Avarai

In early july'26 i received some Kozhi Kaal Avarai (Chicken Claw Hyacinth Bean) seeds from kovadi_Mohan.

The below notes is based on a summary generated from Gemini and later revised by claude. This page is a reference document and will be updated as and when things actually move.

I intend to use what’s available in our garden as much as possible instead of buying.

Trial

Since so many things are new for me, decided to trial with a paint bucket with just 1 plant.

The net dimensions will be roughly 3ft × 8ft with same 2"×2" mesh as before. The width for a single plant can be 2.5 to 3 ft. 3ft is used to provide a little slack for wind movement. Height will remain the same i.e 6 to 8 ft, since Kozhi Kal Avarai is a vigorous climber. It will grow 6-8ft tall if given the room, and that’s where actual yield comes from (more climbing length = more flowering nodes = more pods).

This full height also provides me opportunities to learn and understand the plant’s growth habit and handling the rainy season.

Anchoring: 2-3 carabiners top and bottom railings for a 3ft-wide net.

A small ready-made 2"×2" mesh HDPE trellis/shade net (or even a cut piece from a larger roll) should be easy to find without needing a custom fishing-net order.

Container: Need to make drainage holes drilled in the paint bucket base. Also need to make the bucket sit on bricks so excess water actually escapes rather than pooling underneath on the floor tiles.

Soil volume: a standard 20L paint bucket will require roughly 15-18L of usable soil. This is adequate for one avarai plant’s root zone.

Overview

Capitalizing on the building’s built-in 2-foot structural inward offset the idea is to create a efficient, dust proof, windproof, and ergonomically reachable angled green wall structure.

Both the terrace parapet grill and the balcony railing below share the same design: a continuous horizontal GI top rail supported on vertical GI balusters spaced ~8 inches apart. The whole net is anchored carabiner- to-carabiner on these two horizontal rails, with no drilling, no zip-ties, and no permanent fixings — making it fully quick-release for cyclone-warning takedown.

The climbing net itself is a locally sourced fishing net (DIY). A fishing-grade HDPE/nylon mesh is actually load-rated i.e built to hold a moving catch, unlike decorative bird/pigeon nets which are mostly lighter-duty.

List of materials

Infrastructure

Climbing Net

A HDPE or nylon multi-filament net of Size 18 ft Length x 8 ft Height with 2 inch x 2 inch mesh of 6-9 ply twine thickness. Carabiners can clip directly to the net’s edge.

This thickness supports the heavy foliage, doubling as the pod-harvesting surface. I plan to source it locally from the fishing net suppliers or net-mending shops in fishing community.

Need to confirm whether vendor quotes bar length or stretched knot-to-knot length for the mesh- these can differ ~2x

I already ordered from Amazon Kabi Aggro Gardening Net of size 22ft*8ft with mesh size of 1inch*1inch. Due to extreme lightweight and mesh size, this is being returned.

The 2"x2" mesh is chosen over 1"x1" specifically for making pod harvesting easier, if access to the sunny side where 70% pods are available becomes difficult.

Carabiners

16 to 20 Pieces of 6cm to 8cm Carabiners i.e Aluminum snap-hooks, wide enough to open around a 1" to 1.5" GI pipe

These reusable snap-on/snap-off anchors at BOTH the terrace top rail and the balcony top rail. There is no separate zip-ties or eye bolts needed. Doubles as the quick-release mechanism for cyclone-warning take down.

Insulated GI Wire

1 Bundle of 12-gauge or 14-gauge PVC-coated GI binding wire. Used as Drop lead lines connecting the top carabiners down to the net’s top edge, protecting the roof edge and net loops from fraying.

Container

The container will be three numbers of long rectangular HDPE grow bags of size 60" L x 16" W x 24" H (Minimum 260 GSM UV Protected HDPE)

This depth provide support for deep root zones. Also the width increased from an original 12" to 16" to give each of the 3 plants proper lateral root room, since Kozhi Kal Avarai is a vigorous perennial that often persists 2-3+ seasons in Pondicherry’s climate rather than growing as a single-season annual. Length (60") and depth (24") were already well-matched to the plant’s spacing and taproot needs, so only width changed.

Potting Soil & Nutrients

The potting soil ratio is 40:40:20 i.e soil:cocopeat:compost and the quantities below are meant for 3Nos of 60" L x 16" W x 24" H 16" grow bags.

Garden Soil

Provides bulk nutrition and heavy anchoring weight to containers. The required quantity will be ~310 Litres i.e ~230 kg.

Coco Peat Blocks

Coco peat helps retain ambient moisture and it expands to fill the larger bag volume. Approximately 8 coco peat blocks of 5 kg each will provide 310 litres.

Vermicompost

Premium Vermicompost is the primary slow-release micro-nutrient provider. Approx ~70 kg will provide ~155 Litres.

Neem Cake Powder

Neem cake is an essential root protective system preventing nematode/pest attack.A quantity of ~6 to 7 kg is required.

Execution Plan

The three 5ft grow bags are to be placed with a maximum gap of 1/2 ft between them such that excess space is left at one corner completely clear as entry/exit point.

Soil Preparation

Place the coco peat blocks in a large tub, add water slowly, and let them expand completely into a fluffy powder.

For each rectangular bag, blend roughly 4 parts garden soil, 4 parts expanded coco peat, and 2 parts vermicompost.

Thoroughly mix in 3 to 4 cups of Neem Cake powder per bag to protect roots from nematodes.

Fill the 24-inch tall bags up to 22 inches, leaving a 2-inch top splash lip for clean watering.

Frame & Net Installation

On the terrace floor level directly above balcony snap 8 to 10 carabiners onto the terrace railing’s horizontal top rail, spaced roughly every 2 to 2.5 ft across the net’s width. Position each carabiner right beside (not onto) a vertical baluster, so the baluster stops it sliding sideways without loading the thinner baluster pipe itself.

Tie the 12-gauge insulated GI wires to each top carabiner using pliers. Drop them forward over the concrete slab edge so they hang into balcony.

Tie the top horizontal edge of the fishing net securely to these hanging drop lines at balcony ceiling height. Stretch the net down diagonally. Clip 8 to 10 carabiners along the net’s bottom edge directly onto the balcony railing’s horizontal top rail, using the same beside-a-baluster spacing as the top.

Planting

Pre-soak your Kozhi Kal Avarai seeds in room-temperature water for 6 to 8 hours to quicken germination.

Sow 3 seeds evenly spaced along the length of each bag at a depth of 1 inch.

Keep the soil damp. Within 5-7 days, the sprouts will emerge and immediately climb up the slanted netting grid.

Harvesting

For high pods, reach over into the natural 2-foot upper gap. For lower/middle pods, reach through the 2"x2" mesh gaps directly, snap the pod off at the stem, and pull it out along the diagonal of the mesh square (its widest clearance) rather than straight back.

If a particularly large pod won’t clear, unclip the nearest bottom carabiners only (not the full width), swing that section of net inward to access the sunny face, harvest, and snap the carabiners back onto the rail. Use sparingly - repeated swinging stresses the twining vines and risks snapping stems at the base.

Takedown

When a cyclone warning is issued, unclip all bottom carabiners first, then all top carabiners.

Gently lower the net rather than letting it drop - the vines stay attached to the mesh, so a hard drop can snap stems.

Loosely roll or gather the net (with vines still on it) over the grow bags, and weigh the bundle down with a brick or stone so it doesn’t itself become a wind hazard.

Once the warning passes, re-clip top carabiners first, then bottom, and re-tension the net.