大象传媒

Eric Robson hosts the horticultural panel programme from the Sandringham Estate. Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood and Anne Swithinbank join the panel to answer the local audience's questions.

Produced by Darby Dorras.
Assistant Producer: Hannah Newton.

A Somethin' Else Production for 大象传媒 Radio 4.

1.Q. I have a Cobnut bush that is about fifteen years old. It usually produces a good crop but last year each nut collected had a small hole in it and nothing inside. What has happened?
A. This sounds like a weevil. There is not much you can do but hope this year is weevil free.

2. Q. Can the panel outline the advantages and disadvantages of grafting different species of Apple onto one rootstock?
A. It's a brilliant idea but quite often one species will be more vigorous than the other. The advantage is that if it did work, you would have a varied crop of apples without taking up too much space. The disadvantage is that different species require different pruning routines and this can get complicated. There are ways of training apple trees to allow you to have a range of varieties without taking up too much room and without the hassle of grafting.

3. Q. What mix of planting medium would the panel recommend for wooden planting tubs? We want to grow Roses, Clematis, annuals and bulbs. Also, would the panel recommended complete replenishment or a regular top-up dressing?
A. Use a mixture; half of your own good compost and half a proprietary mix. But if you don't have your own compost, you could use a soil conditioner and good topsoil. Make a mix; one third John Innes number two, one third soilless potting compost and one third grit. Periodically dig half of it up and replace it with new compost and churn it through. Completely replace the soil every five or ten years. Be wary of plating a Clematis there, it might not do so well.

4. Q. What can I plant that will give me colour all year round? I have heavy soil that gets waterlogged easily and the area in question is small and shady.
A. Drymis Aramatica 'Suzette' has lots of different leaf colours and red shoots. Variegated Pieris is also colourful and you can under plant it with bulbs.

5. Q. How should I feed Alstroemerias and should large clumps be divided?
A. Just mulch them (with rotted garden compost) and give them a couple of liquid feeds but if they look as if they need more you could give them a slow release fertiliser in the spring. You could use a high-potash liquid feed to encourage flowering. Don't worry about splitting the clumps until they get bigger. Check the plants for viruses as they are particularly prone.

6. Q. Is it okay to keep taking runners to replace old strawberry plants or is it better to buy new plants that have been grown from seed?
A. It is good to replace the strawberries, and make sure to buy certified plants and put them into fresh soil to avoid viruses.

7. Q. Why are my Agapanthus stems curly?
A. This could be a virus and if that is the case you will see flecks of cream in the leaves. Otherwise, this might be due to pest damage.