My garden is good, can I grow a plant in Singapore?
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During the Covid-19 outbreak, there has been a surge in interest in starting a garden at home.
The National Parks Board's (NParks') Gardening with Edibles programme, which sends registrants free seed packets to get them started, saw overwhelming response.The number of packets was increased from 150,000 to 400,000.
The aim of the programme is to encourage people to grow their own plants to improve community well-being and strengthen Singapore's food resilience.
To help aspiring gardeners along their journey, we sought the advice of experts, such as Dr Wilson Wong, deputy director, Jurong Lake Gardens, and Ms Vicky Lim, manager, nursery management, NParks, to answer questions sent in by our colleagues.
For leafy vegetables, choose kang kong, kailan and chye sim.brinjal and long bean are hardier than fruited vegetables.All of these can be grown from seeds.
There are some vegetables that can be grown continuously and can also be purchased from the market or local nurseries.
The smooth skinned varieties that are acclimatised to the climate in Indonesia are the only ones that can flower and set fruit in Singapore.The avocados might need at least 1m of soil depth for optimal growth.They can fruit with a small tree size if they are grafted.
It would depend on the set up of each method.Gardeners have successfully grown plants using simple materials.
Hydroponics 1.May require sophisticated equipment setup.Harvest 3 may be shortened by more control over precise fertilisers.The use of soilless culture reduced exposure to soil-based pests.It is more suitable for leafy vegetables due to space constraints.Only a piece of land is needed to grow the 2.Plants may take longer to mature as soil-based nutrients are released slowly.Exposure to more avenues of pest attacks.It's suitable for any fruited vegetables.
One method of germinating seeds is to sow them in the same area.
The individual has the option of soaking seeds.The general rule of thumb is not to soak the seeds for more than 24 hours.
Grow lights give a blue and red spectrum of light for optimal plant growth.
The best time for the plant to fully absorb the water is early mornings.It's not a good idea to water the plant during hot afternoons or nights because it will be prone to fungal attack.
If the soil is dry to the touch, you can either poke a wooden chopstick or your finger into it.People use water from washing rice.Is there any benefit in the water for plants?
The water from washing rice should not be used to fertilise the plants.The soil may be made harder with the help of the rice water.
All plants need food to grow well.Fertilising the plants will replenish the nutrients lost in the soil.Plants may be less healthy and more prone to pest attacks if they don't have the right amount of fertiliser.
Dr Wilson Wong is an accomplished horticulturist and scientist with more than 20 years of experience growing plants.He is in charge of the landscape and programmes at the new Jurong Lake Gardens.Wilson has grown a wide variety of plants ranging from the vegetables to trees that bear fruit.He is a familiar name to many as he helms a gardening column in The Straits Times every Saturday, answering questions about gardening.
The collection of plants in the NParks Pasir Panjang Nursery is used to supply plants to all parts of Singapore.There are various plants that can be planted in gardens and parks.With more than 20 years of experience in gardening, Vicky has developed her skills and has conducted various training courses for public and NParks staff.In order to add to the vibrancy of the landscape in Singapore, the nursery has to source new and interesting plants.