Ann Dunstan from London asks:

I have a small Acer in my garden, which gets partial shade. Over the last two years, the leaves quickly go yellow at the edges and curl up. What can i do to stop this?

Reg answers:

Hi Ann,

Normally this problem in Japanese maples is due to exposure to too much hot sun, not likely in your case, or too much drying wind.
Otherwise it can also be caused by the soil being too moist around the roots, particularly likely on heavier soil where drainage is poor, or even by the plant being given too much granular fertiliser. One of the major culprits here be too much pelleted chicken manure. At least next spring you will begin again from square one with a pristine new set of leaves.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have a fantastic apple tree in our garden which appears to be suffering from Black Spot - and has been ever since we moved in a couple of years ago. What is the best way to treat this and does it damage the tree in anyway?

Reg answers:

Hi Pete,

The problem that you have which looks like black spot on roses is apple scab. It can affect the fruit as well as the foliage and sometimes even attacks the bark.
Mainly it affects the tree by depleting its energy levels, as much of the affected foliage cannot make food as efficiently as it should, while many leaves are shed prematurely.
If you wish to combat it with sprays use a fungicide such as Bio Fungus Fighter or Scotts Fungus Clear at 14 day intervals from when the leaves first appear until just before harvest.
If the tree is very large spraying would probably be out of the question anyway, so you would have to content yourself with collecting up the fallen leaves and disposing of them in the bin. You see, one of the main ways in which the disease carries over from one year to another is on the fallen leaves.
Another good practice would be to feed the tree well so that it is better able to fight off the disease for itself and that means giving a dressing of rose fertiliser in early spring. Rose fertiliser is ideal due to it's high potash content and potash is the element that helps with disease resistance in the plant. Apply a good handful per sq. yd. or sq. m mostly on the area beneath the limit of the branch spread of the tree. If the tree is in grass do this in late Jan so that the grass does not steal the food, if it is planted in cultivated soil early March will do.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have two Japanese Acers in containers on our patio, both in shaded areas - protected from wind by two walls. However both stil suffer from scorched leaves - the tips of the leaves are brown and crispy. We water them regularly.

Reg answers:

Hi Michelle,

Well your Acers seem to be in a decent position with shelter from wind and hot sun, so they should be OK in that respect.
Two other factors can cause leaf browning in maples, one of these is poor drainage / over watering and the other is over feeding.
One problem that I often find is that people, quite rightly, are told that maples like slightly acid soil, so they buy a bag of ericaceous compost most of which are peat based. This means that they dry out or become very wet quite rapidly. John Innes ericaceous compost is loam based and so behaves much more like really good garden soil, making it a better medium for them to grow in, especially if you add about 10% extra horticultural grit to it in order to improve the drainage. If you cannot find any of this use 75% John Innes No2 compost with 25% peat based Ericaceous compost, again adding extra horticultural grit. Always stand the pots on pot feet to further promote good drainage. Acers require little feeding - I just give mine a dressing of controlled release fertiliser, like Osmocote, every spring and that lasts them all year. Too much feeding can upset them, they don't like too many chicken manure pellets.
If you feel that it could be a compost problem you could re-pot them during the dormant season.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

hi reg, i have a parrot plant and it has got white crystals on and all the leaves are dropping off what can i do

Reg answers:

Hi John,

The white crystals are salts that come out of the water given to the plant, which gets excreted by the leaves. Some houseplants do it more than others with African Violets and Hibiscus being a couple of other plants that do it quite commonly. This is not really doing any harm but you could always wipe the leaves over occasionally to remove any deposits.
As the parrot plant (Impatiens congalensis or these days more correctly Impatiens niamniamensis) gets older it develops quite a thick trunk-like stem which cuts some of the lower leaves off from the food supply due to its thicker stem walls. This will mean that some of the older leaves turn yellow and drop.
If it is more than just this is the plant too dry, or more likely too wet, especially if the leaves are hanging limply and going yellow before dropping off? Push your finger down into the compost to the level of your first joint to see how moist the compost is under the surface.
Finally stand the pot on a wide saucer of moist gravel in order to get more humid air around the leaves during the period when the central heating kicks in.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg Can you tell me please how I can get rid of Russian Vine. It is taking over. Help!!!

Reg answers:

Hi Hazel,

It would be good to know where it is growing so that I could offer more concise advice. Generally speaking if the plant is growing on its own then spraying over the foliage with either Bio Glyphosate, Scotts Round-Up or Growing Success Deep Root should sort it out a lot. You should treat the plant as soon as possible now as the herbicide gets in via the foliage and that will be dropping in autumn.
Otherwise you could cut the plant down and dig up the roots during the winter period.
Russian vine grows at an alarming rate, about 15 ft per year, so it should never be planted in confined areas.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg. My lawn, it seems, is now covered in fusarium patches. An old gardening textbook I had, recommended treating the problem with Benlate. However, it appears that this product is no longer available . Can you please recommend a solution i.e. something I would be able to buy in an average garden centre? Thanks

Reg answers:

Hi Mike,

Unfortunately most gardening books are out of date on chemical availability as things have changed so much recently, but both Benlate and its successore Carbendazim have now been taken off the approved list.
At the moment there are no fungicides approved for use by amatuer gardeners against fungal infections in lawns but if you happen to find any packs of Bio Kills Moss on Lawns (it is in a bright yellow trigger spray pack) this was the last one available. It contained dichlophen which killed lawn fungi as well as moss, but it has also now been withdrawn although retailers are allowed to sell out existing stocks.
So we are left with the methods employed by gardeners before the advent of modern chemical treatments.
As the fungus is encouraged by poor aeration and damp conditions generally spiking the affected area can help to relieve this, especially if a hollow tined aerator is used and horticultural sand is then brushed into the resulting holes.
Wipe the aerator tines with a cloth dipped in disinfectant solution immediately after use.
The old gardeners' used to use ferrous sulphate (sulphate of iron) as a turf fungicide and moss killer and it is still in most brands of moss killer today. Take a watering can and put 2oz of sulphate of iron in it and then add some warm water and stir it well to dissolve the granules. Then fill the can - most are one and an half to two galls in capacity - with cold water, finally adding a dessertspoonful of washing up liquid. Gently stir this in. Water this onto the affected area at the rate of one gall per sq.yd.
Feeding the lawn with an AUTUMN lawn fertiliser would also help. I find that the Evergreen Autumn Lawn Builder is excellent as it feeds gently over a long period of time.
You should be able to find Sulphate of Iron in most garden centres but there will be nothing on the pack about using it in this way.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I would like to identify a tree in my new garden. The tree has been slightly damaged and I would like to see how we can trim it into shape, and also would like to know more about the large roots that are coming out of the ground, before we put a new driveway down.

