, the seedling sprouts! Horray!

Forming first set of leaves

April: The true leaves begin to form

After two weeks, I think my chilli plants are slowly back on track to recovery but its one slow process. All of them had dropped off the bottom 2-4 leaves. So now they seemed to be trying to grow back leaves at the bottom instead of top to recompensate for the loss. Some leaves looked a little on the yellow side. It's either from lack of nitrogen or magnesium. Not sure which but I had to resist from watering them before I drown them again in my over eagerness to curb the drought shock. Plus the humidity does not make it easy for me and I had to stick my finger into the soil to check for moisture. My nails are seriously getting grubby!

May: My Chilli Seedlings still recovering from shock but slow recovery. 

Meanwhile, had a ball getting and growing other plants from seeds.

Lavender is the hardest to grow because they take forever and I dont think they like humid HK weather very much. Still I try my best. The seeds lay dormant for the longest time because when I planted them in late Feb, the weather was still cool. Plus, I killed 2 seedlings without realising as babies, they really dont like strong sun. through trial and error, I grew my 2nd batch and they seemed to be thriving! My first born is of course still my fav!

My first Lavender seedling

Lavender seedlings waving Hi!

 I didnt know its so easy growing Basil from seedling and unfortunately I got ahead of myself and over sow the amount of seeds and so now I have a monster growth! They got too full from the small pot and so I had to buy bigger pots to contain both Basil and Corriander. Lesson learnt, Basil are easy to move but NOT corry. Coriander are just too fragile to uproot and move. Killed half of the crop. Damn. But those that survive seemed to be growing beautifully.

My Repotted Basil seedlings!

1st May: My seedgrown basil, oregano, coriander seedlings after one week!

20th May: My corry are sprouting their first set of true leaves! 

As for my Mr Mint...they are LOVING it up there. They are so weedy but so NOT needy. I could basically not care about them and stick it in direct sun and even with rain onslaught, they are propagating like mad!!! They did suffer a drought shock too when I was away in Oz and there was NO rain. Where's the fking rain when I need them? So half of the mint leaves were decimated. I was so freaking sad.

However fast forward 2 weeks from half dead plant, the Mint bounced back and rewarded my TLC with PLENTY of mini Mint. Even had to give it a good trim because the naughty fellow was creeping out of the pot onto the ground. That translate to a good cup of fresh pipping hot Mint tea for me. Gotto love my Mr Mint!

20th Feb 2014: The initial week up on roof

20th May: Look at how much they have grown!!!

Fresh mint tea!