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September 2, 2010 at 8:32 am
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I’ve always had problems keeping my basils safe from bug attacks. All sorts of pests love basils: leaf mealies, root mealies, whitefly, Japanese beetles and this odd looking insect with a hard shell. Then there’s me: the biggest pest of all.
I eat so much basil that I dared not use insecticides on them so I had come to accept that my basils will inevitably die after a while. I noticed however, that just before pest infestations start, my basil leaves will begin to look wrinkled. I thought, like people, basil leaf wrinkles were a sign of inevitable age.
Then I discovered calcium sulphate. By adding a teaspoon of calcium sulphate into the soil every 2 weeks, new leaves actually look as smooth as a baby’s backside. See these leaves just here?
Smooth new leaves
Before (left) and After (right)
The wrinkled leaf on the left is from the plant before I added calcium sulphate. The smooth leaf on the right is a new leaf that formed on the same plant after addition of calcium sulphate.
The wrinkled leaf on the left is bigger because I had used a high nitrogen fertiliser. The leaf is large and flabby soft to the touch. The leaf on the right is as a basil leaf should be - smooth and well-toned to the touch. It’s the difference between my calves and Little Boy’s calves. I was happy enough with the results of my calcium sulphate experiment to go back to the Chinese Medical Hall to buy 4 packets of calcium sulphate for the rest of the garden.
The other plants all responded very well. Even the wrinkled chilli leaves smoothened out, and pests have left these pest magnets quite alone.
The nice thing about calcium sulphate is that it contains sulphur too. Sulphur enhances the sweetness of edible plants and increases protein levels in leaves and fruit. Adding calcium sulphate saves me the trouble of having to add sulphur flakes to my garden too.
Article published with permission from Petunia’s blog: http://petunialee.blogspot.com/
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August 26, 2010 at 8:00 am
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Take a walk along Caldecott Hill and you will notice the lavishly green semi-mature trees along the roadside. These are actually young Tampines tree (Streblus elongatus)!
This is the very tree that one of our estates is named after!
In fact, we have two Streblus elongates, that are listed as our heritage trees, standing tall in Changi and St John’s island separately.
A unique characteristic of the Streblus elongatus is its flowers. Its flowers are arranged in long tiny clusters of flowers with no petals. The flower arrangement looks like a kitten’s tail and hence the name catkins. A point to note is that having a catkin does not mean that the tree is related to the Streblus elongatus. This is because such an interesting flower arrangement is considered part of convergent evolution where different plants evolved independently due to some similar environmental factors that they may be growing in.
By Wyatt Tan
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August 19, 2010 at 8:00 am
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These attached photos are the flowers of my neighbour’s cactus. It blooms quite regularly and with many blooms too. The flowers bloom in the early morning and last a few days. They are a very beautiful sight when they bloom.
Hope you like the photos.
By Carol Lee
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August 12, 2010 at 8:00 am
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Most Chinese would be familiar with the edible arrowhead that comes around during the Chinese New Year period early in the calendar year. Some families buy the corms of that particular arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) which are then sliced and fried to make arrowhead chips. Some of us grow them in a shallow tub of pebbles and watch them send up upright shoots that end with arrowhead-shaped leaves. There are a number of ornamental arrowhead species which are grown by aquatic gardeners. There is one that caught my attention but this species is not commonly available in Singapore. It’s supply is sporadic at best. Botanically known as Sagittaria montevidensis, this plant has common names that range from Spongy Arrowhead, Hooded Arrowhead, Long-lobed Arrowhead, Mississippi Arrowhead, Giant Arrowhead and Aztec Arrowhead. Note that this plant has been reported to be a weed. Sagittaria montevidensis began invading rice fields in southern Brazil in the 1980s. It was discovered at that time, that a herbicide-resistant biotype had developed within the populations found in agricultural areas. 
Sometimes stated as a native of the United States or Brazil, Sagittaria montevidensis is one arrowhead species with large showy flowers. Its flowers are borne in whorls or pairs at nodes. Like other Sagittaria species, the flowers each has three petals, each of which is white with a yellow base, and three green sepals. What’s quite different is that there is a large dark red spot at the bottom of each petal. In my research about this plant, I found out that Sagittaria are monoecious plants. The pistillate (female) flowers are borne low on the inflorescence while staminate (male) flowers produced higher up. The fruit is said to look like a flattened winged achene with a single seed. Female flowers are said to produce numerous seeds which have a high germination rate. 
It grows as a marginal aquatic plant, thriving in boggy areas with shallow water. The large, sagitatte leaves of Sagittaria montevidensis are borne on upright spongy petioles (they bruise easily, so handle them with care!) which may reach a length of more than 0.75 m, depending on the growing conditions. Unfortunately, its attractive inflorescences are typically borne lower than the leaves and take on a decumbent growth habit (lying on the sides). Sagittaria montevidensis is best planted in muck inside a large water-tight container with about 15 cm of water depth. Place this plant in direct sun or semi-shade outdoors. I would prefer the latter situation as the tropical sun can be far too intense.
