Root Awakening: Guava can be grown in a large pot
Guava needs well-draining soil
What plant is this and how do I care for it?
Lilian Quek
The plant is likely the Guava (Psidium guajava), a common fruit tree that can be grown in a large pot. It needs a sunny spot and a well-draining growing medium to thrive.
Limau Purut plant infested with mites
Affected leaves will not recover and are usually not used for cooking, as they are not aesthetically pleasing.
PHOTO: GAN BOEY KEOW
In the past few months, my Limau Purut plant developed light patches on the leaves. What are the spots and are they contagious? Are the leaves still edible?
Gan Boey Keow
Your plant seems to have been infested by a type of microscopic mite that is invisible to the naked eye.
This pest appears to affect plants from the orange family (Rutaceae), such as the Curry Tree and other citrus plants.
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Affected leaves will not recover and are usually not used for cooking, as they are not aesthetically pleasing.
Thorough and repeated applications of summer oil may help to manage the mite infestation and prevent further damage. The oil will suffocate the pests, and complete coverage is necessary for effective management.
Check plant for cricket damage
Ant powder can be used to deter crickets.
PHOTO: SEE SOO ENG
This appears to be a pot-bound plant that needs more room to grow.
PHOTO: SEE SOO ENG
There are flying insects around some of my plants, one of which has wilted leaves. Did the insects cause this? Also, roots seem to be emerging from nearby pots. What is wrong? Finally, can the soil of dead plants be reused?
See Soo Eng
The insect appears to be a cricket. In nature, crickets tunnel through soil, which can help to aerate the root zone of plants. However, in small pots with limited soil volume, excessive tunnelling can cause delicate roots to dry out. Crickets sometimes feed on the plants as well. Check your plant for signs of damage to be sure. Ant powder, which contains permethrin, may be sprinkled atop the soil to deter the pests. Keep treated pots out of the reach of children and pets.
The visible roots in the pot may be due to a pot-bound plant. Move it to a larger container to give it more room to grow.
The soil from dead plants can be reused, as soil is a finite resource. However, it has to be treated to get rid of pathogens and pests.
If there is not much soil, you can disinfect it by heating it in a convection oven. Heat it to a temperature above 80 deg C for at least 30 minutes, preparing small quantities each time so that the core temperature can rise throughout. Allow the soil to cool before using it.
Another way to salvage used soil is to leave the soil to dry out for several months after removing the infected plant parts. When reusing the soil, consider growing a plant of a different species to mitigate possible issues.
Mint can be grown hydroponically
Ensure the plants' containers are opaque, as light exposure can lead to algae growth.
PHOTO: SINDY ANG
I have grown these mint cuttings in water for two weeks. Can I grow mint in water permanently? What nutrients can I add to the water?
Sindy Ang
Although plain water will not have enough nutrients for plant growth, mint can be grown in water if fertilised properly. You can buy liquid fertilisers for use in hydroponic systems, commonly called 'A-B fertiliser solutions'.
When using such fertiliser solutions, ensure the containers are opaque, as light exposure can trigger algae growth.
Passive hydroponic set-ups are best for small plants. Larger plants need more dissolved oxygen, which can be difficult to provide without the use of an aquarium air pump. A lack of oxygen in the root zone can lead to root rot and plant decline.
Plant is variegated Indian Borage
This is a common herb in Singapore and can be used as a substitute for oregano.
PHOTO: YET TENG
What is the name of this plant? Is it edible?
Yet Teng
This plant is a variegated version of the Indian Borage (Coleus amboinicus). It is a common culinary and medicinal herb in Singapore, and is sometimes used as a substitute for oregano. The leaves can be boiled to yield a decoction that is said to relieve coughs.
