1. In karachi, the temperature usually remains above 20 C, apart from going down in the winters. The question is that, if temperature remains so high, then shouldn't annual flowers bloom throughout the year? Why is it Marigolds are planted here in December, and Zinnia in the summer? Why different "seasons" when the temperature remains high?
2. Regarding air-layering, books and websites suggest the use of "sphagnum moss", "perilite" and/or "vermiculite". These are not available in Pakistan, and if they are, then really uncommon. What should I use as an alternative?
3. I have kept many plants in my balcony. The problem is, don't know why, but the balcony does not get ANY sunlite in the winter months. What should I do?
4. I have just sown seeds of Aster, Sweet Sultan and Dahlia ie on 9th January. Am I too late for the "season"? I would like to know the names of above plants in urdu as well.
5. Celosia, Tithonia and Cocks comb seeds are very tiny and I'm having difficulty germinating them. I have tried surface sowing (with light) and shade sowing as well but no luck. I have used around 30-50 seeds avg each. Any advice?
6. Lastly, I have planted a couple plants of "desi gulab" (rose), the one with the fragrance. Given that the temperature remains high, should the rose not bloom all year? Why only winter? We do not have any "frost dates" or anything of the sort.
I know I have asked a lot of questions but
Will be wainting impatiently for your reply,
thanks a million!
-hamza
-
Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
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hamza,
Hello and welcome to the forum. I'll try to help with the layering question and perhaps others will help with some of your other concerns.
I have successfully layered trees without moss, here's one way. Split a plastic pot vertically and arrange it around the stem of the plant in question. Use some tape or wire to hold the seam together. also, using your imagination, use the wire or tape to hold the pot at the desired location.
Once I was layering a tree whose bottom I did not care about and I drilled two small holes at 90 degrees to each other and used thin wooded skewers to hold the pot up. On another occasion the layer site was very close to the ground so I did not need any support, each circumstance is different.
You can now use what other material you have locally to fill the pot. I have used my free draining bonsai soil but you can improvise. A very simplistic description of bonsai soil is an inorganic, large grained material (rocks or coarse sand) mixed with an organic material, such as bark. Perlite is a good inorganic component if you can locate it, perhaps it is available under a different name. You could include some finished compost as an organic component if there is any available.
The point is to provide a medium that while retaining moisture does not exclude air, that's why I don't mention 'potting soil' the particles are too small for my taste.
After you have done all this the material must be thoroughly saturated, in fact this could have been done before filling the pot. Then enclose the whole assembly with plastic and tape the top and bottom to maintain high humidity. After that it is a waiting game. Some species will root quickly and others more slowly, don't rush things.
Norm
Hello and welcome to the forum. I'll try to help with the layering question and perhaps others will help with some of your other concerns.
I have successfully layered trees without moss, here's one way. Split a plastic pot vertically and arrange it around the stem of the plant in question. Use some tape or wire to hold the seam together. also, using your imagination, use the wire or tape to hold the pot at the desired location.
Once I was layering a tree whose bottom I did not care about and I drilled two small holes at 90 degrees to each other and used thin wooded skewers to hold the pot up. On another occasion the layer site was very close to the ground so I did not need any support, each circumstance is different.
You can now use what other material you have locally to fill the pot. I have used my free draining bonsai soil but you can improvise. A very simplistic description of bonsai soil is an inorganic, large grained material (rocks or coarse sand) mixed with an organic material, such as bark. Perlite is a good inorganic component if you can locate it, perhaps it is available under a different name. You could include some finished compost as an organic component if there is any available.
The point is to provide a medium that while retaining moisture does not exclude air, that's why I don't mention 'potting soil' the particles are too small for my taste.
After you have done all this the material must be thoroughly saturated, in fact this could have been done before filling the pot. Then enclose the whole assembly with plastic and tape the top and bottom to maintain high humidity. After that it is a waiting game. Some species will root quickly and others more slowly, don't rush things.
Norm