March 30, 2006

Zahrah Nasir advises readers on how to maintain beautiful plants, to grow carrots and fight insects

Q I live in Jamshoro and like ever-flowering plants. I want to keep such plants in pots for a beautiful look along both sides of the passage to my house. It is 25 feet long and 11 feet wide. What kind of plants can I grow and in which season?

A You omitted to inform me if the passageway is shaded or not which makes it difficult for me to advise you correctly. However, I will still make a few suggestions for flowering plants that should perform well in plant pots for quite a long, and varied period of time, particularly if they can be kept out of the direct rays of the scorching summer sunlight in Jamshoro.

You can try the following: plumbago, amaryllis, Persian lilac, amaltas, lantana, allamanda, frangipani, hibiscus, oleander, raat-ki-rani, ipomea, passion flower, potato creeper and thunbergia grandiflora. Some of these are small trees, shrubs or creepers but thrive in pots if kept well-pruned and climb if given adequate support. In addition, there are countless annual flowering plants, such as petunias, pansies, phlox etc. which can provide added colour during the cooler months of the year.

Q We have a mulberry tree in our lawn in Karachi and it is now fruiting but when the berries are ripe they fall on the ground. Usually, in the morning the ground under the tree is purple with ripe mulberries. What is the remedy for this please?

A It is quite natural for the ripe or over-ripe fruit of any tree to fall to the ground. You need to pick the fruit as it ripens and then go inside the house, wash it and enjoy a huge bowl full, preferably topped with fresh cream. Yummy!

Q Where can I find seeds for parsley and carrots in Karachi. I have grown the tops of carrots and they have grown very nicely but my brother says there won’t be any carrots underneath. Is this true?

A You should be able to find all sorts of flower, vegetable and herb seeds in Empress Market in Karachi. I’m afraid that your brother is correct. Whilst carrot tops grow wonderfully and look extremely attractive they do not form carrots underneath. But do not despair and do not pull them out, if you leave them to flower they will then form seeds which, when ripe and dry, can be collected and then sown in the garden. These seeds will grow in to the carrots you desire and you can even share the outcome with your brother if you like.

Q I live in North Nazimabad in Karachi and am interested in planting strawberry guava and pineapple guava in my garden. I contacted a relative in America and asked him to bring these plants for me but he informed that plants cannot be taken outside that country. I then asked for seeds but was informed that these plants are prepared by grafting. Can you please tell me how I can get these plants from another country. One nursery man told me that they can be imported from Singapore. Also, how will they grow in the climate and soil of Karachi?

A Strawberry guava should grow well in Karachi, pineapple guava may be more temperamental as it generally requires a colder winter than you have in this area of the country for it to fruit properly. Contrary to the advice given, both of these fruit trees can be grown from seed very successfully. I have grown strawberry guavas from seed myself, the germination was excellent, plants were very healthy but, unfortunately, they do not like the Bhurban winter so the remaining plants had to be transferred to a new home down in Islamabad.

For the source of seeds, they will need to be imported, and I suggest that you search on the Internet. You will find a number of reputable seed companies which stock these items though not all foreign countries are prepared to send seeds to Pakistan, so please remember to check on this prior to making any form of payment.

Q In Qatar I used to get a good harvest of vegetables, especially broccoli and brussel sprouts, after I started using bone-meal powder. The soil there was mainly sandy and not as good as here in Lahore. Will there be any benefit if I use bone-meal here? I am unable to find this powder so what kind of bones can I use instead? Meat bone is very hard to crush, bones from fish and chicken are much easier to smash into small particles. Could these be used to improve soil condition?

A It is nice to know of your success with vegetables in the very difficult climate of Qatar and yes, the use of bone-meal/powder in Lahore will greatly benefit your vegetables along with roses and any other plants you grow there. You can use the bones from fish and chicken to make bone-meal. They should be absolutely clean though as any flesh residue will attract ants, rats and crows and may also create a bad smell. Meat bone is longer lasting in the ground than fish and chicken bones and you will find that it is quite easy to crush with a hammer if you have a way of burning it in a fire for a reasonably long period of time at a high temperature. The result is worth the effort.

Q What is ‘pinky’, how does one use it and where is it available in Karachi? I would like to use this for ants. How does one deal with grubs?

A ‘Pinky’ is potassium permanganate and is usually available in ‘old-fashioned’ grocery stores and also in some pharmacies and hardware stores. It is normally sold in small quantities and comes in the form of tiny, dark red crystals. When a pinch of these crystals is added to water, the water turns pink, hence its common name of pinky. If the water turns very dark red or even purple then the solution is far too strong. Many people use pinky to wash household fruit and vegetables purchased from the bazaar as it kills any bacteria on the surface of these items.

For use in the control of ants you need to mix up a reasonably medium pink coloured solution in a watering can and pour this directly into ant holes in full sun. The ants rush out of their flooded underground chambers and the direct action of sunlight on their pinky coated bodies causes them to immediately shrivel up and die.

You do not mention the type of grubs you are having problem with or the variety of plants which are being affected but I would suggest that you purchase ‘Derris dust’, an organic product, but please check the label carefully in case noxious chemicals have been added, and sprinkle this on the area of soil where grubs are causing a problem. Derris dust, if the original product, does not harm cats and dogs but is harmful to both fish and bees so please keep this in mind when using it. n

Send your queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Answers will appear in a future issue of ‘The Review’.

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