Tag Archives: Root Awakening; Straits Times Life!

The second instalment of the Root Awakening column for month of July 09 provided answers to three gardening questions. The first question was about the growing of petunias. Petunias are herbaceous members of the Solanaceae family. They are usually treated as annuals where they are usually discarded after flowering because plants tend to become straggly and lose their vigour after some time. They are direct sun-lovers and need to be watered and fertilised regularly during the active growing and flowering period.

The question enquired on the successful growing of bougainvilleas. These woody shrubs are very popular flowering plants for a long time. Plants can be grown inside large containers of soil indefinitely as long as they are well-fertilised and the gardener has to ensure that the soil is well aerated after some time as soil tends to compact over time. Compacted soil devoids the plant of root growth space and air, and makes penetration of water difficult. Bougainvilleas are also sun-lovers and need to be grown under direct sunshine.

The last question asked how one can grow his/her own hydroculture plant. There are ready kits that can be bought from the local nursery. The most famous is perhaps the Luwasa hydroculture system. To grow plants using this system, it is best to start new plants from cuttings in hydroculture or buy plants already established and adapted to the hydroculture growing environment. Transplanting a soil-grown plant and washing its roots can be a traumatic experience for some plants and not all will take such an operation well.

 The first instalment of the Root Awakening column for the month of July 09 was published yesterday. As usual, answers were provided for three gardening questions sent in by the readers of Straits Times Life! 

One of the first questions revolves around the growing of fruit trees. This time, its about the rambutan. A reader asked why his/her rambutan tree fruits tend to fall off prematurely. Rambutans need a prolonged dry season to trigger flowering but they need to be well-irrigated to reduce the likelihood of water stress that will lead to premature abortion of young fruits.When a tree has started to produce fruit, remember to provide water to the tree. A ring of well-rotted compost can be added and bone meal supplementation can help to boost fruiting. 

The second question asked why the leaves of the pomegranate dried up. The symptom  described can be due to a number of causes. The plant may be grown in an overly windy condition. Young leaves can dry up as a result of strong, perpetual winds. Leaves could also dry up due to mite infestation. Mites can cause leaves to roll up and become distorted which eventually dry up. Cut away affected parts and spray with white summer oil to control mite population. It could also be due to insufficient light as pomegranate is a shrub that requires at least 6 hours of direct sunshine to grow. Overwatering may be a reason as well. Soil for growing pomegranate needs to be kept moist and not wet. Let soil dry out a little before watering again.

The last question enquired whether can subtropical fruits like avocados and lemons be grown in tropical Singapore. These trees can be grown in Singapore as they thrive and attain best quality in summers where there are longer daylight. It is best to buy ready plants that are known to produce in lowland tropical climates from local or overseas nurseries. Lemon can be grown in pots but fruits may not turn yellow when grown here.

The second instalment of the Root Awakening column for May 09 was published today. Like previous ones, answers to three gardening questions were given.

The first question dealt with white pests that appear on chilli plants. Without a photo, I can only guess that they may either be whiteflies or mealy bugs. The population of these two pests can be controlled by means of an organic spray, such as white summer oil that is available for sale in most nurseries that work by suffocating these insects. Neem oil can also be used in this case.

The second question was about the leaves of the rhapis palm turning brown at the tips. Rhapis palms are notably sensitive to excessive chloride or fluroide in the water that is used to water it. Damaged leaves are done for and these can be cut away. To prevent leaves from turning brown in the tips, one can opt to use rainwater instead to water his/her plants.

The last question was about repotting a moth orchid. Although many commercially available moth orchids may come in translucent plastic pots, they need not be potted up in the same type of pot. Because the moth orchid is an epiphytic orchid, it is best to grow inside a pot that is rather porous in nature. An unglazed terracotta pot or a net pot or basket meant for growing orchids is suitable. Sphagnum moss that many imported moth orchids come with is not a suitable medium for growing them in the tropics. Change the medium into charcoal chips instead.

The first Root Awakening column for the month of May 09 was published on Straits Times Life! last Saturday. Three gardening questions were given answers this time round.

The first question asked where a gardening enthusiast can purchase various succulent species in Singapore. Unfortunately, the local nurseries in Singapore currently only stock a very limited range of such plants which are mostly imported from Cameron Highlands. A handful of nurseries occasionally import from Holland and elsewhere  a selected range of succulent plants.

Do note that some succulent species are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) list and the enthusiast is advised to check on the CITES appendices to see whether the plant that he/she is interested to import is listed or not. All plants need to be furbished with the necessary CITES permits and phytosanitary certificates before they can be brought into the country. The CITES appendices can be viewed via this link - http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml.

