Feed mint blossom color

With the launch of the Gardening with Edibles campaign in June 2020, the interest to grow edibles has risen among Singaporeans. However, some corridors or windowsills may not provide enough sunlight to grow these greens optimally.

So while the passionate gardener seeks out alternatives like community and allotment gardening or set up grow lights to improve light conditions, these may be a little daunting for the new and casual gardener.

But here’s a ‘cool' idea even novice gardeners can try: how about growing mints?

Mints You Can Grow in Singapore

What kind of mints can you grow in Singapore? The most commonly available mints locally are the Spearmint (Mentha spicata) and Peppermint (Mentha × piperita).

Spearmint has light green leaves and contains very little menthol. The sweet minty flavour is ideal for cooking. Peppermint has darker green leaves that contain much more menthol than Spearmint. Peppermint has an icy cool taste which is good for herbal teas. These mints are vigorous growers which can flourish easily even for novice gardeners.

	A close relative of Peppermint is a cultivar called Chocolate Mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata ‘Chocolate’). As its name suggests, crushed leaves release a chocolate-like aroma that can enhance the flavour of your favourite desserts and hot drinks. Its fragrance has been compared to a chocolate mint candy.
	Another interesting mint is the Eau de Cologne Mint (Mentha × piperita f. citrata ‘Eau de Cologne’). It is unusual in that it is grown for its fragrance rather than its flavour. The crushed leaves of this mint give off a light, perfume-like fragrance. They can be dried and added to potpourri for a flowery and minty scent.
	While we usually think of mints as plants to grow for their edible leaves rather than their looks, Pineapple Mint (Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’) is both tasty and pretty! The petite, light green leaves are beautifully edged in cream. Our climate can be too hot to grow the Pineapple Mint, so if you intend to do so, it is best to grow it in bright, filtered light under cooler temperatures.
	If Pineapple Mint gets too hot, it reverts to solid green and you end up with another type of mint—Apple Mint! This mint (Mentha suaveolens) has light green, softly hairy leaves. Both Pineapple and Apple Mint have a faint, fruity fragrance.
	Curly Mint (Mentha spicata var. crispa) is a good choice to add texture to your herb garden. Curly Mint is a variety of Spearmint that has undulating surfaces and ruffled edges.

Stem-cutting To Propagate

Mints are adaptable plants which can grow both outdoors and indoors. They are easy to propagate via stem cutting, basically meaning you can ‘clone’ a new plant from the existing plant by using its stem.

Remove the lower leaves of a freshly cut stem and place it in freshwater until new roots form. You should see roots emerge within a week. Change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding. When the roots have developed sufficiently, transfer the stem and pot it in well-drained soil.

Simple Tips to Growing Mints

Once your mint plant is potted up, allow it to grow and establish. Here are five key tips for successfully caring for your mints:

1. Plant in well-drained soil
If your potting soil does not allow water to drain freely, you can mix in materials like LECA (Light Expanded Clay Aggregate, 4 mm in diameter), perlite, vermiculite, pumice rock or charcoal chips to improve drainage. Avoid planting your mint in pure compost because it tends to stay wet too long. Outdoor mints in well-drained soil may need to be watered at least once a day.

2. Provide bright, filtered light daily
Most mints will grow well when exposed to at least four to six hours of bright, filtered light (meaning, slightly shaded from the sun). However, Spearmint and Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis) are two mints that grow well in both full sun and bright, filtered light. If your garden receives afternoon sun, you may want to try growing these species.

In contrast, variegated mints (leaves with different colours) like the Pineapple Mint are best grown in bright, filtered light because the leaves may revert to a solid green if exposed to the intense heat from the sun.

3. Fertilise regularly

Like other edibles, mints are heavy feeders and should be fertilised once every two weeks with a balanced fertiliser that has equal parts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. For organic sources of plant nutrition, you can apply compost, liquid seaweed (an excellent source of trace elements and plant growth hormones), bone meal (rich in phosphorous) and fish emulsion (high in nitrogen).

