Jakarta’s plant lovers should take note of the characteristic of the city’s soil, as the heavily polluted tropical city is not ideal for all types of plants.
Sixty-year-old Mimi Maria Goretti, a green thumb, bought several potted flowering plants from the mountainous Puncak area in Bogor, West Java, to Jakarta but it was not long before the plants wilted.
“They were beautiful, but they wilted two weeks after I brought them here,” the mother of two said.
According to a landscape architect, Nirwono Joga, there are several things plant lovers should know before they buy any ornamental plants: the characteristics of its place of origin in term of the altitude and how much sunshine it needs.
“A plant will not flourish if it is planted at the wrong land altitude,” Nirwono said, adding that most plants brought to the city from the surrounding highlands would end up wilting.
Wiwit, 32, a plant seller on Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, Senayan, South Jakarta, said drastic changes in the soil dampness as well as temperature often caused plants to wilt and even died.
“Even if the plant manages to survive, the leaves would likely shrink and the flowers wouldn’t bloom,” he said.
Lowland plants are suitable for Jakarta, while most of flowering plants are highland species.
Nirwono also said that some plants did not need as much sunshine as others. Some more sensitive plants might dry up and burn if they are not kept in the shade.
“Plants with colorful leaves usually do not need too much sunshine, they need shade to protect them from direct sunlight,” the head of the Green Map Jakarta community said, adding that flowering lowland plants like bougainvillea and jasmine, needed a lot of sunlight.
Another plant seller, Sigim, 56, said that some examples of plants that could stand Jakarta’s harsh environment were palms, bamboo and their relatives.
Sigim said that beautiful flowers from highland were mostly used for temporary decoration only.
“They may only survive for one month, and then they should be replaced by new plants,” he said.
Sigim said that roses and orchids could grow well in Jakarta if the owners take good care of them.
“Orchids need some shade and if you water them, be careful not to pour it on the leaves and flowers, but at the roots,” he said.
“As for other plants, you need to loosen their soil once a month,” he added. (not)
| 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|