Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about how regular watering may prevent ripe tomatoes from splitting. If you have split tomatoes, share your story in the comment section below.
Jacqui from Crawley, West Sussex, asks: I came back from a week's holiday to find that a lot of my ripe tomatoes were split. Is this due to a lack of water? Are they simply too ripe, or is there a problem?
Answer: Intermittent watering especially following a dry spell will cause sudden rapid growth and expansion of the fruits. The outer skins often split and the fruits are spoilt. You don't say if your plants are container grown or are in soil either in a greenhouse or outdoors?
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about how to tackle leather jackets. If you have a similar problem, share your experiences in the comment section below.
David Kingsland from Ireland asks: I have leather jackets in my polytunnel. How do I get rid of them?
Answer: Leatherjackets are the larvae of the crane fly or daddy-long-legs. Eggs are laid in late summer and the larvae feed on plant roots in the soil. Apart from grass lawns which I assume you aren't growing in the polytunnel, leatherjackets are often a problem for brassicas and lettuce especially on newly cultivated ground. They are most damaging in the spring and summer before emerging as adults in late summer and autumn. Once definitely identified as leather jackets, there is a specific biological control, Steinernema feltiae a parasitic nematode, that is effective in tackling this pest.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about why runner beans may not be flowering or producing beans. If you have a similar problem, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Elaine from Lincolnshire asks: Help! My beans are getting taller and taller, sprouting leaves and look healthy enough but I have not had one single red flower, so no beans! Will they come or is there something I should have done or be doing?
Answer: Runner beans usually start producing flowering shoots when the leading shoot reaches the tops of the poles and usually by the end of July if you planted them in May. Many gardeners pinch out the tops of the leading shoots to encourage more side shoots and flowering shoots to develop. Personally, I have never done this and have always had plenty of flowers and beans but it may be worth trying particularly if your plants are very vigorous and set on producing leaves rather than flowers.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about how to get rid of flea beetles. If you have a similar problem with your Dig In seedlings, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Lucinda from Redhill asks: Most of my salad leaves, especially the mizuna and rocket are being munched by some very small black beetles. The mizuna and rocket leaves have lots of tiny little holes on the leaves. What are they and how can I get rid of them?
Answer: The beetle pest you describe is called Flea beetle, there are several species that particularly attack crops in the cabbage family (brassicas) causing tiny holes and pits in the leaves. New seedlings are vulnerable, mizuna and rocket are particular favourites and attacks can start even before the leaves have emerged. Numbers of adult beetles are often high at this time of year when field brassica crops are harvested and especially during dry weather, they can fly over a kilometre to find fresh food plants. Females lay eggs in soil near the plants and roots may be attacked too as larvae start to feed. Cultivating the soil by carefully hoeing along the rows and clearing up plant debris will help to reduce numbers and hopefully as the crops grow away, damage will be less severe.
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Hi all, once you've harvested your Dig In veg you may be left with loads of old compost from your veg beds and containers. Watch my video below to see how you can re-use it to create new compost for next year.
David in Kilkeel asks: "Can I re-use my old compost?"
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about what to do if you have mildew on your courgette leaves and how preparation is key to avoiding it in the first place. If you have a similar problem with your courgettes, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Wendy Abbott asks: My courgettes have suddenly developed mildew. Will this damage the plant and affect the production of courgettes? How can I treat it organically?
Answer: Powdery mildew very commonly affects courgette plants at this time of year and later in the season. Cool night temperatures following warm dry days and dry soil conditions all favour development of this fungus; they are big leafy plants and pull lots of moisture from the soil. From an organic perspective as well dealing with the problem now try and make a note of any growing conditions that may have contributed to the problem this year and aim to rectify those in the future. First of all look to your soil conditions, is your soil free draining and not very moisture retentive? Is your veg plot enclosed without free air movement? Are plants growing too close together? Do you have a crop rotation plan? Soil preparation before planting is key to avoiding this problem in the future, dig in plenty of organic matter in spring and ensure plants are well watered in dry weather.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about why courgette leaves may turn silver and how to treat blackfly. If you have a similar problem with your courgettes, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Joy Galley from Brierley Hill, West Midlands, asks: My basil has at last 'taken off'. Is it possible to freeze it for use in the winter? I do parsley in ice cube trays. Would this work with basil?
