Garden Doctor

Bali House & Home

6 Bali House & Home 6

Indonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people with disabilities. This means that many children and adults, and particularly those living in villages where the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali

Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty

Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast

Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this year, took around eight weeks to produce.

As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali,

Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the

Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps to provide access to education for children in developing countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair was born,” says Brad.

After numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided to build their prototype from materials that are easy to source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all C/Bm/I-29 Jan 20 C/Bm/I-6 Nov 19

We now install 3M Safety & Security Window Films

made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit the beneficiary’s requirements. Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to

GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs Indonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks with disabilities. This means that many children and adults, and particularly those living in villages where Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires Hi Dr Kris, What a good article on soil testing thank you. My problem is all the plants that I’ve planted whether from cuttings or seed start off fine and grow, but won’t flower or set fruit, and after a short while stop growing and become retarded. I have fertilised with cow poop and chemicals with no difference. I really am at a loss as what to do next. Any ideas please. I’m now going to try your ‘Hello Garden Doctor! Two weeks ago, a couple of our little white flower bushes by our swimming pool which are in raised circular potters started yellowing and slowly wilting/dying. We fertilized thinking it would help but instead they appear dead. We noticed ants going to and from forming a highway are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this year, took around eight weeks to produce. Lead in the soil presents a risk if it is either inhaled or ingested. Lead in the soil can also be absorbed by vegetables grown in it. Children who play in the garden are also at risk. If living near main roads, consider growing vegetables in raised garden beds filled with clean imported soil and compost. Limit potential exposure by avoiding plants known to be lead whereby the ants protect the sap sucking bugs and even transport them around to other sites to send the honeydew production into overdrive - it’s an ant farm of a different type that you won’t like! If you ever see ants crawling up and down stems and across funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair. ingestion. Please be careful when renovating your home. Have a professional remove flaking exterior lead-based paint to prevent future contamination. Anywhere you have ant problems get some chalk and start drawing barriers to the ants. Draw a circle around an ant and watch what happens! I’m suggestion that you draw chalk lines around your pots to stop the ants migrating back and forth, draw chalk barriers wherever you don’t want them. Of course, after rain or every few days you may need to re-apply. testing suggestions. Many thanks, Andrew. between two potters in front of our big bale. This accumulators such as low-growing leafy vegetables like lettuce, leaves alarm bells should be ringing as it’s the first sign that afternoon I removed a small bromeliad looking plant As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has as well as root vegetables including carrots, onions, turnips and you have a problem. Ants are typically found on the ground It’s kind of amusing when you first start experimenting with Dear, Dr. Kris, I’ve read that living near heavy traffic and main roads increases the risk of lead contamination in the soil and is it bad for vegetable gardening? What are the growing underneath one of the flower bushes thinking the ants could be attracted to the sap of the non-flower bush. To our surprise we revealed a HEAP of little mini been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali, Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the radishes. As a general rule, the worst affected vegetables are either unwashed or unpeeled root vegetables. and will only inhabit plants if there is a honeydew source, which means either aphids or other types of scale insects have moved in. A quick check of the growing tips and the this. The chalk deterrent is also useful in the home as a good way to stop them entering the house for example through a crack in the wall. Just draw a circle around the crack or a risks or ways to make an edible garden in this situation? 1.5cm snails with a long skinny yellowish-brown cone Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps Leafy greens can be affected although much of this could undersides of foliage will likely reveal the bugs. They say barrier line wherever they are entering. Thanks in advance, Jan. shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo to provide access to education for children in developing possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. As for the snails, well it makes sense that they would be The soil is where a good garden starts, and if you have a poor going in them had the snails in. One planter more than 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to them ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetables’. There’s very little danger of lead hiding around bromeliads or strappy type leafed plants. Snails soil you likely be limited in what you can grow. The main factors that affect soil quality for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables depend on whether it is sandy which will mean it tends to dry too quickly, or if it is clay which means there is less aeration the other. Being unfamiliar with Indonesia’s little critters and land compositions I need some guidance for the best step get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair was born,” says Brad. toxicity in anything from tomatoes to papayas and pumpkins and all fruit trees in general. Plants are fairly good at keeping lead out of themselves in most Nengah Macika’s Story Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been are molluscs and like a dark moist environment for protection and to avoid drying out. They will hide under leaf litter, dark places and cover that keeps them moist. and a tendency to waterlog. forward to keep my garden thriving. The issue has just After numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided circumstances, but if the vegetables are covered in soil, or even affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate The snails in the pictures you have sent look like decollate begun to show itself to be severe and deadly to our plant to build their prototype from materials that are easy to an invisible layer of dust settles on fruit or leafy greens, you may with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty snail (Rumina decollata) with the conical shell. They are Rejuvenating a poor soil is more involved then pouring fertiliser over the ground. Natural fertiisers such as cow dung and chicken manure need to be worked in along with compost over time to gradually improve the soil, otherwise try raised garden beds with a whole new ‘imported’ soil for an instant solution. family! HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE SNAILS/ANTS AND SAVE OUR GARDEN FROM A