Lal brother, helped by Blesson brother is  turning the back yard into a vegetable production area. However, it is a very challenging project.  The soil, gluggy when wet, sandy when dry, is partly against them. Trees planted around the boundary of the property shade the growing area. The area is covered in weeds. The topography of the area is not helpful either. When it rains the area turns into a pond as it is lower than the path outside the fence and  the fence line where the trees are planted.

Just before the thunderstorm last week Lal planted ladies finger and coriander seed. I went out for a look and found a number of young plants. It was very exciting to see something  growing outside in a hot climate where they are supposed to be planted. The rain had washed away some of the soil from around their roots so we replaced that.

The plants are growing fast and I would like to stay on to see them come into production. I get maybe one fruit a week off each one of my ladies finger plants growing in pots in a tunnel house at home. That is an optimistic kind of estimation. In reality that only happens when the weather is hot for days on end. It would be interesting to see how well they grow in their natural habitat.

Tomato plants, beans, chilli and egg plants are also planted. The egg plants have been slow to set fruit but now have some growing.

We are trying to come up with a plan to protect the garden from the rain that will come in the monsoon season in about June to July. I suggested building the area up and making a border around it with bricks - a kind of raised bed. There are some bricks out the back. Whatever solution we think of involves lots of time and hard work or else money. Ki korbo.

Ladies finger seedlings

The egg plants are setting fruit.

A view of the vegetable production area with tomatoes in the foreground, okra seedlings in the bare land and egg plants behind them.