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December 15, 2005
Veggies for winter
Q: I dream of having the best vegetable patch in Karachi but the sun is against me. It hardly shines over my patch for an hour. What can I grow here in the winter and can the lack of sunlight be compensated for by some special fertilizer?A: Sorry. Nothing can compensate for lack of sunshine but there are still vegetables which you can grow in your shady patch on a year round basis. Lettuces should grow well for you, try red and purple ones, not just green varieties, for added attraction and, for even more variety, try growing Chinese lettuce for a refreshing change. Fast growing cabbages and cauliflowers should be fine, too. Then coriander, mint, sweet basil, thyme, sage, chives, garlic chives, dill and parsley could be included if you wish to grow herbs. Celery grows fast and needs shade in a hot climate and both leeks and green onions are yet another possibility. As your garden is shady then you won't need to water it so often which is another plus point in water hungry Karachi. Your dream can come true!
Q: I planted two avocado seeds, one in a pot and one in a glass container but they have still not sprouted after two weeks. Should I give up?
A: The large, hard seeds of plants including avocado can take a very long time to germinate so you need to be patient. Actually, it is best to plant the entire fruit, including the flesh surrounding the seed, as this flesh acts as a natural fertilizer for the seed. The same thing applies to all fruits, including mangoes, apples, peaches etc and this is nature's way of ensuring that seeds get a proper start in life. The fact that this flesh is edible is simply a bonus point. Also, keep in mind that growing avocadoes from seed is not highly recommended as, when they grow and fruit, the fruit will be inferior both in quality and size to fruits produced on trees which have been grafted on to a first class root stock.
Q: I want to increase the number of flowery, fragrant climbers on my house in Karachi. I have already planted white roses, allamanda and chambeli. Suggestions please?
A: Why not try antigonon/sandwich island creeper, beaumontia grandiflora, passion flowers, quisqualis indica /Rangoon creeper and rhyncospermum jasminoides/ star jasmine. All of these are easily available in Karachi.
Q: Our coconut tree is very high and we trim it regularly as our neighbour worries about small coconuts falling in his garden. It seems strong and fruits well. Any suggestions as to how to test its strength in terms of coconuts falling off in high wind or rain?A: I have absolutely no idea how to carry out such a test but as a precautionary measure, I suggest that you support each coconut in a strong mesh of wire or rope to prevent it falling and causing damage to either your own or your neighbour's property.
Q: Please tell me the names of some flowering plants with a sweet smell, that I can grow underneath my mango tree?
A: As long as soil conditions are suitable you can try carnations, sweet williams, nicotiana, stocks, sweet sultan, verbena and phlox. Good luck!
Q: Please tell me about a medicinal plant called 'tampasa', a shrub found in the hilly area of Buner in Swat. Its scientific name is 'crataegus oxycantha" and its English name 'hawthorn'. I have been told that it is used as a heart tonic and that it also aids in opening heart blockages with ease and without side effects. Is this information correct?
A: Crataegus oxycantha, hawthorn, is indigenous to Pakistan, though, I am not familiar with the name 'tampasa'. It is found in Kalat and Harboi Hills, Kurram, Chitral, Swat, Astor, Gilgit, Hazara, Murree Hills, Poonch and Azad Kashmir. It usually grows at an altitude of 3,000ft -– 9,00ft and is a large shrub, sometimes a small tree, with thorny stems, cream flowers in the spring and these are followed by red berries in the autumn. The leaves are deciduous. Both the fragrant blossom and the red berries have medicinal purposes and are used in both European homeopathic medicines and in Chinese medications.
An extract from the berries is indeed used in treating heart conditions but this is highly dangerous unless both the extract and full instructions, varying from person to person, are administered by a qualified cardiologist with experience of herbal medications. All medicines, including herbal ones, can have side effects when improperly used. Please remember….a little knowledge is a very dangerous thing.
Q: I am very interested in growing various vegetables and herbs as I like using them fresh in my food. Is it possible to grow mint in a medium sized plant pot and can I grow curry leaves in the same way. I had planted chilli seeds from which little plants have sprouted but they have stopped growing. What is the problem. I reside in Karachi.A: Mint grows very nicely in plant pots as long as it receives an adequate amount of water but curry leaves are a little more problematic as they grow on a large shrub or tree which would require a suitably large container to grow in. If you can plant a small curry leaf plant in the largest pot you can manage and then keep it regularly trimmed back it should do okay. The problem with your chilli plants is that you are trying to grow them at the wrong time of year. The weather, even in Karachi, is far too cold for them at the moment. You should plant them during late spring and then they will give you lots of chillies through the hottest part of the year. The hotter the weather, the hotter your chillies will be!
Send your gardening questions at zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Answers will appear in a future issue of 'The Review'.
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