Great pictures guys! Nice to see that other people are also growing successfully!
Here is my patch as of today:
This is a plant that germinated at the same time as the ones in the patch. This one was kept in the little 3in pot, though. Obviously, it is much smaller and has less foliage than the ones I moved into the ground:
If you guys want to know when growth accelerates and flowering is near, look for the major branching of the main stem. Once the main stem branches into two, expect faster growth and the emergence of flowers. The tips of the two branches take over as the meristems and new growth emerges from there. All of my plants did this last year, but not all may do this, especially those grown in pots. Here is an image to illustrate:
I already have fruit coming along. Here is what to expect after you pollinate. The flowers last from 24 to 48 hours. After this the flower will wilt and dry:
The flower will then usually fall off. With it, the stamens will fall off. The sepals will be left over along with the style:
Soon, the remaining part of the style and the ovary will bulge, change to a green color, and will seem to push out of the sepal cluster. This is the beginning of the development of the fruit: