1. How can I control white ant infestation in roses?
Lindane 1.3% 20g per pit is added to prevent attack by white ants.
2. What is the best time for pruning rose?
The best time of pruning is the period when the activity of rose plant is atleast and the plant is dormant to near dormant stage. Pruning time will depend on climatic conditions of the particular region. Cutting back the vigorous past season shoots to half the length. All the weak, diseased, criss-crossing and unproductive shoots are removed. The cut ends should be protected with Bordeaux or Copper oxychloride + Carboryl 50 WP.
3. When will the flowers initiate after pruning in rose?
The flowering will commence 45 days after pruning.
4. When the hybrid roses should be pruned?
The pruning should be done during March and October.
5. At what height, the malligai plants should be pruned?
The bushes should be pruned to 50 cm height from the ground level during last week of November.
6. Why do the malligai leaves become yellow and how to rectify this?
It is caused by three factors viz., iron deficiency, nematode infection and root rot disease. i) Iron deficiency: Spray Ferrous sulphates 5 g/l at monthly intervals until the chlorotic symptoms disappear. ii) Nematode: Test the soil for nematode infection. Apply 10 g of Phorate granules near root zone and irrigate. iii) Root rot: Drench the soil around the plant with Copper oxychloride at 2.5 g/lit.
7. What is the fertilizer requirement of mullai?
120 : 240 : 120 g NPK/plant is applied in six split doses at bimonthly intervals, the first dose being given immediately after pruning.
8. At which time mullai plants must be pruned?
The bushes are pruned to 45 cm height from ground level during the last week of January.
9. When do the pitch plants should be pruned?
Pruning is done during the last week of December o 45 cm height from ground level.
10. What should be done to get higher yield in crossandra?
Spray ascorbic acid 1000 ppm for high yield (ig/lit of water).
11. How to control nematode problem in crossandra?
Avoid planting crossandra in nematode infested fields. To control nematodes application of phorate or carbofuran 3 G at 1 kg a.i./ha a week after planting and to be repeated six months after application with any one of the above chemicals at 3 and 9 gm respectively per metre length.
12. In my crossandra field, some plants are found dry and got easily uprooted on pulling. What is the problem and hoe to control this?
It is due to the wilt infection. To control this, drench the soil around the plants with Methoxyethyl mercury chloride (Emisan) at 2 g/lit or carbendazim 0.5 ml/lit to manage this problem.
13. How to manage wilt in chrysanthemum?
Before planting, dip the roots of the suckers in carbendazim 1 gm in 1 lit to protect against wilt.
14. What should be done to get more branches in chrysanthemum?
Pinching should be done once in 4 weeks after planting to induce more branching in chrysanthemum.
15. What is the duration and yield of ratoon crop in chrysanthemum?
The ratoon crop duration is 4 months from which we can get 10 t/ha yield.
16. How to improve the seedling vigour in marigold?
For good quality seedlings, the seeds must be treated with Azospirillum (200 g in 50 ml of rice gruel).
17. Explain the propagation and planting techniques in tuberose?
Corms (25 to 30g) are planted (1,12,000 cors/ha) on the sides of ridges at 45 x 20 cm spacing at 2.5 cm depth during June – July. Corms are planted after 30 days of harvest. Dip the corms in 5000 ppm CCC (5g/lit) before planting to increase the yield.
18. Does the nerium plant require any inorganic nutrient application?
Application of 10 t FYM/ha during January and again in August is sufficient for nerium. No chemical fertilizers are normally applied.
19. Is there any variety released in marikolundu?
No, only the local variety is being used for cultivation.
20. Which plant part is used as planting material in maruvu?
Cuttings from the previous crop are used as planting material.
21. How to prepare planting material in carnation?
5 to 10 cm terminal cuttings are treated with NAA at 500 ppm for 5 minutes. Cuttings are then dipped in Carbendazim 2 g/lit solution and planted in raised beds.
22. What is the ideal growing condition for carnation?
Day temperature – 20 – 25°C
Night temperature – 10 -15°C
Critical photoperiod – 13 hours
RH – 50-60%
23. How to control pest and diseases in carnation?
24. How to improve the vase life of carnation?
Citric acid is added to water to make the pH 4.5 to 5 and 5 mg of Sodium hypochloride is added to 1 litre of water. Cut flower stalk is soaked in this solution for 4-5 hrs to improve vase life.
25. How to control nematode and fungal disease in gladiolus?
The corms are dipped in hot water at 40 - 45°C + fungicide (captan or thiram 2g/lit) to control nematode and fungal disease
26. What is the correct stage of gladiolus spikes for harvest?
The flower spikes are harvested when the first bud shows the colour of the variety.
27. What should be done to improve the vase life of gerbera?
When flowers completely open harvesting is done and the flower stalk is soaked in sodium hypochloride solution (5-7ml/lit of water) for 4-5 hours to improve vase life.
28. How much yield can we get from a hectare of goldenrod plants?
The plant yields about 3 lakh stems/crop/ha.
29. What is the seed rate for aster?
The seed rate required for aster is 10-12kg/ha.
30. I am having 0.5 acre jathimalli plants under flowering stage. Will it be possible to use the flowers for perfume production?
Among the three species of jasmine, jathimalli (Jasminum grandiflorum) is found suitable for perfume extraction. The foreign perfumery houses have a preference for the concrete and absolute prepared from the flowers of this variety compared to the products prepared from the flowers of the other varieties.
31. How much concrete can we get from a hectare of jathimalli plantations?
From a hectare, we can get 29 kg/ha of jasmine concrete
32. I am interested in growing anthurium plants. What is the ideal growing media?
The ideal growing media for anthurium is leaf mould + cocopeat (1:1) mixture.