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Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
With a shovel and a dream, woman finds 2.3 carat diamond in Arkansas
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But then, as she carried her fourth bucket of dirt to the water pool where diggers rinse their finds, she saw a glimmer in a spider web on the ground, nudging it with her boot. But what looked like glistening dew did not rub off. In fact, it was a shiny stone. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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Ms Micherre Fox holds a 2.3-carat uncut white diamond she dug up at Arkansas' Crater of Diamonds State Park. PHOTO: ARKANSAS STATE PARKS/NYTIMES Ms Annie Dye, a gemologist based in New York state, said that depending on the final cut, clarity, color and carat weight, the diamond could be worth anywhere from US$10,000 to US$50,000. The couple have yet to get it appraised, so its precise value remains unknown. Each year, about 160,000 people, on average, come to Crater of Diamonds State Park, about a 180km drive southwest from Little Rock, in hopes of digging up a diamond they can keep. Most days, diggers take their finds to the park's experts to learn what they found. The park has a 'finders, keepers' policy, making anything they dig up theirs to take home at no added cost. But often, it's one of three less-valuable rocks: smooth brown jasper; angular quartz; or soft and brittle calcite. Every so often, someone makes a historic find. 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Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Straits Times
80 years after 1945, Japan finds its memories of WWII fading
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People releasing white doves at the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo as Japan marks the 80th anniversary of its surrender in World War II on Aug 15. – As Japan marks 80 years since its surrender in World War II on Aug 15, 1945, the country's collective memory of its role in the global conflagration – and the catastrophic defeat it suffered – is fading fast. The voices of living veterans, such as 95-year-old Hideo Shimizu, and atomic bomb survivors, like 86-year-old Michiyo Yagi, are fast disappearing. How Japan will remember its imperial past and the war's influence on the nation's psyche is now becoming a pressing concern. Ms Yagi, a 'hibakusha' who experienced the devastation of her native Nagasaki on Aug 9, 1945, counts her family – her mother and four siblings – fortunate to have survived the blast, although they endured prolonged bouts of debilitating diarrhoea in its aftermath. 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In the present day, a year-long series of war memorial events culminates in the Memorial Ceremony for the War Dead on Aug 15, although the surrender documents were only formally signed on Sept 2, 1945. At the annual ceremony, where a minute's silence was observed at 12pm, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was the first leader in 13 years to express 'remorse for the war' in his memorial speech. 'We must never repeat the horrors of war. We must never again err on the path we take,' Mr Ishiba said. 'We must now deeply engrave in our hearts the remorse and lessons of that war.' He added: 'No matter how much time passes, we will continue to pass on the painful memories of war and our resolute pledge to never wage war again across generations and continue to take action towards lasting peace.' 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The battle was directed by admirals and generals in war rooms, but fought by indoctrinated foot soldiers who were prepared to lay down their lives. Living veterans, now numbering a mere 792 – a stark drop from 1.4 million in the 1980s – continue to bear profound scars. Mr Hideo Shimizu, 95 , a former member of the notorious Unit 731, made headlines in China when he visited a memorial in the northeastern city of Harbin in August 2024 and bowed in apology. He recounted feeling powerless to go against his superiors' orders, having been assigned to what was the Imperial Japanese Army's biological warfare unit, and remains haunted by nightmares from witnessing human specimens. Tokyo's official position has been to acknowledge Unit 731's existence but cites a lack of conclusive documentation in refusing to confirm or deny human experiments. In March, Mr Ishiba told Parliament: 'The means to verify facts have been lost with history.' Mr Shimizu, who broke his silence in 2015, continues to share his experiences publicly but suffers from slander and abuse from Japanese right-wing commentators online who deride him as a 'senile old man'. He told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper: 'If you say something did not happen 100 times, it becomes as if it really never did. That is more frightening.' Japan's discomfort with its history as a colonial power and wartime aggressor – coupled by a political shift to the right – is evident from how the subject is discussed in the country's history textbooks. Mr Ishiba recounted to a forum in May of a meeting with Singapore's then-Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew at his home in 2008, when he attended the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore as defence minister. 'Mr Lee asked me, 'Do you know what Japan did in Singapore during WWII?',' Mr Ishiba said. 'I replied with the knowledge I learnt in history class at school. Mr Lee looked sad and said, 'Is that all you know?' I felt so ashamed that I began reading various books to learn about what had actually happened during the war.' His anecdote epitomises how the same historical events can be interpreted differently, with opposing versions sometimes written off as 'revisionism'. The divergence is stark even at home, when comparing Yushukan Museum next to Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo – which enshrines 2.5 million war dead, but is highly controversial for the 14 Class A war criminals in their midst – to the peace museums in Nagasaki or Okinawa. Despite Japan having previously made war apologies and reparations in accordance to international law and a consistent refusal to avoid being drawn into 'apology diplomacy', the country's hawkish shift has unnerved neighbouring countries. 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Straits Times
