The last Root Awakening column for the Year 2009 appeared on 19 Dec 2009′s edition of Straits Times Life! As usual, answers to three gardening questions were provided.
The first question asked why the base (probably pseudobulbs) of leaves of an orchid started to shrivel after it was located in a windy growing area. It is likely that the orchid plant is suffering from moisture stress due to exposure to excessive wind. One can try to relocate the plant to a less windy area or provide some protection by putting up a barrier to wind by growing them amongst some plants. Consider adding a little sphagnum moss around the root zone to help retain some moisture. It may be necessary to increase the frequency of watering too.
The second question asked why the laying of eggs by butterfly causes leaves to rot or dry up… My answer given was that the laying of eggs by butterflies and moths is not known to cause plant leaves to dry or rot. The problem probably lies in the fact of overfertilisation. Always remember to adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions in applying fertilizers, even if they are organic in origin. Too frequent applications as well as excessive amounts of fertilizers can ‘burn’ plants and cause damage similar to what you have observed.
The last question queried what are the creepers such as the morning glory vine that can be grown in a room. It is important to note that two hours of direct sunshine received in a room is definitely not sufficient to grow most sun-loving plants which include the morning glory vine. These plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunshine in order to thrive and flower.
If there is at least 4 hours of filtered sunshine, you may want to consider growing foliage houseplants with a vine-like growth habit such as the money plant, heart-leafed philodendron (Philodendron scandens ssp. oxycardium) and variegated cupid peperomia (Peperomia scandens ‘Variegata’). The wax flower (Hoya) is another plant to consider that produces attractive clusters of fragrant flowers. Another relative of the wax flower you can consider growing is the ant plant (Dischidia pectinoides). This vine produces small red flowers accompanied by curious, balloon-like modified leaves.
The abovementioned plants can be purchased from most good nurseries in Singapore, such as World Farm, Far East Flora and Pioneer Landscape.
