Propagation of Curry Leaf Plant from Seed

Curry Leaf Berries

Curry Leaf Plant Grown from seeds

1. Pick berries when they are almost ripe, becoming black in colour.


2. You can sow the whole ripe berry, but the germination will be slow and the success may be limited.


3. It is better to squeeze the seed out of the fruit pulp and sow them in seed raising mix.


4. Placing the seeds in a moist paper towel for a few days before putting them in soil will speed up germination.


5. Cover the seeds with soil and place in warm place. The seeds will germinate in about 10 days. 

Propagation by Stem Cutting

Curry Leaf Plant Grown from Seeds

1. Propagation by stem cuttings is the easiest way to get new curry leaf plant. But how to Get a Curry Leaf Cutting to Root? The steps are given below


2. Fill a small pot with the rooting mix, which is a mixtures of peat or pertile and sand, and water well before planting. 


3. Insert a pencil into the soil of the pot reaching up to 1 inch above the base. Take out the pencil. 
4. Taking Cuttings
1. Select a branch of the tree which is neither flexible or nor stiff, means semi-hard.
2. From this branch take a cutting of pencil thickness (about 5 mm diameter) and about 5 inch long with 4-5 leaf sets.
5. Cut directly above the highest bud and a slant cut just below the lowest bud. Remove the lower set of leaves leaving top 2-3 sets. Cut each of the upper leaves into half or less.
6. Put the lower part of the cutting into the rooting harmone powder and shake off the extra powder. Push the cutting into the hole in the pot and firm it. Do not water it again. 
7. Put the pot in a polythene bag or (zip-lock bag) and tie the top end and place it in shade. In about 10 days, you will see your cutting to grow new buds. Keep the pot in shade for a few weeks until you find that the stick has become quite firm in the soil, indicating the root growth.

Propagation By Suckers

1. No Lighting
2. Over-watering
3. Overfeeding
4. Re-potting
5. Heavy Pruning

   How to Get Bougainvillea to Flower

   There are ways to force bougainvilleas to bloom by taking proper care of light, watering, fertilizing, pruning and re-potting.
   

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   Related Articles:
   Growing Bougainvillea | Bonsai Bougainvillea Care | How to make Bougainvillea Bonsai | Training a Bonsai Bougainvillea | Bougainvillea Bonsai Pruning
   

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   Bougainvilleas Blooms

   1. Light

      1. The flowering of bougainvilleas depend on the amount of light the plants receive. If growing in shade, they will produce plenty of good dark green leaves, but they will not bloom.
      2. Put the plant indirect sun for at least eight hours daily for them to bloom their best.

   2. Watering

      1. To force bougainvillea into bloom, nurseries often withhold water for a few months. Then they water the plant heavily. The plant which was thinking that it was dying due to drought, will now think it has one last chance to propagate itself, so it blooms heavily to produce seeds.
      2. Bougainvillea are very drought-tolerant and thrive on neglect. So ow do you water the plant is quite important. Only water them when their leaves are withering.
      3. If growing in ground, you do not need to water them once they are established.
      4. A little wilting can be used to encourage a reluctant bloomer to flower. When little colorful flower buds start to appear, water more frequently.
      5. Never allow a bougainvillea plant in bloom to wilt severely, as this will greatly shorten the blooming time.

   3. Fertilizing

      1. Too much frequent nitrogen fertilizer encourages a bougainvillea plant to grow lots of vegetative parts like leaves and stems at the expense of buds. Only a  new plant needs a higher nitrogen fertilizer to help encourage good growth.
      2. Use a high-potash fertilizer, such as a hibiscus or tomato fertilizer during spring and summer.
      3. I feed my plants with a liquid feed high in potassium every 3-4 weeks. If the plant starts growing vigorously with big green leaves, then cut back on fertilizer.
      4. A tablespoon of Epsom salt can help.
      5. If nothing works, giving a dose of bone meals or super phosphate would produce new flowers in about 3 weeks.

   4. Repotting

      1. Bougainvilleas bloom much better when the roots have become pot-bound. Repot into a bigger pot ONLY when the health of the plant begins to suffer, otherwise shifting them into larger pots will encourage a large plant without blooms.
      2. I leave bougainvilleas in the same pots for many years.
      3. If you want to grow bougainvillea in ground, plant it in a pot and bury in the ground for root binding.

   5. Pruning

      1. Prune plants in early spring to encourage more flowers.
      2. When blooms finish for the season, cut it back by a few inches to force blooming. Heavy pruning will reduce the amount of blooms. 

   6. Age of the Plant

      As the plant matures, flowering will increase both in amount and duration. An older bougainvillea in a pot or ground will bloom more on and off for several months.

Plant Description

Fenugreek Methi Leaves

Fenugreek Growing Guide

When to Plant

1. Fenugreek grows well in spring to early autumn seasons. I have also grown it in winter in Sydney, but the growth is slow.
2. In the areas of frost, it may be started indoors 5 weeks prior to the last frost of the season. 

Position

Soil

1. Methi grows well in a neutral to slightly acid (pH 6.0-7.0) soil.
2. Dig the ground to a depth of 25 cm and break big chunks of soil. Mix some river sand to make it free draining.
3. Mix lots of organic material like compost and aged manure to make the soil fertile.

Pots or ground?

Fenugreek Seeds

Sowing the seeds

1. The plant does not like to be transplanted after germination, so the seeds should be sown at the final place. Or you can sow seeds in biodegradable pots which can be put directly into the ground later on.
2. Buy good quality seeds from garden shop or use the seeds from your previous crop.
3. Sow seeds about 5 cm deep and 5 cm apart in straight line trenches for seed sowing. You can also sow the seeds in criss-cross patterns. In stead of sowing in trenches, you can just sprinkle the seeds on the bed and cover with soil.
4. Water well and keep soil well-moistened.
5. Seeds will germinate in 3-5 days.
6. In the areas of frost, it may be started indoors 5 weeks prior to the last frost of the season. The seedlings can be transplanted outdoors when the soil temperature is around 15°C (60°F).
7. I sow seeds every 2-3 weeks in the season, so that when the first set of plants die, I am having the next set to get fresh methi.