Reg answers:

Hi Deborah,

I'm afraid that your e-mail has not given me any information to help me to identify your tree. I think that the best thing to do would be to ring a local tree surgeon and get them to visit your garden, as they would be able to give on the spot advice particularly where the tree roots were concerned.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

(Deborah - If you email us a picture we can pass this on to Reg! - The BBC Gloucestershire website team.)

hi reg, for the past two years my apple tree has been infested with wooly aphid. i have used different insectisides but they dont seem to work. any ideas? cheers bill.

Reg answers:

Hi Bill,

I would try spraying the affected areas first of all with water that has a squirt of washing up liquid added, then follow this with a spray of Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer.
The detergent will help to get the spray through the mass of white hairs produced by the pests.
Although you will probably have to repeat this treatment do not do it for five weeks before harvesting the apples.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I want to take out this 25 ft Conifer tree, kill off its roots as soon as possible, how do we do it?

Reg answers:

Hi Keng,

If you are going to tackle felling this on your own be sure that you can do it safely, remember that if you get a tree surgeon in to fell it they should be properly insured against anything going wrong.
If I was going to tackle the job I would take the tree down in stages not try to fell it in one go.
Conifers do not send up suckers from the old root system but if you wanted to kill off the stump / roots apply either Growing Success Depp Root or Dax Root Out to the stump.
Full instructions on the pack - you should find one or other of them in any garden centre.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a gently sloping piece of ground under some large yew trees. This area used to have some tall leylandi but I have removed them. I have now planted confirs and heathers on this ground, some of which have done very well, others have died of completely. What should I treat the soli with?

Reg answers:

Hi Dave,

This soil is likely to be fairly dry and depleted in nutrients so I would mulch between the existing plants with some well rotted garden compost or if you have to buy something look for a stable manure compost or a similar product BUT NOT mushroom compost as that is too limey for heathers.
This will then be worked on and gradually taken down into the soil by worms over the autumn and winter.
I would then decide which heathers are doing well and plant more varieties of that species .
Water the plants well in dry spells.
Otherwise I would just feed them annually in spring using a granular ericaceous fertiliser, there are a few around mostly sold as Rhododenderon, Azalea feed. There are good ones made by Vitax, Arthur Bowers and Scotts.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

For a science fair project, I am depriving plants of sunlight then trying to save them with an artifical light and regular sunlight. What is the best way I can deprive the plants of light? (to the point I can bring them back to life) Fall weather is starting pretty soon. What kind of plants would you suggest I use? I am not planing on planting them in the ground, if that has anything to do with what you suggest.

Reg answers:

Hi Kelly,

This sounds interesting but it is a pity that it is not spring rather than fall so that the plants would be growing faster, as I think that you would get the best results from quick growing species.
A good way to deprive plants of light would be to cover them with a solid wooden box, crate or carton. If you attempted to do it using black polythene you would have to use a very thick grade as some of the thinner ones allow a remarkable ammount of light to penetrate.
I'm not really sure what plants you are likely to have at your disposal but I would go for some tough species of local weed that keeps growing over the fall / winter period. Otherwise try an evergreen quick growing ground covering plant like Vinca.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, We have planted a row of beech trees. Whilt we have been away on holiday the hedge row has become extremely overgrown with weeds (3ft tall nettles, Hairy Bittercress, Shepherd's Purse, Ribwort, Plantain, Bindweed, Thistles and docks (we live on the edge of a farm) ... Obviously the weather during August in the UK was ideal for the growing season!) However, the beech shrubs appear to have died. There are only brown leaves on them. I know that this is their characteristic, but I thought it was a bit early. Is it best to clear the weeds out and leave them to see what happens, or is it a familiar sign of roots being starved of moisture and nutrients?

Reg answers:

Hi Tracy,

Yes, the first thing to do is to clear out the weeds, then we can discover if there is any life left in the beech plants.
To do this scrape away a small section of the bark on the main stem using your thumbnail or a knife, and then look at the tissue revealed by its removal. If the cells are fresh, moist and green then all is OK and the plant has gone into premature dormancy. If, on the other hand, the cells are dry and brown then that section of the stem is dead, in which case you should try again a bit lower down.
Although you could cut the stems down to where you found healthy tissue it would probably be a good idea to replace any showing lots of death to the main trunk.
If the plants have gone into early dormancy this is likely to be due to lack of water, so if they are still alive water them.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a red Japanese maple in my courtyard but all the leaves have a white mouldy covering. How can I treat this please?

Reg answers:

Hi Kathy,

If your maple leaves just have a white powdery coating on them looking as though the plant has been dusted with talc then this is a fungal disease called powdery mildew. As we are approaching the autumn, the plant will shortly be shedding all its foliage so there is no point in trying to treat it.
Just collect up all the fallen leaves and dispose of them in the bin.
Powdery mildew often attacks plants which have become stressed due to infrequent watering so try to keep the plant moist WITHOUT OVERWATERING IT. It will not require much extra watering over the dormant period.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

can I use something like glyphosate to kill suckers from a plum tree without harming the tree?

Reg answers:

Hi Sally,

Yes, if your plum tree is healthy treating any suckers with glyphosate should not cause problems to your tree, as you will only be introducing a small amount of chemical to what is, in total, a huge plant. Of course this is best done between April and September.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

When is the best time to prune a cherry tree?

Reg answers:

Hi Douglas,

The best time to prune a cherry tree is while it is in active growth and preferably in late May- July. Some people leave it until they have picked the crop but the point is that while it is growing well the tree will heal pruning wounds more rapidly. This in turn means that potentially fatal diseases like bacterial canker, which enter via wounds, are quickly excluded. Also there are less potentially harmful fungal spores floating around in the air before August.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a 50' laurel hedge in my front garden, south facing. We have very heavy clay soil and sometimes it can become waterlogged during heavy rain. We have lost about 4' of hedge and now another 6' is doing the same. The leaves are systematically turning mainly yellow or some half yellow and half brown (on the tip end). We had a new driveway laid about 8 months ago and I know some of the fine roots which spread just under the soil were possibly damaged but when I had to dig out the first two which died completely, they had well established, were very hard to dig out and had not rotted. We water and feed during the Summer so wonder if it is possible they have been poisoned? Any help gratefully received before we have no hedge left!

Reg answers:

Hi Mrs. Davidson.

