Monthly Archives: March 2010

Root Awakening (6 Mar 2010)

Posted on March 6, 2010 | 1 Comment

Below are answers provided for three gardening questions for March 2010′s first instalment of the Root Awakening column.

The first question dealt with tall curry tree and method of proprogation. In such a case, one may want to consider staking your curry tree next to a sturdy pole to provide some form of support. Please refer to the book entitled ‘Trees of our Garden City’ by Tee Swee Ping and Wee Mei Lynn on how to stake a tree properly. Improper staking can do more harm than good. The curry tree can be propagated via air-layering (marcotting) or stem-cuttings. It is also easily propagated from seeds.

The second question was about the aloe vera plant. The smaller aloe vera plant we commonly see here is a variegated cultivar of the medicinal aloe, which is sometimes called Aloe chinensis and common name is Indian Medicine Plant. This species is used in a similar way locally as the larger, non-variegated common aloe vera. There is little reason to wait until plants are three years old before they can be used. All I can think of is this length of time is required to elapse so that plants grow large and vigorous enough to yield leaves that are usable for most purposes.

Weeping willow tree (Salix babylonica) is often attacked by caterpillars as it is a host (food) plant for caterpillars of the Leopard butterfly. Many pesticides indicated for caterpillars are contact pesticides and hence they do not remain effective for a long time as they can be washed away from the sprayed surfaces by water and rain. Some are quickly broken down by sunshine.

Do take note that butterflies have an important role in our eco-system where they help to pollinate flowers and help plants to set fruit. Many synthetic pesticides besides being able to kill caterpillars they also have harmful effects on beneficial insects such as bees. They can are very toxic to fish and persist in the environment for a long time

Always keep a look-out for a caterpillar infestation and attempt to hand pick them before resorting to application of chemicals. If infestation is too overwhelming, consider spraying the leaves of your plant with a pesticide solution, such as carbaryl and cypermethrin, made up according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Best results are obtained when caterpillars are still small and before leaf damage is extensive.

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Posted in Root Awakening in ST Life!

Look – Salad Burnet in Singapore!

Posted on March 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

I have seen the salad burnet mentioned in many herb books. A plant that is rather obscure to most Singaporeans, the salad burnet is known via a range of common names which include garden burnet, small burnet or simply burnet, it is a plant from the Rose family, Rosaceae. The common name of this herb came from the French word, ‘brunette’, referring to the chestnut red bloom. It is botanically known as Sanguisorba minor.

I got a packet of its seeds from a local seed distributor and I am happy to announce it is another herb that can be grown successfully in tropical, lowland Singapore althought it is native to western, central and southern Europe; northwest Africa and southwest Asia. In its native habitat, it grows as a perennial in dry grassy meadows with alkaline limestone soils. I grew mine in containers of 1 part of burnt earth and 1 part of mature compost which is a fairly well draining mix whose pH is near neutral, or very slightly acidic at most… Note that like many other herbs, wet feet can rot the roots of this plant.

Although it is said to be drought-tolerant, I noticed the salad burnet wilts in our tropical heat outdoors. I have since put up some shade cloth and plants seem to be happier now but still I have to water the plants twice a day to help keep their heads up on a hot day. Note that they are grown in containers with a very well draining soil mix and it is expected that the plants dry out much more easily.

I have not really tasted the leaves but it said that they taste much like cucumber and as the plant’s common name suggests, they can be used whole in salads or chopped into soups and other dishes. The youngest leaves from non-flowering plants are prefered for the kitchen as they tend to become bitter as they age. Acid soil is said to cause the leaves to take on a distinctly bitter flavour whereas plants were grown in a chalky soil produced leaves with a much milder flavour. Leaves can be dried and infused in water to make a tea.

This plant have been used medicinally. It is best known as an effective wound herb, quickly staunching any bleeding. American soldiers in the Revolutionary War drank tea made from the leaves before going into battle to prevent excessive bleeding if they were wounded. The plant’s genus name, Sanguisorba, translates loosely as “blood absorber.” Salad burnet has the same medicinal qualities as the closely related medicinal burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis). This plant is also used to treat ulcers, diarrhoea and tooth decay. Its roots are also harvested and can be made into a tea which is said to be a detoxicating agent for the body after a long-term medication or for pollution remedy.

I love the appearance of this plant for its fern-like foliage that are arranged in a rosette. It is a charming little plant with pinnate leaves where each leaflet is rounded and deeply toothed – try using the leaves for garnishing! Information about the salad burnet stated that it produces reddish-brown, erect stems with globular red flowerheads. These have purplish, feathery stigmas and sepals instead of petals. Plants are also documented to self-seed readily in areas where they are commonly grown.

The salad burnet is said to have extensive root systems and can be used for erosion control, it is also used to reclaim landfills and mined-out terrain. Amazingly, it is reported to be even able to tolerate maritime exposure!

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Know Your Papaya Flowers!

Posted on March 2, 2010 | 1 Comment

Papaya (Carica papaya) is one of my favourite dessert fruits. It grows easily via the seeds harvested from the fruit. Next to the banana, I believe the papaya is one other fruit tree which many Singaporeans who have land would attempt to grow. It is not difficult to get the tree to grow, but getting it to fruit can be a feat.

I happen to find an article which I find it particularly enlightening. Entitled ‘Why Some Papaya Plants Fail to Fruit’, it is an article written by Chia and Richard from the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences’ Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Click on this link to view the article.

One of the most common problems is when young, developing fruits fail to develop to full maturity which are then aborted from the tree. One of the reasons I can think of is due to waterlogging. Papayas are not tolerant to overly wet soil that is poor in drainage. Another reason that is mentioned in the article by Chia and Richard would be the lack of pollination of female flowers on female papaya plants.

Most of us are aware that papaya plants can either be male or female plants, which produce male and female flowers respectively. There are also plants which produce flowers that have both sexes in one flower and these are termed as hermaphrodites. Look at the picture above (obtained from the article by Chia and Richard) to learn how to distinguish them.

The ovary of the female flower must receive pollen from another plant (either a male or hermaphrodite). When pollinated either by wind or insects, the ovary becomes fertilised and swells up to become the fruit which will have viable seeds. If pollination does not occur, the small, developing fruit is then aborted from the plant. On the other hand, hermaphrodite flowers have both an ovary and stamens bearing pollen. They can pollinate themselves and do not require the presence of another male or hermaphrodite papaya plant.

The hermaphrodite plant is the preferred type of papaya plant for dependable fruit production. Interestingly, commercial growers remove female plantsfrom their fields as soon as the first flowers appear and the sex of the plants can be determined! This is in contrast with what home gardeners do here where the male plants are often pulled out from the ground!

Home gardeners hence should grow several papaya plants to reduce ending up with only one female plant and to ensure the possibility that at least one will be a hermaphrodite with pollen. If space is limited, allow several seedlings to grow to flowering stage in the same planting spot, and then remove all but the healthiest hermaphrodite plant.

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Posted in Fruits

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