Q. We have a lemon tree which is about five to six years old. It has been giving us a very good quantity of lemons for some time now. Recently, its leaves have started drying out. Most of the leaves are curling and falling out. This plant is in our house in Karachi. Can you please let us know what we can do to stop it? Does it require any type of pesticide or some sort of fertiliser? Your help in this regard will be greatly appreciated.

A. Nothing to worry about, this is all part of growing lemons at home. Lemon plant leaves are generally susceptible to extremes of temperature. In case of scorching heat or a quick fall in temperature — especially during winters — leaves of lemon plants may start curling up. Sometimes but very rarely, pests and insects may attack the plant, resulting in the leaves curling. This is especially true when it comes to leaf curl attack. Excessive watering can also cause leaf curling in citrus plants.

Firstly, you need to ascertain the exact cause of the leaf curl. Usually in Karachi, summers or extreme heat is primarily the main cause of curling leaves. The plant should be provided shade with the application of green net overhead. Humidity, in this case, should be corrected with repeated misting of the plant. Pest attack may be identified with bitten or pest marked leaves, in which case you may remove the pests with a stick. After complete removal, spray the leaves and the undersides of the leaves with an organic pesticide such as neem oil after every 10 to 15 days, till the complete removal of the pest is ensured. In case of excessive watering, you would need to adjust your watering quantity as per the weather and also ensure following a strict schedule.

Q. Your article published in Eos, on the impressive health benefits of karelas doesn’t mention a single health benefit. Please send me the details of all benefits.

A. Thank you for your email. Please note that the article was primarily focused on how the readers can easily grow bitter gourd vines at their home by sowing seeds. It discussed the entire process till the eventual harvest, the fertilisers required and the growing tips, all included. It was mentioned that bitter gourd has lots of health benefits. Due to the word limitation of the section, we cannot incorporate detailed discussion of each and every aspect of an individual herb, flower, vegetable, fruit or any other plantation in a single article. Rest assured, your suggestion has been noted and we will try to carry an article including health benefits and other gardening aspects of the entire gourd range in the near future. Please also note that we do not reply by return mail as per policy.

All your gardening queries answered here…

Q. When would be the right time to sow yellow pear-shaped cherry tomato seeds in Karachi?

A. Ideally, you can sow these seeds from August to the end of October. You can still sow these seeds in the November-December window, but the fruiting is likely to be compromised. Good luck!

Q. I was having a panic attack because I found these insects all over my cauliflower plants. Photograph is attached. Most of my cauliflower plants are now producing heads. I have applied a number of home remedies but this insect persisted. The insects are multiplying and increasing on a daily basis. Please suggest, what should I do?

A. The photograph that you shared is that of Bagrada bugs, also known as painted bugs. As your own observation, it is a characteristic feature of this bug that it multiplies very quickly. It is, therefore, very crucial that immediate action should be taken. Different plants of vegetables, especially those hailing from the brassicaceae family, are its favourite mainstay.

However, the photograph you shared with us is that of matured painted bugs. After maturing, these bugs are difficult to control because they tend to move and fly quickly, as compared to the younger ones. If you are a home gardener and your cauliflowers are in pots, you may still have a better chance to control them as compared to those who are growing the vegetable being attacked in the ground, field or in open spaces.

To protect the cauliflower plant from any type of pest attack, the best way would be to install and cover the entire plant with a net. This way, most of the pests are unable to enter the plant space to lay eggs. Furthermore, the best practice is to fortnightly spray any organic pesticide as a prophylactic measure, or just in case of a fresh attack on the plant.

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, November 13th, 2022