Andrew White from Surrey asks:

My tomato plants in the greenhouse are going brown and a lot of the tomatoes have brown patches on they just seem to be falling off the plants once they go brown what is causing this please advise?

Reg answers:

If the foliage is going brown and brown patches are appearing all over the fruits I think that your plants have potato blight. This is a devastating fungal disease that once you plants are infected spreads like wildfire and there is no chance of controlling it.

The best thing really would be to clear the plants out and wash down the greenhouse with a garden disinfectant or burn a sulphur candle in there.

Next year try a blight resistant variety like Ferline from Thompson and Morgan Seeds.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a dwarf plum tree in its second year should I and how do I prune it.

Reg answers:

If your bush plum is only two years old you will need to do a bit of training to help to create a good balanced shape. This is done just after the foliage has appeared in spring as plums must be pruned when they are inactive growth, so that the cuts are able to heal quickly, thus disease is kept at bay.

Take a look at the tree and remove completely any misplaced or weak shoots or any crossing or rubbing branches. Then look at each branch and check the side shoots arising from them (known as sub-laterals). Shorten two or three of the strongest growing ones by half to a bud pointing in the direction that will lead the growth in the desired direction. Any shoot emerging low down on the trunk should also be completely removed.

In the third and subsequent years there is not much pruning needed just prune branch leaders that are growing horizontally, or weak, back by about a quarter. Again try to make the cuts just above a bud that will take growth in the desired direction.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Dear Reg, When is the best time to move a shrub rose. It is two years old and needs more space than where it is now.

Reg answers:

The best time to move your shrub rose would be in autumn when all the leaves have fallen off.

Lift it with lots of soil still around the roots and try to dig the replanting hole first so that the plant is out of the ground for the shortest possible time. Firm it back in well and water it regularly next spring/summer.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

My neighbour planted a eucalyptus tree 20yrs ago. Will the roots affect my property? It has grown to about 70ft and it is 18ft from my property.

Reg answers:

There is certainly a possibility of this with Eucalyptus trees especially if you are on heavy soil.

However I am in no real position to judge, so the best thing would be to get an opinion from a QUALIFIED local tree surgeon or the tree officer from your local council.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Ian Brown from Eagglescliffe asks:

We have toadstools growing in the lawn. Is there a way to kill/remove the toadstools, without then coming straight back?

Reg answers:

There are currently no products available to gardeners approved for use against toadstools on lawns. If these are just random toadstools- not ones growing in organised rings or crescent shapes- they are just the result of fungi rotting down some organic debris buried in the soil. Old tree roots would be a good bet. So they are not doing any real harm and if you collect them up and put them in the refuse bin they will stop appearing about mid November depending to some extent on the weather.

If, however, you would like to do something to discourage them here is an old recipe used by gardeners since at least Edwardian times. Take a watering can and put 2oz. of sulphate of iron (available at garden centres) in the bottom and add a little warm water. Stir this so that the powder is dissolved in the water then top it up with cold water to about one gallon then add a dessert spoonful of washing up liquid, stir in gently.

Then thoroughly spike the affected area with a garden fork and water on the solution at the rate of one gallon to one and a half square yards.

That will green up the grass and upset the fungus at the same time.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

A friend moved house and gave me a money tree (for luck!) After a two weeks all of the leaves have fallen off it. Is there anyway I can save it or is it too late?

Reg answers:

It wasn't very lucky for the plant was it?

The houseplant usually called the Good Luck Plant or Money Plant is Crassula argentea, a robust evergreen succulent with almost tree like branches and thickish green leaves.

Now usually when someone kills one of these it is through over watering it as they will thrive best on gentle neglect in a brightly lit position.

Clear away all the dead leaves and just lift a small section of bark away from the surface of one of the branches using your thumbnail or the blade of a knife. If the cells you exposed just under the bark are green and moist then all is not lost, but if they are brown and dry then that part of the branch is dead.

If you get the "dead" result keep trying moving back towards the trunk each time until you do get green tissue and then prune off the dead portion.

