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The
man who always has the answer for gardeners with a problem, Reg
Moule has been a popular voice on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Gloucestershire for
many years.
Now
Reg is available to answer your gardening questions online - and
his latest batch answers gardening queries from as far afield as
New York, Baltimore and Austria!
Ask
Reg your gardening question
AUGUST
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
Amanda
White asks:
We have a 4 year old hornbeam hedge that we have never trimmed it
stretches the length of our garden (80ft). Both me and my partner
are novice gardeners so would like advice as to when and how to
trim it as at the moment it seems to be growing rather tall (approx.
3 foot) and we would like to be able to get it to be a little bushier.
Reg
answers:
Hornbeam is a lovely beech like hedge, it is often used instead
of beech where the soil is heavy as id does well under these conditions.
The best time to trim would be anytime now towards the end of the
summer into the autumn. If you wanted to bring the height down I
would cut the leading shoots back in October.
Ìý
Ray
asks:
Dear Reg, I have two good sized dicksonia Antarctica tree ferns,
they produced a profusion of growth crosiers last year and were
well protected during last winter, however this year so far only
one has produced any crosiers, the other one has no sign of life
as yet. What can I do to jolt this tree into life? in and around
the centre of the crown there is signs of green. Help!
Reg
answers:
If
your Dicksonias were bought as new plants last year, the reason
could well be that they often produce really large fronds during
the first year after being reawakened from dormant "logs",
while in the second year the fronds are much smaller. Another common
reason for slow or small frond production is too little moisture
at the crown as Dicksonias benefit from being watered into the crown
of the plant as well as down the stem. Another way to help to get
the fronds moving more quickly would be to give them a foliar feed
using a natural liquid seaweed feed such as those sold by Maxicrop
or Vitax. Try a couple of applications about 10 days apart, as unlike
most common hardy ferns tree ferns appreciate being fed.
Ìý
Frank
from the USA asks:
How can I change my hydranger flower colours from light blue and
pinkish blue to dark blue?
Reg
answers:
Suitable varieties of Hydrangea can have their flower colour manipulated
by altering the pH levels around the plant. Where the soil is alkaline
the blooms are more pink, while under acid conditions they turn
blue. What you need to do is apply a product called Hydrangea Colourant,
this is widely available here in the UK under the Garowing Success
and Vitax brands, but I expect there are similar products on sale
in the US Otherwise make the soil more acid by adding a product
containing sequestered iron, but Hydrangea colourant would be a
cheaper alternative - it contains powdered alum.
Ìý
Simone
Lester asks:
I have a leylandii hedge and recently the foliage has started dying
(turning rust coloured). This is happening to the branches at the
centre of the tree and the tops and extremities seem OK. Is this
a form of canker and how can I treat it?
Reg
answers:
Does
this mean that the outer parts of the hedge are still green and
looking OK but when you part the outer foliage and look inside the
foliage has turned brown? If so this is quite normal and nothing
to worry about. You see, as the hedge grows and become more dense
the light is prevented from reaching the inner foliage which then
dies and turns brown. If this is not the case please e-mail me again.
Ìý
Jed
Lewis asks:
We are moving to a bungalow with a leylandii hedge that is made
up of about 40 trees around 15-20ft high. We wish to get rid of
them. How is the best way of disposing of them?
Reg
answers:
Well
really the best thing to do would be to cut them down and get the
debris carted away in a series of skips. I doubt if your local bye-laws
would allow you to burn the branches on a bonfire. The stumps of
conifer trees do not re-grow again so you would not need to treat
them with a stump killer, but one of the best ways to remove them
would be to get a tree surgeon to come round and destroy them with
a stump grinder. Otherwise you would have to dig them out in order
to dispose of them. When cutting the trees down the job is best
done in stages rather than attempting to fell the whole tree at
once.
Ìý
Faye
Holt asks:
Callistemon citrinus. Can you possibly tell me if I can root this
bush from a cutting and how to go about it. I've searched the internet,
but I haven't found the answers I'm seeking yet. Thanks for your
help.
Reg
answers:
Callistemon
can be propagated by either soft tip cuttings taken during the summer
or, I feel more successfully, by semi-ripe cuttings from late July
- mid September. I would go for short side shoots 6-8 cm long just
pulled gently off the parent plant with a portion of the parent
stem still attached. These are known as "heel cuttings"
and they tend to root well as there is a good congregation of hormones
present where the shoot joins the older stem. After removal trim
off the tail of bark that is probably still hanging on to the bottom
of "heel", strip the leaves off the lower half of the
cutting and then dip the base in rooting hormone. Now fill a 9cm
pot with a 50/50 mix of multipurpose compost and either horticultural
grit or perlite and inset the cuttings around the edge of the pot
and then water them well. Place the pot inside a sealed polythene
bag in a shaded spot out in the garden or in a heated propagator.
Check them regularly and they should take a few weeks to root.
Ìý
Linda
Noble asks:
I have four hydrangeas in my garden in different locations, only
one flowers but all the rest look healthy?
