Down To Earth

You may find it interesting to note that theres a logic behind naming certain plants. See the accompanying picture.

You may find it interesting to note that theres a logic behind naming certain plants. See the accompanying picture. The tree is Silver Oak. The name itself is self-explanatory. When the tree foliage sways with wind,it shows the backside of the leaves,which is silver-white in colour and hence the name. At times,the technical name to the trees are given with some reason. For example,Alstonias technical name is Alstonia scholaris. The name was given to this plant because there was a time when wooden slates made out of this tree were used by scholars for writing.

The soil in my garden is very hard and does not dry after watering for a few days. Also,the plants in pots do not do well. What could be the reasons? Surekha,Panchkula

Your garden soil is clay and it retains moisture for a longer duration. Mix a good amount of sand in the soil. The problem of plants not doing well in pots is also attributed to this. When you make pot mixture,add one part each of sand and well-rotten farmyard manure to the soil.

The weather is changing very fast and suddenly. Will it affect plants? What precautions can we take? Manju,Chandigarh

Yes,the sudden fluctuations in weather conditions could be dangerous as such weather is conducive for the appearance of diseases and insects. Keep a close watch and spray the plants after consulting an expert.

This year the winter bloom in roses was quite damaged. Can I do something to get good blooms? Amit Kumar,Chandigarh

The winter bloom was damaged by the cold weather this year. But dont worry as the next flush of the bloom,that comes in the last week of February,will be good. Only thing is to keep removing faded and fading flowers from the plant.

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Is growing bananas successful in this area? And if so,can I plant it now? Pawan Kumar,Mohali

Yes,you can grow banana here but wait for some more time to plant it.

For gardening queries ASK DR GREEN at satishnarula@yahoo.co.in

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Down To Earth

You may find it interesting to note that theres a logic behind naming certain plants. See the accompanying picture.

You may find it interesting to note that theres a logic behind naming certain plants. See the accompanying picture.