This is my lone cauliflower survived till end of December and I plucked it on the last day of this year. It has grown pretty well, without usual pests and worms, (touch wood). I realized that in Hyderabad, anything grows at any time. Last year, the cauliflowers, cabbage , radish and turnips were braving the rains and flourishing, albeit with lots of worms and pests.. This year, I did not venture into them, but planted it now. They seem to come up leisurely. In winter the growth is slowed down a little. I am going slow on pouring my cow based nourishment too. The air is thick, the smell lingers for a long time, and I am worried the neighbours and folks at home may object.
However, one plant that gave me some joy is the ridge gourd. It is rearing to go, and many of the seedlings are growing , flowering too soon and fruits are also seen. I am a little surprised at that.
Not great photographs though, just wanted to show that they are two plants. Some more are on the cards.
The beans and the karela are not producing anything substantial. The pots holding the plants are small and I am sure the lack of nourishment affects them. I am in a dilemma most of the itme, should I add NPK? or only organic matter? This goes on for weeks and finally the plants just refuse to grow!
Another plant is this one, which is growing so well,with yellow flowers.
But what happens is this:
The leaves look like this.
I am not able to figure out what this plant is, and why the fruits are dropping off, after a promising start. Any idea?
Pattu's terrace Garden 
None at all: but I think your gourds are wonderful. Our courgette/zucchini look a bit like that but they don’t drop off early….good luck in your search….
Welcome Kate. Thanks.
That’s a beautiful head of cauliflower. 🙂
I’m not sure what that last one is although it does remind me of zucchini.
Thanks Robin, Welcome to my blog!
Hello Pattu,
The reason for premature fruit drop could be due to lack of pollination. Sometimes, if there are no male flowers when female flower blooms or pollination didn’ happen, there female flower drops off. You can pollinate the flowers manually. Take a paint brush and rub it well in the central cone of the male flower and take the brush and brush it in in the female flower.
Hope this helps..
Wishing you a great 2012.
geekgardener
Hi GG, Great to get your reply so quickly. I will soon do the needful. But I was confident that those bees that are trying to sting me all the time in the Terrace was doing the pollination. May be they dont like those big flowers. I will try it out tomorrow.
That looks like a courgette plant, Pattu. You can make fritters out of the flower; the whole flower is dipped in batter and fried. If you’re interested, you should be able to find a recipe on the NEt. Beautiful cauliflower and the turai look good too.
Thanks Jeanne. I will try it out.
Hi Pattu, your cauliflower looks splendid. The other creeper with yellow flower bears pumpkins or yellow gourds(phetha kadu in punjabi) This is a very delicate plant and doesn’t not grow well in a congested space.The fruit looks infected and stunted.Bye and good luck in your efforts!:)
Thanks Uppalji. I am trying to sort out the problem. And hoping atleast one will grow to make me pleased.
WONDERFUL GOURDS AND CAULIFLOWER. LOVELY KITCHEN GARDEN.
welcome Shanthi. thanks.
Vegetable gardens can be very rewarding, some disappointments with lack of good fruiting notwithstanding!
Although our garden is mainly a flower garden we always plant several seasonal vegetables in amongst the flowers. They are sufficient to give us a good crop.
Thanks Nick, Welcome.
nice cauliflower, the leaf is of pumpkin I guess we tried to grow it but failed .
hi party, great cauliflower n guard leaf looks like of pumpkin. M trying to grow cauliflower planted around 15 days back along with virtual tomato, spring onion waiting any suggestion please email
Thanks Hardeep. All the best for your harvest.
Hardeep, it was so long ago, I am not able to recollect whether the fruits appeared. I think they did not. Anyway, I have given up on pumpkins for now.:-)
Mam,
Even I had lot of pumpkin plants. They will bloom and after some time the fruits will shrivel and fall. I was fed up and have given up. Now I have a ridge gourd and facing the same problem. But my snake gourd plants have produced and waiting for the harvest.
Vidhya
Good to get snake gourds Vidhya. I was told that it is very difficult to make gourds grow on terrace. I have been moderately successful with bottle gourd , pumpkin has not come up so far.
Mam,
I bought a betel leaf plant from the nursery which had very dark leaves. But when I planted it in a big pot, new shoots came and it grew but the leaves are pale in colour. What could be the reason. Could you please suggest methods to grow this properly
How sad Vidhya!. Sometimes betal plants refuse to grow.. Maybe it is looking for some nitrogen. Do you use lots of dry leaves as mulch..? Adding some nitrogen rich fertilizer might help.
My betal vines, one of them simply does not want to continue. It is drying up.. The other one is lush and green..