Before we know it the monsoons will be upon us. Of course, Karachi is one of those places where some years the monsoon clouds don’t stop on their journey to the north. We enjoy the overcast skies and the cool breezes but watch as Lahore, Islamabad and the rest of the Punjab and the northern areas get all the rain. But who knows? Perhaps this year it will pour down buckets, even here. In any case it is always better to be prepared.

Rain is great but when it is very heavy or when there are strong winds it can do much damage. What can you do in your garden to ensure that you get all the benefits and none of the havoc? Here are some things you could do:

• Prune any creepers that have become top heavy, especially bougainvillea. Strong winds can bring them down and part of the wall also. I have learnt this through personal experience!
• Prune shrubs that need trimming. If you don’t do this then, with all the new growth during this period, they will start looking wild and unkempt. If you like that look, however, then it is another matter!
• Keep an eye when the mali waters the pots to make sure that the drainage holes are not blocked. Too much water, especially standing water, is a killer for plants.

LECTURE BY FRUIT EXPERT

A lecture on ‘FRUIT GROWING IN KARACHI AND SOUTHERN SINDH’ by Mr M.H.Panhwar was held on Saturday 10 June 2006 at the Garden Centre.
It was well attended as many members were keen to hear Mr Panhwar talk about his experience in fruit farming. On his farm just outside Hyderabad Mr Panhwar has been successfully raising sub-tropical fruits such as lychee, longan and seedless pink grapefruits, as well as temperate zone crops like peach, plum, apple, and fig. He has also developed 17 new varieties of mango.

An engineer by profession, Mr Panhwar was born in Dadu district in 1925 and did his MSc from the University of Wisconsin in 1957. He gave a slide presentation showing all the different fruits that can be grown in Sindh. On the basis of his research he has divided the province into 12 zones depending on the heat and chill units. This is much more refined than the three zones - hot arid, warm arid and warm semi-arid – into which the Government has divided Sindh. Among the fruits which do well in Karachi are sharifa, jackfruit, and several citrus varieties such as pomelo, lemons etc. Mr Panhwar has also grown avocado but there is no market for it here, as yet. It is also a huge tree, occupying the space of 4-5 mango trees. Among the other trees that can be grown here he mentioned cashew, which fruits in two years, kiwi, pomegranate, and atemoya, which is like a sharifa but the pulp is pink in colour.

The slide show contained some beautiful pictures and drawings but unfortunately there was no time left to talk about the cultivation requirements of any of the fruit in detail.