tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86627566558448315032024-03-09T08:43:34.085+08:00Tropical GardeningAbout a tropical garden in Malaysia, South East Asia. Maintained by an amateur gardener and his partner who make their own organic compost, grow flowers and vegetables.julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-26676774292817221722011-09-29T17:57:00.000+08:002011-09-29T17:57:58.629+08:00Civet cats in the kitchenWe occasionally get visits from civet cats, (the local variety is the Asian Palm Civet, aka Paradoxurus hermaphroditus). Normally it comes by itself and eats some of the stuff we have in the bowl where we leave material for the compost bin, but one morning there were three little ones (kittens?) in a corner of the roof of the wet kitchen.
They stayed there for more than an hour. I suppose they julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-17400854736607535902010-02-01T09:54:00.004+08:002011-09-29T17:29:02.153+08:00On an extended leave of absence...
(Source: PHD Comics by jorge cham)
Thanks for dropping by :)
I am now in the process of writing up my PhD, and will only be able to do very intermittent updates of this blog. Please explore the archives (below right) for our experiences in organic tropical gardening and, if you like, visit my other blog anthroblogia where I will be posting a bit more often.julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-29149111091437155302009-12-20T14:01:00.005+08:002009-12-20T14:30:18.513+08:00Organic mealy bug repellentIn the previous post I identified the Papaya mealy bug - Paracoccus Marginatus on our papaya.So - I checked out what are the possible organic responses and found some good resources:PAN Germany: Describes the uses of chiliGolden Harvest Organics: A list of insects and pests, and appropriate organic repellentsCanadian Country Woman: Describes various bug spraysThe Urban Gardener, and A Canadian injulianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-5208073805250748892009-11-29T14:36:00.005+08:002009-11-29T15:12:16.141+08:00Papaya mealy bug - Paracoccus MarginatusA while ago, WW noticed some white stuff on our papayas, and eventually I got round to looking closerclusters of foam, it seemed like to me, and I wasn't sure if it was a real problem or not... but it spreadand it was clearly affecting the growth...a closer look revealed what looked like eggsbut I still couldn't see the bugs... I thought I spotted it with this brown beetle-like insect, but it wasjulianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-44660922005145522322009-10-22T10:00:00.001+08:002009-10-29T17:04:54.958+08:00Identifying a palm treeApart from the Ptychosperma macarthurii (Macarthur palms), we have a couple of palms that are apparently somewhat uncommon, and I'm trying to identify them. They've grown to about 6-8 metres, and are in a clump like the Macarthur palm, though they don't bend outwards in the same way.The closest I can find is Dypsis lutescens, but even there the trunk is not yellow enough.I also got some photos ofjulianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-28256401478315741172009-10-18T22:27:00.004+08:002009-10-18T22:53:12.292+08:00Philippine lawn grass seedingOur lawn leaves much to be desired - initially it was laid down with 'Pearl grass', which was a bad idea; it did not survive well in the sun, and grew too slowly to recover from any setbacks. Eventually, the whole lawn became a vast sea of weeds.So, we've laid down patches of Philippine lawn grass - it grows quite fast, is hardy, and looks quite OK.It's done all right, spreading slowly. And now julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-63795055181109638742009-10-08T10:00:00.001+08:002009-10-20T13:58:01.974+08:00Bird's nest - recycling rawks!Here are some photos that I've been meaning to use for a long time. WW was trimming the bamboo when she came across thisthe twigs growing out of the interstice obviously make good support for a nest, and being inside the clump of bamboo is surely also good protection for the bird and her chicks (who were no longer there when WW cut the bamboo, in case you were wondering).What's interesting, julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-16040121170456577182009-10-04T11:38:00.004+08:002009-10-04T12:10:58.077+08:00Fire ant on yard-long beanWW planted some yard-long beans, or Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, and they have started to flower and fruit.But there is also someone else interested in the flowers and beans...I'm not sure what the identification of the ant is. I suspect it's a fire ant (Solenopsis), because if one of them bites me my foot/hand will swell up. But then again I