This month’s first Root Awakening column provided answers to two questions posed by the readers of Straits Times Life! The first question was about the growing of pomegranate plants from seed while the second touched on the type of plants that can be planted in clayey soil.
Pomegranate plants are best bought as plants from the nursery. Seeds take a long while to grow up into fruiting plants and for novices, it can be a daunting task to raise plants from seeds. Pomegranate plants are shrubs that require direct sun to grow and in a highrise setting, they should receive at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunshine daily.
Do you know why pomegranate plants grown along the corridor or placed a balcony tend to grow in one direction? The answer is apparent because plants tend to grow towards where the source of sunlight is located.
Clayey soil is prevalent in Singapore and clay tends to be too heavy and water retentive for plants to grow in. Roots of many plants get suffocated in soil that is too clayey. It is therefore recommended to amend the soil texture and composition via the addition of plentiful amount of organic matter.