Answer: Basil is a particularly aromatic herb rich in volatile oils, the leaves freeze well but need care to preserve their flavour if storing for any time. For this reason the ice cube method may not be as successful for longer term storage. To really seal in the flavour, paint both sides of each leaf in olive oil, spread out on metal trays to freeze quickly and then seal in airtight containers or freezer bags.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about sowing courgettes seeds in August.
Maureen from Dronfield asks: Is it too late to sow more courgette seeds?
Answer: A courgette plant takes 10 to 12 weeks from sowing to cropping. Although seeds will germinate and plants will grow, unless you are able to plant them in a greenhouse or polytunnel, they are unlikely to crop before cooler nights and risk of frost take hold in September and October.
Hi all, lots of you are writing to us to say your Dig In veg are ready to harvest but pesky birds are eating them. Watch my video below to see how you can make a scarecrow or use old CDs to deter them.
Andrea in Derby asks: "How do I keep birds away from my prize veg?"
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about why courgette leaves may turn silver and how to treat blackfly. If you have a similar problem with your courgettes, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Louise from Newcastle asks: The older leaves of my courgettes have turned silver in colour. I have had a number of courgettes which are tasty but now they are going soft before they are large enough to harvest and are covered in what appear to be black eggs with ants running all over them. I water nightly when needed and feed once a week.
Answer: It is normal for courgettes to develop silvering of the older leaves, this isn't anything to worry about so long as the leaves are otherwise healthy in appearance. If they develop a white powdery coating, this is a fungal disease called powdery mildew and I don't think this is what you are describing.
I suspect the other problem that you describe is blackfly and that they are being 'farmed' by ants.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about getting started with a new allotment in August. If you have any tips to share about starting a new allotment, let us know in the comment section below.
Dig In grower Mark asks: I have just taken over an allotment. What can I sow now or am I too late?
Answer: From mid-august through to the first frosts there is still plenty you can grow if you have some well cleared ground and soil that is suitable to cultivate to make a good seed bed. You will need to fork soil over well, remove weeds and debris, then hoe and rake until the soil is fine and free of large clods and stones. Rake in some compost or manure if you have any or pelleted chicken manure to provide nutrients for your plants.
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Organic gardener Sally Smith answers your questions about white flies on French beans. If you have a similar problem with your French beans, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Lesley Hardy from Kings Lynn asks: I have lots of little white flies on my French beans. Are they anything to do with white butterflies as there seem to be lots about? I am spraying them with washing-up liquid. Is that OK as I don't like using chemicals?
Answer: The flies are not related to white butterflies, these are cabbage white butterflies and are a specific pest of plants in the cabbage family, they will not therefore harm your beans. I wonder too if the flies that you see are actually damaging the bean plants or whether you are spraying unnecessarily? The first 'rule' of treating a problem is to first identify it accurately otherwise we are in danger of killing creatures needlessly that are doing no harm and may indeed be beneficial creatures that are predators of pest species!
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Gareth Austin, gardening expert with BBC Radio Foyle, answers your questions about how to deter slugs and how to grow salad and veg in a small space. If you have either of these problems, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Geoff from Hull asks: I have brown slugs in my compost bin is this a good thing or not?
Answer: Geoff, perhaps your compost bin is to wet? Try to layer some scrunched up newspaper at regular intervals to aerate the bin. If it's too wet the decomposition process will slow. Compost bins need a good mix of air, moisture and heat, too much of one thing will slow the process down. A light forking or turning is also beneficial!
