Q. Gardening is not my hobby, but I love greenery around me and like to have organic fruits and vegetables. In our house, we don’t have a backyard. Instead, we dug up a small area and planted some fruit trees. One of our trees, papaya, grew fast and started having fruits, but they eventually fell off before getting large and yellow. Our baby papayas are simply falling instead of ripening up and maturing. What should we do?

A. It is commendable to read about your efforts to ensure greenery at your house. There can be a number of reasons for the fruit of papaya not maturing. Often enough, the main reason for the fruit not maturing is simply lack of pollination. The best possible remedy for that would be to grow not one but a few healthy papaya trees (both male and female) nearby — thereby increasing the chances of successful pollination. Lack of pollination is usually indicated by immature fruits falling from the trees.

Another cause could be of plant-related deficiencies. Whether its nutrient deficiencies or water stress, both can drastically impact plant growth and production of fully formed fruits. For nutrient deficiency, different fertilisers are added during the stages of plant development, while water availability is ensured through regular, consistent and measured watering of the plant. Fluctuation in water availability can result in immature fruits.

Extremes of temperatures, especially scorching summer heat, can be detrimental. At temperatures of around 35 degrees and above, there is a high probability of the plant shedding off the immature papayas. To counter heat and sunlight, a green net can be installed over the tree to save it from heat stress. Pests and diseases can also cause immature fruit development and shedding off from the tree. Finally, the ideal soil depth for the papaya plant to flourish is of at least three feet and more. Fruit may drop if soil depth is insufficient. You may need to reconsider shifting your papaya tree to a place where such depth is available.

All your gardening queries answered here

Q. I have recently gotten a potted plant of Epipremnum pinnatum from a family member. The plant is in a 16-inch pot. It is placed in our house balcony, where it gets two to three hours of direct sunlight just before dusk. I provide it with compost and water it very carefully, keeping all the required issues in check. There is no pest attack. The issue is that the leaves are giving the impression of being burned. The leaf edges and have started turning brown and black. Please suggest what can be done as it is destroying the beauty of the plant.

A. It is indeed a unique plant, which is usually kept to beautify the house or the garden. It is commonly known as dragon-tail plant. There are no such issues that I can find from your query, apart from one huge red flag! The afternoon sunlight and extreme heat are not a good omen for the Epipremnum pinnatum marble plant. Burned leaves in a plant prized for its foliage are unacceptable. My suggestion would be to immediately shift it to a place where there is mild, early morning light accessible. If you cannot shift it, it would be better to install a green net over the plant.

Q. I am from Karachi and purchased rain lily bulbs from the local market. Is now the right time to sow the bulbs?

A. Rain lilies typically flower now, so planting now may delay blooms. For that, you may need to wait till the arrival of the next season. Happy gardening!

Q. I was advised to pot the amaryllis bulb plant in a six-inch pot. Early on, it grew slowly but now, the bulb has sprouted long leaves growing above and roots are emerging from the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. Please suggest if I should continue to keep it that way or shift it somewhere else? Space is not an issue and I hail from Karachi.

A. Looking at the photographs, it seems that multiple bulbs may have developed by now. You may need to carefully pull out the plant while holding on to the stem and, in the process, ensuring not to damage the roots. If there are multiple bulbs, then you may need to segregate them as well. Plant each bulb separately, in individual eight-inch pots and let nature take its course. All the best!

Please send your queries and emails to doctree101@hotmail.com. The writer is a physician and a host for the YouTube channel ‘DocTree Gardening’ promoting organic kitchen gardening

Published in Dawn, EOS, July 27th, 2025