I have two possible ideas here:
One is when you had your new driveway laid did the contractors treat the land under the driveway with a strong weedkiller, such as sodium chlorate, before laying the hard surface? If so there is a possibility of the chemical moving in the soil water for up to 2m in any direction after it has been applied. However as your hedge is dying from one end towards the other this is unlikely to be the answer, but I thought that it was worth a mention.
My gut feeling is that your hedge is being attacked by a fungus which kills off the roots like phytopthora or veticillium.
As we have no soil fungicides approved for use in gardens the best thing to do would be to remove all the plants showing symptoms AND THE NEXT TWO APPARENTLY HEALTHY ONES AS WELL.
This will create a barrier to the spread of the infection. Keep the remaining plants well fed and watered in dry spells so that they are fighting fit. I would feed them in spring using a rose fertiliser as this is rich in potash - one of the elements concerned with boosting the plant's own immune system.
It would be a good idea to leave the affected soil dormant for a while and it is best not to re-plant with laurel again, a good alternative would be Yew (Taxus baccata) as this species is resistant to many soil bourne pathogens.
Although they have a reputation for slow growth, in my experience, if you prepare the soil well and dig in plenty of well rotted manure before planting they will reward you with a much improved performance.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Do bay trees in tubs need protection in the winter?

Reg answers:

Hi,

Well, if we were still getting what we now call a traditional British winter yes they would but we seem to be entering a period of milder winters where we do not experience such prolonged periods of cold frosty weather.
I would play it by ear and see what weather we get but, to be safe move it to a shelterd spot out of cold winds anyway because that can't be wrong whatever happens.
If prolonged hard frost is forecast then wrap the pot in bubble plastic to insulate the root system.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg Could you help me get rid of moles Thanks (hopefully)

Reg answers:

Hi Terry,
The short answer to this is "NO". There does not seem to be a foolproof, definite answer to the mole menace. Even getting in a professional mole exterminator, who will get rid of the current incumbent, usually results in another mole moving into the newly vacated territory in a matter of weeks.
Usually moles like well tended gardens because there are plenty of earthworms around for them to eat.
Over the years I have been given all sorts of tips about getting rid of them which usually revolve around introducing something with a very bad smell into the mole burrow (or run) ranging from mothballs, through rags soaked in diesel fuel, to dog muck, and some people swear by human male urine. This must be fresh, however, but I would advise against taking a torch with you if you attempt to make natural applications during the hours of darkness!
Ferret droppings is another one as, of course, members of this family are likely predators of moles so they will move away if they think one is around.
Then there are the man made devices such as the battery driven metal mole vibrators which you simply push into the mole's hole and then turn on. These can work well for a while but they need to be moved around a bit to get the best effect.
The Scandinavians are keen on SORK bulbs which you plant in the affected area in order to drive the mole out. I have discovered that these are in fact Allium moly, a low growing type of ornamental onion that you could find among the bulb displays in garden centres at the moment. They are planted about 10cm (4in) apart in a row across the affected area as a barrier to further encroachment.
I hear that the garden care company Growing Success is bringing out a new mole repellent this Spring so watch out for that in your local gardening emporium and give it a go, maybe that will work well.
So, Terry, my advice is pick the bones out of that lot mate and have a go but the damage is likely to reduce after a while anyway.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I planted a Laburnum early on in the year and nearly all of the leaves have been eaten by something. What is it and what can I do about it?

Reg answers:

Hi Sharon,

There is not much to be done at the moment as the tree will be dropping all its foliage soon anyway for the winter.
When it comes back on next spring if further attacks develop e-mail me again describing what the damage looks like and I will try to sort it out.
Among the possibilities are Laburnum leaf miner (brown slightly raised patches appear in the leaf usually between the veins) but another creature which seems to enjoy laburum leaves is the humble snail. If the leaves are eaten away leaving a slightly browned edge they could well be the culprits, as snails will readily climb high for a meal particularly on mild, humid nights.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a pot grown lemon tree which is about 3/4 years old. It arrived full of fruit and flower but now has rather poorly looking leaves which are covered in black 'soot', it also has orange 'scaly' bugs along twig and leaf vein and now has developed a white 'powder' under the leaves. All in all rather sad. Is there anything we can do? It lives in a conservatory in the winter and out on a shaded patio in the summer.

Is this a suitable time of year to prune a laurel (it's big, and I intend to be savage!)?

I have a 6ft straggly acer with reddish colour leaves which loses in Autumn It is in a large pot If I put it into the ground high tall is it likely to get?

Angela Taylor from Dorchester, Dorset asks:

How do I kill the roots of a large shrub that we have just cut down, species unknown, planted and established by previous owners of the house?

Is there a cultivated variety of sambucus nigra that can be trained/pruned as with other fruits to ensure adequate berry for my purpose?

Although I love the scent of the lavender and the butterfly lavender flowers, I do find the shrubs themselves rather too unkempt. Would I be better with a variety such as Munstead? The lavender circle surrounds a circular patio in my garden with a bench and at present, although the scent is lovely and the flowers are long-lasting the shrubs tend to screen vision from other plants in my garden.

My local B&Q have an offer on 'Italien herb' Lavender but cannot tell me exactly what variety of Lavender this is. Would this be suitable? As I will need about 30 plants cost is a consideration. Also as my garden is well established I don't want to use the smallest cuttings but would prefer 2 litre size so that I have a reasonable display before too long

Thankyou
Yvonne

Reg answers:

Hi Lyn,

You are asking for a difficult combination here as if you want to grow a tree 15ft high you will need a pot that is about half large barrel size in order to keep it happy. However it is possible to grow a tree in a container as long as you can keep up with its food and water requirements.
If you want all year round cover look at Cotoneasters grown as trees such as C. salicifolius floccosus, C. Rothschildianus or C. Exburiensis.
Otherwise you coulf try tall bamboos like Fargesia japonica or Phyllostachys aurea.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Reg answers:

Hi Soirai,

Hydrangeas do need lots of water and if you planted it in a larger pot there is a chance that the compost around the actual root ball of ypur plant become dry while the surrounding compost was still moist. You see all the Hydrangea roots were still massed in the compost that was contained in the original pot and once thai dries out it is difficult for the plant roots to find more moisture.
What I would do now is prune off the dead flowerheads by cutting above the second or third pair of buds down the stem, then place the plant in a semi-shaded position.
As the autumn comes on the leaves will yellow and drop but next spring the plant should shoot again.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have eight Photinia (Red Robin), very sturdy & been planted two years on clay soil. One plant has suddenly lost all green foliage (leaves turned totally red) and leaves hanging rather sadly but have not fallen. All 8 have been kept well-watered. Have sprayed all bushes for black spot/funguses, no sign of any aphid/bug/scale insect etc. on plant, and I have looked @ roots -seem OK. Any Advice?

