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Garden Doctor

from Bali Advertiser: 01 June 2022

by Bali Advertiser

from Bali Advertiser: 01 June 2022, page 9

Article from: Bali Advertiser: 01 June 2022

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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

GARDEN DOCTOR GARDEN DOCTOR The Intestines of the Soil Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs ‘Dear Garden Doctor, Lead Contamination in Soil / Improving Soil Protecting Plants From Pest Attacks I have no worms in my garden soil. I just started my fi rst compost pile, my friend tells me it won’t work as I don’t Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from have worms in my garden. I have lived here for 2 years 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 ‘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 and have rarely seen any. My husband says there won’t be any worms to get into my bin and I should buy some. Do I need worms to start composting and why do people associate worms with good soil? Totti, Bali.’ 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 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! 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 chemicals with no difference. I really am at a loss as what thinking it would help but instead they appear dead. We garden beds filled with clean imported soil and compost. Limit forth, draw chalk barriers wherever you don’t want them. Of to do next. Any ideas please. I’m now going to try your noticed ants going to and from forming a highway Aristotle described worms as ‘the intestines of the soil’ which potential exposure by avoiding plants known to be lead If you ever see ants crawling up and down stems and across 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 is essentially what they are. 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 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 growing underneath one of the flower bushes thinking Earthworms slither through the soil, digesting and recycling radishes. As a general rule, the worst affected vegetables are and will only inhabit plants if there is a honeydew source, this. The chalk deterrent is also useful in the home as a good main roads increases the risk of lead contamination in the the ants could be attracted to the sap of the non-flower dead or decomposing organic material back into soil, either unwashed or unpeeled root vegetables. which means either aphids or other types of scale insects way to stop them entering the house for example through a soil and is it bad for vegetable gardening? What are the bush. To our surprise we revealed a HEAP of little mini distributing nutrients and improving the soil structure, recycling have moved in. A quick check of the growing tips and the crack in the wall. Just draw a circle around the crack or a risks or ways to make an edible garden in this situation? Thanks in advance, Jan. 1.5cm snails with a long skinny yellowish-brown cone shell! I think perhaps the ants are loving the snail poo because I found that the only 2 planters that had ants nutrients in the process and rendering those nutrients bioavailable for easy uptake by the plants. They also eat living organisms such as nematodes, bacteria and fungi. Leafy greens can be affected although much of this could possibly be surface borne dust. The least affected plants are those that produce fruiting parts - whether or not we consider undersides of foliage will likely reveal the bugs. They say where there’s smoke there’s fire, well where there’s ants on your plants you probably have a sap sucking insect problem. barrier line wherever they are entering. 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 After organic matter is digested the earthworm releases waste 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 called castings, which are full of nutrients in a form easily absorbed by that plants. It is one of the most primo fertilisers I know of. If you incorporate compost and other organic matter into your garden beds, the worms will be effectively fertilising 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 the garden right there in situ. I see it as a natural fertiliser 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 machine operating underneath your garden beds - surely 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 family! HOW DO WE GET RID OF THESE SNAILS/ANTS worms are a gardener’s best friend! be consuming lead from the soil in that way. All fruit and Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in omnivores, so they will eat plants and other snails. If there 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. 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! But the gift of their work doesn’t stop there. Their constant burrowing aerates and loosens the soil, creating pathways for water and allowing for oxygen exchange with plants roots 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 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 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. 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 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. and other soil organisms. Earthworms improve the soil on so many levels that you really cannot afford to not have them in your garden. Charles Darwin, the famous evolutionary biologist noted that “It is a marvellous refl ection that the whole expanse has passed, and will again pass, every few years through the bodies of worms. The plough is one of the most ancient and most valuable of man’s inventions; but long before he existed the land was in fact regularly ploughed, and still continues to be thus ploughed, by earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures.’ - The formation of vegetable mould, through the action of worms, with observations on their habits (1881).” So now we know why worms are so good for the garden, all 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. 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 To effi ciently compost, always make sure that the pile is kept moist. For compost in a bin, take the lid off when it is raining and let nature do the work of watering the heap. Make sure to balance the compost with layers of differing materials. If composting kitchen scraps, create layers with dry materials such as leaf mulch and garden clippings. Think of your compost as if you’re making a big healthy sandwich for your garden, which is literally what you are doing by the way. Making the healthy ‘compost sandwich’ is just like making a real one, built up from the bottom with different layers of various organic ingredients. Position the compost in a warm sunny position. Heat and moisture combined with the right balance of organic material will lead to a much faster, effi cient composting process. With 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 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 As your soil improves over time and with regular additions of organic matter and compost you should begin to fi nd plenty of worms taking up residence on your garden. Using compost and worms are the most effi cient methods to develop a self-sustaining garden. The benefits of nutrient cycling organic materials through your garden is good for your garden and the whole environment. You will notice your rubbish bins won’t be as full as now you’re composting kitchen scraps and less space will be wasted in landfi ll rubbish tips. Soon enough you may fi nd that you are able reduce or do away with chemical fertilisers altogether and rely on solely sustainable organic methods. As for the lack of worms in the garden and compost, just remember….. 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 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 that’s left to do is attract them, which is a simple case of …… if you build it, they will come! Adding organic matter to the soil will attract the worms. With a consistent food source the worms will breed like mad. If 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 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. worms having little to do but eat, they will shift a large amount of material in a short space of time. Finished compost can be added directly onto the garden beds or gently forked in. It can be top dressed over the lawn and sprinkled around pot plants. 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. If you build it, they will come! 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 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 starting a fresh batch of compost it may take several months before you notice the worm population arrive and then start to increase. If composting in a bin, make sure the base is and organic matter which will help to bind any lead, reducing the bioavailability but also improving the overall soil health at the same time. As the ants may be in on the deal, protecting, transporting and farming the bugs around you should probably deter them One other thing worth adding is to avoid doing things that will harm worms. Residue from toxic chemicals found in weed sprays and pesticides will have detrimental effects on the 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 GARDEN DOCTOR roads. can explode into plague like proportions in just a matter of a open and in contact with soil, this is crucial as it will allow the also. Ants generally don’t like moist conditions, keep the soil organisms living in your soil. It would be hard to live of hiding places such as thick clumps of vegetation, empty In addition - generally the older the house, or any other building few days. composting critters easy entry inside to do their work. Worms especially like shredded leaves, Lucerne hay, sugarcane 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 around your plants well-watered directly to the root-zone so you don’t wash off the pesticide. somewhere that the soil is literally killing you. Try to do your weeding by hand and regularly mulch the garden with organic pots lying around and by using a rough dry mulch. Dr. Kris Garden Doctor 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, mulch or shredded paper mulch inside the compost. The best tip to keeping them happy is to feed them with compost and spread mulch around the garden and don’t dig too much - research has shown that the more soil is rototilled, the fewer the worms in it. 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 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! material. The benefi ts of mulching are two-fold, you are stopping weeds without using poison and you are also improving the soil through nutrient cycling organic material back through it. Spraying poison around the garden should be the option of last resort and avoided if possible. 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 Contact: dr.kris@ymail.com Copyright © 2018 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of 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