By Wilson Wong
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August 5, 2010 at 8:00 am
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Bird’s nest ferns, in general, are characterised via large, long and simple fronds that are arranged in a rosette manner around the center of the plant. Locally, various Asplenium species and their cultivars make up what we call ‘bird’s nest ferns’ and they can be told apart via various morphological details of their leaves.
One rather common but curious-looking cultivar that is often imported, sold and grown as a houseplant is the bird’s nest fern with leaf edges that are cut into thin and wavy sections. Labelled as Asplenium nidus ‘Fimbriatum’, this cultivar is a much slower-growing bird’s nest fern compared to the ones with entire leaf margins. The fronds of this cultivar appear to be rather stiff and the upper portions do not arch downwards.
One morphological feature of Asplenium nidus is that the mid-rib of its leaves are keeled on the underside. What this means is that if one is to feel run our thumb and index finger between the mid-rib in the leaves of Asplenium nidus, one will be able to find that it protrudes more distinctly from the upperside of the leaves .
However, in the case of this cultivar ‘Fimbriatum’, I noticed its mid-rib protrudes more distinctly from the underside of its leaves and this is contrary to what is to be expected from Asplenium nidus, as shown in the picture above. There is another species of Asplenium, A. australasicum, where its mid-ribs protrude from the underside of its leaves. From this observation, I reckoned, the cultivar ‘Fimbriatum’ is more like one of A. australasicum than A. nidus.
The plant I have now is in its juvenile stage and the features of how its spore sacs are arranged on its leaves can only be seen when the plant has grown larger. In A. nidus, note that the length of its sori are much shorter compared to those seen in A. australasicum. The former’s sori often run up to at most half or slightly more across the length between the mid-rib and the leaf’s edge whereas the latter’s are more extensive where the sori can cover more than the length between the mid-rib and the leaf’s edge.
By Wilson Wong
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July 29, 2010 at 8:00 am
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Some weeks back, I posted on this blog some information that my peppermint plants were suspected to be affected by a dreadful fungal disease, verticillium wilt (http://gardeningwithwilson.com/2009/07/27/verticillium-wilt-mint-plant).
Because of that, I isolated immediately more pots of the same plant that showed the obvious symptoms. Instead of throwing them rightaway, I strangely at that time decided to leave them on to sit on one side of the nursery where it was a little shadier and cooler, under the canopy of a tall tree. Perhaps in my mind, I wanted to see if these plants would actually ‘recover’…
And… indeed they did! I took a picture of the recovery I witnessed in the badly affected lot of plants to illustrate what I meant. Just about two week after the plants with badly distorted leaves were shifted to a shadier location, the new growth that resulted appeared normal again. As shown above, the pairs of leaves in the newest three nodes did not show any distortion as compared to the older leaves older down along the stem.
At the time of writing, I could not find any related information to support what I have observed but I reckoned the change in the growing conditions seemed to point to the fact that it could be a combination of heat and water stresses that lead to the manifestation of distorted foliage growth.
I went to take a look at the materials I found on verticillium wilt in mints again and realised that my mints probably did not get infected by the fungus. One of the symptoms that was mentioned was that infected plants will actually exhibit die-back which did not occur in the plants that I have been growing.
By Wilson Wong
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July 15, 2010 at 8:00 am
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Oenanthe javanica is an uncommon leafy vegetable. Available occasionally in the wet market in Geylang Serai, it is called ‘daun selom’ by the Malays and known via a variety of common names in English such as water dropwort, water celery and water parsley.
Native to this part of the world, Oenanthe javanica is a marginal water plant that grows naturally in freshwater marshes and, along ditches and streams. A member of the celery family, Apiaceae, Oenanthe javanica features hollow stems which help it to float on water. Its pinnate to tripinnate foliage is celery-like and emits an odour similar to that of carrot tops.
The plant spreads via creeping stolons that produces long, threadlike rootlet at the nodes. Dainty, fragrant, white flowers are produced in compound umbels. The genus name, Oenanthe, is derived from the Greek words oinos and anthos, which mean ‘wine’ and ‘flower’ respectively, with reference to the wine-like scent of the flowers. I tried to smell the flowers of this species up-close but could not detect any obvious odour.
The ornamental version of this plant can be on sale in selected plant nurseries in Singapore. Known via the cultivar name ‘Flamingo’, it features variegated leaves with green, pink and cream.
The young shoots and leaves of Oenanthe javanica are eaten raw as ‘ulam’ and added to ‘laksa’ in northern Peninsular Malaysia. They are also steamed with rice, or chopped and boiled as greens. Oenanthe javanica possesses antihypertensive properties and contains high amounts of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and carotenoids. Unlike other species that belong to the same genus, it does not contain the poison, oenanthotoxin.
