Q. I live in Karachi and would like some information regarding growing sunflowers in my garden. When is a good time to sow sunflower seeds? Do they need to be in the ground or can I also put them in pots? Are they summer or winter flowers?

A. In Karachi, it is a common sight to come across potted sunflower plants due to space constraints. The sunflower has a number of varieties in colour and size, including giant and dwarf varieties. You can purchase seeds of any variety according to your space requirement. Usually, these seeds are sown between February and March.

Q. I have an eggplant in Karachi, which is about two and a half years old. The plant receives direct sunlight exposure for about two to three hours daily, especially during the months of March and April. In winters, it is usually in shade. The plant is flowering and sprouting, but not fruiting. It has been attacked by pests. I have used artificial pesticides, a detergent and neem spray, but it’s not working. What should I do about resolving this issue?

A. I suppose you have a fair idea of the probable root cause of the issue at hand and that is why you have mentioned that in the beginning of your query. The most important thing here is the lack of required sunlight exposure. The plant usually requires daily direct sunlight exposure of at least six to eight hours. The required sunlight duration makes it a perfect fit for those opting for kitchen gardening in Karachi. Your plant is receiving less than one-third of the required sunlight exposure. No wonder, the plant is heavily infected with pests of many kinds.

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Now, what you can do is to shift your plant to a location where there is sunlight availability from dawn to dusk. If it is in a pot, container or a grow-bag, then you may drag or shift it with the container. If it is planted in the ground, then you still have to transplant it. A two-and-a-half-year-old plant is likely to be strong, deep-rooted and massive. You have to very gently and carefully dig out the plant, with special emphasis on keeping its root ball intact and shift it to an already prepared space, which gets the required sunlight exposure.

Remove and discard all the heavily infected leaves. Throw them in the garbage and not in your compost bin! I can easily identify aphids, thrips and mealy bugs from your photographs. It is almost impossible that any organic spray may work on your plant anymore after such a massive infestation and considering the fact that you have already tried out the usual remedies. Imidacloprid, being sold commercially by different local and international companies, is a better choice. Mix one millilitre of imidacloprid in one litre water and spray the plant with this solution early in the morning or late in the evening for best results. Continue spraying daily for three to five days. Hopefully, the plant will thrive.

Q. I have a purple-heart plant growing in a small clay pot in my balcony getting direct sunlight exposure in Gujranwala. The plant thrived and produced beautiful pink flowers over the years. But gradually, it has stopped growing and sometimes it feels like it is decreasing in size and the number of flowers has reduced as well. What should I do?

A. Small clay pot and growing for a number of years — it seems likely that the roots of your plant might be tightened up for space. Shift it to a larger pot, till and refresh the soil, and add a fine layer of compost as well. Remove dried branches and, if required, prune it a little as well. Happy gardening!

Q. We receive direct sunlight exposure at our place. Can we grow different varieties of monstera here?

A. While I receive hundreds of queries with issues of no or limited sunlight availability, here you are having lots of it. However, the monstera is one of the plants that usually thrive better in indirect sunlight and shade. Many people still grow it in their gardens and get reasonable results as well.

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, April 27th, 2025