Methi Plants Growing in a Pot

Watering

Fertilizer

1. Feed the plants with fish emulsion spray regularly.
2. Fenugreek plants add nitrogen to the soil as broad beans do, so they are good to add nitrogen to the soil.

Harvesting Methi Leaves

Harvesting Methi Seeds

1. The plants will produce beans containing fenugreek seeds.
2. If you want to make fenugreek seeds, continue feeding and watering till the plants start to die.
3. Collect the seed pods and thresh them to extract the seeds. Leave the seeds in the sun to dry.
4. Save the pods until you sow the seeds next time.
5. Store the methi seeds can be stored in an air-tight container and keep in a dry, dark spot.

How To Store Fresh Methi Leaves For Long

1. You can store methi leaves for many months almost as fresh as the new ones, with no change in their colour, taste or flavour. The method is given below:
2. Harvest fresh fenugreek leaves from your plants or buy from the market.
3. Chop the leaves roughly and wrap in aluminium foil lightly. Make 2-3 such packets.
4. Put the packets in a Ziploc bag and freeze it.
5. When you want to use the methi leaves, simply take out a packet, open it and wash and use.
6. It is better not to wash the leaves before chopping to reduce the moisture, otherwise the leaves will rot in the fridge.

References

1. Trigonella foenum-graecum information from NPGS/GRIN,  www.ars-grin.gov.
2. V. A. Parthasarathy, K. Kandinnan and V. Srinivasan (ed.). "Fenugreek". Organic Spices. New India Publishing Agencies. p. 694.

Papaya Growing Guide

Papaya Tree Types

1. There are three types of papaya tree: male (staminate) plants, female (pistillate) plants and bisexual (hermaphroditic ) plants.
2. The male plant produces small tubular flowers with pollen held at the ends of long peduncles, while the female plant produce large flowers held at the ends of much reduced cyme. The bisexual plants contain both male stamens and female ovaries and can self-pollinate to produce fruits.

Plant Description

1. The papaya is a large single stem plant whose trunk is soft and does not have a bark. It can grow up to 10 m (33 ft) high. The leaves of the tree are formed on the top of the trunk. The leaves are large with seven lobes. There are no branches on the tree, however, if chopped at the top, the tree produces 2 or more trunks, each producing fruits.
2. The plants produce yellow, orange or white flowers. The fruits are very delicious with yellow or orange-red flesh.

Best Climate For Growing Papaya

1. Papaya plant grows best in warm to hot climate, temperature in the range 21°C-32°C (70°F-90°F). Temperatures below 15°C (59°F) may reduce flowers, while at temperatures above
2. 32°C (90°F), the flowers may drop. In both the cases, the production of fruits decreases.
3. Papayas can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 and almost anywhere in Australia, India, etc. If prolonged frost, the papaya plant will die. This year, Sydney had a very cold winter, so my two papaya trees almost stopped growing any fruit and many of the leaves dropped.

Papaya Propagation

Where To Plant

1. Papaya trees love sunlight and heat.
2. The tree can grow in partial shade, but the plant will be weak and the fruits very few.
3. You can grow papayas in garden bed or a container. Select the warmest area of your yard that does not flood during rains.
4. If your area gets flooded after heavy rains, planting papaya trees on a 1 m high and 2 m diameter mound will help tree grow satisfactorily.
5. The container should be very large, smaller containers will make the tree root bounded.

Papaya Seeds

Papaya Seeds for sowing

1. By looking at the seeds, one cannot say anything about the tree type it will grow. When the plant produces flowers, then only you can know whether it is male, female or bisexual type.
2. Several years ago, when I was growing papaya, always one or two seeds would produce only male plant. Now-a-days the seeds from almost all the papayas bought from market are bi-sexual, so they produce fruits.

Soil

Sowing Seeds

Papaya Male Flowers

Papaya Female Flower

1. Sow the 8-10 seeds into the soil about 1.25 cm under the surface and about 5 cm apart from each other.  Water well and keep the soil damp.
2. The seeds will germinate in 3-5 weeks after planting. Gibberellic acid can be used to speed up germination. Remove the weak and damaged seedlings and keep only the very best. This is for the one plant. You may want to grow 4-5 papaya trees as you want to make sure that you have some females or bisexual plants among your seedlings.
3. I see hundreds of papaya seedlings coming out of my garden beds and pots in Spring where I use my homemade compost. This is because I put the papaya skin along with seeds in the compost bin and many of the seeds are not decomposed. However, I do not use any of these seedlings and pluck them out of the soil.
4. When the plants are about 1 m high, they will produce flowers. The male plants produce long thin stalks with several flowers. Female flowers are larger and near the trunk.
5. Keep only one male plant for every 10-15 female plants. The hermaphroditic plants produce both male and female flowers which can pollinate themselves.
6. Papaya plants should be planted at least 3 m away from other plants and buildings. The spacing between 2 papaya plants should be 2-3 m from each other.

Watering

1. Papayas have large leaves which evaporate a lot of water. So water the plants regularly to produce good size fruits.
2. Standing water may damage the plant. Over-watering is the most common cause of problems.
3. Lack of water may drop flowers and young papaya fruits, reducing the number of fruits.
4. Plants growing in well draining soils like sandy or rocky soils do not hold much water. So they should be watered every day during hot dry days.

Mulching

1. Apply a layer of 5 cm of pine bark, wood chips or similar mulch around the trunk of the plant to reduce weeds and retain moisture. However, do not mulch closer than 20 cm to the trunk to avoid rotting.
2. In winter, a plastic mulch will help keep the soil warm, but remove it when the weather becomes warm.