The second query revolved around the appearance of a white powder-like substance on water yam leaves. The white powder-like substance could be powdery mildew. Because the plant is probably grown near a water feature which possibly has fish in it, it is advisable to use a chemical-free method that will entail the triming away of affected leaves and the growing of the water yam plant in a sunnier location with better air circulation.

The last question is an intriguing question (probably asked a few times previously) where the beautiful purple leafed basil turns green after some time. I reckon it could be due to the heat in tropical, lowland Singapore that causes the loss of the purple colouration in the leaves of this particular basil cultivar. One can try locating the plant in a cooler and semi-shaded location so as to be able to keep abit of the purple colour in the leaves. However, never expect the purple colour to be as intense and vivid as seen in the newly imported plant.

The last instalment of the Root Awakening column for the month of March 09 was published today. In this week’s column, answers to three questions where provided. Coincidentally, they all dealth with problems encountered on edible plants.

The first question was about the occurrence of brown spots and lack of fragrance in pandan plants (Pandanus amaryllifolius). The brown spots could be due to a fungal infection that is commonly encountered in areas with low air circulation and dimly lit. The lack of light will also cause the plant to produce less essential oil which explains the lack of fragrance in this popular plant with many culinary uses.

The second question was asked by a gardener who noticed white woolly growth on his/her tomato plants. These are likely to be mealy bugs which is an insect pest that is easily eradicated with several repeated sprays of petroleum oil (summer oil) if the infestation is small. Large-scale infestation will be difficult to treat and it is better to discard the plant to prevent the spread of the infestation to other plants.

The last question was about how to get new basil plants. Basil can be propagated via seeds collected from the dried flower heads or via stem-cuttings. For the latter method, one has to use non-flowering stems for propagation. First, strip off the leaves near the cut end and ensure there are about two nodes. Next, stick the stem into a pot of well-drained soil and keep in a shaded area until new roots are formed.

The first Root Awakening column for Year 2009 was published today and answers to three gardening questions were featured.

For the first question pertaining to the money plant, a variety of pests can attack the plant and cause leaves to fall off. A common one is perhaps the scale insect and the least toxic way to eradicate them is to spray a thin layer of oil in the form of white oil or summer oil which suffocates them. This method however cannot be used on plants that are sensitive to oils.

The second question was about problems encountered with the growing of the dill. I reckon the reader was asking about the Artemisia, which is a medicinal herb that has been confused by most Singaporeans to be the true dill. Overly wet conditions can cause the lower leaves to turn yellow and brown. Old stems also exhibit such signs which is not a sign for concern. White insects could be due mealy bugs and the same strategy against scales can be used against them. Snails inside pots can be difficult to control but a way to prevent them from climbing up the plant and devouring the leaves is to use some copper foil to go round the plant.

Finally, the question of wanting to get a tall jasmine tree – we cannot do much to accelerate the growth of a woody shrub, even with the addition of fertiliser. If one wants a tall jasmine tree, the fastest and probably the most economical way is to purchase one of the desired height from the nursery!

The last Root Awakening column for Year 2008 was published today in Straits Times Life! In it, Lily’s talk on growing hoyas have been mentioned too. Members of the public can now have a chance to find out more about this delightful group of flowering and fragrant plants.

This week, answers to three questions were provided. The first was about the recommendation of plants for the office while the later two were on edible plants.

It is a good thing if one has a working desk near a sunny window in an air-con office. The sunshine that shines in offers a multitude of selection of plants that can be grown. One should take advantage of the lower temperatures to grow some temperate or subtropical flowering plants. Even at a temperature of 25 deg C in a typical office, one can grow African violets, fuschias and pelargoniums quite well. These plants are flowering plants that provide a colourful working environment via the wide colour pallete of their flowers.

The next question was about the growing of chilli plants in a high-rise apartment. Chillis are sun-loving plants and one has to be able to provide at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunshine to have healthy and rewarding plants. It is best to locate them in an Eastern or Western location in the house where direct sunshine is available. Watch the number of hours that the sun shines in as architectural features of the apartment, such as overhangs at the windows, can shorten the duration.

The last question pertained to leaf miners which are relatively common pests in citrus and various shrubs grown outdoors. Usually the infestation is minor and one can just physically remove the infested leaves and throw them away accordingly, without having to resort to the use of chemicals.

The Root Awakening column that was published on Straits Time Life! had been split over two pages. Also included was an announcement of a free gardening sharing session, brought to all Singaporeans who are keen in gardening at the end of this month. It is a collaboration between Green Culture Singapore, the National Parks Board and the National Library Board.

The session will be conducted by one of my Green Culture Singapore forum moderators, Mrs Cindy Ng. She is currently a moderator for the carnivorous plants subforum and is an experienced grower of these plants in the environment of a highrise apartment balcony.