Q. I am determined to grow organic fruits and vegetables in my garden but am confused. When we buy seeds from the market the seeds are probably from inorganic fruit. When we grow these seeds organically, will it be an organic fruit? Similarly, the fruit and vegetables bought from the bazaar are always inorganic; if we save seeds from them and grow them organically, is the crop organic or not?

A. Excellent questions! Firstly, to ensure that you grow 100 percent organic crops, the seed must be from a certified organic source and this will be clearly stated on the packet. Unfortunately, such seeds are extremely difficult to find in Pakistan at the moment although, in time, hopefully this will change. If you buy fruit/vegetables from a supposedly organic farmers’ market — these are popping up all over the country now — they may, or may not, have been grown from certified organic seed but, having been grown organically, are marketed as being organic. Technically speaking, in my opinion, if you use fully organic growing methods, the crops can be considered organic but an organic purist would probably disagree.

Try to find a source of certified organic seed if you can. Meanwhile, do your best with what is available and be happy in knowing that what you are growing organically is chemical free and, therefore, far superior (for human health and the environment) than the chemically grown produce in bazaars. For produce and seed to be legally certified organic, the land on which it is grown must also, through a long and expensive process, be certified organic.

All your gardening queries are answered here

Q. I want to grow melons in Karachi and need guidance on the following: How to save seeds from the market-bought melons? Which time of year are the seeds sown? How much space does each plant require and are they climbers or creepers?

A. Melons sold in the market may very well have been grown from hybrid seed. Seed saved from these may not produce the same quality of melon as you originally bought. It is better to buy seed from a reputable seed seller. In Karachi, melon seed is sown from early spring through to early summer so you need to wait until next year to make a start. Plants should be planted from three to five feet apart with corresponding space all round as a general rule but this varies depending on the exact strain. Melons can be trained to climb up and over nets, as long as the nets have strong support as both plants and melons are heavy, but they are quite at home if left to ramble around on the ground.

Q. I have a lemon plant, growing in a pot, in my Rawalpindi garden. The tree flowers but the flowers fall off without setting fruit. What is the cause for this and the solution? Can I stop watering after the flowers appear?

A. It could be that the soil/compost/manure in the pot has become depleted of essential nutrients and needs replacing or, more likely, a water-related issue. Lemon plants/trees need lots of water on a regular basis right from flower buds beginning to form until the very last fruit is harvested. If soil is allowed to dry out at any point during this period, both flowers and fruit will fall without reaching maturity.

Q. How can compost tea be made?

A. Please refer to the March 17, 2019 issue of Eos for full details. It can easily be found via an internet search.

Q. My tomatoes got something called blossom-end rot. What is the reason for this and how to avoid it?

A. Blossom-end rot is a physiological disorder in plants, caused by calcium imbalance inside the plant. The main reason for its development is inconsistency of soil moisture, e.g. allowing soil to dry out before watering again. To prevent it from happening, maintain constant soil moisture. Mulching around the plants helps prevent moisture evaporating from the soil, thus reducing the amount of watering required to maintain plant health. Some tomato varieties are more prone to blossom-end rot than others.

Q. I had tomato plants in 11-inch pots but they burnt up in just a few days of Lahore heat. They were good in winter and had lots of flowers and tomatoes. Should they have been put in the shade instead of full sun? I asked a local nursery guy and he said that tomatoes cannot survive in summer. Is this correct?

A. For a constant supply of tomatoes you need to start off new plants every four to six weeks as tomato plants are short-lived and die back naturally once they have finished fruiting. In the cool seasons, tomatoes need full sun; in the hotter seasons of the year they require partial shade. The nursery man is wrong but shade is needed in the summer and protection from winter cold may be necessary at times too.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 14th, 2019