Papaya Tree

Pollination

1. Papaya plants are susceptible to a number of diseases including papaya ringspot virus, papaya apical necrosisanthracnose, powdery mildew, phytophthora blight, corynespora leaf spot, etc.
2. The leaves become distorted, their size is reduced, or yellow spots or yellowing on leaves on the leaves.
3. Curling of leaves may due to picking of herbicide from a nearby lawn.
4. Cold temperatures, lack of sun, lack of water or high winds will reduce papaya growth.
5. Papaya plants have a very shallow root system. In the case of strong winds, the top of the tree may be blown away.
6. Birds, bats and possums love papayas. You may pick the fruits when they start to change colour.
7. Remove of dead leaves and keep the area clean.

Harvesting Papayas

1. Green fruits may be harvested to be eaten as a vegetable curry.
2. When the fruits are fully ripe they become yellow and super sweet.
3. You can harvest when the fruits are semi-ripe to protect them from birds. They will ripe after harvesting.
4. I cover the fruits by a cloth to let them ripen on the tree.

Fertilizers

1. Papaya trees are nitrogen hungry, they need a lot of fertilizer. Chicken manure and compost are the best for papayas.
2. Apply a complete fertilizer to growing plants every third week.
3. Refrain from fertilizing the lawn around the papaya tree. The roots of papaya tree extends farther than its drip line, so excessive lawn fertilizer may damage the roots.

When Do Papayas Fruit

1. Papayas fruit in the warm weather.
2. A papaya tree starts flowering  after 7-8 months of planting.
3. Young papaya plants produce most fruits.
4. The older plants will produce less and smaller fruits. With the age, the plants grow very tall, so it gets harder to reach the fruit. It is better to plant new trees.

How To Make and Store Seeds

1. Remove the seeds from a ripe good tasting fruit and rinse thoroughly.
2. Place on a paper towel and place in shade to dry.
3. Place the dried seeds in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for many years.

How To Grow Papaya In Cooler Climates

1. Papaya cannot be grown outdoors in the areas of cool climates.
2. You can, however, grow in a huge pot, and  keep the pot in a heated environment. But growing good fruits are doubtful.

References

1. Fact Sheet HS11, Horticultural Sciences Department, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, 1986 - 2008.
2. Papaya, www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/papaya.html
3. Morton, Julia F. Fruits of Warm Climates. Creative Resources Systems, Inc. 1987. pp. 336-346.
4. The Encyclopedia of Fruit and Nuts - Page 241 - Google Books
5. Papaya - Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, www.daf.qld.gov.au/plants/fruit-and-vegetables/fruit-and-nuts/papaya
6. Popenoe, Wilson. Manual of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits. Hafner Press. 1974. Facsimile of the 1920 edition. pp. 225-240.
7. Samson, J. A. Tropical Fruits. 2nd ed. Longman Scientific and Technical. 1986. pp. 256-269.

Lettuce Types

Types of lettuce

1. Butterhead Lettuce It is a smooth, buttery textured sweet-tasting lettuce which forms a compact slightly flat head looking like an open rose. The diameter of a butterhead lettuce can be as large as 15 cm (6 inch) or more.
2. Crisphead Lettuce (Iceberg Lettuce) It has crisp leaves which are tightly packed forming a solid spherical compact head, whose outer leaves are dark green and inner greenish white. This lettuce keeps longer than leaf lettuce.
3. Looseleaf Lettuce It does not form a head, but consists of tight rosettes of individual leaves. The leaves are crisp and buttery-flavored. which can be smooth, curled, ruffled or oak-leaf shaped. The leaf color may be yellow, green, bronze, red or purple.
4. Romaine Lettuce Romaine lettuce has a large head consisting of 20 cm (8 inches) long ribbed narrow leaves which are crisp, tender and sweet. The center of the head is a succulent heart surrounded by greenish-yellow inner leaves which in turn are surrounded by dark green outer leaves.
5. Celtuce or Stem Lettuce It has a succulent, thick stem which can grow to 25 cm (10 inches) or more having soft green tender leaves at its end.

When To Plant

1. Lettuce grows in cool season of spring and fall in most USDA Hardiness zones 4 to 9 and almost year round in Australia and India. It should be planted when the soil temperature is between 8°C and 27°C.
2. You can sow seeds indoors 4 - 5 weeks before last spring frost date.

Where To Plant

1. Lettuce can be grown in garden beds or pots or containers. Lettuce is a great vegatable for container gardening in as shallow trays as 10 cm (4 inch).
2. Plant in part sun. Provide some shade to prevent them bolting to flower in the hot summer.

Soil

1. Loose well-drained, sandy loam soil, slightly acidic having a pH around 6 and enriched with organic matter is good for growing lettuce. So break all the chunks of soil.
2. Add river sand to make the soil free-draining and plenty of compost and cow manure to the soil for water retention.

Sowing the Lettuce Seeds

1. It is better to sow the seeds directly in the ground, although the seedlings can also be planted.
2. Sow seeds about 1 cm deep in rows or just sprinkle them.
3. Water thoroughly.
4. When the seedlings have four leaves, thin out the leaf lettuce to 10 cm (4 inches) apart, and Cos and loose-headed types 20 cm (8 inches) apart. If you have planted the firm-headed type, then keep them about 40 cm (16 inches) apart.
5. The rows of plants should be 12 to 15 inches across.
6. Use the thinnings as small salad greens.
7. I sow seeds every two weeks for a continuous harvest throughout the growing season.

