Q. I live in an apartment in Lahore and have placed some plants outside on my veranda where they receive indirect sunlight for a few hours each day. However, two of the beautiful mature plants which I bought from a nursery are now beginning to wilt.

The first plant is a cardboard palm (also known as ZZ). I bought it in September 2022 and it initially grew fairly well in a low light area, but now I find that the older stems and leaves are turning yellow and becoming dry. Some of the leaves in the newer stems are also turning yellow and beginning to fall off. The other plant is a two-year-old beautiful, leafy draco dracaena. The tips of its leaves are now turning brown, then yellow and subsequently withering away.

Both these plants are in quite large pots and I have moved them into a brighter location to give them access to more sunlight. But I do need suggestions as to how I can save them. Should I completely repot them? If so, what kind of soil should I use? I would be grateful for your advice.

All your gardening queries answered here

A. I will begin with respect to your query concerning the cardboard palm. Excessive watering and root rot are two of the most common causes of the leaves turning yellow and falling off for this plant. You can avoid this by simply checking the water drainage of the plant soil. If the soil is retaining water, then you may need to add compost or nursery soil to your soil. Another common issue that you may need to check for is root rot. This can be identified by pulling out your plant very cautiously. If the root seems to have rot, a brownish colour or feels squishy to touch, then you need to change your soil. You have to ensure that the shifted plant has better access to sunlight and that it is not watered for the first few days. Later on, it should be watered judiciously and the dampness of the soil should be monitored. Following the above mentioned steps will hopefully stop the leaves from turning yellow and dropping off.

With regards to the second part of your question concerning the leaves of the draco dracaena, please note again here that the amount of watering could be the biggest culprit. Overwatering and, in some cases, watering too little or with an irregular schedule, results in the problems you have alluded to. Root rot may also be the result of water-logged soil. I would suggest checking for the same red flags in the soil and the roots as I mentioned in the case of the cardboard palm. Shift the plant to a comparatively drier location which is exposed to more sunlight, limit its watering initially and then follow a strict and limited watering schedule. Finally, remove any dead leaves from the plant and limit your fertiliser usage to just once a month.

Q. Can you please suggest some air purifying plants that can be placed indoors in Karachi?

A. Plants and trees not only help reduce pollution but they also make the overall environment and surroundings more pleasant. During the time of Covid, which somewhat brought back gardening as a popular hobby for many, people focused on two aspects of gardening. One was growing their own produce at home and the second was searching for plants that would help purify the air indoors. Although I have placed a few indoor plants at my residence for their aesthetic beauty, I am yet to come across any substantial cause-effect relationship between planting indoor plants and a reduced level of air toxins indoors.

However, given your question, here are some plants which supposedly have air purification properties and are specifically grown indoors for this purpose. These plants include Chinese evergreens, spider plants, snake plants, syngoniums and pothos. I mentioned these plants because they are relatively inexpensive and easy to acquire from most nurseries in Karachi.

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, April 2nd, 2023