How to Grow Dodonaea (Sanatha): The Low Water Hedge for Islamabad (Video)

Transcript

The bush covering Islamabad's hills makes a better hedge than conocarpus.

The bush covering Islamabad's hills makes a better hedge than conocarpus.

Grow Sanatha in Islamabad

Stay for the one trick that makes this hillside shrub a tidy low hedge.

Where dodonaea thrives

Drive up into the Margalla foothills and you'll see it everywhere, that scrubby, shiny-leaved bush is dodonaea, or sanatha locally. That's your best clue for how to grow it at home. It handles dry desert heat and ocean winds, but here's the thing: it hates wet feet more than anything. In Lahore or Delhi, make sure your soil drains well, and avoid low spots that flood.

Propagate from seed

Want to grow it from seed? Collect those papery winged capsules in April to June, only female plants carry them. Rub them to free the tiny black seeds, then pour hot tap water over them and soak overnight. That softens the hard coat. Sow them half a centimetre deep in trays of sand, soil and compost in equal parts, keep in light shade, and water daily without drowning. Seedlings often appear within ten days. Want a purple-leaved plant? Take cuttings instead.

Spacing and growth

How far apart? Depends how fast you want the hedge closed. For a clipped garden hedge, about 45 to 60 centimetres between plants works well. Dig a trench 45 centimetres wide and deep, breaking up any hard pan. On heavy clay in Lahore or Delhi, mix in coarse sand and compost, or raise the row so water runs off. Plant at nursery depth, firm, water deeply, then mulch. Plants usually knit into a low screen within one to two growing seasons.

Water sets the size

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Dodonaea grows to the water it gets. On light watering, it stays a compact 6 to 8 foot shrub. Give it more water and it can pass 15 feet. So if you want a low hedge with less trimming, stop generous watering once it's established, and let rain and occasional deep soaks carry it. Overwatering turns a tidy hedge into a small tree. You're controlling the plant's size with your watering can.

Watering schedule

First three months, water twice weekly in summer, weekly in winter. For the rest of the first year, a deep soak every 7 to 10 days in summer. Once established in Islamabad or Lahore, rain is often enough, just add a deep soak every two to three weeks in a dry May or June. In Multan's 45-degree heat, every 10 to 14 days will do. Check soil moisture before you water, like you'd check roti before pulling it off the tawa.

Survives Multan's fierce heat

Here's a number that surprised me: 45 degrees Celsius. That's Multan's summer heat, and once dodonaea is rooted, it shrugs it off. You just water every 10 to 14 days and it keeps going. Not many hedge plants can say that. If you're in the drier plains and you've been fighting to keep things alive through May and June, this native shrub might be exactly what your garden needs.

When to trim

Clip in late February before spring growth, and again after the monsoon, with light tidy cuts between if needed. Keep the top narrower than the base so light reaches the lower branches. A hard cut into old wood usually resprouts on young plants, but it's slower on old, woody ones. So renovate in stages, one side this year, the other next year.

Sanatha or conocarpus?

Everyone reaches for conocarpus out of habit, but dodonaea is usually the better hedge inland. It's native to Pakistan, needs very little water once established, stays a shrub or small tree, and only needs trimming twice a year plus touch-ups. Conocarpus, by contrast, is a large tree wanting moderate to high water and constant trimming in summer. On Karachi's salty soils, go with clerodendrum instead. If you're inland, sanatha's the sensible choice.

Why leaves turn brown

Whole plant browning in monsoon or after heavy irrigation? That's root rot from waterlogging, improve drainage and stop lawn sprinklers hitting it. Brown tips in winter? Frost burn on young plants, trim in February. Brown, crisp leaves in the first June? Not enough water while roots are still shallow. Yellow, stunted, twisted shoots could be a virus or root damage, cut out affected branches, replace a plant that keeps failing. Feeding is minimal: just compost once in spring.

Before you plant

One important thing before you plant: dodonaea leaves are resinous and sticky, and the plant isn't food for people or animals. Keep goats from heavy browsing, and teach children not to chew garden leaves. Wear gloves and eye protection when clipping. The flowers shed pollen in spring, so if anyone has hay fever, plant it away from bedroom windows. If you spray any chemical, read the label, wear gloves and a mask, and keep kids and pets away until it dries.

The one trick for a low hedge

So here's the one thing to remember: use water to set the size. If you want a low hedge with less trimming, stop generous watering once it's established, and let rain and occasional deep soaks carry it. Overwatering turns a tidy hedge into a small tree. That's it, the whole secret is in how much you water, and now you know it.

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Read the complete guide on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.