Keeping plants hydrated

 The tomatoes are beginning to ripen and I resist harvesting until they are very ripe. I want to savour the taste of organic tomatoes ripened on the vine instead of in the stores. I hope the birds don't beat me to it!

We'll be away on family vacation for a week and I don't want to return home to find my tomato plants dead. It's been exceptionally hot lately with no rain, so I've set up a simple irrigation system using the wick method to keep the plants hydrated when I'm on holiday. I use strips of microfibre cloth as it absorbs more water than other fabrics. I can't possibly do this to all my plants, so for now only the tomatoes will receive the special treatment.

Radish greens

I tossed some radish seeds, the ones I normally use for sprouting, into my compost bin and I've got a bunch of good looking greens now. Apparently radish leaves are quite a delicacy. When eaten raw in salads, they are spicy and full of flavour. Some people use them to make pesto or stir fries. I'd rather wait a bit more just to see if I can find any radish beneath the soil.

Fruitful

Every morning, I stand before my tomato plants to see if I can spot any new fruits developing. To date, I have 8 and counting. As they grow bigger, the shape changes from oval to hour-glass, I'm pretty curious how they will eventually turn out.

The calamansi plant is also filled with fruits. This plant is so productive, I've a constant supply of calamansi which is perfect for making a piquant Asian salad dressing or a refreshing iced drink. Even though the fruit is available cheaply at the market, nothing beats eating your own organic ones. Every house should grow one.