Progress of vegetable growth

This season, vegetable planting went a little haywire.You might have noticed my cribbing about lack of sufficient rains in Hyderabad, forcing me to rethink on planting new seeds. Meanwhile we had fairly good showers in August, giving me enthusiasm to take out the seed collections,stored at random, demanding sorting.

I planted a lot of seeds in transparent plastic glasses. Covered them, watched them over; Radish, carrots, tomatoes, brinjal , gourds, etc..

The carrots germinated fast, throwing me off-balance , since I had not prepared enough pots. They all sprouted with a vengeance, but, with lack of proper care, the carrots did not develop much. But the flowers remained,like ladies- laces, and the seeds are forming so well, till now. Hope to collect some soon , if I master the art.

“Water and fertilize with 1/2 tsp. of plant fertilizer mixed with a water can full of water once a month throughout the spring. Flower stalks will grow and bloom, and when the blooms fade, seedpods will form.
Keep an eye on the seedpods throughout the next month or so, and collect them when they become dry and brittle. Get them before they fall, to prevent birds and squirrels from plundering your harvest.
Take the pods indoors and leave them on a plate or saucer in open air to complete the drying process. Break open the pods and shake the seed into a vented plastic sandwich bag. Store in a cool, dry place for sowing the following spring.

Read more: How to Collect Carrot Seeds | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_6526927_collect-carrot-seeds.html#ixzz29wJ56GAq”

“Leaving just one carrot to go to seed will produce enough seeds for you and your extended family. In fact, you could probably feed the neighbourhood. One carrot will produce thousands of seeds.
I’ve added the photograph of the carrot top ‘bush’. In another couple of weeks, the ends will come out in white flowers. That is when I’ll cut off the branch, invert it in a paper bag, and hang it up to dry. In a month’s time, I’ll have all the seeds I need!” from http://www.plantagenda.com.au/hints-and-recipes/carrot-seed-collection.php

Sounds easy, will try it out and post the results.

And then came the brinjals, the favourite of Hyderabad climate.Due to some rains, I lost the (varieties)labels, though I am not the one to be upset about that..

Too many seedlings needing TLC, I shared some plants with friends, who visited my Terrace to collect them. And the rest grew well.

The harvest too was sufficient to make the family, neighbors and friends happy, after a while, people got little tired of them 🙂

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You can see the harvest of Okra (Bhendi), and other vegetables too. Okra plants of last year have since got pest attacks, but the new ones are flourishing, ( Vanastree seeds), and fruiting regularly.

The feel good crops were the never failing tomatoes. They grew well, they sparkled in the rain, and ripened on the tree. Did not go through much of pest attack.

The gourds and beans of Vanstree too were happy to germinate in full. It was a sweet success for me that the beans are flowering and fruiting.

I am thankful that nature bestowed me with this pretty necklace, on a Cauliflower leaf, one fine morning.

Happy Gardening, and welcome to the mild winter.