4. Protect from strong winds
If your garden tends to be windy, for example on balconies and corridor gardens, you can make an open, cone-shaped wind barrier by wrapping the pot with clear plastic sheeting, similar to the protective horticultural sleeves that plants are displayed in for sale. Many products are shrink-wrapped or enclosed in thin, transparent plastic sheets which can be recycled to make wind barriers too.

5. Harvest leaves regularly

Our final tip is arguably the most enjoyable part of growing mints – harvest your mint leaves regularly! Removing leaves stimulates the production of lush, bushy growth and prevents the plants from becoming leggy. Go on, enjoy your fresh and delicious mint tea with your harvest!

Mints come in an amazing variety of colours, textures, flavours and aroma profiles. Somewhere, there is a mint cultivar perfect for your best-loved recipes or potpourri mix just waiting to be discovered!

to learn more about native plants as well as to gain tips on growing edibles.

The

vision seeks to bring greenery closer to all residents. The community plays a key role in the ownership and stewardship for nature which will benefit our health and well-being.

NParks is partnering residents to make Singapore our City in Nature and spark a love for community gardening through the

initiative launched in June 2020. Under this programme, some 400,000 free seed packets have been distributed to interested members of the public. Relevant resources are also available online, to guide gardeners along the way.

Also, NParks is expanding the

programme, to welcome even more residents into the gardening family.

The Gardening with Edibles initiative is aligned with Singapore’s national strategy to strengthen our food resilience. The

Learning More
Want to learn more about mints? Read In ‘Mint’ Condition for more information.Also, watch this Gardening with Edibles on ‘How to Propagate Mint and Basil’ clip to learn more about mint.

If you are a gardening newbie, visit NParksSG, our refreshed

For more information about the flora and fauna found in Singapore, please visit Flora and Fauna Web.

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram to get the latest updates.

Text by Jennie Tay

Photos by Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh

Page 2

No seeds? No problem! You can grow some vegetables bought from the market without seeds. This type of propagation is known as vegetative propagation – the process of growing using other parts of the plants other than its seeds. 

In our second part of the series on regrowing your own edible plants vegetatively from market produce, we turn our attention to spices and garnishes you can get locally to save for vegetative propagation.

You can also read the first article in this series where we highlighted vegetables scraps or extra tubers you can use.

Spices and garnishes are often used to flavour food or add that finishing touches to your culinary creations and are especially useful to have fresh around in the home. Read on to find out more: 

Lemongrass

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is used in both sweet and savoury cuisine: from the mouth-watering Tom Yum soup to the refreshing lemongrass drink, this is a very versatile ingredient for culinary purposes.

The plant belongs to the grass family (Poaceae) and can grow up to 1.2 m tall. The leaves emit a pleasant lemony fragrance when crushed. Lemongrass is easy to grow as long as it is planted in a bright and sunny spot. It is relatively pest-free and is undemanding when it comes to the soil type and watering regime.

Here’s how you can grow your own lemongrass at home:

1. Select a stalk of Lemongrass with an intact portion of the pseudostem (the stalk should not have the bottom ‘plate’ cut off).

2. Cut off about two-thirds of the stalk from the top, which can be used for cooking.

3. Place the remaining bottom part of the stalk upright into a jar or glass, filled with about 3 cm of water.

4. Position the glass or jar in a semi-shaded or brightly lit area and change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding or fouling of the water.

5. New leaves should start to emerge from the tip and roots develop at the base in about a week or two.

6. Once roots and new leaves have emerged, you can transplant the stalk into potting soil to be grown in a sunny location.

Cilantro

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

Love it or hate it, cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is often a contention in dishes. Some liken its taste to that of soap while others find its aroma pleasing and complements the main dish. Recent studies have shown that this is due to genetic variations in humans which result in the olfactory-receptor genes that accentuates the soapy taste in some people.

But if you do not mind its taste and actually find it pleasing, you may be interested to know how to grow it for garnishing and enhancing your next dish!

1. Select a fresh cilantro plant, with an intact stem and tap root.

2. Cut off the leaf stalks, which can be used for consumption, but take care to keep about 2 to 3 cm of the leaf stalk intact and attached to the stem.

3. Place the cut portion in a small glass or jar of water, with the water level just reaching the base of the leaf stalks.

