Q.     MOSS:

I have recently moved to the Lake District and I find that my garden has a lot of moss. When dealing with my borders should I remove the moss and can I compost it without risking spreading the moss or just dump it?

The best place for moss is in the bin if your local council does not ban garden refuse. Do not put moss into your compost the seed spores survive such treatment. Dig a deep hole in a corner of your garden and bury it, is another solution.

Valecroft.

Q.     Does soapy dishwater hurt vegetable gardens? The way this house is, the kitchen sink drains into a field, which is where I want to start my vegetable garden.

I don't know how to answer this question, but when you see all the chemicals fed to and sprayed on to commercial vegetables, soapy water doesn't sound too dangerous. Valecroft.

Q.     I have a LEMON BUSH in a conservatory with masses of flower, but as the fruits set and start to swell they turn yellow and drop off. What do I need to do to get them to develop successfully? Regards

Lemons need warmth and light plus an acid soil and must be fed with an acid fertiliser as for azaleas, heather's, etc. if you re-pot use a mixture of peat and sandy soil. A yearly application of a tablespoonful of Epsom salts will correct magnesium deficiency, which is a major cause of yellowing leaves and fruit drop. Spider mites, mealy bugs and scale insects are major pests. Place an insect sticky trap, widely available, within the plant foliage to catch them. Valecroft

Q.     I live in the northeast, Niagara Falls. If PERENNIALS are planted in outdoor containers in the spring will they become hearty enough to survive the winter, or is it necessary to bring the containers in each fall? If I must bring the containers in, what care do they need throughout the winter months? Thank you,

The weak spot with perennials in containers is that the frost kills the root system. The top of the plant can withstand the weather but not the roots, which are frozen though the side of the pot. If you wish to leave the plants outdoors wrap some form of insulating material around the pot for the winter. Valecroft.

Q.     Having found that the CEDRUS DEODORA can grow to 90ft. and as I do not have a large garden I have dug it up and put it in a large pot. So far it seems happy, can it stay there or should I find someone with a suitable garden to adopt it? Chris

Planting the big cedars in large pots does restrict the growth, and if it's in a pot you can always give it away, or sell it, at a later date when it gets too big. Definitely a no-no for a small garden. Will need plenty of food. Valecroft

Q.     I recently planted a border of MARIGOLD plants and heavily mulched the area with cedar mulch. Within 2 weeks, every marigold has turned black and I am assuming is dead. I want to have marigolds and I would like to mulch to keep down the weeds. Should I have used a different type of mulch?

Cedar mulch does contain resins and acids best kept away from tender bedding plants, but at least one plant should have survived. It is still fairly early in the year for planting out and your description of every plant going black sounds more like frost damage to me. Valecroft

Q.     Please let me know what is the best way to get rid of grass in a plant bed. The landscape company, which maintains our community's property accidentally, planted grass (from grass seed) in my enclosed garden bed. Now I have an area full of grass instead of earth for planting veggies and flowers. I don't want to do anything, which could harm future plantings. Thanks,

You can deep dig the plot the grass will decay if buried, recommended, or you can spray with a general herbicide. Buy an herbicide that is claimed to degrade on contact with the soil these leave no residue to kill your later plantings.

Q.     Why is it that our lawn seems to take such a beating from our two dogs compared to our neighbours? The yellow spots seem to be almost impossible to keep up with this year. I had the gardener turn the soil over in the worst (1 ft diameter) spots, throwing some seed and top soil on to try and stimulate growth. However, it does not seem to be growing back very rapidly. Are there any other tricks of the trade to consistently combat this problem -and - when it does occur, what's the best way to heal the spots and regrow the grass? Many thanks in advance for your response.

Lawn troubles. I would say that your lawn is infested with SOD WEBWORMS or white grubs, both are moth caterpillars, the parent moths can be seen fluttering about when you mow the lawn. There are control products widely available, read the label on the pack for application. If your lawn is a utility area and not grown for beauty of the grass have you considered laying Astro Turf, plastic grass.

Q.     My CANNAS are coming up well, but are being broken off at the base (just at or below ground level). The leaves aren't crushed or eaten. Is there some pest or something that would do this, or do I just have some critters walking through? It's happened to at least 4 or 5 of my new plants while they are 3-8 inches high. It has been rainy.