Where the compost is sodden and the roots have filled the pot I would just remove the pot and stand the plant, with the rootball exposed, on the draining board overnight. That will help to dry the compost out much more rapidly.Then pop it back in the pot and water sparingly, giving your plant a chance to re-shoot.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Lily Barnes from Stockport asks:

Why are the leaves turning yellow on a weeping fig tree in a conservatory?

Reg answers:

Well there are lots of possibilities here ranging from too little water to too much water, via insufficient feeding, too much hot sun or the plant needs potting on.

So I would make sure that the plant is not getting lots of hot sun remember that sunlight is powerful through a clear conservatory roof, and I would also stand it on a wide saucer containing moist gravel so that moist air is rising around the foliage.

Make sure that you have the right watering regime, keeping the plant JUST moist at all times and feed every 10 days April to end of September and once a month otherwise. Use whatever houseplant food you like.

Stick your finger down into the compost for two reasons:

1. to check how moist the compost actually is under the surface.
2. to see if the compost is totally congested with roots.

Also have a look at the bottom of the pot to see if there are roots trying to escape through the drainage holes, if so re-pot it SOON.

Only go up by a maximum of two pot sizes and use a good houseplant compost.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi I have a Japanese maple (22 years) I recently topsoiled my garden and moved the tree to a different part unfortunately I didn't get all the root ball and it appears to be drying out even though I'm watering it each night. Is is a gonner or can I save it and how?

Reg answers:

Yes you are probably right to say that the tree is suffering as a result of being moved at the wrong time of year.

You can try to save it by making sure that the soil remains moist and laying a mulch of garden compost, bark or some other material over the surface of the soil to hold moisture in.

If the foliage has gone brown remove it, you may have to cut some of the leaf stalks with scissors, and check the stems for life. You do this by just scraping a small amount of bark back using your thumbnail or a knife blade in order to expose the tissue immediately under it. If this is fresh and green then the stem is still alive but if it is brown and dry then that portion of stem is dead.

If you get a "dead" result then test again working back towards the trunk until you get a positive result and then prune all the dead shoots off.

As long as the plant is still alive keep it in place as it may well take until next spring for it to leaf up again.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Moira Mount from Doncaster asks:

My daughter has just moved house and the back lawn is snided with ants, they have two young children who cannot go out as they crawl all over you, is there an ant killer you can mix with water to pour over the lawn. Used a full trigger spray of killer, nippon powder put on two ants nests, but these are quite away from the ants that are crawling about. Baby being christened 21 aug, having marquee, needs to get rid of them by then.

Reg answers:

I would treat the ant nests with a new product - ant nest destroying nematodes. These are natural or biological pest control agents, millions of microscopic worms, that soon sort the nests out.
For further details and to order visit either of these sites:

www.just-green.com
www.greengardener.co.uk

Dear Reg, I have a hydrangea which has flowered beautifully from new (3yrs) but this year the foliage is very healthy but no sign of any flowers does this happen normally?

Reg answers:

No, this is not really normal but I think that as long as you have not been pruning it back hard the reason that there are no flowers this year could well be that the plant became too dry at the roots last year. The crucial period is from about now (August) until the middle of October, try to keep the roots moist over that time while the plant is initiating next year's flower buds and things will be OK.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Ada Hill from San Antonio asks:

I have a fern that I transplanted to a bigger pot. I noticed that the fern was turning brown. I discovered a frog was living in the pot. I do not know why the fern is brown. Is the fern brown due to the frog, or due to the transplantation to another pot? Is there a way to save my fern? It is mainly brown, but a few spots are green.

Reg answers:

First of all let me assure you that the frog is doing no harm at all, in fact it is doing you several favours every night by eating lots of slugs.

Now if the browning is all on the underside of the fern there is nothing to worry about as this is just the plant going about the business of reproducing itself. These brown structures are the sporangia which release the spores, which are the "seeds" of the fern.
If the browning is affecting the whole of the frond, top and bottom surface, and they feel dried out then your plant needs more water.

Even if it all dries off it is still likely to sprout up again in spring.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have an empty flower bed that is currently over run by Leylandii roots from a nearby tree stump cut down some years ago. How would I kill off the roots without having to dig them up ? The roots produce shoots that I have to continually pull up and if I was to use the bed as it is, then I fear that I may damage the root systems of the plants that I intend to grow. I need something that I can sprinkle on the flower bed that will kill the roots off and gradually decompose in the soil so that I can plant in it at a later stage.

