3 Mistakes You Make When Choosing Fruit Trees

Mistake 1: You lack Imagination

Just about every household has a Lemons and Oranges or whats popular but the problem with this is that when your oranges start fruiting the cost in the supermarket for the same orange is often super cheap and fresh. Because they are so popular the pests of this tree are popular. eg. Gall wasps are often controlled by industrial methods but the home gardeners tree gets attacked and they don't have the resources to out power these pests. Basically if the fruit in your backyard is the same as the one you easily buy every day of the year anyway you are only exposing yourself to 1% of what fruit has to offer you.

So why not choose something like a Mulberry Tree, Black Sapote, Pecan, Sapodilla, Miracle Fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit, Lychee, Soursop, Custard Apple. And when you do choose a variety choose a variety that isn't common to your supermarket. Eg. If you are going to get an Orange tree then grow the Navelina. After you eat this variety you will wonder if they really are selling oranges in the supermarket the taste is so different.

Mistake 2: You are a Cheapskate

A seedling tree might cost $10 but the same tree as a grafted variety can cost upwards of $35. So people choose the seedling and then get disappointed why it doesn't fruit. A grafted tree can fruit often 3 years before a seedling even thinks about bearing fruit plus the fruit being produced is a proven quality and taste. Obvious example is that you eat an orange, love it and then plant the seed. 8 years later that seed produces its first "oranges" and instead of tasting sweet and having orange skin, it has a very light yellow skin and is almost un-edible. Same goes for Lychees, Apples, Pecans, Macadamias etc etc.

Mistake 3: You Plant it "Wherever"

Fruit trees love the sun and they love good drainage. Pay attention to the way the sun falls on your backyard throughout the year, especially in Spring and then make sure you use that space for your fruit trees. Your shady spots are perfect for rainforest trees, so don't let them go to waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference: http://blog.daleysfruit.com.au/

 

Read More

Effects of Hoeing on Standing Crops that Reduce the yield

Hoeing is big issue near farmer to remove the weeds, soil aeration, nitrogen fixing and fertility restoration in standing crops. But on the other hand some factors are studied by the approval of experiments which reduced the plant yield i.e

It cut the adventitious roots- they are the fibrous side root system which take up phosphorus, fix the nitrogen and other macro and micro nutrients from soil which support the plant for growth and development.

When fibrous roots system damaged then plant only depend on main root (tap root). Applicable nutrients are only available on upper soil surface, so plant cannot uptake it.

Hoeing damage the eggs of beneficial insects which are responsible for nitrogen fixing and fertility restoration.

Applicable nutrient move from one place to another.

Hoeing damage the whole plant or some parts.

It disturb the level of soil.

The main objective of hoeing near farmers is only weeds removal and soil aeration. This problem can be solved by using the below suggestion.

• By using recommend weedicide, at the pre emergence stage or post emergence stage for wheat, cotton, sugarcane, maiz, potato etc. weedicide dose can recommended by agrarian decision after field vist.

ü Pre emergence weedicides i.e.
Pandimethelen@1000ml/acre, Acetacholor@500ml/acre, S-metolacholor etc.
ü Post emergence weedicides viz.
Bromoxinal+MCPA@500ml/acre, Cholodenafop@150gm/acre,
Fenoxaprop@500ml/acre, Fluroxypyr + MCPA@300gm/acre,
Isoproturon@800gm/acre, Atlantis@180gm/acre, glyphosate@150ml/16L water,
Paraquat (Gramaxone)@1000ml/acre.

• By using recommended soil supplements at both stages i.e. pre sowing and post sowing.

