Okra Mystery

Fieldwork has been heating up, hence I've had fewer opportunities to post about my garden, but I've got a little time today to make some updates. I've given up on the zinnia/dahlia mix that I planted. They just sort of shriveled up, I don't know why. I've also been having some issues with my geraniums, I can't think why! I've always read that you need to let them dry out in between waterings, and so I've been trying not to overwater, but maybe that logic doesn't apply here in Lahore at the start of the hot season. Highs have been getting up in the 30s (celsius, 90s for my American friends) and the sun is quite bright. At least it still gets cool at night!

The current configuration of the vegetable garden

The various vegetables seem to be coming along. The remainder of my squash have finally started coming up! My plan is to have two vines in each of the large pots, for a total of four each of cucumber, bitter melon, and squash. I'm still waiting for one more bitter melon (karela) to sprout, but other than that the vines seem to be coming along nicely. I think that within a week I will probably be able to start training them to grow on the balcony railing.

Bitter melon is really a beautiful plant

Then in the okra (bhindi) pots Amjad assures me there is enough room to have around five plants in each. Which brings me to my okra mystery. The seeds I initially planted mostly came up, and I filled in the remainder with a second round of planting. Two of the pots are doing well and have a bunch of little seedlings I plan to thin out shortly. The third pot somehow only has a single sprout, despite two rounds of planting. I suspect theft of seeds by the birds, it's the only way I can account for it. Plus I saw a bird sitting in my pots the other day, I'm thinking they are the culprit. This morning I did a third round of planting of the okra seeds. I must have put ten seeds each in four holes around the sides of the pot, so hopefully at least a few will survive.

Successful okra, lots of little plants

Weirdly non-sprouting okra, with one sad plant

Okra worries aside, I was happy to find that my echeveria is about to bloom! So pretty. I'm thinking that as the flowers develop the leaves are starting to look a little bit withered, so I need to read up on succulent care. The weather in Lahore is not that different from Texas, but this still feels like a trial and error period.

Flower buds on my echeveria

I still haven't been able to chat with the mali, probably because I've been quite busy the past few weeks, but I hope to catch up with him soon.