pigeons and papayas
By Batul Mukhtiar | November 6th, 2008 | Category: HumorWhat I did lose during the 10 days away, was my papaya tree. You could see it from the ground, on my 13th floor window, if you squinted your eyes and looked hard enough. That tree had come up by mistake.
A while ago, I was experimenting with a composting bin on a low window sill. Mixing vegetable waste with mud. I could never wait to let the waste decompose completely. I would get impatient and use the mixed mud replete with un-decomposed seeds, to repot my plants. And hence, some now-forgotten shrub being pushed aside by the papaya.
These surprises that the composting bin sprung on me transformed the slightly tame task of growing plants on window sills into an adventure. But I had to give it up. It didn’t stink a bit (or perhaps I was used to the smell) but it did attract flies and fleas.
During the monsoons, I normally prune my plants a bit to make them grow into fully-rounded beings.
I planted the cut-off top near our car park, optimistic that it would take root during the benevolent rains.
But rubble from a neighbor’s flat renovations crushed the hopes of that sapling.
The original tree in my pot didn’t take too kindly to its crown being hacked off either, and rotted while I was away. I wish I could blame it on the pigeons. But to be honest, I can’t.
What those hateful creatures did do was squirt the rest of my plants with pigeon shit. While Tai can be relied upon to water the plants in my absence, she cannot spend a considerable part of her day like I do, hurtling towards the windows, flapping my hands wildly, screaming ‘Stupid, idiots, junglees, saalas.” My abuses are sadly U-rated, but they do the job. The birds scuttle off, at least for a few minutes and then come back for more.
I hate pigeons too. And I hate it worse when you can’t blame them for everything.
With cut off and pinched bits of plants what my mum does is stick it in a mug of water for a day or so, until frail threads of root begin to grow. When she plants them after that, they take root more easily. But why’d you lose the papaya?
Very poignant photograph - think it captures the sadness and incongruity of a hacked papaya plant very well.
To control bugs you can perhaps try out this cheap but effective pesticide told to me by a farmer friend: In 1 litre of water mix 2 tbps of kerosene and 1tbps of non-detergent soap bar (Sunlight for example) and spray it on your plants in the late afternoon when they are shade. Repeat after 6-7 days as required. Hopefully this will keeps the nasty pests away.
Happy gardening
Space Bar, the papaya tree was growing too tall and thin. So. But pruning only made it rot away for some reason. Just came off the pot. Really sad.
Boorback, thanks for the tip for pests. Will it work on the pigeons, too? Perhaps I will need to get that air gun.
When we were struggling with 4 of us sharing a flat in Mumbai, one of my colleagues (sadly he’s no more), had his way of dealing with pigeons flying into the house. He caught them, cooked them and ate them. Needless to say, they stopped coming into the house.
Yes, TheThirdMan, I thought of that option. But I think the one vegetarian member of our family, Vivek would find it highly gross on my part. As it is he thinks I should leave the pigeons alone.
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My husband, Prayas is doing something for urban farming by street kids. http://cityspinning.org/2008/11/02/prototype-for-canopy-chandni-chowk/ Today he made me call up all the nurseries in New Delhi and ask them to plant a 100 vegetables for him. Potted plants style. Nobody agreed. If you know anyone crazy enough, do tell.
O that is sooo sad. Perhaps the pigeons had put a curse on it after enduring your U-rated gaalis silently for so long?
I saw a food show yesterday on NDTV good times called Fully Fed up. It had this anchor in Egypt eating a local delicacy. Tandoori Pigeon…..
My late colleague’s speciality was pigeon and potato curry.
Batul,
Couldn’t resist this.
http://www.cookitsimply.com/category-0020-017m1.html
Third Man: Pigeon and potato curry sure tastes pretty good and the recipe sounds interesting! But killing them may land us all in trouble with Maneka Gandhi, PETA and SPCA
Batul: Go Gandhian! Covering up the young plants with a torn mosquito or fishing net may keep the pigeons away. Also do not spray the formula I mentioned on flowers, just sprinkle it lightly on the leaves and the soil.
Thanks, Richa. Will check out your website.
Grasshopper, there’s one crazy person in Mumbai, me, though I don’t have place for a 100 pots. But could fit in 20. Don’t know anyone in Delhi though.
Bollyviewer, I don’t think those pigeons are too clever.
Cubbu, yikes, you’ve just ruined my favourite dish of all time, tandoori chicken.
The Third Man, cool recipes. But no, will not try them,
Boorback, I agree, Gandhian is the way. I’m going to try out all your pest-control tips soon.
But won’t the pigeon crap be good for the papaya tree? I read somewhere that it can be used as fertile manure…
No way, Kima. You may be able to use it as manure, if you compost it. But in its raw state, it only brings in diseases and unwanted weeds. Besides, it looks awful, and stinks!
Apart from what everyone has said about them pigeons, I ESPECIALLY hate them as they are their noisiest, cooing-est, mating-est, brooding-est dumbest selves during end-Feb and early March when I used to have to study for those horrible annual exams.
what is it with papaya trees? but your galees are real neat. ha-haaa
The picture is not loading for some reason Batul but being a gardening buff myself I can understand your frustration.You can have a round of my garden on my blog or on the posts I put on rambhai.
Mmmm…. the pigeon recipe is lip-smacking. Considering the pigeon population in cities and given how hardy they are - they should be the preferred bird on the dinner table, even over chicken. if PETA doesn’t have a (real) problem with chicken, then why not pigeon?
nb - pic is loading fine.