Growing REFLECTIONS Fruit Trees for the Body and Soul Text and photos by Dr Sim Chiang Khi

I thought I could cut down any tree in my after flowering. Therefore durians, Dr Sim is a senior paediatric own garden. tomatoes, chillis, long beans and brinjals surgeon and paediatric urologist in private practice. He is a gardening I had a big, mature durian tree bearing are all “fruits”. hobbyist, not an expert, and such good fruits that I did not have to Since the incident, I no longer grow has planted various fruit trees buy any durians for over 15 years. When fruit trees in the ground. My soursop with some success. Sharing and learning common experiences I decided to renovate my house, the (Annona muricata) is planted in a big pot. and exchanging plants with fellow Public Utilities Board (PUB) discovered To prevent the roots from coming out doctors on various chat groups have during the preconstruction survey that of the bottom of the pot and growing been a rewarding journey. the roof of a major underground sewer into a big tree, the pot is placed on a that passed between the tree and my tile. I also grow shrubs such as brinjal/ house had collapsed. We had a situation! eggplant (Solanum melongena), ladies’ The support roots of the tree were fingers/okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) directly above the sewer pipe; however, and many others in pots. the contractor assured me that they Topsoil is a living system that allows would excavate below the roots to repair plants to grow well. Most of built-up the sewer. But I came home that day Singapore has no topsoil for cultivation and to my horror, the workers had dug a because our ground had been dug up. A two-metre trench cutting all the support building site leaves us with sticky yellow roots. The tree became unstable and clay. It is expensive to cover our garden could fall onto the house during a storm. with good topsoil and if we do not Work was immediately halted and the maintain it, the soil will be bleached and architect applied to the National Parks wash away by our heavy rainfall. Planting Board (NParks) for the tree to be removed. in pots is the only option when living in Being within the tree conservation area, high-rise buildings. permission was denied. Over the ensuing few months, many meetings were held Fruit trees to consider with the PUB and NParks manager and arborist. Permission to remove the tree Tomatoes was eventually granted because of Tomatoes are easy to grow. Use a large the danger of it falling onto the house. pot or trough to encourage root growth. Anyone who grows big fruit trees in your Determinate tomato plants have a main garden must be aware of this. While stem and all the fruits are produced the fruits are yours, the tree is part of within a short season. Following that, the heritage of our nation and you may the plant diminishes in vigour. The not cut it down at will once it reaches a indeterminate variety keeps branching certain size. My builder was fined a few and bears fruit continuously. You would thousand dollars for removing a much need stakes to support the vine. I had a smaller rambutan tree. vine that gave me over 400 fruits when I fed it intensively. Botany basics Papayas 1 In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (also known Papaya is best grown in the ground or as angiosperms) formed from the ovary a very large pot. When the tree gets too

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tall, cut the trunk and allow the stump to fruits earlier. Even without much care it They can be killed if the solution is grow new shoots to become a new plant. will produce small fruits. Currently I have strong enough. By trial and error, you will four pineapple fruits at different stages find the right strength of solution. Test it Bananas of maturation out of a total of 17 pots. on a small part of the plant to make sure I grow bananas in the ground as the it is not too strong for it. undergrown stem will produce new Tips on caring for your fruit trees Chewing insects such as caterpillars suckers and after some time, you will get and grasshoppers are best picked off the Pot and soil a cluster of trees. Growing bananas will plant. I find perfumed hand soap gives let you enjoy the sensory experience of We have to prepare a good growing some success. Snails are controlled by tree-ripened fruits. Commercial ones are medium for healthy plant growth. I mix snail pellets – treat the entire garden harvested green and artificially ripened top soil, potting mix and compost for but avoid the edible plants. Egg shells with ethylene gas. optimal growth, and adjust drainage by are supposed to be effective. Squirrels, adding sand. Use organic preparations however, can be destructive. Sarawak pepper when planting edibles. We have to feed Sarawak pepper is a vine that gives you them throughout the growing period Composting the most aromatic spice for many years. before fruiting. A healthy plant gives you Many of us have our own compost Its support must be durable. Harvest the good fruits. Fruiting puts a high demand heap for our garden wastes. My worm berries when they begin to turn yellow. on potted plants. Plants are fertilised at bin composts all my kitchen wastes. You can get black pepper by drying the two-week intervals but when fruiting, I The worm juice and worm castings are whole berries. White pepper is made by feed them with diluted nutrients every excellent for plants. soaking the fruits in water until the flesh day. Nutrients applied to a pot do not seep into the ground beyond the root of the berries has rotted, then collecting Physical benefits and drying the seeds. Birds love the system of the plant. It may be cheaper to buy your fruits from sweet ripened berries. Harvest them Weed control is easy in a pot. Potted the supermarket but you cannot put a early in the morning before the birds do. plants can dry out easily and some trees price on the joy and therapeutic benefits need watering twice a day. How much Dragon fruits water to use for a pot? I water until it derived from gardening. Heart rates and Dragon fruits are cacti and easy to grow. begins to come out of the bottom of blood pressures fall, cortisol levels drop They need well-drained soil and lots of the pot. Too much water washes out the and my mind is filled with harp music sun. I grow the yellow-skinned variety nutrients. Depending on the soil type, it and rippling water sounds when I tend from seeds but am disappointed as the takes about 20% to 25% volume of water to my garden. One can form strong fruits are tiny compared to those from to saturate the soil. bonds with trees – I found out just how South America. Their midnight blooms, strong when I missed my durian tree! the size of a dinner plate, are beautiful Urine PS. Much of what I learnt was from but last only a few hours. Urine is free and completely organic. joining the Doctors Gardening Group on Fresh urine is sterile and almost odourless social media. Pineapples when used immediately. Dilute in a 1:20 ratio or more. Give it to your fruit trees Pineapples are a bromeliad from South Legend America. They are tough and easy to especially during fruiting season. 1. Home grown tomatoes grow. The green tuft from the top of a Pest control 2. Beautiful flower of a dragon fruit plant. The fruit will grow into a new plant. The tiny flower starts to bloom in the evening, reaches seeds in the “eye” of the fruit can also You can kill almost all sap-sucking its zenith near midnight and lasts only for a be geminated but they take too long insects with detergent solution. few hours to grow. When grown in pots they bear Mealybugs are the most troublesome. 3. Pineapple flowers

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