These supplements improve the soil structure and make a fertile soil for better crop yield.
ü Humic acid, application of this recommended dose chemical in soil at pre and post sowing break the soil hard pan, active the bonded nutrients in soil, soil aeration by softening of soil.
ü By the application of balance macro and micro nutrient at sowing and post sowing time.
This method is very efficient to improve the soil structure and increase the crop yield for the earning of farmers, time saving and for country development.
By: Shehzad Ahmad Kang: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan,38040.
Corresponding author’s email; shehzadpbg@gmail.com

Read More

Garden Talk: A New Leaf in Your Home Garden

By Zahrah Nasir

Q: I recently relocated to Islamabad from Karachi and wish to grow vegetables in my garden. Is this the right time? If so, please recommend three or four easy to grow ones and how to go about their cultivation.

A: Yes this is the perfect time to put in some vegetable seeds. At this time of the year it is best to grow your vegetables in a sunny position. You could start out with peas, carrots, spinach and lettuce which are all reasonably simple to grow. Peas, spinach and lettuce all do well in soil that has had lots of old, well-rotted, organic manure worked into it, whilst lettuce requires the same but with some river sand added to ensure good drainage.

Picture Source: Google

Peas should be sown half an inch deep and an inch apart to obtain strong plants and they will need supports, such as trellis-work or canes to climb up. Spinach and lettuce seeds should be sown, very thinly, about quarter of an inch deep, in rows four to five inches apart and lettuce seeds, these are very fine, thinly just under the soil surface, in rows six to 10 inches apart. Carrot seed, once again the seed is very small, is best sown thinly, just under the soil surface, in rows no more than six inches apart. All should be kept weed-free and watered regularly.

Q: I would appreciate your comments on my quick organic fertiliser recipe: One cup mustard/cotton oil cake powder. Half cup dry alfa powder. Half cup wood and paper ash. Half cup wood powder. Four or five powdered egg shells. Three to four rusty iron nails. Use 50/50 with soil.

A: Firstly I do not personally recommend the use of either mustard or cotton oil seed cake in the garden. Much better to use ‘bagass’ which is residual organic material from sugar mills. I am puzzled by ‘alfa powder’ unless you mean dried, ground up alfalfa which is fine. The wood/paper ash is good, as are the powdered egg shells; iron nails are good too if they are small ones and if you take care to bury them deeply in order to avoid accidents.

By ‘wood powder’, I presume that you mean sawdust. Fresh sawdust heats up as it rots down and will burn your plants and their tender roots. It should first be composted down and, only then used in the garden. It would be interesting to know how your plants have reacted to your fertiliser as detailed. Experimentation is great, please keep it up and growing organic is the best way to proceed.

Q: I have been nurturing an ivy creeper which finally developed roots and climbed the criss-cross wooden frame alongside my bay window. Over a period of five years the plant covered the whole structure and looked beautiful. Unfortunately, all of a sudden the leaves started yellowing and falling, leaving a large area bare. I thought that the tube well water — laboratory analysis says it is unfit for human consumption — could be the cause so I switched to normal sweet water praying that would help. The plant does appear to be developing new leaf buds but I am really worried about what to do.

A: Your ivy sounds gorgeous and you are commended for getting it to do so well. It is good that you stopped giving your ivy the tube well water as it sounds as if this was the problem.
The fact that, after switching over to sweet water, the ivy shows signs of growth is very encouraging and I think that patience should be exercised now. The plant should re-grow in time.

Q: I have a problem with my fig tree in Islamabad. The leaves are yellowing and falling. What should I do?

A: This tends to happen during periods of high summer humidity or rain and is absolutely nothing to worry about at all.

Q: I am trying to grow bananas and pomegranates but neither bear fruit. The leaves of both get so badly damaged by strong winds that they die. I recently added organic fertiliser to the soil and I water regularly. How can I improve their condition please?

A: Cultivating bananas and pomegranates in a windswept location is asking for trouble. The only solution to the problem is to erect wind protection, the type depending on the size of your garden.

Q: Is avocado a remedy for arthritis? Is it possible to purchase the plants in Karachi or do I need to look elsewhere?

