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Bali House & Home GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR

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

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

Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks Green Curtains Rice Watering Garden 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 ‘Dear Dr. Kris, I read your reply to a query in the Bali Advertiser. I’m also wanting to know the name of this vine which hangs down. I attach two photos. I don’t think it is any of your suggestions. I’ve never seen it flower. I live in Thailand and want to plant it so that it will hang down and screen some rooms from the sun. Would be grateful for a reply if you know what it is. ‘Dear Kris, I heard that after washing the rice water be used as a general fertilizer for plants and the garden? Do you think this is true or just an old wives tale? Rasheenayen, Bali. 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. 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 ingestion. Please be careful when renovating your home. Have a professional remove flaking exterior lead-based paint to prevent future contamination. 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 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. once (before planting) per plant, and then watered daily with 200 ml of tap water. The control treatment plants were only watered daily with 200 ml of tap water per without any application of fertilizer or washed rice water. In the experiment the same white rice was always used, and the rice to water plants, helping plants grow stronger, healthier and more resistant to diseases. Rice water is a mild fertiliser and consistent use could take the worry out of over fertilising. The starches from leftover testing suggestions. Many thanks, Andrew. between two potters in front of our big bale. This Thanks Julia’ accumulators such as low-growing leafy vegetables like lettuce, leaves alarm bells should be ringing as it’s the first sign that ratio was 1.0 : 1.5 L rice water will help encourage beneficial soil bacteria, while afternoon I removed a small bromeliad looking plant Well my mother-in-law swears by it, and as for myself I also 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 the vitamins and minerals will add small amounts of NPK 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? 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 Vines, climbers and creepers are versatile plants great for screening unsightly areas of the garden, beautifying bare walls, covering fences and even for shading windows and cooling the home. I love the photo that you sent in, it’s a beautiful plant for growing vertically or hanging over water it around the garden. It seems to make sense and there is some scientific evidence out there to support the theory, unfortunately though there seems to be a lot more research 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 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 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. The washing of rice was always done in the same way. The experiment continued for five weeks, at which point several plant growth parameters - leaf number, plant height, fresh (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) to the soil. Obviously, you should wait until the water has cooled before you start to use it on the plants. In fact, using any sort of water left over Thanks in advance, Jan. shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo structures. You were so so close to identifying the common into rice water for skin care, but if it can rejuvenate your skin possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on and dry plant weight, leaf area, and specific leaf area or leaf after cooking or steaming vegetables, cooking pasta or boiling because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants name yourself without even knowing it! It really must have and iron out the wrinkles then it must have something those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. thickness were measured. As for the snails, well it makes sense that they would be eggs would be beneficial for the garden as long as too much 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 been right on the tip of your tongue. beneficial in the way of vitamins, minerals, amino acids or them ‘fruit’ or ‘vegetables’. There’s very little danger of lead hiding around bromeliads or strappy type leafed plants. Snails salt hasn’t been added. If you have a freshwater aquarium, 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. 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 You say that you would like to grow the plant so that it will hang down and screen rooms from the sun, in effect a ‘green curtain’ of sorts yes..? Well it just so happens that the exact plant you have identified is....(drum roll please) anti-oxidants I would assume - but I wouldn’t want to be the one make an ass out of you and me, so let’s take a closer look at the research. 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 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 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 water bowl or fish pond that too can be spread around the garden during water changes and cleaning. Fish poo is great for the garden, and the proof of the pudding is in the eating - the resulting fresh produce that is, not the fish poo itself! begun to show itself to be severe and deadly to our plant The Curtain Creeper Studies such as Malakar and Banarjee(1959) and those 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. 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. 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 Yes the curtain creeper, unbelievable isn’t it! You’ve probably searched far and wide for the answer and there it was staring you right in the face the whole time, I hate it when that happens but am also relieved when I finally have the answer. The curtain creeper (common name) is the species Tarlmounia elliptica but also goes by the names Vernonia elliptica and Vernonia elaeagnifolia just to confuse things a little. The hanging foliage forms a curtain, hence the name. Other common names include Rangoon creeper, vernonia creeper, and parda bel. In Indonesia it is known as tanaman lee kwan yew. It is native to Burma and Thailand, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it, it is also commonly used in villa/hotel gardens throughout Bali and Indonesia. Whether in Thailand or Bali anyone should easily be able to find it. Common names may differ so the best solution is to take a cutting to a local nursery, any nurseryman worth his/her salt should easily be able to identify it for you. The curtain creeper is both versatile and vigorous, that’s why it’s a mainstay plant of many landscapers within the vertical gardening world. It will stand alone with minimal human reviewed by Juliano (1985, 1993) have reported that washing rice on average causes up to half of the water-soluble vitamins and minerals to be lost from the rice. The exact amount of the nutrient loss would depend on the type of rice, how much water was used and the method of washing. Generally, after a wash rice loses up to 7% protein, 30% crude fiber, 15% free amino acids, 25% calcium (Ca), 47% total phosphorus (P), 47% iron (Fe), 11% zinc (Zn), 41% potassium (K), 59% thiamine, 26% riboflavin, and 60% niacin. Logically it would follow that what was lost from the rice is now gained by the water. Following on it could be hypothesised that the leached nutrients now in the rice water could be beneficial to our houseplants. A scientific study was carried out just a few years ago by graduate students under the supervision of Dr. Christopher Teh, (an expert in crop modelling, environmental biophysics, 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 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 