Waiting!

I have been waiting to harvest my sole winter melon for the past 2 weeks. As this will be the first time, it is no wonder that I am still waiting since I have no idea at all when is the right time. It is something to look forward to everyday as I check on it when I water the garden in the morning.

The winter melon is still growing in girth but less in length although I think it is more than 2 feet long already. The colour is slowly turning a darker shade of green but I think there is still a long way to go. Googling on when to harvest the winter melon yielded a range of advice from waiting for all the surface hair to drop off or for the skin to turn a waxy white or the skin to turn a deep green. I think the winter melon now weighs about 18 kilograms or heavier.





Meanwhile the cucumber vine and the other winter melon plant were attacked by mites and I had to uproot the two plants before the mites spread to my precious winter melon plant. Even now it is iffy - anytime the mites may strike and I will be forced to harvest my winter melon before its time. Keeping my fingers crossed!



Since the diseased plant has been cleared the other plants struggling in the shadows before get better sunlight now and are starting to flourish again - like the chilli and the okra which have grown many new shoots after I fertilized them with more chicken dung.









And the papaya plant has started to flower (above) and I think this is a bisexual flower which means I may get some papaya fruits. I hope :)

P.S. there are 2 new female winter melon flower that look likely to be pollinated and may yield more new fruits if the plant survives disease. I will revamp the garden and plant less densely - guess I was over enthusiastic and inexperienced! :D:D