Lettuce Growing in a Container

Watering

1. Lettuce is 90 percent water and has very shallow roots, so keep soil moist but not soggy. Soggy soil can cause bottom rot.
2. I use sugarcane mulch to contain moisture and keep weeds away.
3. As the plants are shallow rooted, take out the weeds carefully.
4. Water daily in hot or dry weather to prevent bitter flavour and bolting.
5. If the leaves are wilting, sprinkle them to cool down.

Fertilizer

1. Lettuce prefers a steady supply of nitrogen to keep it growing fast. Use fish emulsion, alfalfa meal or a slow-release fertilizer every third week.
2. Apply compost as a side-dress 2-3 times in the growing season.

Pests and Problems

1. The pests such as aphids, earwigs, cutworms, white mold and slugs may attack the lettuce plants.
2. Soggy soil and crowded plants can encourage bottom rot, turning the lower leaves grayish green or with dark brown spots and foul-smelling.
3. To prevent diseases, avoid wetting the leaves when you water, water on sunny mornings, so the leaves can dry by evening.
4. Mulch will prevent the leaves to come in contact with the soil, avoiding any disease.

Harvesting Lettuce

1. Lettuce forms a low rosette of leaves like spinach in early spring, then produces a flower stalk in hot summer when it becomes bitter, so it should be harvested before flowering.
2. Lattuce tastes best when eaten fresh and should be harvested before maturity as matured lettuce gets hard and bitter.
3. The lettuce plants start to elongate and form a bitter sap just before bolting. If this happens, pinch off the top center of the plant.
4. Morning is the best time to harvest before sun strikes the leaves.
5. Harvest leaf lettuce by cutting outer leaves and let the center leaves continue to grow.
6. Crisphead lettuce is removed when the center is firm.
7. You can pick the outer leaves of the Romaine and Butterhead types when required for salad. They can also be harvested by cutting the plant about an inch above the soil surface, they will grow again.
8. If the lettuce gets wilted, put the leaves in icy cold water and soak for 10-15 minutes.
9. The refrigerated lettuce leaves keep good for up to 2 weeks.

Compatible Plants for Lettuce

How To Grow Nasturtiums From Seeds

Position

Soil

Planting and Care

Sowing Seeds

1. Sow from spring to early autumn in warm areas, and n spring in cold areas.
2. The nasturtium seeds should be planted directly into their permanent location, as the plants do not transplant well.
3. Plant the seeds about half an inch deep and 10 inch apart. The seeds will germinate in about 10 days. You may soak the seeds overnight to speed up the germination.
4. Place a trellis near the nasturtium plant to train the vines to climb. I just leave the vines to cover the ground with colorful foliage and colored flowers.
5. You can start the seeds indoors in peat pots or paper pots, about 4 weeks before the last spring frost. These pots can be planted into the ground without disturbing the roots of the seedlings.

Nasturtiums Flowers

Watering

Nasturtium Plant

Pests and Problems

Collecting Seeds

Nasturtium Seeds

1. When the flower finishes, let the seeds dry out on the plant. Cut out the chick-pea size seeds when the flowers die. Collect, dry and store the seeds in a paper envelope in a cool and dark place.
2. Use these seeds for growing in the next season.
3. In my garden in Sydney, the nasturtium plants come every year without planting them as the seeds from the previous year's plants fall in the ground and they germinate easily.

Money Plant brings good luck, happiness, wealth and prosperity.

Growing a Money Plant

Money plant Growing in a Pot

Where To Plant

Propagation of Money Plant

Growing A Money Plant in Water

1. Select a healthy branch, about 30 cm of a money plant vine.
2. Cut the branch at 45 degree angle above a node, taht is the point from where leaves emerge. The branch
3. should have minimum 2-3 nodes on it.
4. Put the cutting in a container like a galss or plastic bottle, glass of water, old electric bulbs, jar filled with clean water.
5. Keep at least one node below the water level.
6. Put the container in shade. You can hang the bottle so that the branches fall down.
7. New roots will grow at the nodes in a few weeks.
8. Keep changing water when it becomes turbid, may be once a week.

Growing A Money Plant in Soil

1. Select a medium sized pot with holes at the bottom to provide good drainage. The growth of the plant depends on the pot size.
2. Fill the pot with a free-draining soil. Actually any soil will do.
3. Make a hole in the soil and in sert the node of the cut stem (as above) and fill the hole with the soil.
4. Watering: Water well once the roots are formed to grow it faster. Allow the soil to dry out between two waterings. I water my plant in about 10 days.
5. Overwatering will cause roots to rot. Leaves turning yellow and curling up is the sign of excessive watering.
6. Put a stick in the soil, so that the vine can climb.

1. To help the plant to grow faster, first put the cutting in water as above and let the roots develop. Then transplant it in soil.

Fertilizer

Pruning

1. Remove dry or yellow or dead leaves and branches to encourage new growth.
2. Cutting the tips of the growing branches encourage new branches and more dense foliage. 
3. Continue cutting the extra leaves to keep plant in shape.

Guava Fruit

The Guava Varieties

1. The common or Apple guava (Psidium guajava) has fruit that typically ripen as a yellow color. It is the most frequently eaten species.
2. The Strawberry guava (Psidium littoral) has a red colored outer skin, and has strawberry-like flavor fruit, generally smaller than the common guava.
3. The Pineapple Guava or Feijoa (F. sellowiana) has attractive flowers and larger sized fruits.

Guava Growing Tips

Position : Where To grow

1. Guava plant needs full sun to part shade to grow, however, it cannot withstand too much heat.
2. The guava plants have very little tolerance for cold. The plant will drop all the leaves in winter. The new leaves start to grow from the begining of spring.

Planting in Pot or Ground

1. Guavas can be planted in pots and ground as well. If you are planning to grow it in a container, then select a big pot, at least 30 cm (12 inch) pot, bigger is better. The potted guava plant can be pruned in early summer to keep the size compact. Transfer the young guava plant every spring into a larger pot.
2. The pot should have good drainage holes at the bottom, which is important to protect the roots.
3. The guavas planted in ground grows into big tree, up to 30 feet in height. The fruits in these trees become difficult to pluck as they grow to very high branches. So I am growing guava in the container.

