Q. I am having a problem keeping Evening Primrose plants alive and need some advice. I have tried various species such as Oenothera pallida and Oenothera speciosa. I sow seeds in autumn, the plants grow and begin flowering in the spring but perish in the summer.

I tried fungicide on them because so­me get root-rot but others just die without any apparent reason. I have the exact same problem with Echinacea too. How can I get them to survive summer in Lahore?

A. I fell in love with these glorious flowers many years ago and initially faced the exact same problem too — although growing them in Bhurban is very different from growing them in Lahore.

Evening Primroses — Oenothera to give them their botanical name — flourish in Karachi where soil tends to be very sandy and thus well drained. The problem, visible or not, is root-rot.

Though these plants are simple to ger­minate, they simply cannot stand water around their roots and succumb to summer monsoon rains incredibly fast. Through trial and error, I found that planting them on steeply sloping banks was the answer and once I did this, the plants thrived and multiplied.

If this isn’t possible for you, perhaps you can build a special, sloping, raised bed for them so that, hopefully, drainage is first class even during the summer monsoon. This recommendation also applies to Echinacea so perhaps you can grow them in the same special bed. Using a fungicide will not prevent root-rot in plants that cannot tolerate wet soil.

If you get the soil and water right, half of your gardening issues are over

Q. I have lemon trees at my home in Tehsil Talagang, district Chakwal. They fruit heavily but the fruit splits. What is the solution?

A. The problem is water-related. The soil, in which they are growing, must be kept damp at all times when the trees are flowering or producing fruit. If soil dries out and is then watered — or if it rains or humidity becomes very high — the thirsty trees drink as quickly and as much as they can. This causes the fruit to swell and split. Maintaining soil moisture prevents this from happening.

Q. How can leaf mould be made?

A. By composting only leaves.

Q. Is top-dressing and mulch the same thing?

A. Basically speaking, yes. Although top-dressing often contains a higher, faster amount of nutrient / fertiliser than slower acting mulch.

Q. Something is eating the leaves of my Bougainvillea and Jasminium plants. I have tried a few sprays but without success. I live close to the sea in Clifton, Karachi.

A. The culprit is probably some species of leaf-eating beetle such as a shield beetle. Spraying plants — it is preferable to spray soon after dawn in winter, evenings in summer — with warm, soapy water mixed with organic neem oil should help.

Spray throughly, trying to spray under as well as on top of the leaves, every other day for a week and then once a week until all signs of pest attack have disappeared.

It would help your plants to recover if they are also treated to an organic foliar spray once the pests are eradicated. You should also give them a one-off ‘meal’ of seaweed meal, organic if possible, to assist in their full recovery.

Q. I planted a papaya tree in Karachi many years ago. I had no idea about what growing conditions it liked but it grew perfectly well and even fruited.

Now, two to three months ago, I planted another papaya and a neem tree but they have only grown about six inches since then. Why are they not growing properly and what should I do about it?

A. Don’t forget that this is the winter season. Plant growth of both papaya and neem — these are semi-tropical / tropical species — is much slower in winter than in summer. The fact that they have each grown by six inches is a wonderful indication that they are happy and will — once the weather warms up — begin growing rapidly. Until then, please be patient.

Q. Most seeds of seasonal flowers such as Queen Anne’s Lace, Brachycome, Nemophila, Phacelia, etc are very difficult to trace even in Lahore’s market. Would you please suggest a proper source?

A. It is surprising that you are having difficulty in finding a reasonable selection of seasonal seeds in Lahore. Perhaps seed stores were already sold out of these varieties when you went to buy them.

If you are unable to source particular varieties of seeds from your regular / local seed suppliers, I suggest that you do an internet search for Pakistani seed suppliers and order via mail.

Please note: It is against the policy of this magazine to name gardening stores.

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, Sunday Magazine, January 22nd, 2017