Q. I’m a 13-year-old girl, who is in love with gardening. I recently bought a raat ki rani and an aloe vera plant. I am keeping the raat ki rani in partial shade and have transferred it into a bigger pot, as the maali at the nursery advised. Still, a few of its leaves have started turning yellow. Additionally, the flower buds are also dropping off. What can the problem be? The aloe vera plant isn’t healthy either. I only water it when the soil is dry. I check this by putting my finger in the soil and seeing if there is moisture underneath. When I cut one of the leaves, the base from which it was cut becomes really dry and it doesn’t grow back. I feel that the plant is dying. My peas and potatoes and other vegetables are doing well. I reside in DHA Phase 2, Karachi.

A. Welcome to the world of gardening and to what is, hopefully, a lifetime of dedication to all that grows. Now, let’s discuss your problems. Firstly, the raat ki rani: it is important to avoid transplanting any plant that is in flower or in fruit, as transplantation shock results in the plant shedding its flowers or fruit, plus, it has used so much of its strength to produce flowers/fruit that its ability to overcome the shock of having its roots disturbed is impaired. Your raat ki rani is probably reacting to being transplanted at the wrong time but, hopefully, it will eventually get over this and regenerate.

Alternatively, it could be that you are overwatering it. Overwatering can also cause flower drop and the yellowing of leaves. At this time of year, your raat ki rani only needs watering once, possibly twice, a week and every other day in hot weather.

Aloe vera, on the other hand, needs very little water even in the blistering heat of summer. You are checking for soil moisture in the right way but, as this is winter, your aloe vera only needs a small amount of water every 10 days or so and just once a week in summer.

It is natural for the cut base of a leaf to dry up and to do so quickly as this prevents infection from getting in. New leaves do not grow out of the remaining base of a cut leaf: they appear from the centre growth points of the plant. Aloe vera also produce ‘babies’ from their root systems; these pop up around the parent plant and can be carefully cut off, potted up and grown on once they are reasonably well-established. Overwatering is the most common reason for plant death, and I suggest that you cut back on watering, have patience, and allow your plants to grow in their own good time which, as you love them, they probably will.

All your gardening queries answered here

Q. I have started a small garden and need advice on how to make it more neat, clean and beautiful.

A. Keep things simple, keep the garden clear of weeds and any other debris and you will be off to a good start. Space your plants out so that weeding in between them is easy. Sit out in the garden with a soothing cup of tea, look around at what you have achieved and think of what you wish for and guidance will come.

Q. I live in Hunza, Gilgit-Baltistan, and would like to know how to propagate Betula utilis (birch trees). Can this be done by taking cuttings and rooting them or is it better to start them from seed?

A. Birch trees are easily propagated from cuttings taken during late spring. Cuttings, about six inches long, should be taken from new growth, before the wood begins to harden.

Q. Last year I planted an olive sapling at Uthal, in the coastal region of Balochistan. It took root but is growing as a bush rather than as a tree. Would it grow into a tree if I prune some of its branches out?

A. You need to prune out central branches, shaping the bush/tree into a cup shape with an open centre. This is a delicate, rather challenging task and it can take years to achieve the desired result — especially if the sapling has decided, perhaps due to localised weather conditions or wind, that it stands more chance of survival as a bush rather than as a tree.

Q. Is Turkish oregano, used in pizza and other food items, being cultivated in Pakistan and can it be grown in the Balochistan coastal region?

A. Various types of oregano are commercially cultivated in Punjab. I do not know if it will succeed in your location but it is worth trying.

Q. A relative has brought me a dozen avocado seeds from Canada and I wish to grow some of them in my Islamabad garden and some in Dera Ghazi Khan. How and when should I plant the seeds and how best to care for the resultant saplings?

A. Without knowing exactly which variety of avocado these are, it is impossible to say if they will thrive here or not. You can, of course, try. Wait until the weather warms up in late spring and then plant the seeds, pointed end upwards and with about an inch of soil over the top of this point, individually, in 10-inch clay pots of good quality, well-draining, compost. Stand the pots in light shade, keep watered and keep your fingers crossed. Saplings should be left in the pots for about 18 months and then planted out, 20-30 feet apart, in good soil, in full sun. Avocado trees need copious amounts of water. The best, most productive, avocado trees are from grafted plants. Seed grown ones may or may not bear fruit.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened

Published in Dawn, EOS, January 31st, 2021