Q. I belong to Thandiani, a hill station 25 kilometres from Abbottabad. Over the last decade, most local people have migrated to urban areas as growing ordinary crops such as maize, wheat and potatoes does not generate enough income to survive on. It is sad to witness this death of agriculture here and in adjoining areas.

I know that this column is intended to assist gardeners not farmers but, under the circumstances, can you please suggest alternative options to help the farmers of our hill station villages survive? Altitude, cold winters with heavy snow, moderate summer temperatures with monsoon rain, uneconomic land holdings and inadequate resources and finance are just some of the problems to overcome.

A. It is painful to admit that there is no simple solution for a set of problems which have drastically multiplied over the years. Your summation of the basic problems is correct but others need to be factored in including the unrealistic expectation that high incomes can be generated from minimum work.

Your garden queries answered

Due to endless subdivision of ancestral land holdings — holdings which even when ‘whole’ only ever supported basic subsistence farming on a purely seasonal basis — the majority of remaining holdings are not large enough to be financially viable or even to be taken seriously in agricultural terms.

However, there are possibilities that may bring results but only if the local people are prepared to work extremely hard and work together which, with local mindsets as they are, is unlikely to happen. The local farmers, if they are persuaded and come on board, need to form local cooperatives to grow highly specialised crops — indigenous medicinal herbs for example — under contract with organisations that have a market demand for them. Someone, perhaps yourself, needs to spend a lot of time identifying supply ‘gaps’ for such plants, drawing up a feasibility study for the sale of the same and then, cap in hand, seek financial assistance to get such a project up and running and bringing in long-term profits.

Q. I am 12 years old and have a big interest in gardening. Can you suggest a very easy vegetable, flower or fruit for me to grow inside our Clifton apartment? There isn’t much sunlight inside but if I keep plants outside in the corridor stray cats destroy them or someone steals them. I want a plant that grows at room temperature and which does not cause many insects.

A. How wonderful that you wish to welcome plants into your daily life. You will be delighted to know that there are quite a few plants that meet your specific requirements but let’s keep to less expensive ones for a start. Any of the following should be easily available at your local nursery: money plant (Pothos aureus), spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), Dracaena, rubber plant

(Ficus elastica), Maranta, mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria), Tradescantia Zebrina (spiderwort) and many, very pretty ferns.

Q. How long should mulch lay on the soil surface after it has been used?

A. Mulch remains in place until it either rots down completely or is pulled down beneath the soil surface by helpful creatures such as earthworms and beetles that industriously assist in turning mulch into compost.

Q. The flowers on my two-year-old sharifa trees turn black and fall off. What is the problem?

A. The most common reason for this is incorrect watering: ensure that your trees are watered regularly — at least every other evening — from when flower buds first appear until you harvest the fruit.

Q. In which season and at what stage should fertiliser be given to new plants and to established ones?

A. It is usual to include some kind of plant food, preferably organic, in the soil mix when transplanting plants, of any age, in new pots or in prepared garden ground. Otherwise, well-established plants are generally fed in both spring and autumn. Fruit-bearing plants are fed as soon as blossom begins to form and the same with purely flowering ones.

Q. What is the difference between transplanting and re-potting?

A. Transplanting is transferring a plant or seedling from one place to another for example from the seed tray to the garden ground. Re-potting is transferring a plant from one plant pot to another plant pot/container.

Q. I planted zinnias, at a distance of 12 inches apart, in my Karachi garden. The soil was changed before planting them. They receive plenty of sunshine and I keep the soil moist by watering them both morning and evening but, despite all this, many of them have died. I found some green patches on the soil so immediately dug the green bits out. Do you think the green stuff is causing the plants to die or is it something else?

A. A combination of over-watering and bad drainage is the reason your Zinnias are dying. These sun-loving, drought-tolerant flowers should be watered, in the evening not in morning, every second or even third day at the most. The green patches on the soil are fungus caused by over-watering and bad drainage. Cut back on watering and also improve soil drainage when an opportunity arises.

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

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 9th, 2017