Reg answers:

I'm afraid that if the stump was cut down a few years ago then it is dead and so the stump is unable to send a weed killer, such as Growing Success Deep Root, throughout the root system. So really there is no solution to this other than digging out the remaining roots, or creating a raised bed so that, in effect, the roots are buried deeper so that they no longer cause a problem at planting time. If left they will gradually decompose over a period of years and they do not produce "suckers".

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Louise Clarke from London asks:

The two passion fruit plants in the garden have lots of fruit. But this week I have noticed that some of the fruit is soft and 'browning' near the stem. the stem is yellowing too. It's not that the fruit is ripening, more that it looks like it is going bad.

Am I over watering it? Or underwatering it? It's such a shame as the plant seems to be doing rather well otherwise. Initially some of the flowers just never bloomed, some simply went yellow and dried up before really forming. But lots of others are doing fine. This is my first garden and I may be over keen!!! Hope you can help. Thank you.

Reg answers:

If the plants are still looking good apart from some of the fruits then it is unlikely to be over watering, although there is still a possibility of giving too little water.

This is a time of great stress for your plant as it is carrying lots of fruit and if too many fruits set then the plant is likely to reject some of them as it cannot cope on existing resources.

I would try liquid feeding using tomato fertiliser about once every 10 days for at least a month and see if This does the trick.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Lavatera, I need to kill off my shrub to make way for new planting - what should I use?

Reg answers:

Cut the shrub down to leave as decent stump and then treat This with either Growing Success Deep Root or Dax Root Out following the instructions on the pack.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Janice Cook from Monmouthshire asks:

I have a red Canadian maple specimen tree planted two years ago (semi mature standard), protected from wind in a sheltered garden, watered regularly. The problem is that there is a covering of white mildew on the outer leaves and new leaves are browning and dying off. All other specimen trees in my garden are fine; cherries, apples, pears, willows, peaches even rubinia - all good. What is happening?

Reg answers:

Your tree is being attacked by a fungal disease called powdery mildew which usually happens after the tree has undergone a period when the roots have become dry.

If you ignore it, it will not kill the tree but it could defoliate it earlier than usual. If you wish to treat it, or if spraying is possible, then use a systemic fungicide such as Bio Fungus Fighter or Scotts Fungus Clear ASAP repeating the dose twice more at 10 day intervals.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

What are the largest and longest flowering mophead hydrangeas that I can grow in a large pot outdoors?

Reg answers:

Well the answer now is different to what it would have been This time last year, as we now have a completely new type of hydrangea on the market. It went on sale in the UK for the first time This spring and it is called Hydrangea Endless Summer. It constitutes a breakthrough in Hydrangea breeding as the plants flower on both the old and the new wood so the flowering season is greatly extended. Endless Summer is a Hydrangea macrophylla variety and like some others the blooms can be changed from pink on limey soils to blue on acid ones. Of course This can be manipulated by the use of lime or hydrangea colorant and growing the plants in large tubs. It grows to the usual sort of height around 3-5 ft. and is just as hardy as other Hydrangeas.
They may be hard to find This year but I would wait until next spring and look for one then.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

In a gardening book it is recommended to use a growth regulator to control my hedge. I cannot find one anywhere and my hedge seems to have a mind of its own. Can you recommend one please.

Reg answers:

The only one on the market at the moment is Stop Gro G8 which contains maleic hydrazide and is available from Victoriana Nursery Gardens, Ashford, Kent. www.victoriana.ws

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have recently planted a redwood tree in the garden - it is about 8ft high and when bought was in a large wooden container. We have watered the tree each day but now notice that there is a browning of some of the central greenery. We are based in Harrogate North Yorks - our soil is clay - but we have used bark within the hole to base the tree. Is This browning natural? Grateful for any views ...

Reg answers:

If your tree is now beginning to become quite dense it is normal for the INNER foliage to go brown as a result of it being deprived of sunlight.

