Frangipani are busily dropping leaves and flowering is sparse. Now is the time to prune back; spray against rust (yellow powder on underside of leaves), and cushiony scale/woolly aphis (looks like blobs of cotton wool). Fertilize well for the coming season of renewal. Dispose of all waste, especially leaves - most eco-friendly by sealing in heavy, black plastic bags. The hot Bali sun will kill micro-organisms is due course.
Please buy a pruning saw and supervise any cutting back. I cringe when I see jagged, splintered ends everywhere – dangerous to plants and people alike. Cuts should be clean and if too large for secateurs, a saw must be used. Cut as close to the main branch/trunk as possible. Blades should be disinfected before moving on. Seal big cuts! On a large scale, bitumen is the usual sealant. Home gardeners may use old leftovers of water-based paint. The tree may look a bit quaint, but new foliage will quickly cover.
The current buzzword is Organic, but what is/isn’t organic often differs from organization to organization, and between person and person. Many years ago the vineyards of Bordeaux developed a spray against vine diseases consisting of slaked lime, sulfur, copper oxides, known as ‘Bordeaux Mixture’. Some proselytizers accept this as an ‘organic’ preparation (all components do occur naturally); others consider it absolute apostasy! What about hydroponics?
Hydroponics requires a ‘closed’ environment so fertilizers can only be dissolvable chemicals. (Organic fertilizers immediately introduce contaminants.) Completely closed environments are very expensive and difficult to maintain. Hydroponic environments are far from 100% enclosed, and whether admitted to or not, must be fumigated regularly.
I have given recipes for effective organic/inorganic preventatives in past articles (see this journal’s website). Choose the most compatible with your beliefs.. The most organically acceptable fertilizer is human/animal urine – usable almost immediately after dilution.
Your own compost is probably best and cheapest fertilizer. You may find purpose-made compost bins here, but probably quicker and easier to make your own. Buy two medium sized plastic garbage bins with lids. Remove their bases (sharp blade, saw, hot wire). Place bins side by side directly on the ground in an unobtrusive part of your garden. (Removing bases allows worms access to the compost; worm casts themselves being excellent fertilizer.) When not adding/removing compost, keep lids firmly in place, minimizing odors and hastening the process.
ALL vegetable wastes may put into the bins – peelings, uneaten cooked veg., eggshells, rice, pulled weeds and grass clippings (not if in seed) a thin 10mm layer at a time. When contents reach about 10cm add a 2.5cm layer of soil. (If male, pee into the bin whenever you pass.) Repeat this process until the first bin is full, then start on the second bin. Contents of the first bin will compact over time but do not add more as this delays the process.
A handful of garden lime, sprinkled on the top from time to time, keeps contents ‘sweet’. Never add meat scraps; they smell bad decomposing; attract flies (.·. maggots); delay the process. When the bin is ½ full, turn the contents over with a garden fork; repeat this when the bin is ¾ full. Turn contents again when ready, before using. In a temperate climate, a large, full bin takes 2-3 weeks to mature; in the tropics 7-10 days.
Daun Sirih anecdote: In my article about betel leaves four weeks ago I suggested the external use of these leaves with a bland oil, held in position over the painful area with some kind of bandage, as a type of ‘poultice’ for joint/muscle pain. I now have anecdotal evidence of their efficacy.
I have known a Sundanese family for more than 20 years. The matriarch, known simply as ’Ibu’ to all, is of indeterminate age (no such things then as birth certificates). Her extended family think she is about 75. She was widowed at an early age, and her life became one of desperate poverty and hardship. She slept on bare, wooden floors for most of her life.
Ever since I have known her she has been plagued by rheumatism and now possibly arthritis. Last week she was bedridden, unable even to walk to the toilet. She was taking both Ibuprofen and Paracetamol which did help with pain. I suggested she try daun sirih. Her back was rubbed with coconut oil, fresh leaves placed on the oil and tied in place with a piece of an old sarung. She commented immediately on how cool and soothing it felt. Within six hours she was able to leave her bed and go to the toilet. The next day she was free of all pain and able to walk to the nearby warung. These natural remedies have been around for millennia – obviously not without just cause!
Please send all your gardening questions to
E-mail: gardendoctor09@gmail.com
