With the cooler winter months now upon us, getting to grips with outdoor garden tasks is a great way to keep yourself warm and your plants happy and healthy.

Of the numerous tasks to be accomplished this month — one that is often completely overlooked — is that of tidying up and repotting perennial plants, shrubs and vines being grown in pots or other containers.

People tend to forget that pot/container-grown plants have a limited amount of soil/compost from which to draw their nutrition. When this food source is used up, obviously and inevitably, the plants begin to suffer. Outward signs of this stressful suffering can include yellowing leaves on evergreens, unseasonal shedding of leaves, lack of healthy growth, reduction in flowering and lack of fruit development on previously fruit-bearing species.

Repotting plants is best done in winter months

It is quite common for plants to inhabit the same pots/containers for years on end, as they are often far too big and heavy to easily repot by this time and are simply left to suffer in silence until they run out of survival resources, succumb to disease and ultimately die.

Re-potting, of all plants, should be done, with care, at least once a year — some species prefer twice a year at six-monthly intervals: old soil/compost being replaced with good quality new soil/compost.

Where this isn’t possible, as with super-large, extra heavy plants, then top up the soil, around the base of the plant, with a generous helping of organic compost or old, well-rotted, preferably organic manure; this rich food source will be watered down into the old soil over time and your plants will thank you for this dose of tender loving care.

SEED SOWING GUIDE FOR DECEMBER

In the flower department: It’s time for final sowings of sweet peas and spring flowering poppies, along with drifts of cosmos, Queen Anne’s lace, phacelia, ageratum, linum, larkspur, linaria, antirrhinums, cornflowers and arcotis. Seeds for petunias and pansies for pots, hanging baskets and border edging along with bellis, fast-growing candytuft and alyssum have to be sown. Brachycome and nemophila for lightly-shaded areas, in pots or in the ground; Sweet Sultan and Sweet Williams for colour and perfume, plus, those gloriously colourful, flowering herbs, nasturtiums and calendulas.

The aforementioned seeds are predominantly for sowing outdoors in Karachi during the winter and the less hardy amongst them will require greenhouse/plastic tunnel treatment in much colder places, such as Rawalpindi/Islamabad and Peshawar at this time of year. Hill and mountain gardeners have to wait until spring to sow all of these, except sweet peas which should have been sown in upland areas by last month, at the very latest.

Flower of the month: Antirrhinums (dog flower, snap dragons) just happen to be one of my all-time favourite flowers and they are incredibly easy to grow from seed which can, surprisingly, be sown just about any time except during the intense heat of the summer months. Usually treated as annuals here, antirrhinums can actually be bi-annual or short-lived perennials and, when a location suits them, they will merrily self-seed all over the place. Sow the seed, as thinly as possible — this can be a little tricky as the seed is minute — on the surface of good quality, preferably organic, well-draining soil/compost in seed trays or pots and then, very lightly, sprinkle a slight covering on more soil/compost over the top before carefully watering it down. In the cooler months, seeds are best started off in full sunshine but appreciate light shade in warmer weather. When large enough to handle, transplant into their permanent growing position in the ground or in pots/containers. Planting space varies depending on the variety and growth habit so please check seed packets for precise instructions. Antirrhinums may be dwarf, medium, tall or absolutely gigantic and come in every imaginable colour and in bi-colours too.

In the vegetable garden: Beans, peas, potatoes, onions, spring onions, garlic, spring cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, spinach, Swiss chard/leaf beet, bok choi, chopsuey greens, giant red mustard, mustard mizuna, fast maturing varieties of calabresse, radish of all kinds, turnips, celery, chicory, endive and even (in Karachi especially) lettuce and tomatoes — although tomatoes, as in other plains areas, will benefit from protection on chilly nights and if winter rains materialise.

Herbs to sow: Nasturtiums, calendulas, parsley, borage, lemon balm, watercress, lovage, dill, aniseed, chamomile, chervil, coriander, chives, garlic chives, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage, rosemary, fast maturing varieties of lavender and lots of different kinds of mint.

Fruit trees to plant from this month on and until the end of February: Apples, pears, peaches, pomegranates, figs, olives, persimmons, plums, nectarines, olives, apricots, cherries, oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mango, loquat, kumquat, custard apple, chikoo, guava, coconut, date, guava, star fruit, banana and jamun — select only those which are suitable for your specific area. You don’t need an actual piece of garden ground in which to cultivate fruit trees as dwarf varieties can (providing correct care is given) grow and produce very well in suitably large clay pots and other containers.

Fruiting vines and fruit shrubs/plants: Grapes, passion fruit, kiwi fruit, falsa and strawberries and, in Karachi and other coastal regions only, pineapples as well.

There are countless flowering shrubs and climbers, including roses, of course, to consider adding to your garden over the coming weeks. We will take a closer look at these in two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, wander around your garden area and give lots of thought to exactly what you may have space for.

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

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 2nd, 2018