Home Highlight A little TLC: Here’s how to keep your houseplants blossoming year after year

A little TLC: Here’s how to keep your houseplants blossoming year after year

by Grace Sundram

Having to spend more time at home throughout the pandemic, many Malaysians have been encouraged to take up gardening and hone their green thumbs. This is not just a recent trend, as the local home gardening and horticulture scene has been steadily blooming over the past few years. Whether it is aesthetic plants or edible greens, more Malaysians have been adding a touch of greenery to their living spaces.

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Owing to this growing interest, Singaporean-based Plantonic has launched its revolutionary household product in Malaysia for the benefit of aspiring and veteran home gardeners across the country. Plantonic is the world’s first 4-in-1 organic fertiliser of its kind and is designed to be all-natural and non-toxic. Aside from acting as a fertiliser and soil revitalise, the plant-based product also serves as a natural pest repellent, prevents fungal infections, and boosts plant immunity.

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Staying true to its slogan: “Treat Nature With Nature”, Plantonic uses only plant-based ingredients which aid plant nourishment, avoiding the use of toxic chemicals found in standard fertiliser products. This makes it safe for edible greens, as well as indoor use around children and pets.

Eric Tan, CEO and Founder of Plantonic

Plantonic’s CEO and founder, Eric Tan said he was inspired to create the product after speaking to farmers in countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, China and Romania. Through his observations and discussions with these farmers, he learnt that many of them had their own secret formulas for keeping crops healthy, passed down from generation to generation.

“I decided to combine this knowledge from farmers with Ayurvedic principles to develop Plantonic, to create a product that avoids the use of harmful chemicals. These natural ingredients have been used for centuries by people all over the world to promote healing — and I believe in treating plants and greens as living things, which should be nurtured by the healing force of nature itself,” Tan added.

The product’s key ingredients include:

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  • Shilajit: A substance formed from the decomposition of plants that is commonly found in the Himalayan mountains, shilajit is often used in Ayurvedic medicine and contains natural antibacterial properties
  • Seaweed: Rich in nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and nitrogen, seaweed has been shown to stimulate plant growth
  • Ginseng Root: A common feature in traditional medicine, ginseng root also helps to boost plants’ immune systems
  • Fruit peel: Consisting of vital soil-revitalising nutrients such as potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and sodium, fruit peels act as an effective natural fertiliser
  • Seed extract: With its antimicrobial compounds, this extract helps plants fend off infections
  • Tea leaves: The tannic acid found in tea leaves helps to improve soil quality

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Packaged in a handy spray bottle, Plantonic is also a convenient way of ensuring plants receive all the necessary nutrients to grow well. With a healthy spritz once a week for smaller houseplants, and twice a week for larger ones, the product gives users a hassle-free method of tending to their home gardens. The packaging of the product further allows for space-saving storage – a boon to apartment dwellers who have minimal storage space in their homes.

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To mark its arrival in Malaysia, Plantonic is contributing Plantonic bottles to Tropical Spice Garden (TSG) in Penang. “TSG, is a unique and important hallmark of the local horticulture movement. TSG’s sustainable practices echo Plantonic’s own commitment to nature, so we are more than happy to support them,” said Tan of the contribution.

Located at Teluk Bahang, TSG is a lush eight-acre secondary jungle housing over 500 varieties of flora and fauna. The garden is one of Penang’s first eco-tourism spots and acts as a living museum of biodiversity for local and international visitors.

Within the next 1 to 2 years, Plantonic is looking to expand its presence in Europe, Thailand, Indonesia, China, and the USA. Plantonic will be available in Hong Kong later in September 2021.

Plantonic is currently available in Malaysia on e-commerce platforms such as Shopee (www.shopee.com.my/plantonic.os) and Lazada (www.lazada.com.my/shop/plantonic). Avid home gardening enthusiasts should also keep a look for the brand’s upcoming 9.9. promotions on these platforms.

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