CUTWORMS also known as ARMY WORMS are attacking your cannas. They are actually the caterpillars of a moth. There are control powders and sprays widely available. Read the label on the package. Valecroft

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Q.     I live in zone 9 on the coast in S.C. In Late March, the flower buds on my flowering CRAB APPLE tree began to open. At this time we had 2 nights of 23-degree temps. This froze the flower buds and they fell off. At the time, I wondered whether this would affect the leaf growth. Now it is May and there are no new leaves coming and the tree is bare. The ends of the branches are beginning to die. Will the tree make it without the leaves for food? Can I help it by pruning and/or feeding it? Please advise; it is a lovely tree when healthy Thank you. Tina

Give the tree a high nitrogen fertiliser and water well; this should encourage the tree to produce new leaf buds further down the branches. Do not prune until you can establish how much of the tree is dead. Valecroft

Q.     I planted 3 plants of PAMPAS GRASS last summer now this spring it looks like only one is growing. Are they supposed to come back each year? I didn't cut the grass off till this spring then I only cut it about 6 inches from the ground. What did I do wrong?

The crowns of pampas grass are easily frozen; do not cut down before winter. Only remove dead growth in the spring, by pulling out not cutting, when you can see new shoots.

Q.     My MORNING GLORY seedlings tendrils became all tangled. Is it okay to cut then about six inches from top of the leaves and plant them out? Will they continue to grow even though the tendrils are cut? Thanks,

Your morning glories will send out side shoot from leaf joints and continue as before. So cutting off the tendrils should cause no permanent damage. Valecroft.

Q.     My question is about my garden soil which I believe is of the heavy clay type, hard when dry and can be almost moulded when wet. I live on the east coast / Lincolnshire and would appreciate your advice on how best to improve the quality of the soil so as to make it more workable or what plants would be best suited to these conditions thank you

You have the type of soil most gardeners would kill for. Always dig over the plot in autumn in order to let winter frost break up the lumps into a fine tilth. A generous application of hydrated lime will, by chemical action, coagulate the clay into small lumps. Heavy clay soil needs plenty of lime. Valecroft

Q.     I have a question regarding my grass. Around the area where we keep our pool (small pool 15'x4' that we take down during the winter) there are holes in the ground that are about the size of a pencil. They look like plugs of grass and dirt have just been taken out of the ground. These holes were not there when we took the pool down last autumn, I have just recently noticed them. I was hoping that I could get some insight from you, and maybe get a solution to the problem. I live in the mid section of Indiana, if that may have a bearing on things. Any other info you may need I would be happy to supply. Thank you in advance.

The holes you refer to are most likely caused by birds digging out white grubs, the larvae of JAPANESE BEETLES, where the ground is soft. White grubs are a pest in lawns so best dug out. Valecroft

Q.     We live in South of France and wisteria that we planted last year flowered briefly last summer. We pruned it lightly and over the winter it appeared as if it might have died. However over the past few weeks it has "exploded" but only with green leaves and we can see no sign if flowers. Will it ever flower again? Thank you

WISTERIA is a very sensitive plant and are best left un-pruned, and only pruned when you can no longer get into your house or see out of your windows. In the early years flowering is very erratic. If your wisteria is the blue variety it is grafted on to a white rootstock. Cut off any new shoots growing from the base of the plant, these will be white suckers and will overwhelm the blue. Valecroft

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Q.     I have a BAMBOO in a pot, which has been happily growing now for 3 years. About now it usually starts to grow new leaves and branches but this year all I see is what resembles grass seed heads. Is this the flower of the Bamboo or is it past it's best.

If your bamboo is outside the roots could have been frozen through the sides of the pot. The flowers usually appear higher up the cane so what you have in the pot could be grass. Leave it for a while see what happens. Sorry I can't help you more. Valecroft

Q.     Wondering if you can help me here. I bought my house about 2 years ago. The previous owner left a kids sandbox that is about 6 feet square. The Sand box was constructed with 2" x 10" boards. Last weekend I dug out the and with the idea of just getting rid of the thing and growing grass over it. Then I thought that since I don't have a lot of flat ground in my yard, that the sand-box would make a great raised bed for growing a few tomato plants and such. The problem is that I think the boards used are pressure treated lumber. I filled the void after I removed the sand with a combination of peat moss, compost from the yard and some of the sand. The mixture looks like it would good enough to grow things in. I'm worried about that lumber though. I've heard that pressure treated lumber contains arsenic and I wonder if any of it has leeched (leached?) into the ground. Do you think plants grown there would be safe for consumption?