4. Position the glass or jar in a semi-shaded or brightly lit area and change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding or fouling of the water.

5. New roots should start to grow and new leaves should start to emerge from the centre of the cut portion in about a week.

6. Once roots and new leaves have emerged, you can transplant the stalk into potting soil to be grown in a semi-shaded location.

Spring Onion

Photo credit: Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh

Spring onions (Allium fistulosum or Allium cepa) are often added as a garnish to flavour soups and dishes. They are usually used in Asian cuisines, often with cilantro.

With its milder taste, the spring onion is perfect for palates that find other onions too strong in flavour. The plant is easy to grow as it sprouts very readily from the bulb, and requires semi-shade to full sun conditions to grow well. When grown in fertile soil and under sunny conditions, it may even reward you with blooms of white flowers!

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a fresh bulb with an intact base ‘plate’ (stem).

2. Place the bulb with the base in a shallow dish of water, covering only the base of the bulb.

3. Position the dish in a semi-shaded or brightly lit area and the change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding or fouling of the water.

OR

Place the bulb with the base directly into loose, fertile soil.

1. The bulb should begin to develop new roots and sprout new leaves in a few days.

Ginger

Photo credit: Boon Chih Min

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a very useful plant to have in a kitchen garden. The ginger root is used both in culinary recipes and for medicinal remedies. In culinary use, it adds flavour to soups and sir-fry dishes. It can also be used as a condiment and a garnish to accompany dishes. Dried and candied ginger can also be eaten as a snack or used in desserts.

In medicinal use, the ginger root is often made into a tea to relief stomach pains, colds or just general discomfort. The ginger plant can grow up to 1.8 m tall and prefers semi-shaded to sunny spots in the garden.

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a young part of a fresh rhizome. This should have some nodules that are fresh or greenish in colour.

2. Cut a 5 to 8 cm piece of the rhizome and leave it to air dry at room temperature on a piece of kitchen towel overnight. This is to reduce the chances of mould developing.

3. After the piece of rhizome is relatively dried on the surface, plant it  about 1 to 2 cm deep into a pot of loose, fertile soil.

4. The rhizome should develop roots and new shoots in about a week or two.

Turmeric

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizomes have been used traditionally in many Indian cuisines, lending its unique flavour and colour to dishes. The cross section of the rhizome is bright orange, much like a sweet potato when cut open.

Turmeric is used fresh or can be dried and grounded into powder for flavouring and colouring. Turmeric plants are compact, growing up to 1 m in height, and are best grown under semi-shaded to sunny conditions. They produce lovely blooms of white-yellow flowers when grown to maturity.

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a fresh thick piece of rhizome. This should have some nodules that are fresh.

2. Cut a 5 to 8 cm piece of the rhizome and leave it to air dry at room temperature on a piece of kitchen towel overnight. This is to reduce the chances of mould developing.

3. After the piece of rhizome is relatively dried on the surface, plant it about 1 to 2 cm deep into a pot of loose, fertile soil.

4. The rhizome should develop roots and new shoots in about a week or two.

Sand Ginger

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

The sand ginger (Kaempferia galangal) is a small herb that is mostly flat in its growth form. Unlike most other gingers which produce tall pseudostems of overlapping sheathed leaves, the sand ginger forms a rosette of two to five broadly oval leaves.

It grows best under semi-shaded conditions and is suitable for households with limited open spaces or do not receive bright sunlight throughout the day. The leaves are used in ulam to add flavour while the rhizomes are added to enhance curries.

The rhizome is also believed to help treat a variety of disorders such as inflammation, sprains, ulcers, high blood pressure, asthma, colds, coughs and sore throats!

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a young part of a fresh rhizome. This should have some nodules that are fresh or greenish in colour.

2. Cut a 3 to 5 cm piece of the rhizome and leave it to air dry at room temperature on a piece of kitchen towel overnight. This is to reduce the chances of mould developing.

3. After the piece of rhizome is relatively dried on the surface, plant it about 1 to2 cm deep into a pot of loose, fertile soil.