If the browning is on the OUTSIDE and you have been watering it adequately then the problem is likely to be cypress aphids. These can be controlled with a couple of applications of Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Pat Jones from Lancashire asks:

A few days ago I had my very large flowering cherry tree cut down. How do I kill the very large roots.

Reg answers:

The best products to use are either Growing Success Deep Root or Dax Root Out available from gardening outlets. Just follow the instructions on the pack.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I want to have a mirror in the garden with trellis/gate in front to give the effect of the garden continuing but I can't find a mirror in garden centres - is a normal mirror used for This effect and if so does it need treating for the weather/rain

Reg answers:

Although it would be possible to use an ordinary mirror it is not really advisable as it could prove to be rather dangerous.

Most garden designers use polished acrylicoutdoor garden mirror panels which are much better and safe too.

Here are a couple of suppliers. Allplas www.allplas.co.uk and Primrose Products www.primroselondon.co.uk

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

How do get rid of Black Fly on young container growing rose.

Reg answers:

Well they should not be too much of a problem to kill off using either one of the special rose pest and disease sprays like Bio Multirose or Scotts Roseclear 3. If you wished to be a bit more organic you could use Bio Organic Pest Killer or Growing Success Advanced Bug Killer.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Two things :

1. Can you tell me about an exotic red flowered plant called Centrum

2. Have you any idea what the scientific name is for the Argentinean climber they call "La Dame del Noche"

Please

Reg answers:

First of all I think you meant to write "the exotic red flowered plant called Cestrum" rather than "centrum". There are several evergreen and deciduous species included in the family, with various flower colours, but I think that you are referring to C. elegans an evergreen semi-weeping shrub from Mexico. This is among the group that are more likely to survive a slight frost, by which I mean that they will still re-grow from the base if the plants are touched over by frost, but This would make them unlikely to bloom very well during the following late summer/autumn period.

Here in the UK you would need a very sheltered spot outdoors to grow one well and they are best put outside in summer and brought inside for the winter, but as you are in Spain you may well be able to get better results outdoors all year round.

Absolutely ideally they would like a minimum temperature around 10C (50F) but if you have a sheltered position where temps. Do not fall below -5C (23F) tougher ones like C. elegans could come through OK. You could always protect the plant with fleece if you are worried.They would prefer a fertile, well drained soil and a wall would provide extra protection as they will reach up to about 3m (10ft) tall.

The flowers carry a heavy jasmine scent and many of the group are popular pot plants in the USA where they are often called "pot jessamine".

The Latin name of La Dame del Noche is Brunfelsia americana. It is a Caribbean native with white flowers that are heavily scented only between sunset and sunrise.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Dear Reg I have the little city backyard from hell and yet nature is taking over! My Fatsia Japonica has gone completely wild: it seems as if every day there is a new leaf! What do I do to keep it in check? It has doubled in size in three months. Same for my passiflora alba which was supposed to be 'tender' but which is enjoying the microclimate of my dingy backyard to a ridiculous extent. How do I prune it? And do I have to prune it? It is still flowering. It is fantastic how plants will simply grow and grow ... thank you so much - Francesca

Reg answers:

Your Fatsia can be curtailed by pruning but the absolute best time to do This is late April-early May. I suppose that if you are in danger of being taken over by your plant then you could still prune it now. It is best to remove any unwanted branches completely as shortening them just spoils the natural graceful shape of the plant. Fresh growth will arise readily from the base.

The passiflora would be best pruned in early spring when you could either cut the whole thing down to just above the soil or leave the main branches and cut the side shoots back to leave just a couple or three buds.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Dear Reg, I have been given a "cockatoo plant" and am not sure how to care for it. I started by keeping it indoors but it began to wilt despite watering and to drop its flowers, so I am now keeping it outside in its pot and it is looking much better. Could you please advise me as to how often I should water it? And should I bring it indoors at the end of Autumn? Thank you, JO

Reg answers:

The botanical name of your Cockatoo plant was Impatiens congalensis but it is now Impatiens niamniamensis. It is an evergreen plant from tropical East Africa and is capable of flowering just about all year round. They can also grow to be about 90cm (3ft) tall and about half that height in width.

