Q: I am growing lemon trees, bay leaf, guavas and tomatoes in pots at my home in Karachi. They all get plenty of light and regular water and are doing well. Now I would like to know which other vegetables and fruits can be grown in pots, containers and plastic bottles.
A: Wonderful! There are so many fruits and vegetables that can be grown in pots and other containers that it is impossible to provide a comprehensive list here, but you might like to try the following: Very large pots/containers: papaya, custard apple, chicoo, grapefruit, grape vines, passion fruit, water melons, melons, etc., and, on the vegetable front, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and other members of the kaddu family. Medium-sized pots/containers: just about any kind of vegetable providing they are allowed plenty of room to develop. Small pots/containers are suitable for salad greens of all varieties, strawberries and lots of different herbs.
Q: I am having a tough time with leaf miners which have devoured the loki, turai, khira, etc. in my garden near Hawkesbay, Karachi. The plants were all doing well and then along came leaf miners that devastated them. I tried soapy water, pepper and garlic spray but nothing worked. I want to use organic methods; please advise.
A: Leaf miners are the larvae of a variety of flies, bugs and beetles and have not responded to the organic sprays you mention as they are inside the leaves not on them. There are two organic methods you can try: 1) Remove infected leaves at the first sign of leaf miners and dispose of them carefully — not in the compost heap. 2) Again in the early stages, physically squash the leaf miners while they are inside the leaves. Repeat either one of these methods as often as required.
Q: I planted grass to make a lawn a few months ago but the result is not good at all. The problem is that the roots are so firmly entrenched that they are affecting plants growing close by. How can I remove it as I want to replace it with another variety of grass but need you to tell me which one is the best?
A: Giving advice on how to grow water wasting grass goes against my personal principles. I strongly suggest that, as you have gone to the expense of planting the stuff that you mow in back hard, withhold all water and when it has completely dried up, use the area for fruit trees which, as they come up and their canopy spreads, will help kill the grass off, once and for all. This will take time and you must water the roots of the trees of course but, once the job is done, you can cultivate shade tolerant vegetables beneath the trees. In a country which is facing serious consequences from climate change, especially water related ones, it is wrong to waste precious water on anything which is not of an edible nature.
Q: My small lawn is infested with ants and they are eating the seeds I plant. How can I get rid of them?
A: It can be very difficult to control ants but you can try the following: Sprinkle some sugar where the ants will find it and then follow them back to their nesting hole and pour boiling water down it to kill them and their eggs. Alterna-tively, make up a strong solution of potassium permanganate and, when the sun is high, pour this down the ant holes and they will come racing out and, am not sure why this happens, turn black and crumble to dust in the sun!
Q: I have grown pineapples but the problem is that the fruit is very small even though the leaves are long. The fruit has stayed the same size for about six weeks now. How can I make it grow bigger?
A: The fruit is not going to grow any larger now and you need to harvest it before it goes bad inside. The problem is with nutrition. When next planting out pineapples please ensure that the soil is properly prepared and is nutrient and humus rich.
Q: Our maid is having problem with her pomegranate tree. It was doing well for the first three years that it fruited but for the last three years the fruit is splitting before it is ripe. How can she resolve this problem?
A: It sounds like irrigation problems. Please request your maid to water the tree regularly when it is fruiting and never to allow the soil to totally dry out. When the soil is dry the tree suffers and then if suddenly given water, it takes it up too quickly and the fruit splits as you have described.
Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. Answers to selected questions will appear in a future issue of the magazine. This takes time. The writer will not respond directly by e-mail. E-mails with attachments will not be opened. Please note: The writer’s garden is not open to the public.