When we install raised beds for clients we always line the inside of the timber with black plastic. This stops any chemicals from the wood affecting the plants and it also stops the wet soil rotting the wood. Valecroft.

Q.     Can I plant morning glories and climbing small tomatoes in the same planter box or will they choke each other? The morning glories will go on either side of the trellis and the tomatoes in the middle portion will that be OK? Thank you

You can grow morning glory and tomatoes together. The only trouble is you have a conflict of interest if you grow in the same container. The tomatoes need very rich soil to produce fruit, morning glory need very poor soil, in fact will not flower at all in rich soil. Therefore you need to plant the tomatoes and morning glory in separate containers in your planter box. Watch out for black aphids on morning glory, can affect the tomatoes. Valecroft.

Q.     Hello, I have had a fantastic winter-flowering VIOLA basket, which has been in bloom since October and is just starting to lose some of its flowers (May). Will it finish now? - Or with the right care and conditions can I keep it going through the summer and into next Autumn/Winter? Many thanks, Lisa

You can keep winter flowering viola from year to year, the trouble is, in the hot summer sun they grow very long and leggy and are often subject to attack from various leaf virus and blight moulds, which often leaves a very poor plant by autumn. So not really worth the bother. The plant you buy in autumn is treated with a growth retardant, which keeps the plant compact for a few months. Valecroft.

Q.     Hi, I have just found that a bag of GARDEN LIME has burst in the garden shed. The bag was there before we moved in. I don't want to waste it - why would I put it on my garden?? What use is it?

Lime raises the Ph level in the soil, e.g. makes the soil more alkaline. The majority of plants will not grow successfully if the soil is too acid. However there are some acid loving plants. Rainwater makes the soil acid over time so a regular application of lime is necessary. Soil testing kits are widely available at retail outlets. Valecroft.

Q.     How come my LILAC TREE doesn't bloom it is very healthy looking it is 6 or 7 feet tall but it never blooms Thanks Ruth

Lilac should bloom almost anywhere. The only thing that occurs to me is that the soil is too acid. Try a generous amount of garden lime around the plant, to make the soil more alkaline. Valecroft.

Q.     Dear Valecroft Last autumn I bought a Pieris' Forest Flame'. I planted it in well-drained soil in a south facing position. It looked really healthy and was beautiful in the spring, but when the leaves started to turn pale green they began to go 'rusty' at the tips. I live just a few miles from the North Norfolk coast - do you think it could be the salty air! I'd so much like to replace it with same, but am worried this will happen again. Please, please help if you can. Many thanks Liz

Your PIERIS is most likely suffering from too much drainage and lack of acid soil. Pieris is a forest floor plant and likes shaded areas with wet acid soil. Place plenty of peat around the plant; keep damp and feed with an acid fertiliser. Valecroft.

Many thanks Liz

Q.     We have two DOGWOOD trees, one didn't flower so our son bought us another a couple of years later and it doesn't flower. Why? They are healthy but only get leaves not flowers. We have a lot of trees around the area. Would appreciate any information you can give us on our problem. Thank you.

Dogwood are a forest floor tree and need damp conditions and plenty of rotting vegetation, a liberal amount of peat around the base of the tree will meet this last requirement. At leaf opening time dogwood need lots of water and plenty of acid fertiliser. Lastly be patient some trees take quite a while to settle in. Valecroft.

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Q.     I have a clump of Lilly of the Valley that has grown for quite a long time. Now the leaves and stems are growing completely white. Can you please give an explanation for this? Regards Sue

Most likely potato eelworm, a soil borne disease, there is little you can do about it. Try moving the plants to a fresh area in the autumn. Valecroft

Q.     Hi, I'm Ginnie and I live in Long Beach, California. I need to know what kind of a perennial to use on a TRELLIS that is easy to care for, takes full sun, and smells really great with as many pretty blooms as possible. Is there such a thing?? Ginnie

I would recommend the following three climbers, one of each planted on the same trellis. All are heavily scented and will cover the summer and autumn seasons. Stephanotis Floribunda large waxy white flowers: Honeysuckle Periclymenum Serotina, red flowers: Jasmine Officinale, thousands of tiny white flowers. Valecroft.

