Page 70 - Mariners Cricket Club (Singapore) - Souvenir Magazine 2020

NEEM OIL as a solution to all gardening woes
Most gardeners will suggest, that you use neem oil and themselves depend heavily on them,
but neem oil doesn’t distinguish between good and bad, friendly and harmful pests it, repels
all bugs, we need friendly lady bugs to eat our mealy bugs and aphids. We do need ants for soil
aeration and pollination, neem oil does deter our pollinators away with its repulsive smell.

Hence, we should turn and depend more on our kitchen for solutions.

Plant more garlic and shallots and ginger, pandan, marigold flowers, peppermint, rosemary,
thyme, mustard leaves these deter not just insects, but rodents like rats, their cute cousins like

squirrels away. And are beneficial for the nature and bring diversity into your garden and don’t
cost the earth like their chemical counterpart.
Well, I would also like to say that , we share this planet with each of the creatures and they do
have right to live and complete their life cycle, so unless extremely necessary, curb the urge of
killing them and claiming your space.

Learn to enjoy nature in all its glory.
Afterall,” Gardening is a love song, A duet between a human being and mother nature”

So let us focus on making our plants strong, soils rich so we depend less on these pesticides.

Natural fertilizers

Always remember, the pests attack because your plants signal them that they are under stress
and weak, and plants go under stress because of lack of nutrition, proper sunlight, aeration, over
watering, under watering or simply because you are trying to grow something that isn’t suitable
for the climate of that region.
Collect and soak the onion and garlic peels from your kitchen ,submerge them in water for a

week, later filter them and use the water for your plants it is a good organic fertiliser, banana
peel can be used in the same way. These make your plants naturally strong and less susceptible
to stress and diseases.
So does fermented rice water, 1 tablespoon of boiled rice in 1 litre of water, mix together put it
in a container in leave it in the sun to ferment for a week, filter and use this water, it provides

nourishment to the plants.
Hope these humble ingredients and tips helps your urban gardening journey.

‘Because to plant a garden, is to believe in tomorrow.’

Kruta also runs a YOUTUBE channel by the name Roo’s Kitchen and Garden,
where the readers can know more about gardening.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb_9vehsk9V7PSnGt2Ldh8A

Mariners’ Cricket Club (Singapore) 70