A: Eating avocadoes will not cure arthritis but a poultice made from the bark and leaves is, it has been claimed, helpful in the treatment of rheumatism. I do not know if avocado saplings are now stocked in Karachi nurseries but I doubt it. Avocadoes grow into huge trees and both male and female are required for them to fruit. The climate of Karachi is not really suitable for their cultivation.

Source: The Dawn, InpaperMagzine

Published on: 10/15/2012

Read More

Garden Talk: Time To Grow Green and Purple

By Zahrah Nasir

Q: I am planning to cultivate quite a lot of basil and would be grateful if you can guide me through the basics. How to sow the seed, soil conditions, fertiliser, watering and where to get good quality seed.

A: Basil, there are many varieties with different coloured/shaped leaves and different flavours, is very simple to grow from seed. The seedlings do not like being disturbed as they have a long tap root which is easily damaged so it is best to sow them very thinly and according to species, as some are larger than others, where they are to grow.

Soil that is rich in organic material is ideal. Basil flourishes in full sun and while it requires regular watering, good drainage is essential. The seed needs warmth to germinate so is best sown in spring when temperatures are on the rise although it can also be started off in autumn before temperatures drop and then grown under plastic/glass for the winter.

Once you have some mature plants, these can also be increased by propagating from cuttings. Basil should not require additional fertiliser if the soil is correctly prepared prior to sowing the seed. Nip out the central growing shoots when the plants are four to six inches high, this encourages them to bush out and produce more of their deliciously aromatic leaves. Keeping the strongest plants for seed production is always, as long as the seed was not hybrid, a good idea. You need to shop around for seed and perhaps, especially if opting for an ‘unusual’ variety, import it yourself.

Q: Is there any species of perennial viola, a fragrant one, which can be grown in Lahore?

A: I am delighted to say that there is! Viola odorata is the answer. Grow it in partial shade, keep watered and you will be magnificently rewarded.

Q: For the past few years I am unable to make my Nerine bowdenii flower. I am growing it in medium-size plastic pots. It does grow leaves but does not go dormant at all. I think that it should go dormant before the monsoon and then flower in August/September. Any tips?

A: The plant needs to have a rest in order to build up enough energy to flower: Going on and on producing leaves uses all its strength up. I would suggest giving it a hand by withholding water for at least six weeks before the arrival of the monsoon and then let nature take over.

Q: I’m into growing flowers at my place outside Lahore. I want to grow something which is not a run-of-the-mill commodity. Any ideas?

A: If these are to be used as cut flowers then I suggest the following: Venidium, platycodon, rudbeckia, inula, ismelia, bracteantha and please don’t overlook dahlias as there are literally hundreds of beautiful varieties and they all, especially the long-stemmed ones, make excellent cut flowers.

Q: I am planning on growing some tall trees around my house in Quetta and am thinking of coconuts or some other type of palm. Kindly tell me if I can do this and, if so, then what it is the best time to plant them. If this is not possible then please suggest a suitable species.

A: Coconuts are not suitable for Quetta and, aside from date palms, I strongly suggest that you avoid any kind of palm at all as they are liable to suffer frost damage in the winter. I realise that you want something tall and graceful but it really makes more sense, given the prevailing economic conditions, to grow something productive like a selection of fruit trees to give you fresh produce over as long a period as possible.

Q: Can blue hibiscus be grown successfully in Lahore — I haven’t seen them here. There are two most common species with blue flowers Alyogyne huegelli and Hibiscus syriacus. Can these be grown in Lahore from seed and do they require the same care as wild hibiscus?

A: I suspect that you mean Hibiscus huegelli not Alyogyne. H. huegelli, the Australian satin hibiscus with gorgeous lavender coloured flowers and Hibiscus syriacus should both be fine as long as good growing conditions are provided. They are very different in their requirements to wild hibiscus. Give them well drained, sandy soil with lots of humus worked in and grow in full sun. Take care that the seedlings do not damp off.

Picture source: Google.

Source: The Dawn, InpaperMagzine
Published on: 10/25/2012

Read More