4. The rhizome should develop roots and new shoots in about a week or two.

Galangal

Photo credit: Shi Biying

Galangal (Alpinia galanga) is another member of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), and its rhizomes are used often to add flavours to dishes such as laksa and curries.

The plant can grow quite large, about 3.5m tall. It grows best under semi-shade to sunny conditions.

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a young part of a fresh rhizome. This should have some nodules that are fresh or greenish in colour.

2. Cut a 5 to8 cm piece of the rhizome and leave it to air dry at room temperature on a piece of kitchen towel overnight. This is to reduce the chances of mould developing.

3. After the piece of rhizome is relatively dried on the surface, plant it about 1 to 2 cm deep into a pot of loose, fertile soil.

4. The rhizome should develop roots and new shoots in about a week or two.

Fingerroot 

Photo credit: Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh

The young rhizomes and young shoots of the Fingerroot (Boesenbergia rotunda) are cooked as vegetables or eaten raw. They are used to flavour food and pickles. Fingerroot is also used in traditional medicine as a remedy for coughs, mouth ulcers, and indigestion.

The fingerroot plant is a diminutive plant, growing to just 20 cm in height and bearing attractive pink flowers. It grows best under semi-shade to sunny conditions.

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a young part of a fresh rhizome. This should have some nodules that are fresh or greenish in colour.

2. Cut a 3 to5 cm piece of the rhizome and leave it to air dry at room temperature on a piece of kitchen towel overnight. This is to reduce the chances of mould developing.

3. After the piece of rhizome is relatively dried on the surface, plant it about 1 to 2 cm deep into a pot of loose, fertile soil.

4. The rhizome should develop roots and new shoots in about a week or two.

Garlic Chives 

Photo credit: Shi Biying

The leaves of the garlic chives (Allium tuberosum) are consumed either raw or cooked with dishes. They are most well-known in use for Chinese dumplings.

The garlic chive plant grows to only about 20 cm in height, with linear leaves. Its flowers are white and bloom in a ball shape inflorescence. The plant grows best under semi-shade to sunny conditions.

Here’s what to do:

1. Select a fresh bulb with an intact base ‘plate’ (stem).

2. Place the bulb with the base in a shallow dish of water, covering only the base of the bulb.

3. Position the dish in a semi-shaded or brightly lit area and the change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding or fouling of the water.

OR

Place the bulb with the base directly into loose, fertile soil.

1. The bulb should begin to develop new roots and sprout new leaves in a few days.

Gardening with Edibles
The City in Nature vision seeks to bring greenery closer to all residents. The community plays a key role in the ownership and stewardship for nature which will benefit our health and well-being.

NParks is partnering residents to make Singapore our City in Nature and spark a love for community gardening through the Gardening with Edibles initiative launched in June 2020. Under this programme, some 400,000 free seed packets have been distributed to interested members of the public. Relevant resources are also available online, to guide gardeners along the way.

Also, NParks is expanding the allotment gardening scheme and the Community in Bloom programme, to welcome even more residents into the gardening family.

The Gardening with Edibles initiative is aligned with Singapore’s national strategy to strengthen our food resilience. The “30 by 30” goal, led by the Singapore Food Agency, aims to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by the year 2030. The programme is jointly funded by founding partners DBS Bank and Tote Board through the Garden City Fund.

Learning More
If you are a gardening newbie, visit NParksSG, our refreshed YouTube Channel that serves as a one-stop repository for close to 300 video resources. It covers topics ranging from types of soil needed for your garden and how to plant, harvest and even cook your edibles. 

For more information about the flora and fauna found in Singapore, please visit Flora and Fauna Web.

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram to get the latest updates.

Page 3

When you walk into a supermarket’s fresh vegetable section, you will be greeted by a range of familiar edibles like the cabbage, kale, Chinese kale (also called Kai Lan), cauliflower, brussels sprouts, kohlrabi and broccoli. Though they look quite different, did you know that they all descended from the same ancestor?

Collectively, these vegetables are called cole crops and they are derived from the wild cabbage (Brassica oleracea) which grows naturally on limestone cliffs found in coastal Southern and Western Europe. They are also referred to as ‘cruciferous vegetables’ as they are classified in the family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae) and their flowers consist of four petals that are arranged in the shape of a cross.

