Summer Garden

Mint Plant

Following is what I learned with gardening my mint plant. I started by rooting the stem (You may use your store bought mint plant stem for this) by putting it in water for a week. As of now, I am growing this plant organically by adding organic miracle-gro fertilizer. Mint plant dies down in winter & comes back every spring. Mint loves part shade. It is better to grow mint in a container to control its growth. Otherwise, it will spread all over the place. It is really a low maintenance herb.

Curry plant

My curry plant is actually three years old. It gave out sucker plant this spring. I pruned it to make it bushier. It loves full sun. As for as the soil goes, curry plant loves acidic soil. Adding used coffee grounds makes the soil acidic. It needs nitrogen rich fertilizer for luscious leaf growth. In addition to feeding organic fertilizers I also add at times egg shells & Pistachio shells to prevent the soil from drying out. I also add vinegar at times especially during summer to make the soil more acidic & diluted butter milk in summer too to impart flavor. As the root will rot easily, I will never over water. This plant can withstand up to 2 inches of dryness.

Banana Plant

I bought it last summer from Lowe's. Its a dwarf variety, never bore fruit & gave out sucker plant this spring. It needs full sun & well drained soil. It is a heavy feeder. I water it regularly & fertilize it every other month during growing season.

Jasmine Plant

Three year old Sambac variety. Blooms continuously from spring to fall. Needs full sun & well drained soil. It is a heavy feeder. So I fertilize it regularly. During blooming season, I use bloom booster. Flowers may become smaller if temperature fluctuates or drops below 70 degrees. Pruning every spring helps to maintain a bushier plant. Leaves can also be removed to channelize the plants energy to produce bigger flowers. Never had problems with it in the past three years.

Adukku Malli