Oenanthe javanica grows best in a cool, semi-shaded area with fertile soil that is kept moist at all times. New plants can be started easily via rooting stem-cuttings obtained from material bought from the market in some water. Rooted cuttings can then be transferred into a pot of soil.
A fast-growing plant, Oenanthe javanica can remove excess nutrients from water bodies and hence has the potential to be a phyto-remedial plant. It can be grown as a border plant around a natural pond or inside a water-tight container but don’t grow this plant in a koi pond as it is a very attractive food for these fishes!
By Wilson Wong
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July 8, 2010 at 8:00 am
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I was told by a colleague that there is a ‘musical note plant’ that grows in the one of the planter beds in the Carpark Garden of HortPark. I was made to guess what the plant was and I spent much effort in trying to identify which species of plant it really was. I have to admit that I am not good with imagination. Eventually, I gave up and was eventually given the answer. This ‘musical note plant’ was, in fact, a tropical flowering shrub known as Clerodendrum incisum!
A member of the Lamiaceae family, the musical note plant is botanically known as Clerodendrum incisum. It may also be known via various synonyms which include Clerodendrum macrosiphon and Clerodendrum incisum var. macrosiphon. Other common names of this plant include the morning kiss and witches’ tongue. How this plant earned its infamous name was due to the the shape of its flower buds. Each flower bud consists of a long and slender tube that ends with a flattened, oval-shaped club.
Botanical musical notes produced by Clerodendrum incisum seldom appear alone. The white coloured flower buds appear in an upright fashion in large numbers borne as a cluster. The club portion of the musical note splits to reveal an attractive flower that resembles a small white butterfly together with several red, thin and extremely long, yet, curly proboscis-like stamens.
This plant is a prolific bloomer if it is well-grown and allowed to grow as flowers are produced at the growing tips. The flowers, unfortunately, do not emit a fragrance and are rather short-lived, lasting at most for two days. The floral show will be cut short if heaven decides to pour and opened flowers will be washed off the plant, creating a white carpet of flowers which can be a chore to clear away.
A native of Africa, Clerodendrum incisum grows as a medium shrub with lanceoate, green leaves. It can be grown closely to form a short hedge or in small groupings in a flower/planter bed or even as a single specimen plant in the ground or containers! It is reported to be a fast-grower that prefers to be grown in well-draining, moist soil that is rich in nutrients and organic matter. Fertilise plants monthly with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Clerodendrum incisum is a highly versatile flowering shrub that can be planted in areas with full sun to partial shade and what’s more, it can tolerate short periods of drought once it is established in the garden.
In Singapore, Clerodendrum incisum is largely an evergreen shrub that is occasionally bothered by sucking insect pests such as whiteflies, mealybugs and aphids. Older specimens may also be affected by galls and cankers. Try to grow plants in a well-lit and ventilated space to reduce the likelihood of unappealing leaf spot disease. Propagate Clerodendrum incisum via herbaceous stem cuttings or semi-hardwood cuttings.
By Wilson Wong
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July 1, 2010 at 8:00 am
· Filed under General
Recently we had a bountiful harvest of chillies and tapioca. We harvested 12 kilos of Casava (tapioca) which we made into tapioca chips named Asabi by the cook and also Bingka Ubi(tapioca cake)
For those who like to try baking bingka ubi here is the recipe:
1 kg of grated tapioca
50 cents white grated coconut
1 pkt 250g coconut milk
1 egg beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
8 ozs fine sugar
a pinch of salt
30 g butter (soften)
Combine all ingredients pour into a tray and bake at 200C for 45 mins cool before cutting.
Happy trying!
By: Kamisah Low (Jurong Central G garden)
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June 24, 2010 at 8:00 am
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April and May are two of the best months in the calendar year as that’s when most of the dormant Indochinese plants will spring to life. Two of the Amorphophallus species that made a head start this year are A. ongsakulli and A. maxwellii.
Ongsakul’s Amorphophallus
One of the tiniest Amorhophallus species discovered till date, Ongsakul’s Amorphophallus has leaves that seldom exceeds 10cm in height. This diminutive species was only described in 2006, but had this been discovered before A. pygmaeus, the latter would probably have to give up its namesake.
A ongsakulii hails from Khammouane Province of Laos and is relatively easy to grow. It’s a plus point for those with limited space and would still like to include an Amorphophallus or two in their collection. As the name suggests, this species was named after Anop Ongsakul who (together with Alan Galloway) discovered the species.
Maxwell’s Amorphophallus
On the other hand, Maxwell’s Amorphophallus (A maxwellii) is not for those with small growing spaces - the mature leaf and inflorescence will easily exceed 1m in height. The juvenile specimen below is already reaching 1/2 a meter in height. This species has very attractive dappled stems, and is relatively easy to grow under our local conditions.
Photo copyrights: Lily Chen
Article used with permission from: ‘A naturalist in Asia’ - http://naturalistinasia.blogspot.com/
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