MASS INFESTATION!? Attached is some evidence of the suspects and the crime scene. Thank you so much for your time! Looking forward to your reply! source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all be consuming lead from the soil in that way. All fruit and vegetables taken from the garden should be washed to remove all traces of soil before consumption. A good diet with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorous Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s omnivores, so they will eat plants and other snails. If there are no brown garden snails to eat or other alternatives this snail is going to eat your plants and they can cause serious damage quickly. The easy fix is snail pellets, though not my preferred choice, especially if you have children and pets to As for lead contaminated soil which is sometimes an issue in urban areas, replacing the soil or amending it is also the solution. If you live near main roads, industrial areas or old buildings you would expect an elevated level of lead in your soil. Jet from Seminyak’ Thanks for the interesting question - I think you have two separate unrelated issues going on with the ants and the snails. Ants go after anything sweet. Whenever you see a large population of ants in and around your plants its has been shown to reduce absorption of dietary lead. Similarly, those same two nutrients help reduce lead uptake in plants. Seaweed and spirulina when eaten have also been demonstrated to bind heavy metals and remove them from the body. It’s not clear from the studies whether you have to eat them concurrently with the potentially contaminated foods or just every now and then - so to be safe just put spirulina on everything. mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com By Anita consider. Laying down a dry rough mulch such as jagged bark mulch is one way to deter snails or even crushed eggshells or shell grit mulch, as they don’t like to crawl across the sharp jagged edges which probably feels like razor blades to them and their delicate slimy exterior. usually an indication that you have an aphid or scale Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser Snails prefer cool, dark, moist places to hide out, so by A recent Australian study led by RMIT University, Melbourne, found that 20% of edible home gardens are contaminated with levels of lead exceeding the safety guidelines of 300 mg/kg - whereas natural background levels are usually in the range of 15-40mg/kg. The figure is worse in Sydney, where a similar study found 40 per cent of vegetable patches had levels of lead that exceeded the safety guidelines. I can imagine that a similar statistic plays out across gardens in most cities and crowded insect infestation. So whilst it’s not the ants that are causing the initial problem, they can exacerbate it, which I will get to a bit later. Aphids and scale insects are tiny bugs usually only a few mm in size. Aphids are commonly green to brown and camouflage themselves very well, whereas scale insects generally will show up as white, beige to brown in colour. Any good soil will be ‘living’ filled with organic matter. Organic matter also helps bind the lead up in the soil, rendering it less available to plants. So, get composting, and adding it to the garden beds. Besides reducing lead uptake, it is also the key solution to a poor soil, producing healthier and more productive plants. Otherwise import a clean soil for an instant fix and a fresh start. So first, to get to the aphids and scales you will need to check the undersides of the leaves. In the initial stages hosing with a fast jet of water underneath the leaves could be enough to You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz creating these locations in the garden you can locate the snails and dispose of them. Upturned terracotta pots are a good snail trap, check every few days and you’ll find them congregating inside. Orange or any other citrus halves with the pulp scooped out is another known trap method. Leave them face down in the garden bed slightly propped up with a small gap for the snails to enter. Finally, the snail beer trap is the easiest way to take them out. A container, jar or a plastic urban areas the world over. These bugs cleverly reside on the undersides of the leaves I don’t think that there is a need to worry excessively about lead rid a small infestation, but as your plants are dying and the bottle cut in half and then placed in the garden filled with a High levels of lead remain in the soil in urban areas - the result from adding the toxic metal to paint and petrol for decades. Living close to main roads is an issue due to lead accumulation so they can go about their business of sucking out the fresh sap from the leaves in secret, placing the plant under severe stress - essentially they are stealing the plants nutrition. By in the soil - just be cautious, be alert not alarmed! Wash your edible plants, mulch your soil, and work in compost infestation is severe its probably best to spray with an organic pesticide such as white oil or neem oil that is available at hardware and garden centres. cup of beer is irresistible to snails and slugs. Dig it in level with the soil so they can easily enter – they love the yeast. in soils from traffic pollution. Vegetable gardens should be the time that you’ve realised this, the plants could be and organic matter which will help to bind any lead, reducing Snails can easily be removed using the combination of established away from busy roads - at least 20 to 80 metres dead and the bugs already moved onto the next victim. Aphids the bioavailability but also improving the overall soil health at As the ants may be in on the deal, protecting, transporting methods - hand picking, trapping, barriers, and bait/pellets. away, lead levels are usually elevated directly next to main and scales can rapidly decimate plants and their populations the same time. and farming the bugs around you should probably deter them Modifying habitats can help prevent snail plagues by removal roads. can explode into plague like proportions in just a matter of a also. Ants generally don’t like moist conditions, keep the soil of hiding places such as thick clumps of vegetation, empty few days. On a final note – Old-school paints were up to 50% lead and around your plants well-watered directly to the root-zone so pots lying around and by using a rough dry mulch. In addition - generally the older the house, or any other building even with newer layers painted over the top, the levels of lead you don’t wash off the pesticide. left contained on the interior and exterior walls of old buildings are still likely to be high. The safe level of lead in food is measured in parts per million so it’s easy to see how disturbed, crumbling, scraped, sanded or flaking paint can be a major source of direct contamination – whether from inhalation or for that matter containing lead-based paint, then the more lead found in the surrounding garden beds. Most often areas most affected are under the dripline of the eaves due to the weathering and runoff of leaded paints throughout the seasons. Here’s another tip. Plain old chalk used to write on chalkboards is all that’s needed to keep the ants away. Ants will not walk through a line of powdery material such as chalk dust or talcum powder. Test it and see! As the bugs consume the sap, the excrete a sweet ‘honeydew’ waste by-product, and ants absolutely love it. So of course, they move in to consume it - for them it’s like the sugar pot has been left out in the garden. From here a symbiotic relationship develops between the bugs and the ants, We now install 3M Safety & Security Window Films C/Bm/I-29 Jan 20 Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz C/Bm/I-6 Nov 19

