After losing the fluted pumpkin seedlings and with the desire to add that very species of vegetable to my garden because of its rich nutrient quality, I have been going around town to get a replacement for the lost ones. Getting quality seeds is a herculean task. It is one thing to get a good species that will grow and flourish well. It is another thing to be able to successfully transplant it into its new location.
I purchased some seeds earlier and transplanted them here, hoping that they would acclimatize and begin to grow from there, but after 3 days, it took a different turn until the seeds died.
Today I was fortunate to locate a seed store, and you can see the varieties of seeds that have been sold here. They all carry a name tag so that they don't all get mixed up.
I purchased these fluted pumpkin seedlings and some spinach.
Two species of spinach were planted in my garden here, and you can see just how the infestation has damaged the already-grown veggies.
It started with showing signs of black pods on the leaves, and then holes and patches began to appear on the leaves until eventually I lost all the African spinach locally called "Efo tete."
I had thought about replacing that species and monitoring the process to see how to prevent any such infectious occurrences.
The other species of vegetable, Shoko in the local language (Lagos spinach), wasn't badly affected, and the situation can still be arrested as I have been asking around for a possible way out.
I was surprised to see that they also sell inorganic fertilizer, NPK, in very small quantities. One can purchase these for as little as $0.5.
We have the local farmers coming around to purchase seeds and fertilizers too.
This morning, I also noticed that the Lagos spinach (Shoko) has stunted growth and the leaves are turning yellow. It is just a notable sign that the land is not fertile and is in dire need of fertilizer. Since the veggies have been planted, I am skeptical about adding organic fertilizer because poultry droppings might contain harmful worms, and it's possible that these vegetables may not be properly taken care of before cooking if I share this with neighbors.
And then again, because of the side effects of inorganic fertilizers, we are trying to avoid their complete use by growing natural food.
The jute mallow has impressed me so far; a portion of it is now ready for harvest. I am allowing this to grow in order to determine if it can get to the stage of seed production.
The journey of having and keeping a garden might just seem like a small task until one is into it.