Q.     HELP I am completely new to gardening and I have a large green trellis that hangs on a brick side of my house. I would like to plant something with the following characteristics... Something that will grow up the TRELLIS rather quickly - I like instant gratification. Something that will flower all or most of the summer - not just for 2 or 3 weeks. I would love something that has a dark purple flower but will settle for any color except orange. It has to be able to survive the winter months in New Jersey I also need to know how far away from the brick wall to plant and how far the plants should be spaced from each other. In addition. Do I need to attach the plant to the trellis somehow? I hear climbing roses might do the trick, but there are so many varieties of them. Do these grow quickly? I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. THANKS. Randi

Try any of the following flowering climbers. Campsis Radicans trumpet creeper; Clematis Montana; Hydrangea Petiolaris; Honeysuckle Heckrottii; two good fast growing vines with little flower. Virginia creeper; Boston ivy; both with autumn leaf colour. Roses, buy perpetual flowering varieties. Do not plant any too close to the wall, plant about three feet apart, roses will need tying to the trellis, all need copious feeding with artificial fertiliser or horse manure or farmyard manure, readily available bagged at garden centres, etc. Valecroft.

Q.     A quick question. Do cucumber plants ALSO need cutworm collars like the tomato plants do? Bonnie

A quick answer, definitely yes. Valecroft.

Q.     I planted a ROBINIA tree about 4 years ago and it has always grown until this year. It now seems to be dead. I have done nothing different this year than any other, (it is planted near a conifer hedgerow if) I'm concerned in case the same happens to a replacement. Aidan

Robinia are usually grafted to a rootstock and sometimes for no apparent reason the graft fails and the plant dies. Valecroft.

Q.     I would like to divide various bulbs. Should I wait until fall to replant or is it OK to do it now?

(We live in a mild winter, warm summer area)

Wait until fall, the bulbs need the summer to replace the energy used producing flowers. This energy replacement will not happen if you disturb the roots now. Valecroft.

Q.     Can you tell me why my AZALEA (Jap) Madame A van Hecke doesn't flower? Some three years ago I moved it to its present place, which is sheltered and faces north. In its first year it began to show colour in its buds but they never opened, since then it has not even produced buds just foliage.

You may have planted your azalea in soil with to high an alkaline level, azaleas need acid soil. Correct by spreading copious amounts of peat around the plant also feed with special fertiliser for acid loving plants. This is widely available. Valecroft.

Q.     I bought a small blueberry plant almost two months ago. It already had about 10 ripening blueberries on it at that time. I transplanted my store bought plant into a home garden container right away; placed it in the full sun next to my tomato plants and a few days later as the blueberries began to ripen the birds got to them before I could get to them. Since then, I've been waiting for more flowers, buds, or fruit to appear. Nothing has happened in over a month...except for very little light green small leaves sprouting. It seems to be growing very slowly. Is this normal? Is it going dormant before producing more berries? I've only seen the original ten blueberries. The plant is about one foot tall. Does it take awhile between batches of blueberries to appear or do I have a sick plant? How many blueberries and how often can I expect this plant to produce providing it's healthy and not on the verge of dying? The other leaves look pretty good except for a few with black spots on them.

BLUEBERRIES are a seasonal plant; according to zone they have berries May and June. A more mature plant will have berries over a greater period. Next year put bird netting over the plant at berry time. The black spots could be fungal growth, not a big problem, but if it goes worse spay with a systemic fungicide. Read the instructions on the label. Valecroft.

Q.     PANSIES Are you supposed to deadhead pansies? This is my first time growing them and I'm not sure.

Yes, you must remove the seed heads, the seeds take all the plant's energy and this stops flower production. Also liquid feed encourages flower production, read the label. Valecroft

Q.     I particularly like the white ARUM LIILES but unfortunately the flower does not grow through - I just get the foliage. Could you tell me why this might be and if there is anything I can do?

Many thanks

Arum lilies need re-potting every autumn with peat rich compost; they are gross feeders and need liquid feed after flower time to encourage the bulb to grow the flower bud for next year. If you live in a zone where you can grow arum lilies outdoors simply move them to a new situation. Valecroft.

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