Lemon Grass and Friends

Only about 1/3 of all the lemon grass that my brother planted alive healthy. One of the easiest to grow, however, the other 2/3 didn't grow well because he planted it under the big tree which deprieved the lemon grass of direct sunlight.


The initial single stalk propagate at fast speed, and potentially grow bushy to around 50 stalks or more?


Won't be long before harvest, inshaAllah...



We almost have the fragrant "rendang" last raya when Abang Awang mistakenly cut the fragrant grass (serai wangi) instead of the lemon grass. I don't blame him for the two are not much different... hehe. This one is good for boil and showered with - ask Rozi, the smell is heavenly and lingers for a long time in the house...



One of the three surviving pineapple plant. Oh, by the way, Iwan the nephew planted several more the other day...



The "Kantan", I can't wait to see it blooming... Strong flavour and colourful too...

The Hornets...

I don't know what attracts them, as we have not just one, but two hornet nest in the farm... One of the deadly insect, as recent tragedy in Sarawak. But this one is the tree-top hornet which is a bit less deadly than the "tebuan tanah" of the ground hornet.

Hanging precariously on top of kuini tree - just by a tiny branch and leaves...

Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok... - do not poke at the hornet's nest - but still, some people still so curious...

Update 3 - The Papaya

The papaya trees are surviving - bearing fruits continously, about equal share between us and monkeys and squirrels...

Alhamdulillah for the bounty...

Almost ready to pluck...

Enter the Ulam Raja!

Now with most of the cash crop such as tomatoes, brinjal, okra gone, and no replanting (for I am now away and can only occasionally visit the farm) one plant made a debut - I think the sapling was from Zie's garden? To the uninitiated, the Ulam Raja's shoot is good to go with budu or belacan (of course with rice and fried fish too). I have not heard it being cook though. Mostly taken on its own or made part of proper 'ulam' (mixed with other herbs and grated coconut and mashed grilled fish).

The plants grows among the (used to be tall) grass. The plant is quite sturdy and propagate easily. In no time it normally spread all over the area. The picture is not quite clear, as it was high noon - the only time I can spare in the farm...

Mmmmm yummy! The young shoot...

Its small pink flowers are irresistably beautiful... Enjoy the rest of the pictures, high noon or not...

Update 2 - The Dragon

One of the dragon fruit plant, grows faster than the others, beyond the post, high up to the sky... hehehe

Update 1 - The Bananas

This was wahat reported some 10 months ago...


The little saplings from Ayah Wan, barely a month old.

Here is how they are now...

Standing tall among the others

Propagating rapidly

And fruiting! Yes! it is...


The 'flowers' opening from its 'heart' (how did they come out with the term of 'jantung pisang'??? beats me...)

Soon to turn into real bananas, inshaAllah...

This bunch is 3 weeks older, safely covered up, out of the monkeys and the big squirrels' view - while we still have the energy to cover up la.... hehheh

It Turned Out Alright, Maybe, Hopefully...

Apologize for the long neglect... Now that I am a bit settled, might have more time for the farm - maybe not as before, but I am getting people to take care of the farm on my behalf. Hope to be able to update this site more frequently...

the passion fruit... this turned out to be a round type - the fruit is hard to cut, unlike the oblong type that is softer. The round type seeds taste stronger than the oblong type, as I vaguely remember... one fruit,


...two...

and many more...

Wild Passion...

Passion fruit or locally known as "buah susu" or "mangkisar". We used to pluck it in the wild - nobody planted the creeper before heheheh. The wild passion fruit vines grown all over the place. If not for my brother insistance, I would clear all, for it is bushy and grow very fast. So, we keep a few plants that grow on the fence, along the angled bean trees. Although the vines grow fast, but its take longer time to fruit. The creeper plant started growing about the same time as the angled bean, but is yet to fruit - not for much longer I guess, for the flowers are blooming...


The thick bush...



A blooming flower next to the bud on top



Sweet smelling purple white flower...




Sitting pretty...




Hope this one will turn into sweet, juicy passion fruit...

Garden Tomato

The single surviving tomato tree is producing good harvest. I have learned that I need to pick up the fruits earlier - cannot leave it ripe on the tree for it will go bad fast...


Any more ripe than this will spoil the fruit. So I have to pluck the fruit earlier and leave it to ripe off the tree.


MashaAllah, la kuwwata illabillah... Allah, Tuhan yang menumbuhkan dari tanah. Dari mati (tiada) kepada hidup dan mati semula... (dan hidup semula...)

Papaya Pt II

The papaya trees went through severe torture when growing up, to the suspected mousedeer who loves the shoots. Although some of the trees survive, but not without scars. Now almost all the trees, each producing sizeable fruits of different shapes (oblong or rounded). The flesh are of 2 shades, either orange or red. I personally prefer the orange colored, for although both are equally sweet; the orange colored flesh texture is usually finer.


Sooo thin...



But they survive for now…

One of the rare, isolated trees that survive the attacks, growing healthier.

At Last, the Dragon Moves

After many months of staring at the static saplings, finally the dragon fruit trees started branching out...

Yayyy!

The Lemon Grass Farm

While I was away, my brother Amir has cleared part of the farm and planted lemon grass all over the place... Soon we will have to mass produce the herb hehehe

the cleared area and expanding...

close-up of the grass saplings

How Many Kids do You Think She has?

I stumbled upon a colony of new hatchlings of a (suspected) spider.The baby spiders are hundreds in numbers. But who knows how many survived into adulthood?

Count it for yourself!

How many will survive? Only Allah knows.

Cannot get any closer than this - so you just have to make do whith this shot....

...in the Meantime...

The rambutans grow about 1-2 ft taller



...but the durian remained almost unchanged.



...the ubi lengkuas was badly damaged by Cik B and struggling to survive. I decided to move the remaining roots near to the hut within our view, and it looks much more happier there. Sorry Hajah, need to wait a while longer for the "ubi"... hehehehe...

Progress Report - Apr 09

Been busy lately, and expecting to be busier in time to come... The farm is sort of neglected. But life goes on... Here is the progress report todate:

The new batch of stela - expecting for Aug/Sep harvest... or delay it a bit longer till after Eid?

The angled bean never stop producing... Alhamdulillah....

The tapioca in one corner - also expected harvest similar to the stelas... If it can last that long, for 2 days after this picture is captured, a strong wind has flatten a few trees.

The banana trees grow very well in the farm and started producing saplings - no fruit yet la! The sugarcane trees grow not as healthy, as I mentioned earlier the roots are not strong due to the white ants attack. But look at the grass!!! Hahahaha no time to "melerah" la....

Lemongrass - the most sturdy and care free plant...

The regular size tomato tree started bearing fruit - Alas! but one tree only survived, the rest of the batch saplings didn't survive the grasshoppers' attack.