Reg answers:

Hi Stephen,

What I think has happened is that your Photinia has been attacked by a fungus which causes the food and water conducting tissue inside the plant to become blocked. Hence the foliage turns red or brown and hangs limply.
They can either affect odd branches or if they get in at the base of the plant they can block the main system and kill off all the top shoots.
Check the state of the branches by scraping a little of the bark off each stem and see if the tissue immediately under it is fresh and green, or brown and dry. If it is the former than there is still life in that portion of stem, if the latter then that portion of stem is dead. If you get the "dead stem" result then try again lower down the stem until (hopefully) you get a positive result. Then prune the plant back to where the stem is healthy .
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Climbing Hydrangea. Are there anyother colours than creamy white? If so can yyou give me the name. Thank you

Reg answers:

Hi David,

No I'm afraid they are all creamy white, as far as I know.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Jim Edwards asks:

Dear Reg, I want to move a 5 yr old rowan and was wondering how large and far spread the roots would be? can u please help

Reg answers:

Hi Jim,

You can reckon that there is just about as much root system under the soil as there is branch spread above it.
You will not be able to dig up anything like the full root spread and most of the more beneficial roots will be the ones left behind.
Lift the tree with as large a rootball as you can during the dormant season but about Oct / November would be good, and if you prune the head of the tree back by about one third too this would help. You see this will make a better balance between the amount of root and the number of leaves so the tree is more likely to re-establish decently.
Make sure that it is well watered during the following spring / summer period.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

My 20ft yellow conifer has developed rusting of the leaves which has gradually progress to within two feet of the top.

Reg answers:

Hi Malcolm,

This is probably due to either drought or the prescence of conifer aphids or conifer mites sucking sap from the foliage.
In either case once the plant has gone brown to this extent there is little chance of recovery, so the best solution would be to remove it. Sorry.

With Best Wishes, Reg.

Dear Reg, I have a nuisance birch tree too close to my house. The owners have agreed to have it removed. However the roots will not be removed. Will the stump need to be treated so the roots don't start growing again? They are pushing up my patio slabs. I was told that once the tree is cut down the roots will shrink and the patio slabs will fall back into place. Is this true?

Reg answers:

Hi Jaqui,

Silver birches do not usually produce suckers but the stump could be treated with a stump killer after the tree has been removed.
As far as the roots shrinking and the paving slabs retuning to the proper level is concerned this is much more unlikely particularly in the short term.
If I were you I would ring the tree officer at the local council.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi, I have recently aquired a 5 foot tall bay laurel standard. It's in a large pot with some marrigolds, and I've placed it outside my front door, which is North facing. I've had it for about 4 weeks now and I am noticing a lot of the leaves are turning yellow with brown speckles. I am not sure whether I should move it to the back of the house where it would get a lot more sun or whether I am not watering or feeding it enough. Could you offer some advise please.

Reg answers:

Hi Karen,

Certainly the bay tree would like to get as much sun as possible so moving it to a sunnier location would be a good idea.
I think that the leaf yellowing could well be due to an iron/magnesium deficiency problem, so to sort this out feed once every 10 days until early October with natural seaweed fertiliser with added sequestered iron. Two companies make a version of this - Maxicrop and Vitax.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

my lacecap hydrangea's flowers have gone all soggy looking! this happened 1-2 weeks after i planted it and i dont know why or how to fix it. i planted mop caps at the same time and they are fine. any ideas?

Reg answers:

Hi Vicki,

I think that maybe the plant has got too dry or the flowers were bruised or slightly damaged during transit / planting which has allow a fungal infection to get into the plant.
If the foliage looks OK I would just prune off the blooms with a small section of stem, cutting just above a bud.
Keep the plant moist at the root and all should be well with more blooms next year.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have yellow river magnolia tree 3 years old every spring the leaves are eaton

Reg answers:

Hi Joan,

My problem with your question is that I need some more details as to what the leaves look like after the attack, what are the holes like? are there any insects present or are there just brown areas on the foliage then holes appear? This will give me more information to go on in order to give good advice, but generally there are not too many serious insect pests of magnolias except for scale insects and they do not devour the foliage.
One observation I will make is that young magnolias are quite often attacked by slugs and snails which climb the stems at night to eat the leaves. This happens particularly when we get humid nights and if the foliage is eaten in irregular holes, generally between the veins and the holes have dry brown edges this amy well be the cause.
Putting a wide band of petroleum jelly around the trunk a short way above soil level should serve to repel them.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

we have some conifer trees which we would like to kill off without cutting down. how can we do this and how long does this take to act?

Reg answers:

Hi Peter,

The best thing to do would be to cut the trees down leaving a good tallish stump - to allow for better herbicide treatment and to facilitate easier digging out of the dead stump afterwards. If you do not intend to dig out the stumps cut them off about 30cm (12in) above the soil which should still leave enough trunk to treat. The product that you need is either Growing Success Deep Root or Dax Root Out, both of which are in garden centres. Just follow the instructions on the back of the pack.

With Best Wishes, Reg.

I have a Stags Horn on my patio. I cut it down to stump and treated the stump. However the roots are still alive and lifting my block paving and as it is next to my kitchen I need to stop it ASAP. Please Help

Reg answers:

Hi Kellie,

These shrubs seem to cause lots of problems when it comes to getting rid of them. Yes, the stump killer has killed the stump but it has not been able to kill the entire root system. This is going to be a long struggle, but you must persevere and keep spraying each of the suckers as it appears with a glyphosate based herbicide such as Scotts Round-Up or Bio Glyphosate which will kill that plant and a further bit of the active root system too. If any suckers emerge among wanted plants then you should paint them with Murphy Tumbleweed Extra Strong Gel which contains the same active ingredient.
I suppose an alternative treatment would be to apply Growing Success Deep Root or Growing SuccessDeep Root Gel which work in a similar manner. The difference is that with Deep Root the chemical will persist in the soil for about 6 weeks after application.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Matt from Nottingham asks:

What type of soil do Blue Hydrangers like to grow in?

Reg answers:

Hi Matt,

All Hydrangeas like the soil to be fertile and reasonably moist but having good drainge so that it does not become waterlogged. Blue hydrangeas also require the soil to be acid in order to retain their colour.
If the natural soil in your area is alkaline (limey) The you would be better off growing the blue hydrangea in a tub containing acid (ericaceous) compost, preferable ericaceous John Innes compost due to its loam content.
Where soil conditions are only slightly alkaline you could try growing the plant in the border soil but with a product called Hydrangea Colourant being added in regular doses. Even plants grown in tubs of ericaceous compost would benefit from an annual application of hydrangea colourant. It should be readily available in carden centres.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I have a Banana plant in a pot. how do I look after it in the winter please?

Reg answers:

Hi Brenda,

I could do with knowing which species of banana it is that you are growing as some are MUCH hardier than others with Musa basjoo the, so-called Japanese hardy banana being about the toughest.
If your plant is not of this species it would be best to over winter it under the protection a greenhouse or by bringing it indoors. In an unheated greenhouse, extra protection from a couple of layers of garden fleece would also be required.
A potted Musa basjoo should be moved to a sheltered spot, against a warm house wall would be good, the foliage cut off and the stem wrapped in garden fleece to give added protection. In fact if hard frost is forcast for a couple of nights in succession wrapping the pot itself with bubble plastic insulation would prevent the roots from being damaged.
In spring the plant will sprout new foliage from the top of the stem but even if the stem is killed there is very likely to be new growth arising from the compost around the base of the stem.
I hope this is helpful but if I knew the species I could provide more exact advice.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Would a privet hedge have more roots where it is 6 feet high than where it is 3 feet high?

