Balcony garden, route to partially self-sufficient (part 1)

I have always keep a small balcony garden since the day I moved in. The lock down experience of year 2020 has prompted me to invest more time and effort into my balcony garden. As a foodie, food is a big part of my life. As much as a meat eater I am, I am also a big green eater.

We here in Malaysia are again experiencing the 2021 lock down. The so called "third-wave" is more jarring than previous. Overall cases are unprecedentedly high, in almost every part of the country. Our small state alone has achieved more than 6000 cases.

Today I am sharing some of my balcony garden outcomes from the "lock down awareness". My Lady Fingers has its first flower, my 2 varieties of sweet potato leaves are slowly growing. These are the new addition to my original edibles (long bean, basil, kefir lime, rosemary and mint). They may not be self-sufficient for me yet, but they are really giving me hope to achieve the idea of self sufficient someday in the future. My okra a.k.a lady fingers are growing from store bought seeds (I have 3 plants at approx. 2.5 ft high now). My two varieties of sweet potato leaves are from neighbour and store bought green which I trimmed off the big leaves for cooking and leaving the youngest sprouting leaves, and poke them into soil.

First flower of my lady fingers.

Two varieties of sweet potato leaves. Left: store bought variety, Right: from neighbour

On the side note, I am also learning and experiencing how to plant scallion. I planted coriander and dinosaur kale previously, they both were doing very well until some unknown pest infested them. My idea of balcony garden is it should be chemical-pesticide-free and only uses organic fertilizer (Eg: my coffee ground from moka pot).

I shall continue the update of my progress on "green thumbing" in the page. Stay tuned.