GARDENING: HOW DO I SAVE MY FARMING COMMUNITY?
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.