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Gareth Austin, gardening expert with BBC Radio Foyle, answers your questions about using manure to increase moisture in your soil, plus what you can do if your garden has poor drainage. If you have either of these problems, share your experiences in the comment section below.
Julia Jago from Old Basing asks: My husband built me a lovely brick veg plot. Last year we had new compost but now I need to add in food and something to retain moisture. I'm not sure what to do. Should I do green feed, whatever that is? How can I work around my plants, I always seem to be growing something.
Answer: Julia, sounds great, you're lucky to have a good man to help! Where possible prior to planting, or sowing, work in some well-rotted garden compost and some bone meal fertilizer at any opportunity. Regular mulching with garden compost between and around plants will help to retain moisture, this mulch will then rot down as time goes by.
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Hi all, lots of you are writing to us to say your Dig In veg are looking fantastic but you're worried about going on holiday in case they wilt and die. Watch my video below for some tips on how you can keep your garden watered and how to make a simple drip feed.
Grace from Warwick asks: How can I keep the Dig In veg watered if I go on holiday?"
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Gareth Austin, gardening expert with BBC Radio Foyle, answers your questions about growing the Dig In carrots. Why do some only grow to a centimetre and how deep should you plant the seeds. If you have advice to share about growing the Dig In carrots, you can add your comments at the bottom of this entry.
Phil Clarke from Consett, County Durham, asks: I am planning to use a medium-size plastic waste bin with holes punctured in it to drain water to grow my carrots in. Would this be OK to use with compost and stones at the bottom? And how deep do I push the seeds in to the compost. I'm (attempting) to produce Royal Chantenays.
Answer: Phil, this sounds perfect. Royal Chantenays are ideal for pots as they're not a massive growing carrot. We're growing successfully in pots at Radio Foyle here. Fill with John Inness-enriched multi-purpose compost and it should be grand. Remember to sow the seeds thinly, ideal about 2 inches apart and 1 inch below the soil, cover with fine compost and water. Now is an ideal time to sow carrots as the dreaded root fly is on holidays at the moment!
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Some of you have been writing in to say that your basil won't germinate. Gareth Austin, gardening expert with BBC Radio Foyle, shares his advice below.
Amy Smallwood from Rugby asks: I am growing the basil but there only seems to be one tiny little seed growing. Can you tell me if basil is hard to grow and is there anything I am doing wrong? I water it every day.
Answer: Hi Amy, how's things in Rugby? Basil is quite temperamental to germinate. What I do is fill pots lightly with seed compost, sow basil seeds thinly on the surface, lightly cover with vermiculite, water, cover over in cling film and then sit on a radiator (if your heat is still on) or in the hot press until germinaton. Good luck!
Hi all, it's time to reap the rewards of growing your Dig In carrots now! Chantenay carrots are very short and sweet, making them perfect in salads. Watch my video below on how to harvest the carrots and let us know if you make any tasty meals with them.
Dig In grower Liz from Tunbridge wants to know when she can harvest her carrots?"
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Gareth Austin, gardening expert with BBC Radio Foyle, answers your questions about wilting courgettes, sent in to us at Dig In, about the difference between male and female courgette flowers and how using a liquid feed may rescue a wilting courgette plant. If you have advice to share about growing the Dig In courgettes, you can add your comments at the bottom of this entry.
Christine from Yalding asks: Can you explain about the male and female habits of the courgette? I've got loads of large leaves, and then the flowers drop off the ends of what I thought would be a courgette, then nothing. I have been told these are male plants. What? How? And then what? From a puzzled courgette grower.
Answer: Christine, good question! On a courgette you get two different types of flowers - the male and the female. Early in the season the plant will produce lots of male flowers (which bear no fruit) and then female flowers will start to appear - these will have a distinctive 'swelling' behind the flowers - this is the courgette. The male flowers will be produced throughout the season, and once the female flowers are pollinated feel free to pick the male flowers, lightly batter them and fry for a delicious snack!
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