Reg answers:

Hi Claire,

Yes, about twice as many at least, they are renowned as vigorous rooters.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, When and how do you prune an olive tree which is around five feet tall, quite young and in a five litre terracotta pot?

Reg answers:

Hi Davey,

Pruning of Olives is normally carried out in spring to early summer and they do respond well to hard pruning should this ever become necessary. As yours is a young tree I expect that it already has a framework of branches so that all you need to do is just thin out the new growths in the centre of the tree to allow in light and air.
In years to come you can keep the tree to a more manageable size by pruning back the leading branches to a suitable replacement shoot every spring.
Your tree would be best moved gradually up the pot sizes as necessary rather than going straight into a very large pot next spring.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Josephine from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire. asks:

Dear Reg, I have recently been given 4 small, deep pink cyclamen plants in full flower and I am unsure as to how to care for them. I have been keeping them in my living room, but several of their leaves have started to turn yellow. Could you please advise me as to their watering needs and preferences as to sunlight and room temperature. Am I correct to keep them indoors, or should I plant them in the garden? Thank you, Josephine.

Reg answers:

Water the plants sparingly, just dropping the water gently over the edge of the pot not splashing it into the centre of the foliage. You see the foliage arises from a tuber and if this gets wet a fungal rot is likely to set in, killing the leaves.
Remove the flowers as they fade and feed the plants every 14 days with houseplant food.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

i recently sprayed my lawn with a weedkiller that contains diurin. I had intended reseeding the lawn after i raked off the dead moss and grass. I have since read on the label that the diurin will prevent seedlings from germinating for at least 3 months! Would removing a layer of topsoil or rotivating the soil overcome this problem?

Reg answers:

Hi Niall,

As you have now discovered Diuron is residual herbicide which has a moderate to high persistance rate in the soil and it stays longer in soils with a high organic matter content.
Rotovating will do little to help your case and you would need to remove at least a three inch layer of topsoil from all over the treated area, and then this would have to be replaced with new topsoil so that the grass seed would have a decent environment to start its life.
This represents a hell of a lot of work, so you could just leave the area as bare soil and sow in spring.
Remember that diuron is very good at killing grass.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, Please could you tell me how and when we should prune a large established Golden Leaf Rubina Tree, it is very special to me so I would not want to it to die after pruning so I need to know the correct details. Many thanks - Linda

Reg answers:

Hi Linda,

Pruning of Robinia pseudoacacia Frisia should be kept to an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM, as larger pruning cuts are prone to becomming infected with rot and the tree usually responds to any pruning by producing vigorous upright shoots. So really it is a case of confining yourself to removing any dead, diseased or damaged wood and the best time to do it is July/ August.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We put down a new lawn approx 2/3 months ago, but used soil conditioner from the tip rather than top soil. We now have 4 different varieties of mushrooms/toadstools growing. Some are white, some honey coloured and some silver and almost clear! I have seen other questions about mushrooms. Would that solution solve ours also? As it is new grass would it permanently damage it?

Reg answers:

Hi Jill,
I would not worry much about these toadstools on your lawn they are just a result of the decomposition process of the organic matter in your soil. Yes it could be organic matter that was introduced with the compost from the recycling centre but it will not do permanent damage to the lawn. I would remove the toadstools and put them in the dustbin.
If you would like to discourage the fungi then treating the lawn with sulphate of iron in the way that I have recommended previously for random fungi would do the trick. The recipie is about 2oz of sulphate of iron, dissolved in a little warm water in the bottom of a 2 gall watering can. Then fill the can with cold water finally adding a dessertspoonful of washing up liquid, lightly stirring it in.
Spike the affected area and water on the solution, using the whole can over 2 sq. yd. area.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg I have a mature Lemon tree approx 8 ft high in my conservatory. Over the last six months the leaves have loads of sap dripping off of them, well i think it is sap, a clear sticky substance. Any ideas how to resolve the problem? Regards Harvey

Reg answers:

Hi Harvey,

I think that your citrus plant is infested with a sap sucking pest known as scale insects. You should find these tiny limpet like creatures sticking to the backs of the leaves and even on the stems. They suck sap from the plant but they cannot digest all of it so the surplus is excreted onto the leaves and then it drips and flows around as a sticky, clear liquid. Sometimes it is used as a food source by an opportunist fungus called sooty mould, which looks as the name suggests.
So you need to kill off the scale insects which can be done by scraping them off manually, painting them with surgical spirit or spraying with a systemic insecticide like Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer.
If you choose the Bio Provado route remember that you cannot eat any fruit from your citrus for 4 weeks afterwards.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I want a holly tree for a small garden (6m x 5m) but the smallest that states it's a tree (not a shrub) is 20 feet high when fully grown. Is it possible to prune a shrub holly such as silver milkmaid (grows to 12 feet) so that it looks like a tree?

Reg answers:

Hi Catherine,

Yes, it is possible to prune a holly so that it forms a small tree this is known as growing it as a "standard" plant.
What you need to do is buy a plant that has a straight main stem which you should tie in to a stout bamboo cane or dahlia stake to keep it straight.
Then cut back by two thirds all the lower side shoots but allow the upper ones to grow out to form the head of the tree. After a year or so the lower shoots can be completely removed but this is not done straightaway because the foliage on the side shoots help to nourish and thicken the main stem.
Once the head is formed this can be pruned in early spring to prevent it spreading too much.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I live in central scotland. I have had a Japanese maple for about 6 years. I would like to move it to an area where it would get more space. Is it possible to move it and when?

Reg answers:

Hi Evelyne,

As your Acer is 6 years old it may well be difficult to move successfully, but if you have to try it the best time would be as soon as all the leaves have fallen in the autumn. Try to take as large a ball of soil with the roots as possible and ensure that the soil is moist before you begin to dig up the plant.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Lynne Hill from Swindon asks:

Dear Reg,
I have this year noticed a [new?] invader locally [in Nth. Swindon], and I now have this pest in my garden! - likely brought back from walks by the family dog.

It is a spiteful little 'thug' of a weed with a tough stem and seed heads that form in a cluster like a small burr. There is a sharp hook on the outer ends of the seeds which even stick fast into the pads of your fingers! I discovered this yesterday when trying to dislodge one from my living room carpet.

The 'burrs' range from the size of a pea, lower down the plant, to that of a small cherry on 4-5 inch stalks at the growing tips [about 18ins from the ground]. These 'burrs' are now brown and drying, but earlier on in the season, I first noticed the green seeds, stuck fast in bunches of about eight or more, in my dog's skin amongst his fur after walks.

