Q. I am trying to grow bougainvillea from cuttings in Karachi. I moved the plants a couple of days ago, as shown in the attached photograph. The leaves and stem are still green. Do you think these cuttings will develop into healthy plants?

A. With the scorching heat wave in Karachi, the weather is not ideal for any type of propagation. I would suggest removing all the leaves except the top two. This will divert the cutting’s energy into growing more roots and support future growth. If there are any bougainvillea bracts and flowers present on these cuttings, prune them off too. After watering, the pot should be covered with a plastic bag for moisture retention and to slow down evaporation from the soil surface. Finally, it is critical to keep the pot under shade, as the current summer sun in Karachi can be extremely harsh on young cuttings.

Q. Last year I planted two gourds — kaddu [pumpkin] and turai [sponge gourd] — and enjoyed an excellent harvest. This year, I planted them at the same location and followed the same gardening practices as last year. Unfortunately, the turai showed signs of infection from the very first harvest. The kaddu gave me five to six good fruits, but the vine died soon after........

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