Q. We have several money plants (Pachira aquatica) in pots, located in the car porch area of our house in Lahore. These plants are not directly exposed to sunlight. They were thriving and showed robust growth when I first planted them some four years ago. However, over the past one year, their growth has slowed down and they are no longer flourishing as they once did. Our watering schedule involves providing water when the top surface of the soil feels dry to the touch.

Recently, we have noticed blackish dry spots appearing on the leaves, which eventually become dry, peel off and fall to the ground. I have attached the pictures for your review. We would greatly appreciate your advice on the cause of this issue and appropriate treatment to restore our money plants to their former health.

A. Thank you for your comprehensive email. First of all, the plants in the photographs that you have shared with me are not of Pachira aquatica. They hail from the Pothos family, which are also money plants, with slight differences in appearance and tending requirements. In the case of your plant, overwatering and poor drainage, any plant disease, lack of required nutrients or air circulation, or any other pest attack can cause slowdown in growth and result in blackish dry spots — your two major concerns.

All your gardening queries answered here…

Looking at the size of the pots and plants, there is a high chance that the drainage holes of the pot may have gradually clogged up over the last few years. Make sure that the drainage holes of the pots are opened. Avoid overhead watering on the leaves, because if the black leaves are due to any disease or infection, then it can certainly spread very quickly with overhead watering. It is also better to prune and remove leaves with black spots beforehand. Make sure to refresh and soften up the soil with compost and any balanced fertiliser, after every four to six months. Finally, keep the plant in a better ventilated area. As these are potted plants, they can be shifted to a better aerated place nearby. If you find any pests such as mealy bugs or spider mites, then simply spray the plant with any organic pesticides. Keep us posted with how your plant fared by applying these techniques.

Q. I live in Karachi and have grown three coconut plants. They were planted three months earlier. Kindly advise on how to protect them.

A. Your question is incomplete as I require other pieces of information to address your query. Firstly, knowing the coconut variety, and the age and height of the coconut plant/tree is fundamental. The access and duration of sunlight currently available to the plant would also be required. Your watering schedule and the feed of the plants in terms of fertilisers should also be mentioned, so that I could respond to your query.

Q. My Aglaonema plant is not coming up with new leaves since the last couple of months. What is the issue?

A. Nothing to worry about, as it appears that your Aglaonema plant might have just hit its dormancy, probably due to the current cold weather. Once the conditions turn favourable, the leaves will start to grow again.

Q. I tried growing the beetroot plant at home after reading the recent columns on growing beetroot. I have kept the pots in direct sunlight. The plants are being properly watered and given fertilisers twice a week. The growth still is not very heartening. What am I missing out on?

A. During the seedling stage, the plant should be given fertiliser after every three weeks and not after every two to three days! Furthermore, the soil in the pot seems too dry, it should be kept moist throughout from the germination to the sapling stage. Both these issues are detrimental to the growth of the beetroot seedling and should be immediately addressed before it is too late. Keep us posted with the progress and happy gardening!g

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, December 29th, 2024