Landing Page - Subtropical Urban Eden

Do you need artificial fruit ripeners for bananas to ripen properly?

The post discusses methods of natural ripening for different banana varieties, advising to pick them mature and store in a dark place for quick ripening. The color and flavor vary with each variety, and some won’t turn yellow even with artificial ripeners. Regular watering during the dry season enhances fruit quality and reduces plant breaking. Commercial growers handle bananas cautiously to avoid bruising. Immature bananas that start rotting need more time on the plant before harvesting.

08/03/2024

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Grape Plants: Fruit quality, training vines and using grape leaves

The variety and growing conditions of grapes determine their color, sweetness, and resistance to diseases. Heavy rains, excessive heat, drought, or soil pH during ripening can affect grape quality. Muscadine varieties produce larger grapes requiring sturdy supports. Grape leaves can be harvested for use in salads, wraps, stews, pickles, and soups, providing nutrients such as vitamin C, K, and fiber. The post concludes with an invitation to share recipes and visit an online store selling grape plants.

18/11/2025

Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Grape Plants

Seedless grapes may occasionally produce seeds under stressful conditions or in young vines. The size and quality of grape berries and bunches increase as the grapevine matures. During the early growth years, expect smaller, less sweet grapes. Harvesting should be done when the grapes have fully ripened for optimal taste, but watch out for birds and fungal diseases. Storage in a vegetable/fruit tray may help ripening and enhance sweetness. Wine grapes are typically less sweet than table grapes.

12/11/2023

Ginger, Galangal and Turmeric Planting Season

Ginger, Galangal and Turmeric are spice plants related on the same family. The plants have distinct features and productivity, with Galangal yielding the largest harvest. They can handle less ideal conditions including clay soils and pots, but thrive best in sandy soils rich in organic matter. The author encourages sharing experiences of growing ginger in specific regions.

13/11/2023

Cardamom plants look like tall turmeric plants. The wall provides some shelter for the potted plants.

Growing Green Cardamom in Lusaka, Zambia

Green cardamom, or Elettaria cardamomum, is a spice from the ginger family hailing originally from India, but also grows in tropical regions like Tanzania. Growing successfully in subtropical regions requires certain conditions: sheltered locations with temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius, regular watering, full to partial shade, thinning, and frequent manure or compost application.

06/03/2024

Katuk (Sauropus androgynus)

Katuk, a fast-growing perennial shrub vegetable popular in Southeast Asia, is noted for its high nutritional and medicinal values. Its flowers and leaves, rich in vitamins, zinc, and iron, are edible. Usually consumed cooked due to potential lung damage risks, Katuk is easy to grow, surviving frost and drought. Optimal growth occurs in summer, offering ornamental flowers and lush green leaves.

21/11/2025

Stone Fruits in Zambia This Season Part 2

Last winter’s fluctuating temperatures have delayed plum tree flowering by four to six weeks. The mismatched blooming schedules with pollinating varieties due to insufficient cold exposure may result in low plum and apricot yields this year. Continued soil mulching, frequent watering, and fruit fly prevention measures are recommended.

18/02/2024

Stone Fruits In Zambia This Summer Part 1

Stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, grown in Zambia, can tolerate mildly cold winters. Their dormancy period is quintessential for fruiting. Despite being a month late, peaches and early-season nectarines expect high yields. It’s crucial to spray fruit fly preventive, install traps, thin out fruits, and nurture the soil with deep watering and manure.

18/02/2024

Lemons in Spring

The everbearing, Italian orange, Eureka, and Meyer lemons have been fruiting since the start of the year and hardly shed. To prevent fruit desiccation, and for trees to establish fresh flowers, harvest should occur before drying out commences. The same procedure applies to orange trees bearing ripe fruits.

13/11/2023

How to make figs sweeter

Summer figs, including the Summer LSU and VDB varieties, are hailed as some of the tastiest treats of the season. Their sweetness and ease in drying make them particularly desirable. A subtly underwatered tree can produce shriveled figs, but when perfectly ripe, they’re greatly relished by many.

02/02/2024

Ripe White Mulberry

White mulberries mature in less than eight weeks during summer, turning from green to white. Unlike the Pakistan and Himalayan varieties, they do not turn red before black. At their peak ripeness, they are sweet and succulent. Overripe white mulberries might turn light purple and become less sweet but remain edible.

03/03/2024

Fig Trees in Spring

In spring, the everbearing fig varieties ripen, with the hot winds drying the figs into sweet treats. Young fig leaves are useful in teas and stews, though sap can cause allergies in sensitive people. Challenges this season include rust on leaves, fruit drop due to water shortage, and birds. Minimize this by correct watering and netting or distracting birds with low-hanging fruits.

02/02/2024