The cultivars of the cabbage were obtained through many years of domestication and artificial selection of specific traits. These cultivars, botanically grouped by their developmental form into eight major cultivar groups, are also interfertile, resulting in a wide range of hybrids that are marketed as a novelty and have gained popularity among the masses. An example is the Kalette® which was created by crossing kale and brussels sprouts.

Get to know some of these cultivars here:

Photo credit: Jessica Teo

Acephala Group

The word for the Group Acephala is Latin for "without a head” and it consists of kale and collards. They are non-heading leafy vegetables which are reported to resemble the wild cabbage ancestor most. 

Photo credit: Jacqueline Chua

Alboglabra Group

The Chinese kale or Kai Lan belongs to this Group and it needs little introduction. It is a common leafy vegetable that is consumed especially in this part of the world. In contrast to the many cabbage cultivars introduced in this article, the Chinese kale is heat-tolerant and grows well in the lowland tropics.  

Botrytis Group

The word Botrytis means cluster, like a bunch of grapes, in Greek and cauliflower and broccoli belong to this Group. We eat the central immature inflorescence that is harvested from these plants.

Photo credit: Vicky Lim Yen Ngoh

Capitata Group

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

Gemmifera Group

Brussels sprouts is the vegetable that belongs to this Group. The plant is characterised by the numerous compact, axillary buds that, like mini cabbages, are produced on a single, upright stem. The Group name is derived from two Latin words: gemma for ”bud” and ferre which means ”to bear”.

Photo credit: Jennie Tang

Gongylodes Group

Kohlrabi belongs to the Gongylodes Group. The Group name means ”roundish” in Greek with reference to the shape of the green or purple edible swollen stems of the kohlrabi.

Italica Group

The sprouting broccoli belongs to the Italica Group and the Group name is indicative of the area of origin of this vegetable. The portion of the plant that is eaten is the terminal head of immature, green flower buds borne at the stems.

Tronchuda Group

This Group consists of a rather leafy vegetable that is largely unfamiliar to people residing in this part of the world. The Portuguese cabbage is a plant with spreading leaves and thick, fleshy leafstalks. The Group name for this cabbage cultivar is derived from the name tronchuda due to the mid-rib’s thickness which is called tronchos or talos in Portuguese.

Growing Tips
Cabbage and its cultivars are well known temperate crops that grow best in a moist and cool climate. In fact, they exhibit considerable frost tolerance. Growing them in tropical Singapore can be challenging and success will require the selection and trialling of heat-tolerant cultivars, where available. 

Heat-tolerant broccoli and cauliflower varieties that can grow in the lowland tropics tend to produce smaller heads with less tightly packed flower buds. Cabbages may also produce smaller and looser heads here.

Gardening with Edibles
The City in Nature vision seeks to bring greenery closer to all residents. The community plays a key role in the ownership and stewardship for nature which will benefit our health and well-being.

NParks is partnering residents to make Singapore our City in Nature and spark a love for community gardening through the Gardening with Edibles initiative launched in June 2020. Under this programme, some 400,000 free seed packets have been distributed to interested members of the public. Relevant resources are also available online, to guide gardeners along the way.

Also, NParks is expanding the allotment gardening scheme and the Community in Bloom programme, to welcome even more residents into the gardening family.

The Gardening with Edibles initiative is aligned with Singapore’s national strategy to strengthen our food resilience. The “30 by 30” goal, led by the Singapore Food Agency, aims to produce 30% of Singapore’s nutritional needs locally by the year 2030. The programme is jointly funded by founding partners DBS Bank and Tote Board through the Garden City Fund.

Learning More
If you are a gardening newbie, visit NParksSG, our refreshed YouTube Channel that serves as a one-stop repository for close to 300 video resources. It covers topics ranging from types of soil needed for your garden and how to plant, harvest and even cook your edibles. 

For more information about the flora and fauna found in Singapore, please visit Flora and Fauna Web.

If you like what you read, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Telegram to get the latest updates.

Text by Dr Wilson Wong