Now it should be watered regularly and fed fortnightly during the active growing season April to September but watered more sparingly over the winter period. Although they quite enjoy being outdoors, in semi-shade, during the warmer months they must be overwintered indoors.

Now it is possible to overwater these plants in which case they will droop their leaves as if they were short of water, so I would push a forefinger down into the compost to the start of the first joint then remove it to see if the end is moist. If so the plant is OK but if it remains dry then you will need to water.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Steve McLean from Croydon asks:

I have been advised that I need to cut down a clematis and Ivy that grow up the side of my house as the roots are starting to get into the foundations. Although cutting the plants down is not a problem how do I effectively kill the roots? Many thanks!

Reg answers:

As long as you leave a woody stump after cutting the plants down This can then be treated with either Growing Success Deep Root or Dax Root Out both of which are plant stump killers. Just follow the instructions on the pack.

With Best Wishes,
Reg

Hi I have recently moved into a new build and we have found that many mushrooms have started to grow when the weather is wet. As we have a big garden it is taking ages to pick them out and they grow at a very fast rate. The builder told me that they should stop in a few weeks and recommended a mould remover for grass. Do you know what causes them and will they stop in a few weeks if we keep on picking them out? Are there any products you would recommend for their removal?

Reg answers:

Hi Lindsey,
This is not that uncommon you know, because whenever you get a newly built house you end up with some bits of wood and other biodegradeable waste being buried in the garden soil. I don't mean that This is done on purpose but it just happens accidentally. Then as nature takes its course fungi will rot down This buried debris, eventually leading to the production of the "flowers" of the fungus - toadstools.
As your builder suggests there is no lasting problem here, the debris will rot away and toadstool production will cease, but This will take a while and we now entering one of the main seasons for toadstools, early autumn.
I'm afraid that there are no longer any garden chemicals available that are approved for killing under soil fungi but here is an old gardeners' recipe used to discourage them on lawns since Edwardian times.
Take a watering can and put 2 oz of sulphate of iron (available from garden centres) in the bottom and then add a couple of pints of warm water. Mix This together until the sulphate of iron is diluted in the water and top up to one and a half gallons with cold water. Finally add a dessertspoonful of washing up liquid and stir it in.
Now spike the affected area with a garden fork and water the canful over 2 sq. yds.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a grapevine that is doing very well in our south facing garden. It has plenty of bunches of grapes but Ithink there are too many on each bunch. What should i do?

Reg answers:

Hi Jan,
Yes grapes often benefit from being thinned out when they are grown for dessert use rather than wine, but generally This is done a couple of times during the growing season.
What you do is just snip out odd individual grapes from the bunch with thin pointed scissors.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I'm trying to create a garden feature using tree ferns - dicksonia antarctica - and would like to know which additional plants to use to give as near as possible an "authentic setting." The area is part shaded and sheltered for the ferns which are to the rear and towards the front there is more sun. I live in the South West. Many Thanks.

Reg answers:

Hi Lysandra,
This sounds a very interesting project and you seem to have just the right spot for the tree ferns. I think that you need to create a sort of lush, jungle style garden around them and plants with large leaves tend to help the illusion along. Look at cannas, hostas, other hardy ferns (especially shuttlecock ferns- Matteuccia struthiopteris), Ligularias, Rheum (ornamental rhubarb), Rodersia pinnata, Farfugium, Cordyline and Acanthus to name but a few possibilities.
With Best Wsihes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I'm wondering if you can answer 2 queries? 1) how do I get rid of scale insects on my stephanotis? Should I keep it away from other plants to stop spread? 2) I have a real problem with trailing petunias in tubs. They flourish to start with but about now the lower part of the stem gets progressively woody and the leaves fall off leaving me with lovely flowers still but on the end of a brown stick like stem! Hoping you can help! many thanks

Reg answers:

Hi Sarah,
Yes you should try to keep your scale insect infested Stephonotis away from other plants and a good way to get rid of them would be to spray with Bio Provado Ultimate Big Killer. This is a systemic insecticide that will persist in the sap of the plant so any insect sucking the sap is killed. Alternatively you could paint the insects with surgical or methylated spirit which would also kill them.
Trailing petunias need to be kept well watered and fed otherwise they do tend to just be green on the ends of long shoots as the season goes on.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have an Acer in a pot in my garden. It is about one metre tall. It has developed splits in the main stems. What causes this? Would it be better in the ground? Soil is light/sandy.

