Arrowheads

How 2009 slipped away so quickly I don't know. I can't say that it was an entirely good year, in life or in garden, but it was a year of great change. Thankfully when all is said and done, 2009 had its great moments and I took some time alone on the evening patio to indulge in reminiscence.

But enough about the past. A new year has begun!

If your family is in the habit of planting Arrowheads for the Lunar New Year, the corms are appearing at the markets now. The plant has bright green, arrow-shaped leaves, each borne on a long stem. The 'arrows' point skywards and to the Chinese are a sure symbol of growth and progress. As Mum would say, "种了会步步高升！"

Sagittaria sagittifolia is native to the temperate regions and is grown in China extensively for food. The corms (round, underground storage stems) can be cooked and they are starchy like potato but more crisp. They can also be thinly sliced, fried and made into chips. The plant's flowers are white with attractive purple centres although these are never seen in the tropics.

If you want to plant your own Arrowheads for the season, you don't have to start now. The plants look best about a month after the corms are planted, so time your planting accordingly. Buy, from the wet market, small corms that are free from blemishes, cracks and soft spots. Each corms should have a nice green growing tip (the long end or the nose) and its base should be intact with a slight protrusion, not flat. Both ends are vital so be careful not to bruise or damage them. If you do, then cook the buggers and eat 'em!

Use a plastic pot with drainage holes. I half-filled my pot with a mixture of charcoal and leca which will float so I will weigh them down with river pebbles later. You can use entirely river pebbles or marbles if you wish and these will not have to be weighed down. Sit the corms, bum down and nose up in the pot and then fill with river pebbles to anchor them. Leave the nose exposed as the leaves you want will grow from here.

Set the pot, corms and all, in a decorative outer container without drainage holes. Fill this with water enough to cover the nose of the corms. You do not have to fertilize.

For sturdier and lusher foliage, allow the plants a few hours of direct sunlight daily although part-shade is acceptable. Be wary of strong winds as Arrowheads have brittle stems. Every other day, lift the inner pot out and allow the water to drain. Dispose of the stale water and replace it with fresh water to keep the roots healthy and to stave off rot. Add BTIs if you're worried about mozzies.

Note: Discard the plants after the festivities or plant into soil. You'll have to rear fish in the pots to keep mozzies at bay, an effort I'm not willing to make :P