Q. Based on your experience, which month do you think is the most suitable to plant strawberries in Islamabad?

A. Strawberry plants undergo photoperiodism, which refers to a plant’s response to the two distinct periods of the day — the daylight period and the dark period at night. In most varieties, a decrease in daylight signals to the plant that it should enter its flowering-induction phase. When morning temperatures are between 20 to 25 degrees and night temperatures between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius, it is time to start growing strawberries. I am not quite sure which month would exactly correspond to these temperature ranges in Islamabad but, I suppose, it would be from October onwards till late November. While you might be a bit late for this year, you have enough time to plan your strawberry gardening endeavours for the next season. On the other hand, you may purchase potted plants from a nearby plants nursery to fulfill your gardening desires. All the best!

Q. I have some plants similar to rain lilies in a flower bed, but they have not flowered in three years. I frequently water the plants, which are planted as a hedge in the same bed of a south-facing lawn. However, its bulbs remain........

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