Soil

Planting

Growing From Seeds

1. The guava started from seed, will not produce fruit for many years. To speed up the germination, soak the seeds in water for 10-15 days, or boil them for 5 minutes before sowing. The seeds will germinate in 3-8 weeks.
2. Transplant the seedlings when 2 to 30 inch (5-75 cm) high.
3. I, in Sydney bought a small plant propagated from layering method and planted it in a 30 cm size pot. After 2 years it has grown quite big so I transferred it into a 75 cm pot.

Watering

Mulch

Fertilization

Fruits Growing on a Guava Tree

Guava Flower

1. Guava tree is is heavy feeder, should be fertilized every 1-2 months, thereafter 3-4 times a year.
2. Guava trees need a fertilizer high in nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and some magnesium for maximum fruit production. Mix 6-6-6-2 fertilizer into soils beginning of the growing season and then 3-4 times during the growth period.
3. Apply a fertilizer high in potash and potassium to increase fruit production.
4. I feed with a liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season.
5. Guava trees become iron deficient in alkaline and high pH soil. Fertilize 1-2 times with iron sulphate each year.

Guava Flowers and Pollination

1. Guava tree has perfect flowers with male and female parts in each flower.
2. Honeybees pollinate the guava flowers.
3. If there are no bees in your area, then you may hand pollinate the flowers. Use a very small  paint brush and tickle the inside of flowers.
4. Spray your guava tree a 5 % solution of urea mixed with a wetting agent just before flowering. When the urea spray dries, then water the plant. This will increase the duration of fruit production.

How to Make a Guava Tree Bear Fruit

1. If your guava tree has matures and not flowering then you can encourage the tree to flower.
2. Allow the tree to dry out for 2-3 weeks and prune the tips of the branches to stimulate new growth. Guava will flower on the new growth.
3. Water restriction causes the tree to begin reproduction defense mechanisms that result in flowering.

Pests and Diseases

1. Young guava are attacked by a number of pests including aphids, guava white fly, mealy bugs, moth, scale and thrips. Treat early. I cover the fruits with a paper bag to prevent fruit fly.
2. The guava tree is attacked by a number of diseases like anthrcnose, red alga, and leaf spots. Pruning the tree to increase air circulation will be beneficial. Regular copper spray, pest oil spray or insecticidal soap can control the disease.
3. Sometimes, ants crawling on the guavas may be problem. Use Boric Acid Ant Baits to control ants.

Pruning

Protection Form Low Temperatures

References

1. Jonathan Crane and Carlos Belerdi, Guava growing in Florida Home Landscape, www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/documents/GuavaGrowingInTheFloridaLandscape.pdf
2. Guava - An American Exotic, okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/Exotic.Guavas.htm
3. California Rare Fruit Growers. Tropical Guava (Fruit Facts).  Fullerton, CA: CRFG, 1996.  www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/guava.htm

Croton plant growing in a pot

Croton Plant Propagation Techniques

Rooted Croton by Cutting

Rooted Croton by Cutting

Growing Crotons From Cuttings

1. Cut a stem of 5-6 inch length (pencil size) at 45-degree angle from an actively growing healthy and mature croton bush using a pair of clean, sharp pruning shears. The cutting should be slightly woody (semi hardwood) and have at least three sets of leaves at the top. The cut should be at an angle of 45 degrees just below a leaf joint.
2. Remove all the leaves at the bottom and cut all the top leaves into half or less.
3. Take a small pot and fill it with equal part of river sand and and peat moss or vermiculite. If you don't have peat moss or vermiculite, you can try a mix of river sand and potting mix. Water well and keep aside for an hour to drain out the excess water.
4. Dip the cut end of the cutting in a rooting hormone. You can skip this step if you don't have a rooting hormone. The rooting hormone quickens the root formation and increases the success rate.
5. Make a hole with a pencil in the soil in the pot and insert the cutting into the soil. You can put 3-4 cuttings in different holes in the same pot.
6. Cover the pot with plastic to create a greenhouse atmosphere. I put the pot in a polythene bag and tie it at the top to contain the moisture.
7. Place the pot in shade where temperature is at 20-25°C.
8. Open the bag after 5-7 days and see if the pot needs water, mist the soil if it begins to dry. Overwatering will rot the cutting. Daily watering is not needed as there are no roots as yet.
9. Croton cuttings take about 4 weeks to develop new roots and new leaves start to emerge.
10. Remove the pot from the bag and place it in shade for another 8-10 weeks.
11. Transplant the rooted croton cuttings in bigger pots filled with a soil mix as above.
12. Place the new croton plant in partly shaded place or filtered sunlight.
13. Keep the plants well watered.

Growing Crotons in Water

1. Take a cutting 6 to 12 inch long and as thick as a pencil from the top of the plant.
2. Cut the lower leaves leaving the growing tips intact.
3. Place the cuttings in a pot of water at about 20-25°C. Keep the pot in shade indoors or outdoors.
4. Roots will form in about 5-6 weeks when you can transplant the cutting in a pot filled with a soil mix containing equal parts of compost, manure and river sand.

Growing Crotons be Air Layering

1. Make a diagonal cut through one-half the diameter of the stem and insert a toothpick in the cut to keep it opened.
2. Apply some rooting hormone on the wound.
3. Cover the cut area with damp sphagnum moss and wrap with a polythene to keep the moisture inside.
4. If the sphagnum moss turns to a tan color, it means that it is becoming dry. Temporarily remove the covering, mist the moss and wrap it again.
5. After a few weeks, the stem will develop roots and new growth will start.
6. Cut the branch and plant the new rooted branch in a pot filled with soil.