made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit the beneficiary’s requirements. Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to

GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR ‘I live in Thailand and I have just moved into a new house Freeing Rootbound Plants Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs the previous owner has left me a beautiful pot plant which seems to be absolutely thriving but after a little deeper Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks look I can see the plant has grown into the soil under it. The plant is in a very awkward place and really needs to Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from Hi Dr Kris, What a good article on soil testing thank you. My problem is all the plants that I’ve planted whether from cuttings or seed start off fine and grow, but won’t flower or set fruit, and after a short while stop growing and become retarded. I have fertilised with cow poop and chemicals with no difference. I really am at a loss as what to do next. Any ideas please. I’m now going to try your ‘Hello Garden Doctor! Two weeks ago, a couple of our little white flower bushes by our swimming pool which are in raised circular potters started yellowing and slowly wilting/dying. We fertilized thinking it would help but instead they appear dead. We noticed ants going to and from forming a highway be moved. But I’m so scared to kill it. I also know that being like this in the pot can’t be good for the plant in the long run...Do I cut the roots and risk killing this beauty? Sondra, Thank you so much in advance. I’d like to deal with this with as much love and respect for this plant’ Lead in the soil presents a risk if it is either inhaled or ingested. Lead in the soil can also be absorbed by vegetables grown in it. Children who play in the garden are also at risk. If living near main roads, consider growing vegetables in raised garden beds filled with clean imported soil and compost. Limit potential exposure by avoiding plants known to be lead whereby the ants protect the sap sucking bugs and even transport them around to other sites to send the honeydew production into overdrive - it’s an ant farm of a different type that you won’t like! If you ever see ants crawling up and down stems and across this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair. ingestion. Please be careful when renovating your home. Have a professional remove flaking exterior lead-based paint to prevent future contamination. Anywhere you have ant problems get some chalk and start drawing barriers to the ants. Draw a circle around an ant and watch what happens! I’m suggestion that you draw chalk lines around your pots to stop the ants migrating back and forth, draw chalk barriers wherever you don’t want them. Of course, after rain or every few days you may need to re-apply. testing suggestions. Many thanks, Andrew. Dear, Dr. Kris, I’ve read that living near heavy traffic and main roads increases the risk of lead contamination in the soil and is it bad for vegetable gardening? What are the risks or ways to make an edible garden in this situation? between two potters in front of our big bale. This afternoon I removed a small bromeliad looking plant growing underneath one of the flower bushes thinking the ants could be attracted to the sap of the non-flower bush. To our surprise we revealed a HEAP of little mini 1.5cm snails with a long skinny yellowish-brown cone Thank you for the question about an often overlooked, yet critical aspect of gardening. Absolutely cut the roots and free this plant from its rootbound prison, you’ll be doing the plant a favour, in fact the hardest thing about this task is going to be getting the plant out of the pot. accumulators such as low-growing leafy vegetables like lettuce, as well as root vegetables including carrots, onions, turnips and radishes. As a general rule, the worst affected vegetables are either unwashed or unpeeled root vegetables. Leafy greens can be affected although much of this could leaves alarm bells should be ringing as it’s the first sign that you have a problem. Ants are typically found on the ground and will only inhabit plants if there is a honeydew source, which means either aphids or other types of scale insects have moved in. A quick check of the growing tips and the undersides of foliage will likely reveal the bugs. They say It’s kind of amusing when you first start experimenting with this. The chalk deterrent is also useful in the home as a good way to stop them entering the house for example through a crack in the wall. Just draw a circle around the crack or a barrier line wherever they are entering. Thanks in advance, Jan. shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo Freeing Rootbound Plants possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. As for the snails, well it makes sense that they would be The soil is where a good garden starts, and if you have a poor soil you likely be limited in what you can grow. The main factors that affect soil quality for growing flowers, fruits and vegetables depend on whether it is sandy which will mean it tends to dry too quickly, or if it is clay which means there is less aeration and a tendency to waterlog. Rejuvenating a poor soil is more involved then pouring fertiliser over the ground. Natural fertiisers such as cow dung and chicken manure need to be worked in along with compost over time to gradually improve the soil, otherwise try raised garden beds with a whole new ‘imported’ soil for an instant solution. As for lead contaminated soil which is sometimes an issue in urban areas, replacing the soil or amending it is also the solution. If you live near main roads, industrial areas or old buildings you would expect an elevated level of lead in your soil. A recent Australian study led by RMIT University, Melbourne, found that 20% of edible home gardens are contaminated with levels of lead exceeding the safety guidelines of 300 mg/kg - whereas natural background levels are usually in the range of 15-40mg/kg. The figure is worse in Sydney, where a similar study found 40 per cent of vegetable patches had levels of lead that exceeded the safety guidelines. I can imagine that a similar statistic plays out across gardens in most cities and crowded urban areas the world over. High levels of lead remain in the soil in urban areas - the result from adding the toxic metal to paint and petrol for decades. Living close to main roads is an issue due to lead accumulation in soils from traffic pollution. Vegetable gardens should be established away from busy roads - at least 20 to 80 metres away, lead levels are usually elevated directly next to main