Q. A young man who happens to be a relative, along with some friends, has been doing some voluntary work in remote and neglected villages on the outskirts of Karachi, all the way to some parts of Balochistan. Lately, they have been trying to plant some trees in Sakran, Balochistan, but I am not sure if they have selected the right species for that region. I wonder if you could give some tips about species which will flourish in that area so that I can pass the information on.

A. Locally indigenous tree species are always the best for such laudable projects. In this case, these include: Wild olives, wild pistachio, acacia species, prosopis species, haloxylon and tamarix. The local forestry department will be able to advise further. A point to pay attention to and one which is all too often overlooked, is that the young trees require regular maintenance and watering until they are well established. Failure to do this can result in failure of the well-intentioned project.

Q. Is it possible to grow hellebores or Christmas roses in Islamabad and, if so, where can I purchase plants or seeds? I recall an article, a long time back, in which you mentioned growing them yourself but I am not familiar with your location.

A. I have seen hellebores being grown in the Islamabad area. They were growing in pots which were kept in total shade from spring through to late autumn and then moved into partial shade for the winter period, when they flower. I grew lots of them in the garden of my previous home in the Bhurban area in Murree Hills. I grew them directly in the ground, in the shade of apple trees, where they flourished and self-seeded all over the place. In both aforementioned instances, the original plants were grown from privately imported seed. I have never heard of them being available in nurseries here.

All your gardening queries answered here

Q. We have some issues regarding our pomegranates in our garden in Kasur, Punjab. We planted the tree two years ago, and it started giving fruit the following year. The problem is that the fruit remained very small in size with hard seeds. We want to increase the size until the pomegranates are the same as those in the market. How can we do this?

A. There are many different varieties of pomegranates, each one producing pomegranates of a certain type and size. It sounds like you purchased a small-fruited type and, whatever you do, you cannot alter this. The large-sized, very juicy pomegranates seen in the market are mostly imported from Afghanistan, where soil and climatic conditions are different than in your locality. It is, however, possible to purchase saplings of Afghan pomegranate varieties, during late winter to early spring, in some local nurseries, those in the Pattoki district being the best for you.

Q. What are the dos and don’ts of planting and nurturing an avocado tree in Lahore?

A. The Hass and Lula varieties of avocado are the best ones for the Lahore climate. They need lots of space, both above and below ground, and are not suitable for small gardens. Soil must be well drained and of good quality. These trees require massive amounts of water and I do not recommend growing them in urban locations.

Q. I have a chikoo plant in a big basin. It is almost seven years old but not giving fruit. I water it daily. The situation of the plant is getting bad, as now there are some green-coloured pests eating its leaves. Please guide me because I have no experience and insight into growing plants.

A. After seven years of growing in a basin of soil your chikoo tree will be completely starved of any form of essential nutrition. It will have used up any food in the soil a long, long time ago and, frankly, it’s a miracle that it is still alive. The poor tree needs to be planted directly in the ground, in well-prepared soil that has lots of well-rotted, preferably organic, animal manure mixed in to it. It needs space for its roots to spread out in search of the nutrients and minerals it needs for healthy growing and for eventual flowering and fruiting. Once it is settled in the ground, watering can be three times a week in summer and just once a week throughout the winter months. To eradicate pests, thoroughly spray the entire tree, including underneath the leaves, with a spray made from one litre warm water with a dessertspoon of liquid soap mixed in. Repeat the spray daily for seven to 10 days or until all signs of the pest have gone.

Q. I love bindweed plants and want to grow some, in a clay pot, at home. I know that there are plenty of other attractive weeds, but it is bindweed that I want. Are its seedlings available in Hyderabad and what is the growing method?

A. Bindweed belongs to the Ipomea family of plants and a very attractive variety, usually sold as morning glory. It is simple to grow from seed, which is often sold in gardening supply shops. In March or April, sow the seed, three seeds per 10-inch clay pot, at a depth of half an inch and three to four inches apart, in good quality soil/compost. Keep watered but do not drown them. They are fast to germinate; you need to provide something for the vines to climb up. Morning glory flowers come in shades of blue, pink, purple, red and white and really are very pretty.

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, December 26th, 2021