20 hours ago
- Straits Times
Stressed UK teens seek influencers' help for exams success
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Online study influencers are gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success. LONDON - Posing as a fortune teller on his YouTube channel, former teacher Waqar Malik tells thousands of followers that he can predict this year's exam questions. He is among online study influencers gaining popularity among stressed British teenagers in search of exam success. But educators and examiners are concerned some pupils are relying too much on online advice. Mr Malik posts videos on TikTok and YouTube forecasting questions on classic English literature for the UK GCSE school exam taken at 16. In 2024 'I predicted the entire paper,' he said on his popular Mr Everything English channel. Mr Malik, who says he is a former assistant head teacher, noted that he was just making an 'educated guess', but educators remain concerned. 'If you are a 15- or 16- year-old doing your GCSEs and you've got somebody in your phone who's telling you 'this is what the English exam is going to be about'... that is so appealing,' said Ms Sarah Brownsword, an assistant professor in education at the University of East Anglia. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k for abetting former minister Iswaran in obstructing course of justice Life How do household bomb shelters in Singapore really work? Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line resumes full service 4 hours after power fault halts trains Asia Johor authorities seize four Singapore-registered vehicles over illegal e-hailing Singapore Owners call for stronger management rules in ageing condos, but seek to avoid being overburdened Asia Japan's PM Ishiba mentions wartime 'regret', toeing right-wing line After British pupils sat their exams in May, some complained that Mr Malik's predictions were wrong. 'Never listening to you again bro,' one wrote, while others said they were 'cooked' (done for) and would have to work in a fast food restaurant. With GCSE results set to be released on Aug 21, one exam board, AQA, has warned of 'increasing reliance on certain online revision channels'. 'Clearly this is an important source of revision and support for students,' it said. But the examiners want 'your interpretation of the texts you have studied, not some stranger's views on social media'. 'Looking for help' Students are overloaded, school leaders said. 'With so much content to cover and revise in every subject it can be completely overwhelming,' Ms Sarah Hannafin, head of policy for the school leaders' union NAHT, told AFP. 'And so it is unsurprising that young people are looking for anything to help them to cope.' Mr Malik, whose prediction video has been viewed on YouTube 290,000 times, did not respond to a request for comment. Ms Brownsword praised TikTok, where she posts grammar videos for student teachers, and said: 'You can learn about anything and watch videos about absolutely anything'. Teachers have always flagged questions that could come up, she said, but predicting exam questions online is 'really tricky'. 'But I think there's a real difference between doing that and doing it on such a scale, when you've got thousands or tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of followers online.' Other content creators defended such videos, however. 'Those kind of videos were never to mislead,' said Ms Tilly Taylor, a university student posting TikTok videos with candid revision advice to 100,000 followers. 'I make it very clear in my videos that these are predictions,' based on past papers and examiners' reports, said Ms Taylor, who appeals to younger viewers with her fashionable eye makeup. Other content creators sell predicted papers 'all the time,' Ms Taylor said, but 'I don't think it's right.' Other educational influencers were more in favour. 'If you're marketing it as a predicted paper, that's completely fine... you just can't say guaranteed paper,' said Mr Ishaan Bhimjiyani, 20, who has over 400,000 TikTok followers. He promoted a site offering an English predicted paper for £1.99 (S$3.47) with a 'history of 60-70 per cent accuracy'. 'It took off' Predicted papers allow you to 'check whether you're actually prepared for the exam', said Ms Jen, a creator and former teacher who posts as Primrose Kitten and declined to give her surname. Her site charges £4.99 for an English predicted paper and includes a video on phrasing to score top marks. Mr Bhimjiyani, who went to a private school, started posting on TikTok at 16, saying he was 'documenting my journey, posting about how I revise'. 'And then it kind of took off.' He founded an educational influencer agency, Tap Lab, that now represents over 100 bloggers in their mid-teens to mid-20s. Influencers earn most from paid promotions – for recruiters or beauty or technology brands –- which must be labelled as such, he said. Mr Bhimjiyani made £5,000 with his first such video. Taylor said she recently promoted student accommodation. No one explained 'how do you actually revise', Taylor said of her school years. So she turned to YouTube for ideas. 'I wanted to help someone like myself,' she said, 'who couldn't necessarily afford to go to private school or have private tuition.' AFP