The leaves of the weed are hairy, about 1½ inches diameter, and similar in shape to a strawberry leaf. They occur in opposite pairs at about 4-5 inch intervals up the length of the tough main stem. There is a larger, compound leaf growing out between each of these, with three 'fingers'. The compound leaves have a longer stalk and seem to occur on alternate sides of the stem. The small yellow flowers [and smaller seed heads] occur at the same point as the leaves, close to the stem.

Please can you help identify and destroy this nasty invader?

Thanks and regards

Reg answers:

Hi Lynne,
I think that this is a weed called Geum urbanum and it does spread readily from seeds carried about by attaching themselves to the fur of passing animals etc.
If you have them in your garden you could dig them out with a hand trowel or treat them with Round-Up weedkiller but keep it off plants that you wish to keep.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

With Laurel being a poisonous plant, would it be safe to shred it and put it back onto the garden? Or should I be disposing of it in some other way? Thanks for your help.

Reg answers:

Hi Karen,

No, the shreded laurel foliage can be safely composted and used as a mulch around established trees and shrubs.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Doreen from Grays Essex asks:

PLEASE CAN YOU ADVISE ON CARE OF A CYCAS PLANT. IS IT BETTER KEPT IN A POT OR IN THE GROUND?

Reg answers:

Hi Doreen,
I would keep growing your Cycad in a pot, as they are very slow growers and if the weather gets very cold you could move the plant to a more sheltered position.
I would pot it in John Innes Compost No2 with 25% composted bark, 10% horticultural grit and some crushed charcoal added to it.
It could well be a good idea to protect the crown of the plant with some garden fleece if a sharp frost is forecast.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

How can I clear a clover like weed that produces yellow flowers from my garden. It is growing in profusion at the moment. We have tried to get rid of it for years. I even have it in my garden in Cyprus.

Reg answers:

Hi Doreen,
The product that you need is either Scotts Verdone Extra or Vitax Lawn Clear as both of these contain the only active ingredient that will cope with this particular weed. It is called Black Medic and it is an annual weed so there will be more comming up nest year from this years seeds.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg, we have a scots pine that has spread all over the place at about 15ft high. If we can prune it when is the best time ? Thankyou

Reg answers:

Hi Steve,
Yes the tree could be pruned and April would be a good time.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

we have an acer the leaves are being eaten and turning brown

Reg answers:

Hi Jan,
Well really it is getting into autumn now and the foliage would soon be falling off anyway so there is not much to be gained from attempting to treat the tree.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

we have a california pepper tree that has a hard brown rather lovely bracket fungus that will not go away, is there a way to knock it off and keep it from returning and will it kill the tree or spread to other nearby trees, thanks blessings, diego davalos california

Reg answers:

Hi Diego,
Yes you could break off the bracket fungus and this may help to arrest the spread of the fungus somewhat, but really there is very little that can be done to prevent the fungus from killing the tree, eventually.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I have recently been gifted a lemon tree - about 16 ins with 12 very green lemons on it! How do I best care for and mind this lovely tree in order to have the lovliest G&Ts with home grown lemon! Many thanks. Deirdre

Reg answers:

Hi Deirdre,

Many more people are now growing Citrus plants of all types and lemons are in the easier group along with some oranges.
The basic needs of your plant are good drainage, careful watering and ample feeding all the year round, a bright position - put the plant outdoors over the summer - and freedom from cold draughts but otherwise rather coolish conditions in winter.
They need feeding all the year round because it takes nearly 12 months for the fruit to develop and ripen so the plant needs more nourishment of the right type. To this end most Garden Centres stock Chempak Citrus Food which comes in two types the spring/summer feed and the autumn/winter version. You may also come across Maxicrop Citrus Food which has one formula for all year round use. The Chempak one was developed by a company called Global Orange Groves who grow citrus plant all over the world.
If the plant needs re-potting do it in spring/early summer using Levington Citrus compost. If you have to bring it into a warmish place over the winter it would be a good idea to stand the pot on a saucer of moist gravel to maintain humidity levels around the foliage. When you bring it inside if it is in a dark position it will drop leaves like mad, but it will recover when spring arrives and you put it back out again. It would however be a good idea to trim back some of leading shoots by about half in early spring in order to simulate rapid new shoot growth.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

One of my Cupressus (macrocarpa Wilma) suddenly died. It went brown starting from the bottom at the back. Another plant is starting to go brown. Each plant is 3 years old. Could this be aphids or weevils?

Reg answers:

Hi James,
I think that it is most likely to be aphids causing the problem out of the two possibilities that you named but another thing that causes conifers to go brown steadily from the bottom is drought. Aphids tend to cause random brown patches all over the plant that gradually merge. Check around the edges of the brown areas with a hand lens to see if you can spot any aphids, if so treat them with Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer. This is a systemic spray that will travel around in plant's sap stream so that any insect sucking the sap is killed. You will need more than one application.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

We have a cherry tree which is planted too close to two very large conifers. It is about 15 foot high is it possible to move it and if so what time of year would be best to move it?

Reg answers:

Hi Keith,

If your cherry tree is 15ft high it is going to be too large to move successfully by conventional means.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I bought a clematis "The President" in the spring. It grew quite well & flowered but ever sine I have had it the leaves keep turning brown, when I asked at gardening show why this was I was told it needed more water, which I have done but no avail please help. Thank you

Reg answers:

Hi Beverley,

Clematis like plenty of food and water if they are to do well. Some of the larger flowered varieties are rather prone to browning of the older foliage later in the summer, particularly when they become water stressed.
I would keep the plant watered, as you have been doing, but add some liquid tomato food, or some liquid seaweed fertiliser, at every watering.
Although you have been paying attention to the watering regime since you were given the advice at the show this will not make the brown leaves become green again, but it should arrest the spread of the browning.
The plant could also be suffering from powdery mildew a fungal disease that, in Clematis, makes affected foliage turn brown. Powdery mildew is more likely to attack plants experiencing water stress, so it can also be watering related. Spraying the plant with a fungicide like Bio dithane 945 will help to prevent the problem spreading to healthy leaves.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

my bourganvillia has been infested with wooly aphid. how do i get rid of it and does it live in the ground or in the root of the plant?

Reg answers:

Hi Sylvia,
The best remedy would be spray your bouganvilliea with Bio Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, as this is a systemic insecticide that will travel around in the sap of the plant killing any insect which sucks the sap.
You may need to apply more than one treatment.
The pest lives solely on the above ground parts of the plant, although there is a separate, somewhat similar looking, insect called a root mealy bug which sometimes appears on the roots.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a cherry tree, a willow tree and two apple trees in my new garden which have not been trimmed for some time. Can I trim then in Autumn?

