January 22, 2009

Zahrah Nasir answers questions about chrysanthemum, kale and the wonderful air plant

Q I recently saw some air plants in a friend’s garden in Defence, Karachi and found them quite fascinating. Will you please tell me more about them, what is their botanical name for example, where they come from and are they difficult to look after?

A Air plants are correctly called Tillandsias and are members of the Bromeliad family of plants. Originating in central and South America, well over 500 known species and countless hybrids have been bred from these. As their common names implies, air plants do not require any soil in which to grow as they take most of their nourishment directly from the air through specially developed leaves. Their roots are only used to attach them to or around a host plant or rock. They are not parasitic so do not harm their host in any way. However, they cannot survive on air alone and do require regular watering. It is best to spray them with warm water, especially during periods of low humidity otherwise they will dry out. Varieties which are very fleshy, though, tend to rot if over watered. With these, keep watering to an absolute minimum and reduce it to almost nothing when humidity is high. Many varieties of air plants tend to mature, flower and die within a one-year period but during this time each plant should produce two to eight pups — baby plants around its base — which then, naturally follow the same cycle. This means that there are always lots of replacement plants coming up and, in a matter of three to five years, you can end up with more than you can handle. The flowers on some species last only for a few days but others last for months on end. You can grow air plants on all sorts of things: tucked into tree trunks, wired onto branches, fastened to wooden boards, etc. They can also be tucked in amongst an artistically arranged bowl of attractive stones or simply sat in a convenient hollow on a boulder or the like.

Q A relative has just brought me half a dozen different air plants from America but she didn’t bring any instructions on how to look after them. Can they be grown indoors as I only have a small balcony at my fourth floor apartment in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and this is already over-crowded with plants?

A Air plants can be cultivated indoors as long as they have plenty of indirect natural light. Do not place them close to a sunny window as they may well get far too hot, dry out and die.

Q I purchased an air plant when in Holland last year. It didn’t seem at all happy in the pot I planted it in, even though the soil was of very good quality. The poor thing was miserable from the start and completely rotted away after about four months. What did I do wrong?

A Air plants do not need or like soil. Other members of the huge Bromeliad family do grow in soil but Tillandsias do not. Please read the answers to the preceding two questions for full information.

Q I read your suggestions about papaya in your article on ‘Guerrilla gardening’ (Dec 4-10, 2008). What is the correct time to sow papaya seeds in Karachi and what type of soil conditions do they need?

A Wonderful news and I hope you have somewhere exciting in mind to plant them! Papaya seeds can be sown anytime between the beginning of September and the end of April for best results. You can, hopefully, propagate dozens and dozens of them during these months. The seeds have a jelly-like coating which is best cleaned off, rubbing them in between your hands with a little dry sand usually works, prior to sowing. A sandy type soil, rich in compost is ideal. It is important to keep it moist (but not dripping wet, please). The seedlings will do best out of direct sunshine, yet should have sunshine for at least half of the day and will be ready to plant out when they are 10 to 12 inches high. Remember to plant them in groups rather than individually as both male and female plants are needed before they will fruit. You are in good company as a gentleman in Goa has already taken up the ‘Guerrilla gardening’ challenge too!

Q Having invested in 10 wonderful pots of very colourful chrysanthemum plants early last autumn, I am wondering how best to look after them since they have completely finished flowering now and the dried out stems are untidy to look at. They gave absolutely masses and masses of bloom in a variety of colours but already the new growth at the base of the dead stems is spilling out of the pots. Can I plant them out in my garden in Rawalpindi or should I just re-pot them into larger pots?

A Cut back the dried out stems to tidy up your plants and then you can:

1) Carefully divide the root clumps into two or even four pieces depending on their size and re-pot these into at least 10-inch, preferably larger, clay pots. Keep these in a partially shaded location when temperatures begin to rise during late spring. Remember to water them of course and then bring them back into full sun during early autumn so that you can enjoy lots more gorgeous flowers next season.

2) Divide them up as previously mentioned and plant them directly in your garden selecting a location where they receive partial shade during the summer heat.

Q What is the correct time to sow seeds for Red Russian Kale in Lahore? I found some seed after reading about it in one of your columns some time back but can’t remember when to plant it. Also, I have tried growing cabbages a number of times by planting the seed in early spring but the weather always gets far too hot before they mature and they get spoilt. I understand that some varieties of cabbage are faster growing than others. Can you make some suggestions please?

A The month of October is the perfect sowing time for both the Kale and for cabbages too in Lahore. This gives them a much longer growing season than if you sow the seeds during early spring. However, if you can obtain seed for either Greyhound or Hispi cabbages these are very fast maturing and you should get crops within two months after sowing in the spring. I have sown these two varieties of cabbage in Karachi as late as the beginning of March and had wonderful crops in no time at all.

 

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com.  Remember to include your location. Answers to selected questions will appear in a future issue of ‘The Review’. This takes time. The writer will not respond directly by e-mail.