roads. In addition - generally the older the house, or any other building for that matter containing lead-based paint, then the more lead found in the surrounding garden beds. Most often areas most affected are under the dripline of the eaves due to the weathering and runoff of leaded paints throughout the seasons. going in them had the snails in. One planter more than the other. Being unfamiliar with Indonesia’s little critters and land compositions I need some guidance for the best step forward to keep my garden thriving. The issue has just begun to show itself to be severe and deadly to our plant family! HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE SNAILS/ANTS AND SAVE OUR GARDEN FROM A MASS INFESTATION!? Attached is some evidence of the suspects and the crime scene. Thank you so much for your time! Looking forward to your reply! Jet from Seminyak’ Thanks for the interesting question - I think you have two separate unrelated issues going on with the ants and the snails. Ants go after anything sweet. Whenever you see a large population of ants in and around your plants its usually an indication that you have an aphid or scale insect infestation. So whilst it’s not the ants that are causing the initial problem, they can exacerbate it, which I will get to a bit later. Aphids and scale insects are tiny bugs usually only a few mm in size. Aphids are commonly green to brown and camouflage themselves very well, whereas scale insects generally will show up as white, beige to brown in colour. These bugs cleverly reside on the undersides of the leaves so they can go about their business of sucking out the fresh sap from the leaves in secret, placing the plant under severe stress - essentially they are stealing the plants nutrition. By the time that you’ve realised this, the plants could be dead and the bugs already moved onto the next victim. Aphids and scales can rapidly decimate plants and their populations can explode into plague like proportions in just a matter of a few days. As the bugs consume the sap, the excrete a sweet ‘honeydew’ waste by-product, and ants absolutely love it. So of course, they move in to consume it - for them it’s like the sugar pot has been left out in the garden. From here a symbiotic relationship develops between the bugs and the ants, Any root bound plant will benefi t from being removed and relocated from its confi ned space. There’s no need to worry about hurting the plant as remaining in a rootbound condition is more detrimental than anything else. With a standard nursery plant that comes in a 10 or 20 mm plastic pot releasing a rootbound plant is as easy as watering the soil, squeezing the plastic sides and popping it out. Then you tease out as many of the wound-up roots as possible and clip off the excess with secateurs leaving you with a balanced root-ball and then replant. Now for a plant like yours, bound in an earthenware pot (same goes for ceramic) you have a a task on your hands. You’d be lucky to get it out, I have a feeling you’re going to have to bring out wrecking crew and smash the pot open with a hammer, sledgehammer, crowbar, whatever is easiest and the most fun! Why? You might ask. Well, there’s a few things going on here. 1. The tiny size of the pot relative to the plant for starters. 2. The woody roots growing from the pot into the ground. 3. The fact that the pot is not only earthenware but square also. With a circular earthenware, or ceramic pot you might have a chance of getting the plant out, but in my experience those woody exposed roots are just the tip of the iceberg. They will be curled up inside all around each other, interlocked, wedged and attached to the pot in the corners and sides in the most unhelpful ways - essentially making it impossible to remove the plant. I doubt the woody roots found their way out on the fi rst attempt, well that’s what experience tells me anyway - and trust me I’m a gardener! The pot looks like a throwaway, so it’s no big deal. It’ll feel good smashing that pot up and freeing the plant, and how often do you get to feel good about smashing things up? It’s the right thing to do. The pot’s constricting the plant which will do so much better out of there, it’s doing well just to survive as it is. In the case that a pot is worth saving, try a serrated bread knife sunk in at the edges operated with a sawing motion around the internal perimeter of the pot to see if you can free the plant. them ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetables’. There’s very little danger of lead toxicity in anything from tomatoes to papayas and pumpkins and all fruit trees in general. Plants are fairly good at keeping lead out of themselves in most circumstances, but if the vegetables are covered in soil, or even an invisible layer of dust settles on fruit or leafy greens, you may be consuming lead from the soil in that way. All fruit and vegetables taken from the garden should be washed to remove all traces of soil before consumption. A good diet with adequate amounts of calcium and phosphorous has been shown to reduce absorption of dietary lead. Similarly, those same two nutrients help reduce lead uptake in plants. Seaweed and spirulina when eaten have also been demonstrated to bind heavy metals and remove them from the body. It’s not clear from the studies whether you have to eat them concurrently with the potentially contaminated foods or just every now and then - so to be safe just put spirulina on everything. Any good soil will be ‘living’ filled with organic matter. Organic matter also helps bind the lead up in the soil, rendering it less available to plants. So, get composting, and adding it to the garden beds. Besides reducing lead uptake, it is also the key solution to a poor soil, producing healthier and more productive plants. Otherwise import a clean soil for an instant fix and a fresh start. I don’t think that there is a need to worry excessively about lead in the soil - just be cautious, be alert not alarmed! Wash your edible plants, mulch your soil, and work in compost and organic matter which will help to bind any lead, reducing the bioavailability but also improving the overall soil health at the same time. On a final note – Old-school paints were up to 50% lead and even with newer layers painted over the top, the levels of lead left contained on the interior and exterior walls of old buildings are still likely to be high. The safe level of lead in food is measured in parts per million so it’s easy to see how disturbed, crumbling, scraped, sanded or flaking paint can be a major source of direct contamination – whether from inhalation or So first, to get to the aphids and scales you will need to