33. In my anthurium plants, many old leaves are found? What can we do?
The old leaves must be removed leaving 3-5 healthy leaves/plant to induce new growth.
34. What is the ideal harvesting stage of anthurium flowers?
The flowers must be harvested when the spathes are fully openend and spadix shows about 1/3 female phase maturity (7-10 days after spathe opening)
35. I came to know that orchid is propagated by keikis. What is keikis?
It is nothing but the off-shoot developing from the base of the stem. For propagation, the keikis is separated from the mother plant and planted in a separate pot.
36. Can we harvest the orchid spikes when the flowers are in bud stage?
No, the spikes must be harvested only after the flower bloom. The ideal stage for marketing is when the last one or two buds are yet to open or at the nearest about 20 per cent of flowers are in bud condition in the spike.
LANDSCAPING
37. I have planned to establish a garden in two cent land infront of my home. How to initiate the gardening and what are the things should considered before the initiation?
Initially, a paper plan should be made considering the taste and judgement of the owner, position of the house, size of the house, the extent of ground, availability of water, topography of the land, patio for outdoor living, space for drying clothes, place of pet etc. the total area can be divided into three functional units i.e. approach or public area, service area and private garden area and then execute the plan carefully and systematically.
38. I want to establish a home garden. But I have only limited space on the ground. Is it possible to establish a garden?
Yes, you can establish a terrace garden. This type of gardening is the only solution for the houses having limited spaces on the ground. Before laying a roof garden, the drainage aspect of the roof and the load which the roof can withstand are to be considered.
39. What is the cheapest and easiest method of lawn making?
Establishing lawn by dibbling the roots is the cheapest but slowest method of lawn making. In this method, small roots should be dibbled about 15 cm apart into the prepared ground when it is wet after rain. The roots spread and grow underground in the course of six months, making a fairly compact lawn by frequent mowing, rolling and watering.
40. I am having only limited water source. What kind of grass can I employ for my lawn?
Bermuda grass commonly called as Hariali is very commonly used for planting lawn due to its fast growth, hardiness, less water requirement and response to frequent mowing.
41. How to cut the overgrown grasses in the lawn?
The grasses must be cut to uniform height with the use of mower. But the newly planted lawn should not be mowed till it has established well and formed a green sword. In the beginning, the grass should be trimmed with the help of scythe. Interval of mowing of an established lawn depends upon season. The height of lawn can be maintained by adjusting the height of shears of lawn mower but it should not be more than 5-6cm.
42. I own a beautiful lawn, but seem to be monotonous. Can I plant few shrubs inside the lawn?
A spatious lawn through beautiful will often be monotonous. But planting many shrubs or trees in the lawn will become unlikely. So, to break the monotony, beautiful tree of shrub is recommended as single specimen in the lawn. The trees like Amherstia nobilis, Callistemon lanceolatus, Thuja orientalis, Araucaria excelsa and shrubs like Agave Americana, Furcraea gigantean, Bougainvillea spectabilis, Cestrum nocturnum, Hibiscus species etc. are found suitable.
43. I have sandy textured soil. Can I use blue grass for lawn making?
Blue grass is suitable only for acid soil and performs better in higher elevations. For sandy soil, you can use Japan grass which performs better even under open sunny situation.
44. The leaves of some pot plants are found droopy and dusty. How to recover these plants?
When the leaves of the pot plants droop, it is a sign that the plant is either in need of water or suffering from water stagnation at the root. Spraying the plant surfaces through a fine syringe nose cleans the leaves, creates a moist atmosphere and thus assist in promoting their functions.
45. What is the irrigation interval for lawn?
During autumn and winter months, watering is done at an interval of 10 days whereas during spring and summer months, it should be done at an interval of 7 days. Above all, irrigation should be done compulsorily after every fertilizer application.
46. In my garden, the lawn became too hard and compact. How to overcome this?
The lawn can be scraped to overcome this problem. It is done to renovate the old lawn when it becomes old and grass becomes compact. After 3-4 years, during June month, lawn should be scraped completely with the help of garden raker and raking should be done both ways. Otherwise, by using the digging fork, the soil is digged without lifting the soil and uprooting the grass, aeration is provided to the soil thereby making the soil loose and enabling the new growth.
47. How to maintain a lawn in a definite shape?
The excess side growth found beyond the boundary line must be trimmed then and there to maintain the definite shape.
48. What is the cost of square feet of lawn?
A square feet of lawn costs about 20-25 square feet.
49. The shrubs in my garden are found to have some weak branches and old branches. At what height, these should be cut back?
The shrubs need careful pruning. Those which flower during winter months should be pruned at the end of summer season whereas others at the end of winter season. Depending upon the form and age cutting back the growth of the shrub leads to better performance of the plant. All the superfluous growth, ole or weak branches are best cut at ground level or as low as possible without leaving the stub.
50. How to grow trees with straight trunk?
Staking should be done to attain the trees with straight trunk. If not, the trunk would bed and plants make abnormal growth. Stake should be such that it suits the size of the tree and should be strong enough to provide the support. Straight bamboos or iron bars should be used for staking. The stakes must be placed about 5 cm away from the main trunk so that it does not harm root system.
51. The young growing trees are found to have a shapeless growth. What kind of practice must be followed for obtaining the trees with preferable shape and size?
All dead wood, misshapen or dangerous branches hanging over roads, buildings, etc. should be cut. Damaged or decayed branches should be cut away. All cuts more than 5 cm should be painted with Bordeaux mixture against the attack of pathogens.
