La-Kwa Vines

Ever thought of having your veggie escapes into your flower display? Try to top this. :-) La-Kwa shares trelis with Mandavella.

Another view

Kim I checked that plant out in PF and it is the strangest plant I've ever seen. It looks like someone beaded it.

Jeri

It's a fun plant, Jeri, it's used extensively in the Orients.

It would be cute having that vine twining up your Oriental Tea Room, I'll save some seeds for the RU. (If it becomes ripe by then - I'm pretty sure it would be, will see).

This message was edited Jul 3, 2007 10:32 PM
edit to say; if I have to correct my typing twice in on setting....it was time to go to bed. :-)

This message was edited Jul 4, 2007 5:56 AM

I've several small fruits hanging up there, you'd have to enlarge the picture to find them.
This morning I'll have to get the ladder out and train the vines up to the nearby arbor. (one single vine, with lots of branches). The fruits when mature will be the size of a squad or zuchinii. At this hour, bees already out there working on the flowers. Yippy! That means I'm going to have a lot more fruits just from this one vine.

Today's flower among Glory Lily flower and bud.

Today's fruits hidden among Mandavella.

Kim is this the same vine?

Here is another shot.

Jeri,
That looks more like a watermelon vine? No, La-Kwa vine is a little more slender, and it climb by long tendrils....

I try to get one that's has a close-up of the leaves....(it's raining outside - got to get off the 'puter soon). See if this one is any help.

Note; the very 1st fruit is turning color, orangy. That's a little premature, since it's not fully developed yet. I'm going to cut it off tomorrow, to divert energy back onto the vine, so it can make new "babies".

For those of us interested in "vine and climber" not neccessarily Veggies. Check out the "Giant Pumpkin" post in Vegetable Gardening Forum.

This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 7:47 AM

Prematured fruiting, hang on tough, difficult to pick off the vine without prunner.
p.s. the pic. turns out half faded, I'll try to post another one later.

This message was edited Jul 7, 2007 10:49 AM

Quality of the pic. isn't great. Fast growing fruits, this one among many other hanging overhead. :)

Kim that is weird!! Kinda neat though. LOL

Jeri

Hi Kim,
I hope you have some seed to bring to the swap. I would like to have one. This is the first time I have seen this vine.
Mary D.

Hi Mary Welcome back to the other side. Are you still doing good? I thought of calling you yesterday. I've missed you!!!

Isn't that a strange thing. It looks like it's beaded.

Jeri

Hi Mary D, Jeri;
I sure will "beef" it up so I can save lots of seeds to share. LOL. I've several other vines climbing but haven't set fruits due to the location. This likes many other veggies, they need lots of sun light. :-)
Kim

As you will see when you come in September I have plenty of that. My garden is on the west side of the house. Too hot for anybody else so it's mine. LOL!!!

Jeri

You've got it! (The seeds are somewhat the size of a pumkin's seed), they need to be soaked over night in luke-warm water) and directly sow out in the garden, pots after danger of frost. (alternately sow indoor and transplant later) They quickly germinate and take off. No pest problem thus far. Bees love these flowers.

Thanks Kim. I will be looking forward to meeting you.

Hi Jeri, I had one set back but it is geting better. My appointment is tomorrow and I am hoping for a good report. Thanks for asking.

Mary

Today's La-Kwa, other fruits are catching up too...

That thing is huge!!! LOL

Jeri

LOL, it's what we call "trick photography" lol, Jeri, it isn't that big yet. It's out in the open and full sun, every angle I aimed, it sort of got washed out by light. And with digital cameria's auto-focus. I didn't know how to tame the lighting. (but don't tell anyone) hush, hush.
Kim

This message was edited Jul 10, 2007 10:28 PM

Kim you are bad!!! You completely fooled me. Considering I've never seen this vine before this one it really wasn't hard to do. LOL!!!

Yes, It sure was getting scary wasn't it?

I was thinking what would support a vine of that? LOL

Jeri

I was wondering the same thing and thinking that I had put my foot in my mouth asking for a seed. LOL

lol, in the morning I'll be back out there and measure the fruit. I'll provide an accurate demension of the whatchamacallit beady thingy. lol. We're just back from our MG monthly meeting. Had a great time, playing dirty Santa with our plants in July. Everyone had a wonderful time. Will share with ya'll later.

Is that the "bitter melon''? used in Chinese and other Asian cookery?

Hi chrissy from Sydney, Australia. You've got it! It's loaded with vitamins, and some medicinal properties too. (according to folk flore). An acquire taste in which many find difficult to "acquire" lol.
For those that follow this vine's progress, I'll be back late this evening and share more info. Duty calls, and I'll be gone for the most part of the day.

Here it's, perhap slightly bigger than it was the day before. Didn't have time to get its actual size....

Edit to say; wrong pic. no repeat pic. no repeat pic. sorry about that, new pic. is coming....

This message was edited Jul 11, 2007 10:44 PM

Today's La-Kwa...

The trelis La-Kwa climbs on....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon

KayJones;
Most intriuque, and informative document on the mentioned plant. Thank you very much for sharing.

It is one of the first things our Asian friends plant when they come to live in our country......it grows very quickly and likes warm humid
full sun.They tell me it is like a tonic and helps you to live a long life
they eat it mainly in soup.I watched them plant the seeds and what they do is plant them on a warm wet day.the leaves become the size of a bread and butter plates....re fertilizer...they just used a side dressing of chook pellets.Hope that is helpful.

Thanks chrissy100, chook pellets? Some sort of slow release fertilizer? I simply give this some 20-20-20. Seems like it's thriving. Thanks for sharing.