Q. Based on your experience, which month do you think is the most suitable to plant strawberries in Islamabad?

A. Strawberry plants undergo photoperiodism, which refers to a plant’s response to the two distinct periods of the day — the daylight period and the dark period at night. In most varieties, a decrease in daylight signals to the plant that it should enter its flowering-induction phase. When morning temperatures are between 20 to 25 degrees and night temperatures between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, it is time to start growing strawberries. I am not quite sure which month would exactly correspond to these temperature ranges in Islamabad but, I suppose, it would be from October onwards till late November. While you might be a bit late for this year, you have enough time to plan your strawberry gardening endeavours for the next season. On the other hand, you may purchase potted plants from a nearby plants nursery to fulfill your gardening desires. All the best!

Q. I have some plants similar to rain lilies in a flower bed, but they have not flowered in three years. I frequently water the plants, which are planted as a hedge in the same bed of a south-facing lawn. However, its bulbs remain under the shade of the hedge. I have attached photographs of uprooted bulbs. What can be done to make the plants flower again?

A. It would have been helpful if you had mentioned the city where these bulbs are being grown. Also, the bulbs in the attached photographs are not rain lily bulbs and appear to be of the spider lily variety. The good news is that these bulbs are in good shape. A few adjustments in their care routine may enable the plant to resume flowering.

All your gardening queries answered here…

One thing that you need to change immediately is to shift the plants from the shadow of the hedge to a place of maximum sunlight exposure. It is a sun-loving plant that thrives in direct sunlight exposure of at least six to eight hours. Watering should be done in a manner that the soil remains moist till the next scheduled watering but is not wet. Increase the phosphorus content of your soil by boosting it with a relevant fertiliser and decrease the nitrogen content. The latter increases foliage while your current need can be handled with phosphorus boosting. Finally, the key to planting these bulbs is that some part of the upper portion of the bulb is over the surface of the soil and visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is critical that the bulb is not planted too deep. By taking care of these aspects, you can greatly increase the likelihood of the plants producing blooms during the summer.

Q. I am a resident of Islamabad where a nullah or stormwater drain flows just behind my house lawn. Nothing grows in that lawn. The gardeners say the soil is not good for any sort of plantation, as there is too much water beneath it. However, large trees are growing along the nullah. The gardeners suggest that at least two feet of soil surface should be removed, to be filled with soil that has been mixed with a special fertiliser. I seek your suggestions regarding this soil problem.

A. First of all, I hope the drain is not carrying any hazardous substance or industrial wastes, which are detrimental to the environment. The most practical and easy way out in your case is to prepare raised beds or construct a raised lawn. This way, the roots of small plants would have to travel considerable distance before reaching the current ground surface. This would reduce the possibility of water-based diseases or root-rot.

Regarding your suggestion to dig two feet deep, you can adapt that approach here. The ground should be dug up and a six-to-eight-inch layer of coarse gravel and stone chips should be placed within. Top it up with fresh garden soil, fertiliser and compost to form a raised bed or raised lawn. Hopefully, it will do the trick for you.

Q. I am from Lahore. My children are on their winter break. Can you suggest any seeds that would show result within two to three weeks of sowing, so I can engage my kids in gardening activities during their vacations?

A. That is a difficult task. You can purchase some potted, small flowering plants with buds from a nearby nursery. These flowers will blossom in a few days, beautifying your home. That would be a sight to behold. You can also transplant them to bigger spaces and separate baby plants from them. A few examples of such seasonal flowers would be chrysanthemum, gazania, balsam, marigold and aster.

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, December 28th, 2025