Root Awakening

Red Hot Poker Vine needs large space to grow.
Red Hot Poker Vine needs large space to grow. PHOTO: DEREK TOK
Plant likely a pumpkin.
Plant likely a pumpkin. PHOTO: NANCY QUEK
Protect flowers of Desert Rose from rain.
Protect flowers of Desert Rose from rain. PHOTO: LEONG CHENG KONG
Lemon grass affected by scale insects.
Lemon grass affected by scale insects. PHOTO: VICTOR LIU
Broad mites on chilli plant.
Broad mites on chilli plant. PHOTO: DAVID CHUAH

Red Hot Poker Vine needs large space to grow

What plant is this?

Derek Tok

The plant is botanically known as Norantea guianensis and its common name is Red Hot Poker Vine.

It is a large woody vine with thick glossy leaves and produces spectacular, long orange-red flower spikes.

It requires a sunny outdoor location to grow well. It also needs a large space to grow and a sturdy trellis to climb on.

Plant likely a pumpkin

A plant sprouted in my pot and there is also a flower. What is the name of the plant?

Nancy Quek

From the flower as well as the leaves, the plant appears to be a pumpkin. The leaves look rather yellow and it may be a sign the plant is lacking nutrients.

If it is growing in a very small pot, you can consider moving it into a larger flower pot or grow it in the ground. The soil should be well-drained and moisture-retentive. You can give the plant a balanced fertiliser to improve its health and promote vigour.

Protect flowers of Desert Rose from rain

I have several pots of Adenium Desert Rose. One plant, with yellow double-petal flowers, has been blooming regularly, but started to show brown/black patches on the edges of its blooms. I tried using malathion, neem oil and fungicide, all to no avail. The plant continues to sprout new blooms that eventually turn black. What should I do to save it?

Leong Cheng Kong

Your Desert Rose flowers appear to be infected with a fungal disease. It is often seen in plants grown in exposed conditions.

You may want to protect your flowering plants from heavy rain by growing them under a clear shelter that allows sunlight to pass through, but protects them from the rain.

Heavy rain or a strong jet of water can damage flowers and damaged tissues will allow fungal spores and other pathogens to enter and lead to infection.

Lemon grass affected by scale insects

I transplanted a lemongrass plant into a big pot more than a month ago. It grew well with four to six hours of direct sunlight from morning to 2pm. Recently, I noticed a lot of white and red spots on it. How do I treat this and prevent it from happening again?

Victor Liu

Your lemongrass plant is likely to be infested by scale insects, which are pests that suck sap from plant tissues, hence weakening the plant over time.

You can prune the affected leaves and then spray the plant with neem oil or summer oil, which are organic pesticides that work by suffocating the adult insects and killing them.

Broad mites on chilli plant

The leaves on my chilli plant are not growing as broad as they should and they seem to curl. Also, the flowers seem to be dropping off as though the plant is stressed. The plant was doing better than previous batches. There was at least one harvest of chillies. I prefer not to use synthetic products. I treated the plant for white flies previously. I also had some success initially with a solution of diluted wood vinegar.

David Chuah

The crinkled leaves of your chilli plant indicate that there may be a broad-mite infestation.

Lime sulphur solution or neem oil may be used to control the infestation. Another alternative is to use sulphur soap solution.

As for flowers falling off, you may want to check if your chilli plant is over-watered as constant wet feet can cause flowers to be aborted.

Grow your plant in a well-drained potting mix that will dry out a little before the next watering.

You may also want to try to pollinate the flowers using a soft brush to help transfer pollen to promote fruit production.

• Answers by Dr Wilson Wong, an NParks-certified practising horticulturist, parks manager and ISA-certified arborist. He is the founder of Green Culture Singapore and an adjunct assistant professor (Food Science & Technology) at the National University of Singapore.

• Have a gardening query? E-mail it with clear, high-resolution pictures of at least 1MB, if any, and your full name to stlife@sph.com.sg. We reserve the right to edit and reject questions.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 04, 2020, with the headline Root Awakening. Subscribe