Peas Flowers

How To Grow Peas From Seeds

Pea varieties

Soil

When to Plant

Peas Plants Growing

Sowing Seeds

1. Peas are not grown from seedlings. Sow the seeds.
2. Buy seeds from your local garden shop.
3. Sow seeds in a sunny place about 1 inch deep and 2 inch apart in damp soil.
4. Watered after sowing and then do not water again until the seeds are germinatged in a couple of days. You can soak the seeds overnight in water to speed up the germination. 
5. Water regulary, but overwatering will rot the seeds and plants. However, do not let plants dry out, otherwise very less number of pods will be produced.
6. The peas vines need support to climb when growing. I use small branches chopped from trees. You can also make a wire netting or string support between bamboo sticks or put trellis at time of planting.

Peas Pods on Vines

Fertilizer

1. Generally peas don't need too much fertiliser if you have mixed compost and manure in the soil before planting. The plants sensitive to too much nitrogen, but like phosphorus and potassium.
2. You can apply a liquid feed high in potassium like comfrey tea to increase flowering.
3. You may give a side dressing of bone-meal for phosphorus.

Pests, Diseases and Problems

1. Aphids, Mexican bean beetles, wilt and mildew are the common problems for pea plants. 
2. For pests control, use a neem spray.
3. To control the fungul disease, keep pea vine leaves as dry as possible. 
4. Spray leaves with a milk solution by mixing 1 part full cream milk to 9 parts water.
5. Mulch the vines.

Peas Pods

Harvest and Storage

1. Once the peas start growing, the question is when to harvest them?
2. When the pods are swollen, you can harvest them. Just open a pod to see iof it ahs good peas inside. Note that the pods on the lower part of the plant mature earliest.
3. Harvest pea pods regularly to encourage more pods to develop.
4. Peas are crispiest in the morning after the dew has dried. So pick them in the morning.
5. Place the peas in a paper bag and put in a plastic bag which can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator for about 5-7 days.

Additional Tips

1. Do not throw away the pea plants when they finish. Just dig the plants into the soil because they add nitrogen to the soil.
2. Peas are grown in the same bed with potatoes.

Okra Planting Guide

Companion Plants For Okra

1. Melons, cucumbers, sweet peppers, eggplant, etc. are the best plants that can be grown along with okra. Sunflowers can be planted near okra plant to attract bees for okra pollination.
2. Okra acts as a trap crop for stink bugs, which damage tomatoes, beans, peppers and other garden vegetables. Okra can repel stink bugs away from your garden.

Growing in Pots or Ground

Position: Where To Plant Okra

Preparing Soil

Sowing Okra Seeds

Okra seeds

Okra Seed germination

1. Okra seedlings are difficult to transplant so it is better to sow the seeds directly in the garden.
2. If you live in a warm area, you can sow seeds directly in the garden when the soil temperature is  25-35°C. Sow the seeds about 1 inch deep and 12 to 18 inches apart in rows separated by 3 feet.
3. If you live in a cooler place, sow okra seeds in a small growing pot indoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost date. Put the pot in a warm sunny room during the germination period.
4. When the weather warms up, transplant the seedlings outdoors when they grow to 2-3 leaves, 12 to 18 inches apart in rows separated by 3 feet.
5. Keep the soil moist after sowing the seeds.
6. The seeds will germinate in 2 to 10 days depending on the temperature. Soaking the seeds overnight prior to sowing will speed up germination.

Watering

1. Keep the plants well watered. Plants in pots will need plenty of water daily. over-watering can cause the plants to start rotting.
2. Do not wet the foliage. It's best to water okra in the morning.
3. Apply a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil damp and to reduce the weeds. 

Fertilizers for Okra Plant

1. Since okra needs plenty of nutrients to grow, add nutrients to the soil periodically. Absense of nutrients may result in okra plants that produce a less number of fruits.
2. Rack some compost or bagged fertilizer or slow release fertilizer around the plants three times; first after planting the seedlings, then after the first pods begin to grow, and a third time aboutg a month. 
3. You can feed with a liquid fertilizer periodically.

Okra Flowers and Pollination

Okra flowers

1. Okra has perfect flowers (male and female reproductive parts in the same flower) and is self-pollinating.
2. The flowers are large around 2 inch in diameter, with five white to yellow petals with a red or purple spot at the base of each petal.
3. Flowers open only once in the morning and close after pollination on the same day.
4. Although insects are unnecessary for pollination and fertilization, the okra flowers are very attractive to bees and the plants are cross-pollinated by insects, such as bumblebees, when many varieties are grown in the same area and blossom at the same time.

Harvesting Okra

Okra Harvesting

1. Okra is rich in vitamin A and low in calories and is used as a vegetable and a natural thickener for soups, stew and gumbo. You may wonder, how often should okra be harvested.
2. The okra pods will start to grow after about 8 weeks after planting. Okra pods can mature in just four days after flowering. Harvest the pods when they are 2 to 3 inches long. The longer the pod stays on the plant, the more tough it becomes, not suitable for eating. So okra requires frequent harvesting.
3. Using a scissors, cut the okra pods where their stems meet the branches of the plant. You will notice that another okra pod will emerge soon from the same spot where you made the cut.
4. You may wear gloves when you harvest the okra because the leaves and pods can irritate the skin.
5. Harvesting daily or on alternate day during the peak season will encourage more fruits.
6. Remove the lower leaves to increase production after the first harvest.
7. Remove tough pods from the plant otherwise it will stop producing fruits.
8. If the plants grow 6 - 8 high, you may prune one third of the top in late summer to get a late crop.

How can you tell when it is ready?

1. Test the pods by toudhing, if they feel very soft, it means, they are good for harvesting.
2. Look at the color of the pods. If it is whitish, then they are somewhat woody.
3. If the pods open easily by pressing it at the middle, then it is too tough to eat.