Reg answers:

Hi Catherine,
The willow and the two apples can be pruned any time between leaf fall and when the buds begin to swell nicely next spring. The cherry tree however would be best left until May/June as the main diseases of cherries can get in through open pruning cuts and these heal much more rapidly when the tree is in active growth.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

My white hydrangea flowers are turning green. Could this be due to the Miracle Grow feed I've been using? We have quite limey soil.

Reg answers:

Hi Elaine,
No this is completely natural. Most white Hydrangeas have either a tint of green or pink in them.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I'm a novice gardener. All my summer bedding plants have died off. What do you recommend I plant to give me some colour from now until the autumn / perhaps into the winter? We have limey soil.

Reg answers:

Hi Elaine,

If you visit a local nursery or garden centre I'm sure that they will have a great array of suitable candidates to choose from, but among the most popular are autumn/winter flowering pansies and wallflowers.
As well as Wallflowers you may well find Sweet Williams, Brompton Stocks and Forget-Me-Nots all of which just sit in the borders over the winter waiting to flower in spring.
There will be lots of spring flowering bulbs too, so mix them in with your displays. I usually plant my pansies in blocks of one colour leaving circular "holes" here and there which I plant with low growing species of tulips.
Nowadays there are so many species of evergreen plants being sold for use in tubs and containers to join pansies in winter schemes, They include blue and green grasses, Sedums, Euonymus,Thymes,winter flowering Heathers - there really is a great choice out there go and have a look.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have 5 yr old victoria plum tree, this year it had good amount of fruit but they were smalll and most of the fruit had small maggots in them, do I need to use a special spray this autumm and why has this happened? Also my pear tree about same age did not blossom or fruit this year.

Reg answers:

Hi,
This has been a good year for the setting of plum blossoms so there has been lots of fruit. This in turn means smaller fruits, particularly if they have not been thinned.
The pest in them is plum moth and one way to reduce attacks next year would be to hang a plum moth trap in your tree. This will attract in male plum moths thus preventing them from mating with the females so no viable eggs will be laid. If you did wish to attempt to spray the tree this should be done after petal fall and repeat it again about 14 days later, using Scotts Bug Clear or Bio Greenfly Killer Plus.
If your pear tree made a lot of growth but did not flower this year in spite of having done so before, this could well be because it was having a "growth year". Pears sometimes do this if conditions were not very good when it was initiating blossoms for this spring.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Dear Reg, I have just bought a Salix Hakuro-nishiki Std tree and would like to put it near my front door which is in light shade for nearly the whole day. Do you think it will be OK in a shady position? Also, are the roots likely to be invasive please? Thanks very much.

Reg answers:

Hi Hayley,

Yes, it should be ok in shade but it does like to be kept moist at the roots and be sheltered from strong winds. It is best to prune the branches back hard in early spring in order to keep really good foliage colour.
I would tend to be a little wary of the roots as the tree is grafted on to a normal willow rootstock and they do have a spreading root system. Have you thought of growing it in a large container? It will be OK if grown in John Innes Compost No3.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

how do I get rid of a wisteria plant that must be at least 30 years old and can't be dug out of the ground ?

Reg answers:

Hi Alan,

Cut the plant off above 30cm (1ft) above the soil and then treat the resulting stump(s) with either Growing Success Deep Root or Dax Root Out.
If you follow the pack instructions this will kill off the stump and the root system but you may have to make more than one application.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hello Reg. I am lucky to be 1/3 owner of a large lake and woodland glade about 1 acre of glade. The area is very overgrown and together with my neighbours we hope to enhance the area with plants and more beatiful trees (acers for colour etc.) Other than flag iris or bullrushes I am uncertain of the types of plants to use to surround the lake. Any ides would be most welcome. Thank you Lynsey

Reg answers:

Hi Lynsey,

This sounds like an interesting project. In this situation I would tend to steer clear of the more highly bred, variegated species used in garden pools and go for ones closer to being natives, as they would blend in better with their surroundings.
Here are some suggestions to go with yours:
Acorus calamus - Sweet Flag.
Alisma plantago - water plaintain.
Butomis umbellatus - flowering rush
Caltha palustris- marsh marigold.
Caltha polypetala - giant marsh marigold 2-3 ft.
Cyperus longus - umbrella grass.
Eriophorum angustifolium - cotton grass.
Mentha aquatica - water mint.
Menyanthes trifoliata - bog bean
Myosotis palustris - water forget-me not.
Ranunculus ligua grandiflora - water buttercup.
Saggitaria sagitifolia - arrowhead.
Sparganium ramosum - bur-reed (this is vigorous but you have room).
Veronica beccabunga - brooklime.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

pauline hayes from royton asks:

how do i look after my cordyline through the winter?

Reg answers:

Hi Pauline,

This should not be too much of a problem particualrly as we seem to be getting a run of milder winters at present.
I would just leave the plant as it is until really cold conditions threaten, then simply scoop the foliage up over the crown of the plant, like a high hairstyle. Tie it in place using strips cut from old nylon stockings or tights as this will not rot or chaff the foliage.
If your Cordyline is in a container move it into a more sheltered position, as there is a danger of the compost freezing if we happen to get 3 or 4 nights of consecutive hard frosts.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Hi Reg, I have recently cut down 18 conifers and I was wondering what would be the easier way to remove stumps and roots?

Reg answers:

Hi Richard,
Really the easiest way to sort out the stumps would be to get in a tree surgeon to grind them into chips using a stump grinder.
Any roots left in the soil will not re-grow but gradually rot away over a period of years.
This will not be the cheapest method but it will be the best as far as time and effort on your part is concerned as stumps are difficult to remove by hand. If they are accessable and you know someone with a J C B that would work well too.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

The onions I have grown from set on my allotment have been affected by a mildew / rot. I am new to the plot and have been told by other tennants that this is common. The onion appears to have a mold between the outer layers. The root is healthy. Red are virtually unaffected, Sturon heavily affected, Snowball destroyed. I sprayed early in the x 2 with Dithane.

Reg answers:

Hi Ian,

I find your question particularly interesting and I would like to hear from you again to check if this really is the problem that you have.
Now, although the fungal disease onion mildew has been very widespread for the last few years, and when I first quickly scanned your message I though that was what your plants were suffering from, on reading it again I'm not so sure.
I think that your plants may have Onion Smudge. This fungal disease was once fairly common but it has not been quite so widespread over the last 15 years or so.
Masses of dark coloured bodies appear beneath the outer bulb scales and are sometimes scattered, although most commonly concentrated in concentric rings in smudge-like spots.
In moist conditions, either in the garden or during storage of the onions, spores appear on the black bodies and the fungus grows into otherwise healthy tissue which becomes tinted by a yellowish staining.
Red onions are virtually immune to the problem.
Is this how your onions look?
Another reason for my thinking that this may be the problem is that it is more likely to appear during warmer periods.
This disease overwinters in the soil and also thrives in moist conditions and chemical treatments have little effect against it.
In my view the best control measures are growing your onions in a different area of the plot - but often allotment plots have the infection all over them - and growing only red onions.
Again, if this is the problem, I would also try making a raised bed on my plot, using timber or breeze blocks for the sides, and filling it with fresh well draining top soil. This will give you a raised bed, providing better drainage,which is isolated from infected soil.
Please let me know if this really is the problem and if not, we will discuss the commoner onion diseases.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

I have a standard variegated willow tree (a japanese sounding name that I have forgotten) that I pruned back hard in March. It made lots of lovely new growth but over recent weeks the leaves are turning brown/black and shrivelling. Tree looks very sad now. How do I cure this or do I just leave till Spring and see what happens?

