Pick ‘n’ Choose

After the dazzling display of winter annuals,there is not much for summer. There are hardly seven or eight species to choose from.

After the dazzling display of winter annuals,there is not much for summer. There are hardly seven or eight species to choose from. It is thus all the more important to be choosy while selecting varieties. Even a single inferior bed in the garden will spoil the show. The accompanying picture of cockscomb shows a quality bloom head which is available in many colours like golden,yellow,pink and even white. It requires good amount of water. It is available in dwarf variety too. So go and look for it now!

* My lemon plant has plenty of flowers and a few fruits too but hardly any leaves. What should I do? Will the leaves appear? Will such a situation cause some kind of damage to the plant?
Malini,Chandigarh
Your fears are not unfounded. There must be leaves on the plant if it has plenty of flowers and fruits or else it can even die due to fruiting pressure. It will be better to remove flowers and fruits and wait for the plant to get the leaves first.

* The fruiting process in ber in my garden is over. What should I do next? The plant is spreading very fast.
Baljit Singh,Mohali
Wait for another month and then you can go in for pruning. The ber will bear fruit in the current season growth. So you can prune as per your wish to contain the tree as any new growth will bear the fruit.

* The mango has borne fruit and the flower has almost fallen. What should I do next so that the fruit grows normally?
Swati,Panchkula
Your query is very timely. Immediately spray karathane and thiodan for one last time as it will ensure retention of fruit and normal growth.

* I have lost almost all the mango fruit due to no visible reason. I was told by a friend that it was not good to spray on the trees and the plant had enough internal strength to retain fruit. What should I do now?
Chetan,Chandigarh
The first thing that you should do Chetan is to listen to yourself. Plants need timely plant protection if you want to get fruit. Follow the recommendations of PAU and you will be rewarded. The chemicals recommended by them are not poisons if you follow their instructions.

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

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