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December 07, 2006
Tree troubles
Zahrah Nasir gives tips on how to grow indigenous trees outside the country
Q After this year’s rains in Karachi a mature cycad palm, which I have had for almost 15 years, is in big trouble. The leaves have all turned brown for no apparent reason. I have cut away some of the lower ones and left the rest. I reside near the sea and understand that many other palms in the vicinity have suffered the same fate.
A I strongly suspect water logging in the root area, plus, the heavy rains must have caused more salt and other ‘contaminants’ to rise towards the soil surface, which poison the palm trees. I do not know if it is possible to transplant your cycad palm due to its age. If you can, then keeping it in a very large pot, where you can maintain correct soil and drainage conditions, is the answer.
Otherwise, leave it where it is, dig a circle around it as deep as you can manage without damaging or cutting its roots, removing as much ‘poisoned’ earth as possible in the process. Next, put a six inch layer of gravel/small stones in the bottom of the hole, refill with good quality sweet earth and hope that this helps. It may take quite a while until your tree responds – if at all. Sorry I can’t be more helpful than this.
Q I am a Pakistani living in Panama and am obsessed with growing fruits like mango, jamun, neem and badam here as they remind me of home. Panama has tropical weather, much like Chittagong. It rains around 100 inches a year with temperatures of 28ºc – 32ºc all year round. My two jamun trees are at least 15 feet high and five years old but they have not fruited yet. How should I look after them and do they need cross-pollinating in order to fruit?
My mangoes are one year old and my badams a1e six to 10 feet tall. How should I look after them? Will neem grow here?
A Thank you for providing such detailed information as regards climatic conditions as this is both interesting and helpful.
Firstly your jamun trees; sounds like they are doing very well but you need to exercise some more patience as they may not fruit until they are at least seven to 10 years old.
You didn’t mention whether you have grown your mangoes from seed or if you managed to obtain grafted root stock. If from seed, they will take up to 10 years to fruit, if grafted stock then six to seven years is normal.
I am extremely surprised that you are growing badam (almonds) as these require much cooler, dryer conditions than you have in Panama. Perhaps you are referring to ‘terminalia catappa’ which is also known as ‘badam’ in Karachi and which also bears edible nuts, if so, then these should start fruiting in the next three to four years.
I would expect neem, botanically called ‘melia azadiracta’ to be eminently suitable for your location.
Looking after your trees is not a difficult prospect. I suggest that you give them a good feed of well rotted organic manure, slightly dug into the soil in a circle one foot away from the tree trunks, because if the manure touches the trunks it could cause disease and we can’t have that! Alternatively, use an organic liquid fertiliser or apply a dressing of bone meal mixed with blood meal and rake this into the surface soil in the same manner as the manure. Feed your trees twice a year, spring and autumn are best and if you notice any dead or decaying twigs/branches then prune them off without tearing adjacent bark and burn them or dispose of them, well away from you garden, in a proper manner. If you have to remove any branches over half an inch in diametre then seal the cut with clear silicon to prevent infection getting in. Hope this helps. Keep up the good work please!
Q We have a champa (frangipani) tree in our garden in Karachi. Every winter it gets a whitish coloured layer on its leaves. We have tried lots of different remedies but none have worked. There are lots of other plants beneath it and we are worried that these may become infected too. Also, there is a pond right under it so I don’t want to use any kind of spray as it would be harmful for the fish. Can you suggest something please?
A Aah ha! Sounds like your champa is bothered by the cold, which is added by the location of your pond. This can cause a mild type of mildew which grows as a slightly fuzzy layer on the leaves. The easiest and safest way to deal with this is to carefully wipe it off with a sponge dipped in warm, soapy water. This is not a cure and will need to be done regularly through the winter months. If the problem has not previously affected your other plants then there is absolutely no reason why it should start doing so now. Champa needs warmth and likes humidity but hates cold and clammy conditions.
Q I have a few plants of low chilling almonds in my yard in Faisalabad. Primarily, the production is low, this does not matter much but the almond kernels on one tree are almost bitter while the adjacent tree produces sweet almonds. Can you identify the reason and also guide me on how to get the bitter almonds to be sweet?
A I wonder if you also have any peach trees in your garden or if your neighbours do, because if almonds are cross-pollinated by peaches the kernels can be very bitter indeed. However, as the adjacent tree produces sweet almonds it could be that the tree with bitter ones is of an inferior variety. I’m afraid that I do not know of any sure method of transforming your bitter almonds into sweet ones as once such a pattern is set, then it is almost impossible to change.
Q How can one grow the ‘bird of paradise’ plant? Is it grown from seed or from cutting and how long does it take to flower. Can it be grown in a pot or does it need to be in the ground?
A Bird of paradise – there are two species, one with mainly red/yellow flowers, the other with black ones – is usually grown from seed, either in very large pots or planted directly in the ground. The plants can take 10, 12, even 15 years to bloom. A generous dose of patience is definitely needed!
Q I am an ardent lover of carnivorous plants. Are there any indigenous species of these in Pakistan? Can you recommend a source as I would like to buy some?
A I am not personally familiar with any indigenous species of carnivorous plants although I am sure that there must be some.
I suggest that you try growing some from seed, search the Internet for a reputable seed supplier. Amongst the easiest to propagate are members of the ‘droseraceae’ family. Better known as ‘sundews’, ‘d. capensis’ or ‘cape sundew’ is a fine species with purple flowers and an insatiable appetite!
Send your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com Answers to selected questions will appear in a future edition of ‘The Review’
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