I have just published a book entitled A Guide for Independent-Minded Scientists. This is available free of charge from the website of FRIM (Forest Research Institute Malaysia). I am sorry to say ...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-guide-for-independent-minded.html
The Malaysian climate is so uniform that every day is like every other day. The temperature and humidity are the same throughout the year. The day length in December and July differs by less than...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2022/05/avocados-that-flower-and-fruit-twice.html
Descriptions of Amorphophallus have always emphasized that the leaves emerge from its corm one at a time, with a leafless resting period between leaves. This description is technically incorrect...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2021/06/amorphophallus-leaf-mystery-explained.html
GROWING NANGKA (ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS) I predict Nangka Royale is going to be the next big thing in the world of fruits after Durian Musang King. The picture shows the tree in my ...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/10/growing-nangka-artocarpus-heterophyllus.html
My gardener recently applied foliar fertiliser to the shade garden of the Secret Garden of 1 Utama and we were amazed by the improvement in the plants. The leaves grew larger and more col...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/07/do-folia-fertilisers-work.html
Biochar is charcoal used to improve the quality of soil for growing plants. Biochar particles mixed into soil will make the soil loose and friable for better water and air penetration To be effec...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/02/biochar-for-gardeners.html
The world’s largest flower is Amorphophallus titanum, a rare species, native to Sumatra. The flowers may exceed 3 m in height and 1m diameter. Photo shows two young plants in Decem...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-worlds-largest-flower.html
Rafflesia arnoldii is well known as one of two contenders for the title of World's Largest Flower, the other contender being Amorphophallus titanum. Both are native to Sumatra. Rafflesia arnol...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2019/08/is-rafflesia-angiosperm.html
Another review of Tropical Forest Scientist, just published in the journal Huntia, Huntia 17(2) 2019 pp158-159. Ng, Francis S. P. Tropical Forest Scientist: Francis S. P. Ng & FRIM, 1964–1...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2019/08/another-review-of-tropical-forest.html
My book has been reviewed by the Director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Here is his review. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 70 (1): 259. 2018 BOOK REVIEW: Tropical Forest Scientist. Francis ...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/06/review-of-my-book-tropical-forest.html
This morning I met two durian experts in the Raub-Bentong area of Pahang to ask about Durian Asfa 50, of which many photos are being passed around on What’s App. They both say, independently...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/02/durian-asfa-50-is-hoax.html
This book was published three weeks ago and the first reviews are in. " I spent roughly 17 hours reading it and making sure I understood every sentence. It was not tiring or tedious because the...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/01/first-book-reviews-of-tropical-forest.html
Trees are not known to feed on insects, but some flowers are known to poison and kill the insects that take their pollen. The African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata is a tree with insect-killi...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/01/could-african-tulip-tree-spathodea.html
Avocado FNAv1 is the code name I have chosen for a specific clone of grafted avocado with a pedigree resulting from 30 years of research. Its good points are 1. Good flavour, uniform cream tex...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2018/01/avocado-fnav1-suitable-for-peninsular.html
The number of visitors at the Secret Garden on Hari Raya Sunday was 822. The total for the 4-day holiday period was 2478. The breakdown is as follows: 24 June: 449 25 June: 822 26 June:...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2017/06/record-numbers-of-visitors-to-secret.html
In the tropics it is possible to make an ever-flowering garden using ever-flowering plants. Among the most spectacular of such plants are 20 species of ever-flowering climbers. These are descri...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/12/best-ever-flowering-climbers-for.html
Visitors have been commenting that the Secret Garden of 1 Utama is better than any rooftop garden they have seen in Japan, Korea or USA. It has always been our aim to reach the top and we seem...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2016/08/best-rooftop-garden-in-world-we-have.html
The Secret Garden of 1 Utama is open from 10am to 10pm on weekends and public holidays. I once went into the Secret Garden at night. The bright and cheery colours of the day of the day were no ...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2015/10/at-night-and-alone-in-secret-garden-of.html
My book of the above title is the subject of a thorough review by Dr David Mabberley. It is an honour to be reviewed by such an authority. This review appears in the latest issue of the Journal o...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2015/05/tropical-forest-fruits-seeds-seedlings.html
A tropical rain forest has a four-layered structure consisting of a canopy of spreading tree crowns, under which fits an understorey of narrow-crowned juvenile trees, a shrub layer and a ground ...
http://tropicalhorticulture.blogspot.com/2015/04/tropical-rain-forest-in-shopping-mall.html