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Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs Indonesia lacks services and infrastructure for people Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from with disabilities. This means that many children and this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires adults, and particularly those living in villages where funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair the rough terrain is not suitable for normal wheelchairs, sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the are confined to their homes. To try to rectify this dire wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who situation, Eco Living Bali, a supplier of sustainable sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo products made from natural ingredients, and East Bali placed on the chair.

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 Nengah Macika’s Story get to school. We decided that we had to help him get a Macika was a healthy baby until three months of age when wheelchair that would withstand the rough terrain of the he developed high fever and suffered several seizures. village, and that’s how the idea of an all-terrain wheelchair Since then, Macika’s growth and mobility have been was born,” says Brad. affected. He is also non-vocal and struggles to communicate with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty After numerous brainstorming sessions, the team decided Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in to build their prototype from materials that are easy to neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben source and repair in Indonesia. The wheelchair frame, village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty laminated seat, backrest, foot rest and rear basket are all 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

Sustainable and Practical: All-Terrain Bamboo Wheelchairs Grass on Clay

Ben and Twone’s hearts, they do not make any profit from ‘Dear Garden Doctor, condition of clay soil allowing for better drainage and root this venture. As such, Eco Living Bali urgently requires Would you know what is the easiest way to prepare clay penetration. Uptake of other nutrients will also be assisted by funding to build more wheelchairs. Each wheelchair soil or improve it before planting my buffalo turf grass the calcium content of the gypsum. If you’re lucky then gypsum sponsor will receive a certificate and a photo of the for a small courtyard area? My wife and I for the past two will work on your clay. Spread generous amounts of gypsum wheelchair their contribution helps to build. Those who years have been struggling with getting the grass to fully take in the front courtyard. Our backyard has been doing when the clay is moist and fork it in. sponsor an entire wheelchair will have their name or logo placed on the chair.