check the undersides of the leaves. In the initial stages hosing with a fast jet of water underneath the leaves could be enough to rid a small infestation, but as your plants are dying and the infestation is severe its probably best to spray with an organic pesticide such as white oil or neem oil that is available at hardware and garden centres. As the ants may be in on the deal, protecting, transporting and farming the bugs around you should probably deter them also. Ants generally don’t like moist conditions, keep the soil around your plants well-watered directly to the root-zone so you don’t wash off the pesticide. Here’s another tip. Plain old chalk used to write on chalkboards is all that’s needed to keep the ants away. Ants will not walk through a line of powdery material such as chalk dust or talcum powder. Test it and see! I wouldn’t worry about hurting the plant in this whole process, it should survive just keep it well watered before and after. Either transplant it direct to the ground in a well-prepared soil or move it to a much larger pot. But before you move it, think about how you are going to do it - break it down into tasks. 1.Pre-prepare it ‘s new position, garden bed or a much larger pot? 2.Trim the plant back into a nice shape. Plants always do better with a trim before transplanting. The reduced foliage means less moisture loss to transpiration - the plant will better cope with transplant stress. Think about plant cuttings, we usually take the foliage back to all but the last few pairs of growing tips. From the pictures sent in I can see that it could easily be trimmed into a nice spherical shape by taking out some of the wild outlying bits, or better still cut it back even harder. 3.Roots growing from the pot into the ground need to be cut, secateurs might do it, otherwise a saw. Make sure all your tools are clean and sharp. 4.Move the plant to its desired position for transplant then remove it from the pot or otherwise break it away with a hammer. Once the plant is out cut the woody roots back and get your fi ngers in there and tease out the fi ner roots so that everything runs free. Don’t worry too much about hurting the plant, there’s probably not even much soil left in the pot and if its managed to survive like that, a bit of root remediation isn’t going to hurt. On a heavily rootbound plant it is possible to take off up to 50% of the root-ball sometimes more with no ill-effects depending on the plant and how severely bound it is. With a substantial trim of the root-ball also trim back the crown of the plant. If you think you’re harming the plant, then think about bonsai which are extremely delicate - yet the entire art relies on either trimming the roots, keeping the plant in small pots, or otherwise restricting root volume to restrict overall growth. Once you’ve untangled the root-ball into something manageable it’s as simple as repotting or transplanting, use plenty of compost, then water in well. Tips for Ultimate Success 1.To increase the chances of success water well before and Nengah Macika’s Story Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com By Anita Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz hiding around bromeliads or strappy type leafed plants. Snails are molluscs and like a dark moist environment for protection and to avoid drying out. They will hide under leaf litter, dark places and cover that keeps them moist. The snails in the pictures you have sent look like decollate snail (Rumina decollata) with the conical shell. They are omnivores, so they will eat plants and other snails. If there are no brown garden snails to eat or other alternatives this snail is going to eat your plants and they can cause serious damage quickly. The easy fix is snail pellets, though not my preferred choice, especially if you have children and pets to consider. Laying down a dry rough mulch such as jagged bark mulch is one way to deter snails or even crushed eggshells or shell grit mulch, as they don’t like to crawl across the sharp jagged edges which probably feels like razor blades to them and their delicate slimy exterior. Snails prefer cool, dark, moist places to hide out, so by creating these locations in the garden you can locate the snails and dispose of them. Upturned terracotta pots are a good snail trap, check every few days and you’ll find them congregating inside. Orange or any other citrus halves with the pulp scooped out is another known trap method. Leave them face down in the garden bed slightly propped up with a small gap for the snails to enter. Finally, the snail beer trap is the easiest way to take them out. A container, jar or a plastic bottle cut in half and then placed in the garden filled with a cup of beer is irresistible to snails and slugs. Dig it in level with the soil so they can easily enter – they love the yeast. Snails can easily be removed using the combination of methods - hand picking, trapping, barriers, and bait/pellets. Modifying habitats can help prevent snail plagues by removal of hiding places such as thick clumps of vegetation, empty pots lying around and by using a rough dry mulch. Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: dr.kris@ymail.com Copyright © 2018 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz GARDEN DOCTOR after. 2.Perform the task in the late afternoon, there’s nothing worse than transplanting into the full heat of the midday sun. Often it’s the fi rst few hours after the transplant that determines whether the operation is a success. 3.Have a new larger pot or a place in the garden preprepared, composted and watered, the plant should be back in earth ASAP. 4. Trim the crown of the plant back to a nice manageable shape. If you’re worried about losing the plant you can always make some cuttings from the parts you trim off. 5. Remove the plant or break the pot, trim woody roots and tease out the fi ner ones, then trim the root-ball back to a balanced shape so that it literally resembles a ‘ball’ or spherical shape, don’t be too fussy about it - just get it back in the ground ASAP. 6. If you must transplant to a sunny spot in the garden, prepare a shade cloth or even an old white bed sheet draped over the plant for a few days/ weeks will help reduce transpiration and allow it to fully recover much better. Water it in well and regularly until you notice new growth starting to appear. Follow the steps and don’t worry too much about hurting the plant, cutting off those woody bound roots is like cutting off a gangrenous limb, it’s worth the risk. Most gardeners are accustomed to only trimming above ground, but once you’ve pulled a plant out and trimmed its roots…then you know you’ve really arrived!

