fishbrain goes green

Picture taken from Wisteria of GSC forum

Pumpkin, like sunflower, love a full sun but doesn't really need so much water. It is important the soil is able to drain water away quickly. Some people in the United States especially, actually grow those orange pumpkin up to 500++ pounds, that is like almost about 200kg.

Here are some picture of my baby pumpkin plant which germinate about 7 days ago..

When I first heard about it, I was so keen to get my hands on one. It really does miracles... at least with your tastebud. What really happen is this... you eat the fruit, it taste little bit sweet, but that is about it. No big deal about the fruit. But after you have eaten the fruit, you eat anything that is bitter, sour or spicy, it will turn to sweet. Be it a black coffee without sugar or milk, when you consume with the fruit, it as though you did put in the sweeteners.. you eat a super spicy rendang ayam, it will turn to a sweet rendang ayam.

Here, watch it on YouTube...


This fruit is famous, even appear in CSI, yes Crime Scene Investigation. There was one episode that show a killer has trick the victim by giving the fruit to him, and then gave a supposely bitter poisonous to the victim to drink. And of course, the victim drank as though it is some cool sweet juice. Then he die... then CSI found out it was the fruit, got from Thailand. But the actual fact it was from Africa...

The scientist are exprimenting with it, to be sugar replacement. Which is a good thing and healthy for us. Imagine the world without sugar...

Well in the aspect of planting it... it very adaptable with our climate and it love acidic soil.

Check out the fruit, it cost $2.00 for one of its berry...

A grown tree...


And here is mine... long long way to go :)

My friend, Jeremy Lee also 'kena' the sunflower spree, so I gave him a few seeds, gave him some instruction on how to do it, and now...

http://green.subimpact.net

Going green can get hooked...

Hairy Basil / Hoary Basil - Ocimum americanum syn O. canum
This basil is normally serve fresh raw into thai dishes, such as 'ka nhon jeen' (thai laksa) and in some soup. It is good for breastfeeding mom as it will encourage milk production...


Kadok / Piper Sarmentosum
This is one of the ingredient they used in a Thai snack/appertizer called Miang Kum, which they use to wrap with other condiments. I personally have not tried it yet, but I think my wife is working on it soon...


Mint
Cooling and refreshing leafs, remind us of toothpaste and chewing gums. It is used on those spicy salads mixed with pork or beef or chicken. This is also one of the easiest plant to grow and they tend to take over your entire garden if not taking care of...


Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis
This is mine... one of the most common ingridient use in meat marination adding an extra taste to the dishes. A lot of people mistakenly think this plant cannot grow in our hot weather, but infact, they are afraid of cold. They can even withstand draught, so whatmore our M'sia weather.


Sawtooth Coriander / Thai Parsley or Thai Coriander
The leafs are like razor, hence the name. Very fragance and use in Tom Yam soup, a missing ingredient in our local tom yam soup. It is also mixed fresh in Thai spicy salads.


Basil
There are so many types of basil that I sometimes get confused. But this one is called Basil, where the leaves are bigger and has a glossy look. Use in fried food.....


Sweet Basil
This is the part I still not too sure how to call them, my wife said is Sweet Basil, but in the picture below there are three plants, two of it is the same with white flowers, and the other one with purple flowers. Both leafs looks the same to me, narrow and has a slight razor edge. Used for green curry...


Nothing beats home cooked food, and home grown herbs and vegetables...

Growing very tall now, the rest of the sunflower plantlets are catching up... they are really a true sun worshipper...

It has been more than two weeks now, my sunflower is growing very well. The new seeds that i sowed, is also beginning to emerge with some even the hull has gone off. The first plantlet I have seem to be the strongest and tallest. It is now about 4 inches high.

I have also sow some giant sunflower seed, but it seems to germinate slower than these.

Here are some pictures I took this morning... enjoy!

Still standing tall, after first day it touch the ground...

This is a cutting given by Lean, a local Malaysian GSC forum member. He planted this cutting last Nov, and already leafing when it was given to me.

I plan to put this on the ground and hope it to grow as a tree. This bugger can reach from 30 to 80 feet! The Mulberry Tree can outlive the human who planted it, as it can go up to hundred of years old. Even though this going to be a big tree, it is expected to fruit even when it is at bush size. Can't wait for it to grow now... and get to enjoy mulberries!!! They are red in colour and when riped, it will turn purple then black.

According to the forum, this mulberry is very easy to take care and maintain. I hope I can successfully grow this guy and when it is big, I do what Lean do, give a cutting to someone else, and hope he or she will enjoy the fruitfulness of this tree :)

Here how it is look like when it is a tree:

And the fruits:

I came back from business trip today, and notice the Sunflower is not growing so fast anymore. Maybe that because the pot is too small for its root already. Therefore I have digged a place to plant the baby sunflower. Unfortunately, when I took out the other seedings, it doesn't seem to germinate, so I guess my germination success rate was 1 out of 20 seeds.

As I cleaning up, to my surprise I found another plantlet that mysteriously hiding behind my broom. I must have throw some of the seeds on the ground and wash it to the drain, and one of it must have caught in between the broom.

So, my failure wasn't that bad, at least I have two sunflower plants

I proceed with putting more seeds straight to the ground, wishing a higher rate germination. So enjoy the pictures.... :)









Coming up, my mulberries 2nd project, and 3rd project, hopefully a 'miracle fruit' plant.

This morning when I came down to the garden to water my plants, to my surprise, the hull on the sunflower plantlet has dropped. It's leafs now are open up and sun bathing with a happy glee! This baby is growing very fast...

Notice the leafs are showing now and the hull is about to give way to it. Grown taller too and towards the sun, about 5 to 6cm tall. Check out the pictures. The rest of the seeds are also beginning to sprout, coming out from the grown now.

Sunflower is so beautiful, with large flower that resembles what more can be obvious, the sun. With a brown head, yellow petals like sun rays blooming around it. I was surprise the actual flowers are actually very tiny and it is in the brown head, the whole thing is just a host to accomodate these florets.

Fill in the pots with soil, water it slightly, just enough to wet the soil. Insert the seeds with the pointy end downwards.

Leave it in the shade to avoid rain but out enough to get the sun.

You can it start sprouting after a few days, here is mine after 5 days...

The rest of the seeds are also beginning to sprout, will update again once there is any development.

Started to be green. In the beginning, I just want to have a nice plants in my garden. But now, with the aim of being eco friendly as well as to learn the life of plants, flowers and tree. How they grow from a tiny seed, or from some cuttings, how they stand the weather... how much water they drink, and how much nutrients they need and many more...

I once think garderning was boring, for those retirees who have nothing better to do, like my dad... that spend most of the time, under the sun or rain, planting and growing plants here and there. But now, even with a busy and hectic schedule, both work and kids... I find garderning clear my mind, a time of peace where I look into the plant and ponder, even you don't see them move an inch other than breeze of wind blowing the leaf or flowers.

What more can I say, fishbrain has gone green!!!