Reg answers:

Hi Alison,

Splits in main stem seem to suggest that the water supply available to the roots has not been very constant. It happens mostly when the plant suddenly gets ample supplies of water following, or alternating with, relatively dry periods. Try to keep the compost moist, mulching the surface with gravel should keep more moisture in too.
I cannot really recommend that you paint the cracks with a wound sealant as this can simply seal in fungal spores enabling them to attack the wood from under the seal.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Lorraine Roby from Atherton asks:

Reg answers:

Hi Lorriane,

I assume that you have one of the "usual" Hydrangeas known as Hydrangea hortensis or H. macrophylla. Really they require very little regular pruning and the necessary work is carried out in early spring- just when the growth buds begin to break for the new season.
Firstly you follow each shoot down from the old flower head and it cut off just above the first pair of FAT buds. This should remove up to 30cm (1ft) of shoot. Those fat buds will contain next that summer's flower buds.
Any really weak shoots can be removed completely and one or two of the oldest branches should be cut back hard in order to rejuvenate the shrub.
Remember to make sure that the compost is kept moist during the spring and summer.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg. I have had a tree peony for years which has never flowered, in sunny position. Do they like certain conditions. Have even tried to get rid of it but we get loads of healthy greenery but no flowers. Any suggestions Reg? Many thanks

Reg answers:

Hi Joyce,
Tree peonies thrive in similar conditions to their ordinary herbaceous relatives except that they are slightly less hardy nad need to be planted more deeply. This means that there should be 10-12cm (4-5in) above the top of the rootstock with tree peonies whereas herbaceous ones only need 5cm (2in) above the growth buds at the crown of the plant.
However tree peonies are MUCH more shade tolerant and they definitely prefer a position shaded from mid- day sun so if yours in a place where it gets loads of sun all day (when we do get some) this could be putting it off a bit. Having said that of course they do need some sun preferably a few hours in the late morning and more in late afternoon evening.
Another factor which results in lack of flowers is if the plant is not getting well fed and I think that this is more likely to be the problem with yours.
So I prescribe a dressing with sulphate of potash very soon about two or three handfuls around the root area, i.e. the soil immediately below the limit of the spread of the branches.
Then every spring make sure that the soil is moist and then put down a good mulch of well rotted garden compost or well rotted manure. Mushroon compost would also suffice as this is largely well rotted horse manure, although it is alkaline that would be no problem with tree peonies.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

John Crossland from Bradford, W. Yorks asks:

Please could you give me advice on growing privets from cuttings. Or any way to start a small hedge from scratch. Thankyou

Reg answers:

Hi John,

There are several types of cuttings that can be taken from Privet plants but I think that one of the best is taking what are known as hardwood cuttings taken from late autumn (October) until mid December. It is best to take them earlier rather than later in order to get the best results.
You need to collect some ripe ( meaning roughly pencil thick and brown stemmed) shoots of the current season's growth that should be between 12-18in (30-45cm) long.
Trim off the soft tips and remove all the leaves from the lower half of the stems.
Next trim the base of each cutting to just below the lowest bud and remove a one and a half inch (3.5cm) long sliver of bark from one side of the base of the cutting. This is known as "wounding" and it can help to improving the rooting process.
Really, I suppose, the cuttings could be longer than this up to about 2ft (60cm) if you have the right material available then you would get larger plants for your hedge more quickly.
Dip the base of your cuttings in rooting hormone and then insert them in a slit trench 4in (10cm) apart so that the foliage is just above the soil.
Make the slit trench in a sheltered part of the garden, by sticking a spade in to its full depth and moving it backwards and forwards, and then half fill it with sharp sand. This will aid drainage and promote rooting.
Leave the cuttings in situ until the following autumn when they can be lifted ready for planting out as your hedge.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

My 7ft leylandii hedge is shooting ok along the top and seems to be growing from the bottom but there brown holes (one large one in the middle)..I have some Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, Do you think it's worth a try??

