大象传媒

Eric Robson is in the chair for this week's programme from Dalston. Pippa Greenwood, Christine Walkden and Matthew Wilson join him to answer the audience questions.

Produced by Darby Dorras.
Assistant Producer: Claire Crofton.

A Somethin' Else production for 大象传媒 Radio 4

This week's questions and answers:

Q. I've got a five-year-old dwarf apple tree which is now leaning over and I'm wondering what kind of strap I can use to support it? We've tried rubber straps, but they've snapped.

A. Matthew suggests staking the tree quite low down so that it can flex and strengthen. Try a dead-anchor - this is four stakes driven into the ground around the root ball. Fix stout timbre boards to the top of those stakes so that they hold the root plate in the ground. Or you can use an underground anchor system of wires and a ratchet. To start, you could just use a couple of stakes and make sure they are facing into the wind and then double up with a good quality rubber tie. Christine suggests using tights. Pippa suggests using really good quality rope threaded through a garden hose.

Q. How can you grow and keep Celeriac reliably.

A. Start it off in January, under heat, in as long a container as possible to minimise root disturbance, use a soil based material - a John Innes number two with 15% grit added. Make sure the plants are kept moist. Really good weed control is also important.

Q. Does the panel think it's an old gardeners' tale that putting soot on onion beds makes them grow better?

A. The panel think that it is a bit of a myth but if your soil is light, it can be useful to help the soil absorb more warmth.

Q. I have a Hydrangea Petiolaris on an east-facing wall and I'd like to grow something through it when it's passed its best. What would the panel recommend?

A. Matthew says make sure its well established before you grow something up it as anything vigorous would strangle it. Give it some love before planting through it. Annual mulching in spring or even a slow releasing fertiliser would help it. Pippa suggests foliar feeding as this stimulates extra root growth. Christine suggests planting a Clematis Alpina a couple of metres away and growing it horizontally into the Hydrangea so that you're not disturbing the roots.

Q. Last year I read about a Daphne that has a wonderful smell and flowers all year long. I bought six, gave four to friends and kept two for myself. The ones I gave away have flourished, but mine have died. I planted them in clay pots and watered well, but not too much. I put them against a west-facing wall. The leaves yellowed and dropped off. They died within a few weeks. What did I do wrong?

A. Daphnes like a humus rich woodland soil, so if you had light compost with high levels of coir they wouldn't have been happy. Daphnes also like neutral to acidic soil. They also like a degree of shade, so perhaps they got too warm. Daphnes are also prone to attack by spider mite.

Q. I've grown Aubergines in the greenhouse for many years with success. This year the plants grew well in the house before I put them in the greenhouse at the end of May. Then they stopped growing despite no inclement weather or late frosts. The Tomatoes, Peppers and Cucumbers just grew normally but the Aubergine's roots just didn't develop properly. I gave a friend some of the plants to put in his greenhouse and he had the same problem.

A. Perhaps they got too damp or they had root rot or some kind of virus. Next year use a fresh packet of seeds and watch out for aphids and whitefly.

Q. How long does it take for grass turfs to break down? What can they be used for once broken down?

A. They take anything between six and twelve months to break down depending on the soil type and composition of the turf. Stack it turf to turf. If it's warm and moist break down will be faster. It can be used as potting compost or seed compost.

Q. I planted a weeping ash about eight years ago. One section is great and is six feet tall and weeping while the other half has gone straight up and is fourteen foot high. When can I cut the vertical part?

A. The trick is to get it out as soon as possible but it's never too late, it might just look a little odd and there will be a sizable wound. Wait until it's in leaf in the spring.

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