Planting Season – 2011

The planting season is in full swing around us and we are trying to put as much life into the soil as we can. The monsoon seems to have started much earlier than normal and is expected to bring less rains than normal.

Newbies like lemons, pepper vines,  some varieties of Bamboo and flowering trees like Plumeria are enjoying the on and off rains.

Tubers like turmeric, ginger, yam, tapioca and taro(Sembu or Seppan Kizhangu in Tamil) have sprouted moderately well.

Veggies for the home include assorted climbers and creepers(gourds mostly),  flat beans,  tomatoes, radish, beets, carrots,  few varieties of greens and onions growing on a little hill. There are some undocumented okra, egg plants, water melons, bitter gourds, cow peas and wild edible greens growing here and there that constantly surprise us with their size and taste.

Corriander leaves(cilantro) and fenugreek are spicing things up. Mint is struggling.

Soon to be planted are grains like corn and ragi (with love from pointReturn) and pulses like cow peas and red gram.

Still on our wish list for the year are trees like Prosopis Spicigera (Vanni), Calophyllum inophyllum (Punnai), Cassia Nilotica (Sara Kondrai), Mountain Ebony (Mandhaarai), Flame of the Forest (Purasu, Butea Monosperma) and few Cocoas.

Will post some pictures when I get my broken phone back 🙂