Reg answers:

Hi John,

Yes definitely as I think that your hedge is being attacked by conifer aphids. Concentrate on the area around the edge of the brown patch and repeat the dose about 10 days later.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Sheila Gorski from Stoke on Trent asks:

I have had my hydrangea for 3 years. It flowerd fist two years. No flowers this year but very green tried potash.

Reg answers:

Hi Shelia,

The main reasons why established Hydrangeas fail to flower are incorrect pruning and lack of moisture during the bud initiation period.
Provided that you have not been cutting your plant back hard then I would try making sure that the soil does not dry out from now until early October. If plants get too dry over this bud initiation period then they are unlikley to flower, if you wanted to apply a little more potash now that would also be helpful.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have been using cutlass hedge growth regulator but this has come off the market now, is there anything else similar to use?

Reg answers:

Hi Marion,
Until about 10 days ago I would have said that there is no alternative product available but then I found out about a treatment called Stop Grow G8 available from Victoriana Nursery Gardens in Kent. It contains maleic hydrazide and is suitable for controlling the growth of grass, evergreens hedges, privet and hawthorn.
Contact details are Victoriana Nursery Gardens, Challock, Nr. Ashford Kent TN 25 4DG. Tel: 01233 740 529.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have courgette growing in large pots in green house. I water daily. Courgettes grow then when about 10cm long just go to mush and rot. Any ideas?

Reg answers:

Hi Russell,

Generally the causes for this problem are getting too much moisture splashed into the centre of the plant, pollination of the flowers is not good enough or the plant is trying to carry too many fruits.
Try harvesting some and using them as they become 10cm long and see if this will help the others to get bigger. When you see a female flower (one with an embryo courgette behind it) take some pollen from a male flower (just an ordinary stem behind the bloom) on a child's paint brush and push it into it. This should ensure good pollination.
Remove all the rotting fruits in case rot spreads.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

When do you prune hydrangeas?

Reg answers:

Hi George,
Hydrangeas are normally pruned in the early spring. Just remove old flower heads and cut back about one third of the oldest branches, either to just above the soil or to a well placed side shoot.
Reg.

Ken Bishop from Carterton asks:

I have two Brugmansia but don't really know much about them. Things like how to prune or trim them and do they need support as they are a metre tall. I can't find anything about them in my gardening books.

Reg answers:

Hi Ken,
Normally Brugmansias are self supporting and they can be cut right down to about 10cm (4in) above the compost in autumn. They are not reliably hardy over the winter outdoors in spite of our milder winters. If the main stem is left and just the branches are cut back hard in late autumn the plant will develop a thick tree-like trunk, which can make them much more difficult to store indoors over the winter.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg, Last year we had a silver birch removed as it was leaning into the neighbours garden. The tree man said that he dug down, chopped all roots spreading from the hub, cut out the hub/root and placed dax? on the remaining root to kill it off.. I have now lots of shoots growing through my lawn where the remaining roots are... How can I stop this?

Reg answers:

Hi Dawn,
I'm afraid that these are suckers growing up from the old roots that were not killed by the Dax Root Out used by the tree man. If the roots are wide-spreading sometimes more than one application is needed to completely kill them off. I should keep painting the suckers with either Murphy Tumbleweed Extra Strong Gel or Growing Success Deep Root Gel both of which will move through the system of the remaining roots. KEEP THESE PRODUCTS OFF YOUR GRASS AS THEY WILL KILL THAT AS WELL GIVEN THE CHANCE.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Sarah from Bournemouth asks:

My friend has just bought a Tasmainia tree fern (think its a Dicksonia Antarctica) and she doesn't have any infomation about how to care for it. She say's it about 3ft high and just wants to find out does it need re-potting? If so when and how she should care for it?

Reg answers:

Hi Sarah,
I doubt if it will need re-potting. Keep it in a semi shaded position and water the trunk and crown of the plant thoroughly. Give a feed every month with a liquid seaweed fertiliser like Maxicrop Original. Protect the stem and especially the crown of the plant during cold spells in winter.
With Best Wishes
Reg.

What is eating my fuchsias? The leaves stick together and when pulled apart there is a little green worm there. Help please?