always react dramatically to insect julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-61538236797598569902009-10-01T12:01:00.001+08:002009-10-01T12:01:03.590+08:00Frangipani in the morningWe have a pink frangipani, aka Plumeria rubra, growing on the patio. There was some hesitation in getting it initially, as the frangipani is associated with cemeteries here in Malaysia; but WW decided that a pink one would be OK, as it's the white ones that are in the cemeteries. It has grown well and produces flowers regularly - an interesting factoid about frangipanis is:"Plumeria flowers are julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-49965865628099008662009-09-27T10:56:00.007+08:002009-09-27T11:54:46.031+08:00Organic compost harvestOne of the challenges of an organic garden is getting enough nutrients into the soil, given that you can't use chemical fertilisers. A great way to address this problem, and reduce your waste that will otherwise go to clog up a landfill somewhere, is to compost your kitchen waste.It's very easy: the basic rule is - no animal products (i.e. meat and dairy). This means it doesn't get smelly, and julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-80965724468802510572009-09-24T14:59:00.001+08:002009-09-24T14:59:00.422+08:00Grasshopper in the organic mintOne of the problems with organic gardening is that you can't just give a blast of insecticide or herbicide from time to time to reduce pests. So far, we haven't had any major problem, so touch wood that continues.Often in the morning I cut some organic mint to make some lovely tea - mint tea is very nice for an unsettled stomach, so it's good when you have a hangover too :)When I was picking off julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-23273630487471627122009-09-21T13:36:00.004+08:002009-09-21T14:57:16.494+08:00Birds of paradiseAround the front of our organic garden, we have a raised bed (that used to be a long fish pond I think), which has some Calathea lutea planted, and some Heliconia. I'm not sure exactly how to identify them, but I'm pretty sure they are Heliconia psittacorum (usually called 'birds of paradise' here in Malaysia).The Heliconia are invasive, so it's good they're restrained in the bed. At first I julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-51106610005825311962009-09-16T10:23:00.001+08:002009-09-16T10:23:00.307+08:00DragonflyWhen I was a kid, my brother told me that dragonflies would eat their own tails if they could - I found this really gross and since then have been somewhat repulsed by dragonflies.Anyway. I should be happier to see them, as apparently they eat mosquitoes - which is good! They are of the Odonata order, and "the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera" (from Wikipedia)julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-71074834800292877502009-09-12T12:48:00.001+08:002009-09-12T12:48:00.239+08:00Ptychosperma macarthurii - identifiedPreviously (Palm tree flowers with bees), I was wondering what type of palm we had and was unsure whether it was a Ptychosperma macarthurii - it looks like one, but I had never seen the red fruits on it.Well, now I'm sure that it must be one - see the red fruits!julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-48807330476948936942009-09-08T11:55:00.000+08:002009-09-08T11:55:00.375+08:00Spider eats a mantisThe other day, while harvesting some of our chillies, WW spotted thisIt seems like some member of the Mantidae family went into the wrong neighbourhood...Normally I welcome spiders gobbling up insects, but maybe in this case it's less good, as apparently Mantises can be good for organic farming because they eat other insects, as do spiders I supposeā¦Another interesting thing is, similar to the julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-56382473716697322062009-09-05T11:45:00.003+08:002009-09-05T11:54:58.226+08:00Spider mistaken identityThis is a photo of a spider with its web spun on the bamboo in the garden. I don't know how to identify spiders, but I think it is a 'true spider' Araneomorphae (check that link for many photos and subdivisions of Araneae).Doesn't look like much right? A lump of dirt or somethingā¦ but when you see the other side it's quite surprisingTo me, it looks like some Japanese cartoon character or julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-65900047477057127482009-08-21T12:42:00.005+08:002009-08-21T13:15:16.410+08:00Harvesting organic papayaWell - harvesting may be slightly overstating it, when I only got one fruit :) But it's the first one we got off these trees (a previous fruit was taken by someone). The trees are growing well, although the recent dry weather has not helped