Reg
answers:
There are several possibilities here. One could be pruning have
you cut the non-flowering ones back hard last year? If so that will
have removed the flower buds. Are the non- flowering ones in more
exposed positions where frost could have killed the flower buds.
Make sure that the non -flowering plants are kept well watered particularly
at the late summer and early autumn period when they will be thinking
about initiating flower buds. If you would like to do something
now, late summer, try feeding the non-bloomers with sulphate of
potash, about a handful to the sq. yd. or sq. m. This will help
to curb any excessive growth and encourage the plants to flower.
Ìý
Robert
Crittle from France asks:
This year my cabbages (brussels sprouts, savoy, cauliflour, summer
cabbage), were all infested with cabbage root fly. Can you tell
me if there is any chemical still available that would get rid of
these pests?
Reg
answers:
Well
Robert I am certain that there are no chemical controls available
in the U.K. but what is still sold in France I'm not so sure about.
Really the pesticide regulations should be the same throughout the
European Union but some countries put a bit of their own spin on
things. One method of control that you could adopt is using brassica
collars. These are circles or squares, of a material like lino which
must be about 4 in across, or there is a company that sells them
as Fyba Brassica Collars.These are place around the base of the
plants as soon as you put them in and they prevent the fly from
laying eggs at the base of the plants.
Ìý
Liz
asks:
Why is my hydrangea producing smaller different flowers in the middle
of the head?
Reg
answers:
What we often think of as being the Hydrangea flower is in fact
a large group of individual flowers all massed together. Some species
have separate fertile and sterile flowers grouped together in the
same flower head and this is the difference that you have potted.
The larger flowers are the sterile ones and they are often found
around the outside of the cluster while the smaller fertile flowers
are grouped together on the inside of the cluster.So your plant
is just behaving normally.
Ìý
Kent
Hedley asks:
How do I rid my lawn of clover?
Reg
answers:
Clovers have been very hard to kill in lawns for many years, in
fact ever since ioxonyl was banned way back about 18 years ago.
However the good news is that last year a new ingredient was introduced
called fluroxypyr, which is excellent against difficult lwan weeds
such as clovers. It is one of the ingredients in Scott's Verdone
Extra and Vitax Lawn Clear so those are the products to loo out
for, but treat the lawn before the end of September for the best
results. Remember that lawn weed killers should not be used in periods
of drought.
Ìý
Pat
Dean asks:
I have a 2ft stephanots plant I keep in the conservatory covered
loosely when the sun is out with cream cotton it is starting to
look lifeless one stem died so I cut it off what type of feed do
you recommend and how often should I feed and water it
Reg
answers:
The
plant will require watering regularly, the best way to test is to
push your finger down into the compost to the depth of your nail
and see if the tip is moist when you pull it back out. Check this
every other day in the summer and every 4 days in the winter. The
plant will require less water between October and March than it
will during the active growing periods April - September. I would
feed during the active growing period using liquid tomato fertiliser
once every 10 days, and give a dose of sequestered iron if the foliage
begins to turn yellow. I would also check the compost for white
"C" shaped grubs with darker heads, these are vine weevil
larvae which eat the plant roots and can cause wilting. If they
are present treat the compost with Bio Provado Vine Weevil Killer.
Ìý
Eleanor
King asks:
My bamboo is throwing out roots everywhere. What is the best way
of controlling it, please?
Reg
answers:
Unfortunately this what many of the bamboo species do as part of
their natural growth, as they have a "suckering" or "running"
habit. Once you have them planted in the garden there is little
that you can do except keep digging out the offending suckers. If
possible you could dig a trench around the edge of the rootball,
about a spade's depth deep and a little wider. As the bamboo spreads
by creeping rhizomes that are only inches below the surface checking
the tench regularly will reveal any new rhizomes attempting to cross
the trench enabling you to cut them off. Another possibility might
be to contact a specialist supplier of exotic like Mulu Nurseries
of Whickhamford, Nr Evesham Worcs. to see if they stock any of the
new Dutch root barrier material that can be buried in the soil around
the roots to restrict there spread. I do not know of any Garden
Centres that stock this new product at the moment.
Ìý
Irene
Wilding asks:
This is the third year that my two hydranger plants have not flowered,
they are full of lovely green leaves and look very healthy, I have
fed and watered them all the time moved them around on the patio,
and put them in larger pots, as I bought them for the colour to
brighten up the patio.I don't really want them just as a bush!!!
Reg
answers:
I think
that you are just treating them too well and potting them on into
bigger pots was probably the biggest mistake. You see when plants
are being well cared for in pots they will keep growing as long
as possible to make themselves in big strong plants in case any
bad conditions come along. If they are allowed to fill the pot with
roots then they think about blooming. So keep them in the pots ,
water them but do not use any fertiliser on them unless you would
like to give them a handful of sulphate of potash in late August.
This regime should help to get them blooming.
