Taro/Keladi Plant

 I was recently given an ornamental Taro plant, Keladi in Malaysian. It's sent me on a path of discovery as I learn how to look after it. Apparently the one I have is inedible, and it's leaves are a different heart-shape to the traditional variety. The curves are more rounded and the cordate veins in the leaf don't branch off at all. Here's a comparison of the two
My plant:

Ornamental Keladi

A specimen from the website mylittlevegetablegarden:

Keladi/Taro tuberous plant

So what do they like?
- Full sun to partial shade.
- Lots of water. They don't like drying out at all. In fact, they like it quite boggy. They used to be farmed near rivers for lots of irrigation.
- Apparently they don't like fertilizer on their leaves either. They like it near (but not too close) to the tubers. So, leaf sprays aren't good. Pity, as that's my favorite type of fertilizer and most of my other plants like the spray on.

They are a pretty addition to my balcony. Their distinct heart shaped leaves create a lovely contrast to my long leafed spider lily and variegated Dracaena reflexa

With Dracaena reflexa and basil in the background.

Spider Lily - Hymenocallis

Over the last few weeks my spider lily has been putting out spray after spray and it's been delightful. The scent that floats through the house on a calm evening is divine.

When I inherited it, it came in a broken pot and had lots of that white fluffy mite that is so problematic here. After transferring it to a lovely new big pot I set to work trying to get rid of its parasites. This was before I found the recipe for the natural pesticide. The store bought one just couldn't get rid of them. They'd be back in a week! I even tried taking the bulbs out of the soil, washing them in a bucket with the pesticide in the water and soaking them for a while before planting them back into the pot, to no avail.

Three sprays all at once

Then I found the recipe for the chilli/garlic pesticide and it found a new life. It even rewarded me with a new spray of flowers within a few days of the mites disappearing! I just do a systematic spray now and then to keep the mites away and a far more regular leaf fertilizer and it loves it.


My spider Lily is also protecting two baby pigeons! They are very cute, and noisy when it's feeding time. My daughter's a bit worried as the nest is down under the plants and she's concerned that they won't be able to get out when it's time to fly. Thank goodness for google as that's what I'll be researching next. They're definitely sheltered from the rain and storms that regularly come through KL and that's probably why the parents chose the spot.

Two babies eye-balling the weird thing appearing above them.

Using my compost soil

Last weekend I topped up my pots and replaced soil in others from my compost. It's beautiful rich, black soil. It also meant I have more room in my compost container to do some more composting. 

Here's some pictures of me adding it to the pots and digging it in.

The old clay soil

Taking the old soil out and adding new soil - and plant

Looking so much better

Topped up

This one had lost a lot of soil, so the compost really built it up again.

Starting the new compost

 

Adopted plants

My friend has left the country to go live elsewhere and she had a balcony oof gorgeous plants. I wanted them so badly, but her balcony was four times bigger than mine and mine is already full! So, I said I'd take five; she gave me eight.

However, it got me thinking how some of my favourite plants are ones I'd inherited from others. It's lovely looking around the balcony and seeing the different plants/people in my life and it brings a lot of joy.

One of them in a Jasmine (I'm going to have to look after that one as I find the Jasmines are very suseptable to  insect infestations), which has been sending off a gorgeous scent in the evenings. Three are a type of water bulb which I want to research and the others have variegated yellow and green leaves. Very nice. 

The only problem is, I can't sit out on my balcony as it's full of plants!!

 

My new plants buffeted by the morning winds.