it fine, but the front is a heavy clay mix since the developers scraped off the top-soil and sold it before we came (so we’ve been told!). I’m going to dig it up and try again, do you have any other lawn tips for growing on clay – how I can get the best out of the grass? Thanks so much in advance, Richard.’

If your aim is also to plant a drought tolerant grass in the clay soil, then the deep-rooted buffalo grass is the perfect choice. A clay soil by definition will be made up of at least 35% clay. If moistened, clay soil feels sticky and will easily roll up into a ball. The clay particles are tiny and pack down on top of each other with small pore spaces which restrict water run-off through the soil. That is why clay soils become easily waterlogged. On the plus side they generally contain a high nutrient content for plant growth, though can be difficult to cultivate and become prone to expanding when wet 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 cracking when dry. with his family. Until 2004, when the East Bali Poverty For an existing lawn that is suffering on clay, gypsum worked Project established monthly parent-baby health posts in Soil Amendments in will also help. First aerate the lawn with a fork, then spread neighboring Cegi, there were no health facilities near Ben 1kg of gypsum per sq/m and rake in. If the soil is dry, water village, where Macika lives. In 2005, the East Bali Poverty First, you’ll need to amend the soil it so that it becomes ideal after applying gypsum. Generally, gypsum is best mixed into Project found a volunteer professional massage therapist for planting grass. Start with a light tilling to break up the clay, then apply some topsoil/compost. The key is loosening up clay or heavy soils prior to laying turf. who trained Macika’s parents to give him daily massages, but he has shown little improvement. While Macika’s the clay and spreading organic matter/compost throughout the area that you intend to plant. Some people use sand or gypsum to break clay soil up. I highly recommend using It is always best to have a prepared soil laid before the lawn is planted whether on clay or sandy soil. For final preparations mobility remains restricted, his new all-terrain bamboo wheelchair means that he can now get around more freely. www.ecolivingbali.com organic matter instead, it supplies the nutrients that the newly always top dress with a thick layer of compost over the area https://www.eastbalipovertyproject.org planted lawn will need. and work it through the soil. The best way to improve any soil https://www.eastbalibamboobikes.com type is to add large amounts of organic matter or compost. Gypsum, otherwise known as clay-breaker is a quick fix used Add anything available such as compost, manure, seaweed, on the heaviest clay soils. If your clay is extremely heavy an dry leaves, even shredded newspaper, then fork it in and work addition of gypsum will help. Gypsum improves the physical it into the soil.

Watering

All new lawn types need to be kept moist during their establishment phase to ensure there is adequate water between the turf and the soil. This means a new root system will form and establish the new lawn firmly into the new site. Don’t over water, the soil needs to have periods of dry so that the roots will search deeper, becoming well rooted in the process. If possible, water early in the morning or in the evening so the lawn can absorb the moisture more effectively. If it’s been raining don’t water the grass at all. Watering early in the morning, then infrequently once the lawn is established is a general guide, and if rain is on the way hold off on watering both before and after - let nature do the work for you.

Mowing

C/BM/I-12 Feb 20

Buffalo grass must be mowed at the right height to ensure the turf remains in the best condition possible. Take care with the mower. Never remove more than one-third of the green leaf blade at any one time. This can weaken the grass and cause it to dry out easily on the hotter days. Mow the lawn to about 5 -6 cm high. To keep your lawn in maximum condition, mowing should take place on a regular basis. If possible don’t mow when the grass is wet. Lawns can be easily organically fertilised using a mulching mower or by regularly top dressing with compost. The trend these days is for smaller lawns, they are easier to manage and require less water.

Dr. Kris

Garden Doctor Contact: gardendoctor@hotmail.com

By AnitaBy Anita Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Bali Advertiser You can read all past articles of BA Feature Article at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz Copyright © 2019 Dr. Kris You can read all past articles of Garden Doctor at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz

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Bali Advertiser: 01 June 2022

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