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with disabilities. This means that many children and adults, and particularly those living in villages where the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali Bamboo Bikes, which falls under the East Bali Poverty Project that helps isolated communities, joined forces to make the very first all-terrain wheelchair in Southeast Asia. The prototype, which was ready in March this year, took around eight weeks to produce. BALI ADDRESS : JL. BY PASS NGURAH RAI NO. 176 - SANUR

PHONE : 0361 - 449 0395 | PAK RONALD : +62 823 3988 2460As the parents of a disabled child, the issue of access has JAKARTA ADDRESS : JL. IR. H JUANDA NO. 9 REMPOA CIPUTAT TIMUR PHONE : 021 - 7471 5692 | PAK SAID : +62 813 8545 7546 been dear to the hearts of the founders of Eco Living Bali, Brad and Twone Moreland. The inspiration for an all-terrain wheelchair came when the duo heard of the plight of a C/Ho/G-11 March 20 12-year-old boy in North Lombok from Duncan Ward, the MOESSON ANTIK Founder of Classroom of Hope, an organization that helps to provide access to education for children in developing countries. “Nasrudin lost his standard wheelchair in the 2018 earthquake and had to drag himself through the dirt to Special antique items: old safes, iron boxes, radios, fans, clocks, get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the lamps, porcelain & Van Der Pol cabinets, Chinese bed, furniture village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair from Europe & China. was born,” says Brad. FOR BUSINESS SPECIAL PRICESAfter numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided to build their prototype from materials that are easy to Jl. Parangtritis Sudut Ring Road Selatan Yogyakarta Tel. +62 274 4399 328 source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all

