bitter gourds; a perspective

picture 1

picture 2

picture 3

looking up.
picture 4

The whole bitter gourd plants are lightweight in nature and look. The two plants climb up and spread at the top of the trellis with the help of flexible tendrils. Tendrils just grab anything in sight, most on the bamboo structure but sometime on their own stems and stalks.  The fruits are allowed to hang and by doing so the fruits will develop nicely and proportionately unless beetles choose to bore at some stage of the development. Some branches that has gone out of the way and fall, require our help to put them back where they are suppose to be... going up and rest on the trellis.  A branch was more adventurous by stretching far and get attached to the hibiscus nearby. I have to entangle that..

Watering is still twice everyday, morning and evening.  Fertiliser is once every fortnight, poultry pellets and liquid fertiliser spray. So far insects shy away from bitter gourd plants. Beetles that have been munching cucumber  leaves are very busy there, and have not considered bitter gourds their second home. Yesterday Kakdah took one gourd, and fried the sliced gourd with shrimps. Tasty!
At the moment there are 8 fruits dangling at various stage of maturity.

When ever there is wind,
the fruits will sway sweetly,
welcoming the rare visit of natural friend.

bangchik