particularly, and you can see many fruits in the earlier stages, with couple that should be ready soonand some flowers tooThis was the fruit that was ripeI julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-45847374829762288482009-08-14T10:49:00.004+08:002009-08-14T11:15:17.224+08:00Organic papaya tree growthPapaya, or Carica papaya, is a tree that grows very easily. The first ones we had started more or less by accident, with some seeds thrown on the ground. We replanted those on the grass verge outside our house, but the first batch were either knocked over or pulled up by a stupid contractor, respectively.So we eventually planted out another six, of which four have survived till now (though one isjulianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-27597895123273629152009-08-11T17:02:00.006+08:002009-08-11T17:24:39.236+08:00Organic chilies harvestSorry to anyone out there for not posting for ages, I will try to do better from now on. Brief but regular :)Cili padi (bird's eye chili) are a favourite of most Malaysians, but not that easy to grow I find. They need a well drained soil and tend to do better in pots. Most of our previous attempts failed miserably but this time - aided by loving care from WW and perhaps our vermicompost - it's julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-78269498218190397172009-05-14T11:13:00.004+08:002009-05-14T11:30:16.324+08:00Palm tree flowers with beesWe have two palms at the back of the garden.I'm not sure what type they are, but it is similar to the MacArthur palm (Ptychosperma macarthurii) - the similarties are that it grows in clusters, and has a similar seed thing, but I never remember seeing red seeds on it. I'd say it's definitely some kind of Ptychosperma, but which one I'm not sure...A few days ago, I noticed that the seed/flower julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-72883547152859040822009-05-05T10:26:00.008+08:002009-05-05T16:17:15.790+08:00Planting Organic Lemongrass - The Return![No posts at all for the whole of April! Tsk tsk...]I had previously tried growing some organic lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), which ended in a resounding FAIL! But then a helpful reader (A Canadian in King Parakramabahu's Court) suggested getting the roots going in a glass first before putting it in the ground.So I tried it out - after a few days, the stalks started growing outand there was julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-85676576156158585772009-03-23T09:50:00.003+08:002009-03-23T10:29:01.440+08:00myBlogS 2009 - Malaysian Blog SurveyI have not been updating for a while - not because our garden has stopped growing, but because I'm well busy with thisIt's for my research into the monetisation of Malaysian blogs - I'm doing an anthropology PhD on the Malaysian blogosphere, focusing on how monetisation is affecting blogs, bloggers, and blogging.If you read Malaysian blogs, please take the time (5-10 minutes for blog readers, julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-12668645718986962162009-03-01T08:30:00.004+08:002009-03-01T11:00:26.545+08:00Elephant's Ear propagationWe have an Elephant's Ear in the corner of our garden under a palm tree. It appeared by accident, but I think it's no coincidence as the Elephant Ear likes compost (according to this useful guide to 'General Aroid Care'), and that's where we put a lot of the larger waste that we can't fit in the compost bins.The official name is Alocasia macrorrhizos, and another name is Giant Taro. As you can julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-56125082736897266042009-02-14T13:46:00.005+08:002009-02-14T14:12:12.024+08:00An organic Valentine :)Worried about being stiffed with overpriced roses, chemically enhanced and flown in from halfway across the world? There is a solution :)Find a few blooms in your gardenput them on the breakfast table and sayI love you :)Dedicated to WW - my love for ever xxx :)PS: Check out the Organic Consumers Association for more ideas.julianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8662756655844831503.post-45071820760945749342009-02-11T09:47:00.004+08:002009-02-11T10:10:30.806+08:00Cooking organic sweet potato leafWe harvested our organic sweet potato today (there are a couple of more detailed recipes on that post too). One lesson to be learnt is that it needs a climbing frame - it was crawling all over the ground looking for something to climb up; also, the leaves of one of the plants were all small and not a deep green - I think there was too much shade.We didn't get a lot out of it...I separated out thejulianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09995954836400807202noreply@blogger.com5