Jeremy
James asks:
I wish to lay lawn and a flower/shrub border on an area that has
had gravel at about 4 inches deep on it for about 5 years. The ground
is hard and flattened and I suspect may have building materials
in it. What preparation will this ground need prior to planting
and laying turf? Thanks
Reg
answers:
The
best idea would be to dig, or rotovate, the area thoroughly and
incorporate some organic matter, like well rotted manure. Good digging
should lead to the discovery of most of the rubble or other buried
debris.
Ìý
Kenny
McDowell asks:
We have just planted a Laburnum tree about two months ago. The bottom
leaves have all gone yellow and are easy to break off. I live by
the sea. Could this be the problem?
Reg
answers:
Although
Laburnums are not the longest lived of trees they are quite hardy
and will adapt themselves to most situations, so I doubt if the
coastal location will be a big problem as long as you do not live
directly adjacent to the sea.
I suspect
that the problem could well be that the root ball has been allowed
to become dry because although the tree is planted in the soil the
roots have not had sufficient time to grow out of the tight root
ball, as it was originally confined in the pot.
Ìý
Linda
Graul asks:
I have a Hdrangea plant in my yard. The first year it bloomed beautifully.
The last two years I have had no flowers. It looks healthy WHY?
Reg
answers:
I think this is because the plant has been busy growing and establishing
itself in your garden. Give it a dressing of sulphate of potash
in late August and keep the roots moist, they will bloom when they
have settled down. Do not prune them hard.
Ìý
Mohammed
Hanif asks:
I have ant type insect attacking my small conifers and some have
dried up. There are some ant nests near my plants and I have tried
nippon powder but with no positive results. Please recommend something!
Reg
answers:
Are the ants climbing into the conifers and are there brown areas
appearing among the conifer foliage? If so the ants are being attracted
to the cypress aphids that are attacking your conifers. Treat the
trees with Bio Provad Ultimate Bug Killer, a systemic insecticide
that will travel around the system of the plant killing any insect
that sucks the sap or bites the plant.Repeat the dose after about
14 days.
To
kill ants efficiently you need to locate the nest and them treat
that. Scott's Ant Stop does a good job or there are now biological
pest control nematodes suitable for killing out ants nests. Visit
www.greengardener.co.uk for
details.
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is not responsible for the
content of external websites.
Ìý
Oonagh
Gray asks:
we are building a house in our garden for out retirement. I want
a rill along the front with a bridge over to front door. We have
a large cherry tree nearby. My husband reckons the rill will get
clogged with leaves. Advice please!
Reg
answers:
Yes, he is quite right the rill will get clogged with leaves in
the autumn, unless you take steps to keep them out. Temporarily
covering the rill with pool cover netting or other close mesh netting
from about early October until most of the foliage has fallen should
do the trick. Remember to rake up all the fallen leaves from the
surrounding area too as they may well get blown into the rill as
time goes on.
Ìý
Sian
Webb asks:
When do I prune a walnut tree?
Reg
answers:
There is no regular pruning regime for walnuts and really they are
best left to their own devices as they are prone to bleed if pruned
at the wrong time. If pruning must be carried out the best time
to do the job is over the period from midsummer to just before midwinter,
as this is when the tree is not likely to bleed sap from the wound.
If you have to remove an entire branch make sure that the collar
(a definite ring of cells that encircle the branch just after it
emerges from the trunk) is left intact. As I wrote before if ti
is not essential do not prune at all.
Ìý
Sue
Baxter asks:
We have rings of dying grass on the lawn with small brown mushrooms
growing in them.Some one described them as Fairy rings? It seems
to be spreading across the rest of the green and healthy lawn. The
lawn has been moss raked in Spring and feed during the growing season.
Can you help?
Reg
answers:
If you can see definite circles or crescents of dying grass with
the toadstools present, then one of the species of fairy ring fungi
is likely to be the cause.The actual fungus rarely attacks the grass
directly, as it lives on the debris, or thatch, which collects among
the bases of the grass plants, but it does produce substances that
make the soil waterproof. This means that the grass beings to deteriorate
and die due to lack of water.There is no chemical treatment approved
for use against fairy rings and the conventional advice to dig out
the infected soil to the depth of 1ft (30cm), as well as digging
out to the distance of 1ft (30cm) beyond the outer edge of the ring
to the same depth and then carefully disposing of it, is unlikely
to be effective.I have had some success by using a method employed
Victorian gardeners involving watering on sulphate of iron. First
you spike the affected area, concentrating on the outer edge of
the ring and an area ift (30cm) beyond it using a garden fork. Be
sure to take this directly to a path nearby and wipe the tines with
a solution of disinfectant. Then soak the spiked area using a solution
of 3 oz sulphate of iron and a dessert spoonful of washing up liquid
mixed into 2 galls of water. Apply this via a watering can at the
rate of 1 gall. per sq. yd. Collecting up the toadstool preferably
before they open fully will also help, the collected toadstools
can be disposed of in the dustbin.
Keeping
the grass well fed and scarifing the lawn well in late September
to remove the debris will also help.
Watch
out for more questions and answers in September!
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can submit your questions to Reg by clicking
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Reg
Moule has been solving gardening problems for years. Now he's answering
your gardening questions from across the world! 