Reg answers:

Hi Sue,

First of all your tree is called Salix integra "Hakuro Nishiki", and giving the branches a hard prune in early spring is a good way to get the best foliage colour from it.
Now, normally willows are very hardy and difficult to upset but this one can be a little tempremental, particularly if it is not in a sheltered position.
There are two possible reasons for your problem:
1. the tree has simply become too dry at the roots
2. it is being attacked by a fungal disease.
The fungal disease is most likely to attack a plant which has become stressed by lack of water so they are interrelated to some degree.

To sort the situation I would water the tree thoroughly and keep the root system moist afterwards. Maybe laying a mulch - a 2-3 inch deep layer of garden compost or bark- over the surface of the soil after watering may well help to hold in more moisture over a longer period.
Try to collect up all the fallen leaves as they are a source of re-infection and disposed of them in the dustbin.
Treat the foliage with a fungicide such as Bio Dithane 945, giving two applications 10 days apart.
Then next spring treat the foliage with fungicide early on, allowing the leaves to be out and opened up for a few days before making the first treatment, in case the fungus attempts to re-establish itself.
Also next spring feed the tree by giving an application of rose fertiliser in March. This contains a lot of potash an element that will stimulate the plant to resist diseases.
Oh, I have assumed that your tree is planted in the open soil, if it is being grown in container then the feeding programme would be regular liquid feeds, about once a month, using either Phostrogen or a liquid seaweed feed like the ones sold by Maxicrop or Vitax.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

How can I take a cutting from a eucalyptus tree?

Reg answers:

Hi Frederick,

Eucalyptus do not root from cuttings so the usual propagation method is by sowing seeds. These are readily available from most seed companies but certainly Thompson and Morgan Seeds
(www.thompson-morgan.com) and Chiltern Seeds (www.chilternseeds.co.uk) should both have a decent selection available. Bear in mind that they hate root disturbance so they are best sown in individual pots or special deep cells known as rootrainers available from some garden centres or from Two Wests (www.twowests.co.uk).
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Keith Lumley from Doncaster asks:

I had a stags horn tree in the front garden. I cut it down last year and now have shoots coming up through the lawn at a rampant pace. Is there any way of killing off the shoots without damaging the lawn?

Reg answers:

Hi Keith,

The best way to kill off these "suckers" is to paint them with either of these systemic herbicides:
Murphy Tumbleweed Extra Strong Gel or Growing SUccess Deep Root Gel.

Both of these are paint on formulations which means that they can be CAREFULLY APPLIED TO THE SUCKER FOLIAGE ONLY. I find that the best way to achieve this is to get a square of card and make a cut across from one side to the centre, thus enabling the card to be "clipped" around the base of the sucker. This will then shield the grass from comming into contact with the weed killer.
I'm afraid that you will need to make repeated treatments in order to eliminate sucker re-growth.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

My berberis leaves have all been eaten by little looper caterpillars. How do I make sure it doesn't happen again next year?

Reg answers:

Hi Angela,

One of the pests which often lays eggs on berberis that, in turn, result in caterpillars consuming lots of the foliage in a short time is the rose sawfly. Egg laying begins in late May - June and there are two generations per year so your plants were attacked by the second lot.
Control measures consist of :

1 During the autumn/winter keep raking over the soil around the base of the bush, and underneath it as much as you can, in order to expose the pupae of the pest which will be overwintering in the soil. These are much sought after by birds.

2. Next late spring/early summer keep checking the foliage for signs of any new attack and then treat with either Bio Liquid Derris or Scotts Bug Clear as soon as you spot them.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

ONE OF MY CONIFERS IS QUICKLY GOING A YELLOWY BROWN. THIS IS NOW SPREADING EACH WAY ON EITHER SIDE. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO TO STOP THIS?

Reg answers:

Hi Dennis,

If your conifer is going yellowy brown in odd patches the cause is likely to be either conifer aphids - the most likely senario - or conifer mites. In either case the remedy is to treat the trees with Bio Provadi Ultimate Bug Killer, a systemic insecticide that travels around in the sap of the plant so that any insect which sucks the sap is killed.
Try to treat the whole conifer but concentrate on the area immediately surrounding the brown patchs, as this is where the major populations of pests are likely to be found.
With Best Wishes.
Reg.

We have a very mature hydrangea bush which over the years is gradually changing from deep blue to pink. What can we treat the soil with to change it back to the blue colour? Thank you for giving this email your attention.

Reg answers:

Hi Penny,

The product that you need to change the colur of your Hydrangea is called, unsurprisingly, Hydrangea Colourant. There is more than one brand available but I expect that the ones you are most likely to come across are Growing Success Hydrangea Colourant or Vitax Hydrangea Colourant. Both contain powdered alum which enriches the soil with
iron and magnesium, thus influencing the hydrangea flowers to change from pink to blue. Full instructions appear on the packs but bear in mind that you must keep treating the plants regularly or the flower colour will change back.

With Best Wishes,
Reg.

Shiela asks:

Whilst doing some building work, the builder has accidently cut one of the larger roots of a pine tree. We do not want to remove the tree or cut it down. We want to keep the tree and want it to survive. Is there anything we can do to ensure that the tree does not fall or die?

Reg answers:

Hi Sheila,

If the builder has only cut ONE of the larger roots of the pine tree chances are that it will survive well, although of course there is a slightly greater risk of it becoming unstable if you have periods of prolonged strong winds.
To be absolutely certain I would have your pine inspected by a PROPERLY QUALIFIED TREE SURGEON.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

is a monkey tree a ericaceous plant

Reg answers:

Hi Rosa,

Presumably you mean the Monkey Puzzle tree ( Araucaria araucana). It is not an acid loving plant but it does prefer the soil to be on the moist side.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.

LINDA from Thurrock Essex asks:

I have a very large beautiful cedar tree which is ruining the rest of the garden when it drops its needles. I was away for 8 weeks and when I got back the needles were about 4 inches thick on the ground please help. I do not want to have to have it chopped down as my husband suggests.

Reg answers:

Hi Linda,
I'm afraid that there is nothing I can suggest to solve this problem as the tree is just behaving naturally.
With Best Wishes,
Reg.