Plant World:How to grow bitter melon

Bitter melon is a very easy to grow  plant.You can grow the fruit(when it isn't ripe and for cooking)and for the fresh(the ruby red fresh which covers the seeds-MAKE sure that the fruit is orange ripe before harvesting for the fresh).
Grow bitter melon in spring to summer.
Plant the seeds 1 inch into the soil,then water.the seedlings should appear in a few days to a week(see how the seedling looks like the image below). Transplant them and plant them in a fertile black clay soil.When the plant begins to grow tendrils, make a short small trellis for the the bitter melon to climb on.
Soon, your plant will be flowering and fruiting.When  it does fruits,make sure to cover the fruit to prevent it form melon fly stings
Gardening               
 Make sure:
your seedling looks like this:


And remember to recognize which flowers fruit
Male flower-DOES NOT FRUIT!

Female flower-FRUITS

For fruit, harvest it when it looks like this-(and open it for the ruby red fresh):

For fresh,harvest the fruit when it looks like this:



       

Plant World:Bitter melon

Bitter Gourd
(Momordica charantia)
Momordica charantia called  bitter melon or bitter gourd in English,is a Tropical and subtropical vine of the family,Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits;the red fresh surrounding the seed is actually not bitter and can be eaten raw.May have a little sweet taste.I call them "ruby seeds of the bitter melon."I often put the seeds on my salad to decorate it(with the fresh on it).very slippery with a little jelly substance.I often think of this as a fruit not a vegetable.And so few people even know that a ripe bitter melon's ruby red flesh is good to eat.It is also RICH in IRON which promotes blood health. There are many varieties that differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
This is a plant of the tropics, but its original native range is unknown.It is believe that the bitter gourd's fruit
is designed for birds to eat. 
              Click and See this image to see which parts
                       I eat(100% NOT BITTER!!!)            

Flower Bulbs

Images:

Ripe bitter melon(open)

Bitter melon opened by birds

More ripe bitter melon images:

White bitter melon-ripe

Bitter melon when it isn't ripe

Other members of this family:

Indian bitter melon(spiky and the most bitter

of all bitter melons(except the fresh) 

Balsam Apple

(Momordica balsamina )       

Momordica foetida

Momordica foetida is a perennial climbing vine native of tropical Africa, closely related to the bitter melon (M. charantia) and balsam apple (M. balsamina). Its species name ("bad-smelling") refers to its unpleasant smell.

Gac fruit

(Momordica cochinchinensis )

See here too:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momordica_cochinchinensis

Flowers of the Gac

Gac seeds

  

Plant World:How to grow Nasturtium flower

How to grow Nasturtium:

Fresh yellowy green Seeds and dried seeds are Recommended.Fresh seeds sprout out earlier than dried seeds.Plant them in in spring(18-27degrees) in Black clay soil,or pond soil,Humus or Peat soil.Cow manure and Horse manure are also recommended-If you don't have manure,you can add compost,peat humus or nitrogen rich soils.If you don't see anything sprouting for more than a week,-that's natural-it takes them one or two weeks to sprout.Also make sure that:you water at least two times a day,make sure that the soil is NOT crisp dry but moist.If it has sprouted, Plant them in a fertile nitrogen rich soil or Black clay soil or peaty soil or any soil that is very fertile etc.The plant will flower in a few days! Nutrient demanding.If the sol has enough nutrients, your nasturtium should has leaves as big as a royal gala apple and will craw along the ground like a pumpkin.If there isn't enough nutrients your  nasturtium will NOT craw along the ground-instead it will look like a plant with thick stems and small yellow round leaves. the Plant Will flower too and the flowers will be as big as the nasturtiums with lost of nutrients,but the plant will NOT live as long as the ones with nutrients(the nasturtiums that craw along the ground has nutrients)If your nasturtiums are those healthy, big leaf ones,your nasturtium can survive and flower form spring to autumn.(cold weather will kill nasturtiums-but the seeds of the nasturtium produced when it was alive will grow and sprout out next spring).

Gardening                                                                 

(see          MORE:PlantWorld:nasturtium:http://123plantworld.blogspot.com/2011/04/plant-worldnasturtium.html)

More information: 

Nasturtium sprout:

Healthy nasturtium:

 Big plant with big flowers

and leaves very invasive

Long live(average life span:

7 months)                                                       

(Type:Normal type)                                                                                                                 

Non healthy Nasturtium:

Does not craw along the ground

Small yellow or green leaves.Small plant

and non-invasive.Flowers Big flowers 

just like healthy ones but is short lived

(average life span:5 months) 

 

Nasturtium fresh fruit and seeds:

(see         MORE:PlantWorld:nasturtium:http://123plantworld.blogspot.com/2011/04/plant-worldnasturtium.html)

Plant World:Durian fruit

Durian
(Durio kutejensis)
Is a far member of the hibiscus family,also known as the Malvaceae family.This Strange spiky fruit has over 30 species and has a strong smell like cheese.In the west,some people often don't like the Strong smell of the durian.But people  in  south Asia Love the sweet taste of the durian.It can be eaten fresh,Freeze dried, and as a cake.The fruit is yellowy green with yellow fresh.Some  Durian are Red!!-And they were said to be found in Borneo.
Images:




Flowers of the durian


Fruit on the tree

Plant World:Cashew Nut

Cashew
(Anacardium occidentale)
Is a strange fruit related to the Mango Family.the fruit is strange-The seed of the Nut,Is outside of a fruit instead of being in the fruit or shell!The seed or nut we eat hanges out of the fruit called the "apple"upside down!Cashews can be use as a thickener in soups(grounded cashews).And  also  be eaten as a snack,or cooked like vegetables.
 Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cashew 
NutsOnline
Images:


Cashew Nut 

Cashew Nut  with fruit,or "apple"on the tree







Cashew flower