Reg answers:

Hi Brenda,
This is a moth caterpillar. You can either remove the fused together leaves or spray the plant with an insecticide such as Bio Greenfly Killer Plus or Scotts Bug Clear.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a privet hedge that is dying, it has orange pimples on the stems, apart from that there is no other visible marks, what can I treat it with to stop it completely

Reg answers:

Hi Margaret,

If these are clusters of quite small almost fluorescent orangey spots your privet is being attacked by coral spot fungus. This had used to confine itself to decomposing dead wood and prunings but over recent years it has become more ambitious and begun to attack living wood.
Unfortunately there is no prescribed treatment other than pruning out affected wood, well back into healthy tissue. However I think that I would add, feeding the hedge with a rose fertiliser (its high potash content will help the plants to fight the disease) and spray the plants about 3 times ten days apart with a fungicide such as Bio Dithane 945.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I hope you can help. I have a crab apple tree, that produces many apples, that fall off and rot. I then have fruit flies. My question is, we want to save the tree, but no longer wants the apples producing. Is there anything I can use to kill the apples, but not the tree? Thanks for your time.

Reg answers:

Hi Mary,
About the only thing that you can do would be to remove all the blossoms as soon as flowering is over then there would be no apples. There is no chemical spray that would accomplish this without harming your tree.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I recenty removed some paving slabs from the middle of my lawn and found a lot of sand. I dug down 2 foot and filled it in with top soil, then put some grass seed on and watered it. I would like to know if it will grow?

Reg answers:

Hi June,
Yes I expect it will as long as you keep it watered. Once it is up and growing give it a boost with an application of liquid lawn fertiliser.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Dear Reg, We have a Rowan tree which is situated about 8 ft from our bungalow. It is some years old but appears to have been regularly pruned, however, its roots have started to reach under the path around the bungalow. The roots are also reaching out towards where our drainage system is, we are thinking of either cutting the roots back to within 3 ft of the base of the tree and/or cutting the tree down to leave a stump. Have you any advice please?

Reg answers:

Hi Jacqui,

If you cut all the roots back to within 3 ft of the trunk the tree is more likely to die than revive, so I would cut it down to leave a stump and then apply either Dax Root Out or Growing Success Deep Root according to the instructions on the pack. This should kill the stump.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Peter Barber from Liverpool asks:

How do I destroy very invasive BUDDLEIA. It is growing in hard to reach areas, i.e. tops of walls etc. Thank you.

Reg answers:

Hi Peter,
This is not going to be an easy job as Buddleias are not easily deterred once established. The best thing would be to cut them back hard to leave a stump and then treat that with Growing Success Deep Root, according to the pack instructions.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have inherited a lovely hydranger, but I want to move it to another part of my garden - when would be the best time? Many thanks.

Reg answers:

Hi Linda,
The best time to move your Hydrangea would be in autumn about October. Lift it with plenty of soil intact around the roots and keep it well watered as it shoots again and on throughout the summer of 2006.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

John Higgs from Cheadle, Cheshire asks:

I put my grass cutting in bin bags and the liquid that came from the bottom of the bag has been collected over the years, can I use this as a fertiliser and do I have to water it down?

Reg answers:

Hi John,

Yes this could be used as liquid fertiliser but it need to be diluted at the rate of one part of liquid to ten parts of water. Just apply it to the soil not over the foliage.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have rather a large garden, most of it is grass. I have a kubota tractor. My lawn has a tremendous amount of thatch in it therefore it's not a good looking lawn. Which would be the best machine for me to use?

Reg answers:

Hi Donna,

I know that there are attatchments available for garden tractors that would rake out this thatch for you but I'm afraid that I have never used one myself so I don't know anything about the capabilities of various brands. The best thing would be to check out a few dealers and compare results. The best time to do the job would be September - see if any dealers would arrage a demo in your garden.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have some well established conifers in our garden and have noticed that several of them are starting to go brown mainly from the bottom but one only has green growth at the top. Whay can we do to help them survive? Thank you

Reg answers:

Hi Sandra,
I'm afraid that this seems very serious. If the trees are brown all the way up except for a small green area on the top then they are unlikely to recover and should be removed, as most conifers do not re-grow from old wood.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.