made from bamboo sourced from the slopes of Mount Agung in Ben village. The wheelchair is protected with environmentally-friendly lacquer and sealant to ensure that it withstands rough weather conditions. The decision was also made to use mountain bike wheels suitable for steep or uneven terrain. “As there is already a short supply of metal wheelchair parts in Bali, we wanted to find an alternative solution, and as owners of an eco store, we wanted to find a sustainable solution. As bamboo is found in abundance in Bali and throughout Asia, a bamboo wheelchair could be easily repaired by a bamboo artisan in a village,” Brad says, adding that each wheelchair has to be custom made to fit the beneficiary’s requirements. Up to date, Eco Living Bali and East Bali Bamboo Bikes have funded and built three bamboo wheelchairs. The first wheelchair, or the prototype, is currently on display in the Eco Living Bali shop in Kerobokan. The two other wheelchairs have been handed over to those in need. Nasrudin, who was the inspiration behind the project, received the second wheelchair, while the third wheelchair was donated to 15-year-old Nengah Macika, the son of one of the East Bali Bamboo Bikes craftsmen from Ban Village. “We have a growing list of underprivileged children and adults in Bali and Lombok who require all-terrain wheelchairs, and we are currently seeking funding to make them,” says Brad. “We are initially only targeting Bali and Lombok, however, we plan to expand to other islands soon and then hopefully the rest of Asia.” As the issue of access for people with disabilities is close to

Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair.

Nengah Macika’s Story

Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com

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C/Ho/G-11 Sept. 19 Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz

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