It was a rainy Saturday and I was worried about the turnout for my costus talk. Despite of the incessant downpour, at least ten people turned up at HortPark’s Fruit Room. Not all who came knew about Costus species which are commonly termed as spiral gingers. So I reckoned it was an enriching session for all.
In the talk, I went at length to introduce to all participants the species they are able to find and purchase in Singapore. Nursery contacts were given so they knew where to go to if they are keen to buy some of them to grow at home. In addition, I have also shared with all any special cultivation requirements that pertain to a particular species. Most are taken from my own personal experience of growing them back at Serangoon North and at my current home.
Most Costus species are best grown as outdoor plants. Only a couple are suited for growing in highrise apartments. Although they are often regarded as plants for growing in semi-shade outdoors, they are best planted in pots located in a sunny location in an apartment. If light is insufficient, many Costus species exhibit etiolated growth and refusal to flower. Unhappy plants often get attacked by various sucking pests such as aphids, mealy bugs and thrips. Most of the smaller Costus species are suitable for container growing in highrise apartments. One species that I highly recommend is Costus woodsonii, commonly called the red button costus.
After the talk, participants were invited to take part in a guided tour of the Lifestyle Corner. They were all taken on a journey to learn more about the world of leaves, which is the theme for the current month and October. In the current showcase, one can get to learn about the leaves that are used to wrap food in this part of the world. My colleague, Jin Hong, who was the guide for the day, demonstrated how one can use young coconut leaf fronds to make a ‘ketupat’. Other things to look forward to are how some leaves in the Plant Kingdom are modified to become traps that help to capture insects in various carnivorous plant species and spines to protect cacti from being eaten up by desert animanls.
