It brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul.”
- Billy Graham [break]
KATHMANDU, April 27: Summer is the time when roses, marigolds and chrysanthemums are in full bloom. They add a young, colorful vibrancy to gardens and landscapes unseen during other seasons.
Summer, however, is also the time when potted plants and gardens quickly dry up due to scorching heat. Gardeners and home-makers are worried about the right treatment of their plants.
They need to be tended in a different way especially during summer. Rajendra Thapa, proprietor of Green Farm, Lokanthali says: “Flowers like hibiscus, rose, genia, celosia and marigold are the ones that bloom in summer. It’s not the appropriate time to plant flowers but hybrid seeds available in the market, have made it possible.”
According to Thapa, though potted plants and gardens dry up quickly in summer, they must not be watered frequently. If plants are watered in the mid day sun, they are not able to absorb the water because they themselves are dehydrating. They should be watered only after sunset that is after 4 pm.
During summer, various insects and fungus attack plants. In April, moths, in particular, become active. They lay eggs on the leaves. Fungus, on the other hand, creates a layer in plant bodies.
Remedies for these plant woes are varying but not inaccessible. Thapa says, “There are various insecticides and pesticides available in the market.” He mentions Caxalin and Vavistone as two drugs being used for killing insects. They need to be mixed in water in appropriate proportions and sprayed accordingly.
“Natural remedies are, however, more effective than drugs,” assures Thapa. “Chilli powder, tobacco leaves, neem juice and cow urine can solve all the gardeners’ woes,” he adds.
On the nurture of potted plants, Prabhat Shrestha of Shree Krishna Gulaf Nursery, Lalitpur says: “The soil in potted plants should be made loose. Hardened soil does not allow the plant to absorb nutrients properly.”
Besides, planting of healthy seedlings is essential for the better blooming of flowers in potted plants. “Most people buy low quality seeds and complain later,” mentions Thapa.
He suggests plant lovers to buy seeds of superior quality and minimize the use of hybrid seeds.
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