Fragrant desi rose
Q. How deep should I plant avocado seeds? Each seed has two parts, should I separate these? How often do they need watering? Out of the 24 that I planted, only two came up and in the summer they lost their leaves.
A. Avocado seeds (the large centrally contained brown ‘stone’) are planted with the top one-third exposed. The soil should be kept moist at all times to encourage germination. If the soil dries out at any time then seeds may fail to germinate. Perhaps incorrect watering was the reason for the poor germination rate mentioned and for the saplings’ loss of leaves. Avocados do not tolerate saline soils or saline/brackish water. Avocado trees grown from seed often do not bear any fruit or, if they do, the fruit is very small. If a fruiting tree is what you are aiming for, it is better to purchase a grafted one from a nursery.
Q. Do roses grow and flower all year round or specifically in winter only? The roses I am talking about are not premium rose buds but commercially grown ones used mostly for rose petals. Are there places/farms in Sindh that grow and sell these roses?
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A. Desi gulab – ‘Rosa centrifolia’ are grown all year round in Sindh and Punjab but generally produce less flowers over the summer months. Those you see in the market are grown on a commercial basis by a number of small to medium-sized farms in the aforementioned areas and transported, on a daily basis, to central marketing points in all major cities. One acre of land can be planted with 5,000 rose bushes and these are capable of producing approximately 5,000 kg of flowers over a year. Depending on how many such bushes you have space for in your Karachi garden, it is possible to produce a surprising amount of rose petals for use in various ways. Bare-rooted bushes are generally available in local nurseries from December through until the end of February.
Q. Can you suggest some low maintenance indoor plants, preferably plants that flower and/or are not very bushy?
A. Many varieties of flowering cacti may be suitable for your needs, providing that there are no small children in the house. Otherwise, as long as there is sufficient natural light, African violets, Cyclamen, Begonias, spider plants – Chlorophytum, Caladium, Calocasia, Coleu’, dwarf Dracaena, Tradescantia and Zebrin’ are all possibilities, although some are purely seasonal.