Q. We have had a pomegranate tree in our Faisalabad garden for four years but the fruit does not reach full size. From afar, they look more like red lemons. What can be done to boost growth of the stunted plant so that it will fruit properly? Do I need to add new compost/fertiliser? I don’t know much about gardening.

A. Trees are stunted when growing conditions are extremely poor and space for roots is badly restricted. You haven’t mentioned if the tree is growing in the ground or in a pot but, either way, it obviously doesn’t have the root space or the nutrients it needs for healthy growth, let alone to develop full-sized fruit.

If it is being grown in a pot, it urgently needs re-potting into a very large pot or any suitable container, with completely a mix of new sweet earth and plenty of organic compost/old, well-rotted manure mixed in 70 percent new soil or up to 30 percent compost/manure should be fine. It will be even better if you place a handful of rusty iron (not stainless steel) screws and a thoroughly boiled (to remove all traces of meat/fat) beef bone in the base of the pot, before putting in the soil/manure, as these will feed the tree with essential iron and calcium for many years to come.

All your gardening queries answered here

If the tree is in the ground, perhaps there are large rocks restricting its roots. So, during this monsoon season, dig a new planting hole, removing stones/rocks in the process, placing screws and bone in the bottom of the hole and fill up with soil/compost/manure mix as detailed above. The hole should be deep and wide enough to spread out the existing tree roots in, and the base of the tree should be level with the soil surface and not below it.

After transplanting into a new pot/container or into a new planting hole, water well until the tree is nicely settled in. Watering can then be reduced, first to every other evening and then to twice a week. All going well, the tree should, in time, recover and grow to eventually produce the fruit you desire.

Q. I planted drumstick trees (Moringa oleifera) some months ago. Can I use fertiliser for these?

A. You can treat them to a feed of liquid, organic fertiliser or compost tea once in a while, if you like, but as they thrive in poor soil conditions, there really isn’t any need.

Q. Can I grow an olive tree in Vehari?

A. As long as the soil is suitable (not saline) and plenty of fresh water is available, you can give it a go. Please check with your local department of agriculture for the exact olive species recommended for your area and for a source of saplings.

Q. Please suggest what kind of tree/plant can be planted in Multan in the month of July.

A. This being the monsoon season, your local nurseries should have an extensive selection of trees, hopefully indigenous species, suitable for planting now. I suggest you go and view them and make your choice rather than have me provide a list of species that your local nursery may not have in stock.

Q. What is an easy and low-cost compost- making procedure?

A. Please refer to the March 17, 2019, issue of the magazine — easy to find on the internet — for details of making compost at home.

Q. I want to grow the following vegetables from seeds in big pots on my terrace. The terrace gets a lot of sunshine. Kindly advise how and when to sow the seeds of baby spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, red and yellow peppers, zucchini, basil, green onions, sweet potatoes, cilantro, avocado, jalapeno and scotch bonnet chillies.

A. Mushrooms grow in dark, moist environment, avocado trees are slow-growing and huge while asparagus is not recommended for the growing conditions you have. All else that you mention can be cultivated in large clay pots and other suitable containers, even wooden vegetable crates from the bazaar. Frankly speaking, sweet potatoes are better grown in an actual garden, so that they can spread, if you want a decent crop. For details of when to sow seeds of seasonal vegetables, please read this column on the first Sunday of each month when such information is provided.

Q. I am very fond of indoor plants but, unfortunately, they don’t last long for me. Can you suggest some big-leaved ones that will last? I live in Clifton, Karachi.

A. Both rubber plants and Monstera deliciosa (Swiss cheese plant) have large leaves and can be grown, if conditions are suitable. Indoor plants need adequate natural sunlight, careful attention, regular watering and feeding and most of them dislike air conditioning. Perhaps your plants die for lack of one or more of the aforementioned requirements.

Q. I am looking for a flowering wall creeper that flowers all four seasons of the year and has leaves that don’t wither away in Karachi. Please make some recommendations.

A. The easiest to grow and most reliable is bougainvillea, although it needs to be fastened firmly to the wall and will require trimming to prevent it getting out of hand.

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, July 28th, 2019