Pests and Diseases of Okra

• The okra plants are prone to damage by various insects, fungi, nematodes and viruses. The major insects are fruit and shoot borer, aphids, Japanese beetles, stink bugs, jassids, whiteflies, ants, corn earworms and flea beetles. The okra plants may also get many diseases affecting leaves, flowers and fruits.
• Keep an eye out for pests. If you see the signs (holes in the leaves) of pest infestation, remove the bugs by hand or spray the leaves with neem oil spray or simple soap water to keep the pests away.

Storing Okra

1. Fresh okra can be kept at room temperature/fridge for 5-8 days.
2. You can freeze extra okra to use them during the winter.
3. Put the uncooked pods into a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer.
4. Some suggests to blanch them before freezing by putting them into boiling water for 3 minutes, then remove and plunge into iced water or under cold running water to halt the cooking process. Then chop them into small pieces and place on a tray and freeze them until firm. Transfer the firm okra pieces to a freezer bag for long-term storage.

Saving Okra Seeds

1. Okra's seeds can be saved for next year planting. For this, at the end of the season allow some pods to remain on the plant to mature, dry out and turn brown, but not split open. At this stage, harvest these pods.
2. Break the pods when you want to sow the seeds or take out the seeds and store in a air-tight bottle.
3. The dried pods or seeds may be stored for up to five years.
4. Seed can be saved from open-pollinated varieties. To avoid cross-pollination, the flowers can be isolated by placing a paper bag over them for 24 hours when they are open. If okra flowers are bagged, 100% of the flowers will set seed.

References

1. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture; Home Gardening Series, Okra; Craig R. Anderson, www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/pdf/FSA-6013.pdf
2. Texas A&M Aggie Horticulture, Okra,
   aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/okra.html
3. Missouri Botanical Garden: Pollination, www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/pollination.html
4. Biology of Okra, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Governemnt of India, dbtbiosafety.nic.in/guidelines/okra.pdf

Chameli Flowers used to make Gajra and Garlands

Information For Growing and Caring Spanish Jasmine

How to Propagate a Spanish Jasmine from cuttings

Propagation of Chameli, Rooted Spanish Jasmine from cuttings

Soil

Where to Grow? In Pots or Garden Bed?

Growing Outdoors

Planting

Spanish jasmine or Chameli Flowers

1. Buy a small jasmine plant from your garden shop or grow your own by propagating Spanish jasmine from a cutting as mentioned above.
2. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the pot of the plant, but the depth should be the same as the plant in the pot.
3. Remove the plant from the pot and place in the hole and fill the hole with soil.
4. Put a 2 inch layer of sugarcane or any other mulch around the plant leaving some clearance near the stem.
5. Put a trellis somewhat away from the roots so as not to damage them. When the chameli plant grows, tie the stems to the trellis to train them to move up. Guiding the climber on trellis will protect it from falling down on to the ground when it becomes heavy with flowers. 
6. For growing more than one plant, keep a spacing of about 3 m between the plants. 

Watering

1. Keep your jasmine vine moist, but do not overwater. Allow the soil to dry out between watering.
2. Over-watering may cause root rot. The plant needs to be watered more during summer to prevent dryness of the soil.

Fertilization

Pruning

1. Pinch dead blossoms off of your vine during the growing period to encourage new growth.
2. Prune your jasmine vine heavily before growing time starts, in late winter. You can prune top two third of each branch to keep it from becoming too heavy. 
3. Remove any stems growing out from the base. 
4. Cut all the dead stems and branches.

Flowering

1. Following are the tips to get healthy flowers on chameli climber.
2. The Spanish will produce blooms from the second year.
3. Flowers should be picked in the early morning when they are the most fragrant.
4. Feed the vine with a liquid feed high in potassium every third week will encourage flowers. 
5. Follow the pruning tips as mentioned above. Cut the growing tips of the branches if there is no sign of blooms on them. This will encourage new growth and new flowers buds.

Spanish Jasmine (Chameli) Vine

Pests and Disease Control

1. Jasmine plants can be affected by pests like aphids, caterpillar, spider mites, etc. and fungus disease. To avoid these problems, always water your Spanish jasmine properly without wetting the leaves.&
2. Ensure that the vine receives sunlight for 4-5 hours daily. 
3. I treat the infested plant with an insecticide, fungicide or neem spray regularly.

Indian Tinda, Apple Gourd

How To Grow & Care Tinda Plant

Soil

When to Plant

Position

Planting

1. The tinda seeds should be planted in one foot (30 cm) diameter mound of dirt, spaced 4-6 feet (1.25-2 m) apart. Or plant seeds in rows about twelve inches apart.
2. Sow the seed at a depth of about an inch (2.5 cm), keep damp. The seeds will germinate in 1-3 weeks depending on the temperature.
3. I don't have so much space in my kitchen garden, so I plant tinda in pots. You can soak the seeds overnight before planting to speed up germination. I also put a tall trellis in the pot to train the vines to climb vertically up. This vertical growing methods saves lot of space.
4. Keep the vines not overly dense to provide tinda gourds exposure to sunlight and air for best results.

Watering

Harvesting Tinda Gourds

Tinda Flowers

1. Tinda Flowers: The tinda vine produces flower within 3-4 weeks. The flowers are 8-10 mm in diameter. The female flower has a small round bulb at its bottom.
2. The male and female flowers are separate which pollinate and produce smooth fruits ready to pick after 2-3 weeks.
3. The tindas are ready to be harvested when they become round with a bright green color and a distinctive flat top.
4. It is interesting to note that new gourds will continue to grow in the place of the one you taken it off.

Pests and Diseases

Tinda vine growing in a pot. Note the good size fruits.