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 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 Creative gardeners use vines, climbers and creepers to enhance the beauty of their garden and surrounding structures, enclosing spaces, enhancing privacy or simply just grown over walls to enhance the external look of a property. They can also be used as features and focal points planted in individual hanging baskets with foliage overflowing, cascading down to ground level. They are very attractive when grown from above or free falling rendering a waterfall effect or green curtain, and make a great addition to an internal courtyard lining pathways with foliage seemingly flowing down from the sky. But it doesn’t end there, the benefits go further. Green walls and curtains insulate the home creating an overall cooler environment, dampen noise and simply add to an overall tranquil ambience. If you bring the vertical garden inside you will also freshen and purify the air within your home. With the vertical or hanging garden you The overall movement of ‘green architecture’ in cities has the dual purpose of utility and aesthetics. Green buildings are popping up all over the place, with green walls and hanging gardens to take advantage of the insulation effect, being cooler in summer yet warmer in winter. Taking it a step further, fruits and vegetables can also be incorporated into the mix so that you now have insulating walls of food. Passionfruit vines, chokos, cucumbers, rock melons, bitter melons, beans etc can easily be grown up walls or overhead so that fruit hangs down. Once you start looking into it, the possibilities are literally endless. Even unlikely candidates such as spinach, lettuce and other greens can be grown externally on modular green walls. It beats a dull grey wall hands down any day of the week. Vines, climbers and creepers or any sort of vertical greenery can transform a conglomeration of bricks into a beautiful living structure. Results of the study into the beneficial use of rice water for plants showed that using the water from washed rice is as effective, and in some cases more effective than NPK fertilizer in promoting plant growth, at least in terms of the number of plant leaves produced and higher plant biomass, and both treatments were more effective than the plain water control group. The implication from this study means washed rice water will produce better results than using plain water alone. Aquaponics has taken off to a commercial scale whereby fish that are bred for consumption have their pond water cycled through hydroponic garden beds growing fresh produce, usually within an industrial scale green house. Processing fish waste water in this way allows the pond water to be filtered and cleaned, with the plants withdrawing the beneficial compounds such as ammonia, which convert to nitrogen in the grow bed, which would otherwise build up to toxic levels to fish if left within the in the fish ponds. This is a brilliant example of both sustainability and synergy at work, healthy fish, healthy produce, with lower input of chemicals fertilisers and water purification chemicals - At the end of the process we have fish, fruit and vegetables! I digress - aquaponics is a story for another day. In its simplest form using rice water is a wonderful way to conserve water at the very least, but also a welcome addition 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. 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 intervention but will grow thicker with annual pruning. It will grow well in an average soil which is a plus, but it’s best feature is that it just looks so good cascading down structures. Left on its own the vine can grow up to 30 feet or 10 metres in length. The stems will climb up, over and then cascade beautifully down any wall or structure. It has small wispy ‘off-white’ flowers that appear in bunches but primarily it is a and soil conservation) senior lecturer from the Faculty of Agriculture, University Putra Malaysia. The focus of the research studied the effect of rice water on kangkong otherwise known as water spinach - a vegetable most would be familiar with, especially those that like to eat 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. 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 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 get both functionality and aesthetic beauty! The green curtain is an environmentally responsible decision, so you can also feel ‘smug’ about yourself at the same time. In warm climates it will block sunlight lowering room temperatures, reducing the reliance on AC, saving on power bills and reducing C02 emissions. When I think of vertical gardens the first thing that comes to mind are the mysterious Hanging Gardens of Babylon which are fabled to have cascaded down from the famous city in times of antiquity. They were probably grown for both beauty and utility and it’s good to see that we are returning to our roots, even though it took a few thousand years, better late than never eh? Other notable findings included higher potassium (K) and nitrogen (N) content in the plant (as well as in the soil for K). It could be deduced that rice water supplies the essential nutrients NPK needed by all plants and would have a favourable effect on any garden by accelerating growth and increasing biomass yield. as a fertiliser and soil conditioner that will help you get more out of your garden ornamentals and edibles. Simply pouring it out down the sink is more than just a waste of water, especially when your garden can use that nutrient infused water with NPK and other trace elements! few days. foliage plant grown for its desirable green curtain, surely the padang, nasi campur etc. 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.The curtain creeper is suitable for a location where it can fill 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. 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, name already gave it away. ‘Green curtains’ grown for effect are a visually pleasing ever evolving work of art, shadows and shapes cast on internal spaces will change throughout the day as the sun traverses and over time as the plant grows. The garden is outside but the effect comes inside. They also have the benefit of screening out the sun if heat is an issue. The treatments were: 1) washed rice water, 2) NPK 15:15:15 fertilizer, and 3) control. The rice water treatment meant that each kangkong plant was watered daily with 200 ml of water from washed rice, the 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 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! in a large space, and should not be planted where it is likely to become a nuisance due to its wild vigorous nature. It is suited to growing in large pots and planters which is advisable if you wish to contain it, otherwise plant it in the ground and watch it run. Once it takes root it will be difficult to eradicate. This widely cultivated plant often forms rampant infestations whether in the wild or even in urban areas on unkempt lots. The physical results indicating faster growth and an increased bio-mass are directly attributable to the leached nutrients within the rice water. Further to this, information from other sources also indicates that the starches found in rice water accelerate growth of the many types of beneficial soil bacteria and fungi such as lactobacilli and mycorrhizae that can already 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 Dr. Kris Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com Copyright © 2020 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 NPK treatment was 5 g of NPK 15:15:15 applied on the soil be found to pre-exist in the soil – which then in turn feed the Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz

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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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