How To Preserve Seeds

15 Most Powerful Medicinal Plants : Must For Every Home Garden

1. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a miracle medicinal plant.

2. Camomile

Camomile can treat body pain.

3. Comfrey

Comfrey medicinal plant

4. Echinacea

Echinacea medicinal plant

5. Fenugreek

Fenugreek leaves and seeds have health benefits.

6. Ginger

Ginger is a powerful medicinal house plant.

7. Lemon Balm

Lemon balm medicinal plant

8. Marigold

Marigold plants are perfect for home cures.

9. Neem

Neem medicinal plant

10. Peppermint

Peppermint is a miracle herb.

11. Sage (Salvia)

Sage medicinal plant

12. St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

St John’s Wort medicinal plant

13. Tea Tree

Medicinal Tea tree

14. Thyme

Thyme medicinal plant

15. Turmeric

Turmeric has medicinal values in many diseases.

Step-by-Step Guide For Growing A Mango Tree From A Seed

One year old mango tree grown from a seed.

1. The best time to grow mangoes from seed is the beginning of summer.
2. The most important step is the seed selection. Buy a good quality ripe mango and eat it, remove as much flesh as you can.
3. You can directly sow the seed in ground in a sunny place. I like to sow the seed in a pot and then transplant the seedling to a larger pot or into the ground.
4. Fill a pot, about 10 inch diameter with good quality potting mix. Sow the seed about 3 inch deep and water well. Place the pot in a warm sunny place, keep moist.

Germinated mango seed

Many shoots from the germinated Kensigton mango seed

5. The seed will germinate in a few weeks. You will see that the seed will sprout into several seedlings, all identical to each other (except one) and to the parent tree. They are actually the clones. Usually the centrally-located shoot which is the most vigorous shoot than all the other shoots is different and should be removed.
6. When the seedlings are about 4-5 inch tall, cut all but one of the seedlings to grow to a mango tree.
7. You could gently separate each seedling and grow them all to have many mango trees.
8. Or, you can carefully split open a mango seed and take out small bean shaped seeds. You can plant them individually to get many trees.

Transplanting

Transplanting in Ground

1. Dig a hole about three times the size of the root ball. Add potting mix and some garden in the hole. Place the seedling in the hole, add the soil to fill the hole and water it thoroughly.
2. Water your mango plant regularly.
3. Do not over fertilize, otherwise there will be more leaves and less fruit produce. Take care of your mango tree. mango tree care

References

Propagation of Azaleas From Cuttings

Propagated Azalea in a pot started from a Cutting

1. Taking The Azalea Cutting

For Evergreen Azaleas

1. Semi-hardwood cutting is taken to root. Select a branch which is somewhere between soft and brittle. Such a stem will not break like a matchstick and will not bend like rubber. You can find such a cutting after the spring flush of growth is finished.
2. Take cuttings 4 to 5 inches long from the ends of branches.
3. Make a fresh cut just below a node. Remove the flower buds, if any.
4. Remove all leaves from the bottom one third and the top tip of the cutting, leaving 3-4 leaves.

For Deciduous Azaleas

2. Care of Cuttings

3. The Soil Rooting Containers & Medium

1. Take a small pot with many drainage holes at its bottom. wash it with soap and water and then submerse it briefly in water containing a few drops of bleach.
2. Fill the container with a well-drained rooting medium. I take equal amount of potting mix and river sand and mix them.
3. Water well the pot and keep aside for about half an hour so as to drain all the excess water.

4. Planting The Cuttings

Add caption

1. Cut the lower end of the stem just below a node. Scrap the one inch of the stem with a sharp knife to encourage faster and denser rooting.
2. Put this end in a rooting hormone powder or a liquid rooting hormone. Shake off any excess hormone. You can use a natural rooting hormone like willow water or honey. It may be mentioned that the evergreen azaleas root well without any hormone, but the rooting hormone will increase the chances of rooting in deciduous azalea cuttings.
3. Use a pencil and make a hole in the rooting medium and insert the cutting in it, about one third its length without pushing. Ensure that the node and the scraped portion are under the soil. Firm the soil against the cutting.
4. I put 3-4 cuttings in the same pot, keeping them spaced 2-3 inches apart.
5. Do not water, the soil is wet and the stem has no roots yet. 
6. I always enclose the pot in a clear plastic bag and tie its end to keep the inside humidity close to 100%. This will prevent the cuttings to dry out. Alternatively, you can use a 2 liter soft drink bottle whose bottom has been removed. Invert this bottle on the pot and close the cap.
7. Place the pot in bright indirect light. With soil moisture, there will be condensation on the plastic covering.
8. Open the bag after about 8-10 days and see that the soil is moist, if not then add 2-3 drops of water. Over watering will rot the stems. In fact, I don't add any water for 20 days. the watering is needed only after roots are developed.
9. In 5-7 weeks the cuttings will begin to form roots. Check for rooting by gently tugging on the cuttings. If resistance is felt, the cuttings are becoming successfully rooted.
10. Remove the cap from the 2-liter bottles or make holes in the plastic bag covers to lower the humidity.
11. After one week take out the pot and continue it to keep in shade, keeping the plant moist.
12. Next week allow the new azalea plant the morning sun for 1-2 hours. Gradually increase the morning sun. Keep the plant moist.

5. Transplanting the Young Plants

1. Plants can be separated and transplanted when 3-4 sets of new leaves have grown. Choose a shaded  place or which receive only the morning sun in garden, if planting in ground.
2. I press the pot from outside from all sides to loose the soil inside. Gently upside down the pot holding the stems in your hand so that all the cuttings come out of the pot. Because the potting soil is sandy, all the cuttings will be separate. If not, then dip the cuttings with soil in a deep pot with water filled in and press the soil with your finger. This will separate the rooted cuttings.
3. Feed sea weed solution.

   Pink Azalea in a pot started from a cutting