ASK MONTY

Q I have a mahonia planted close to my bungalow. Will the roots damage the building?

A People get very anxious about this but it is not a problem save with certain trees like large willows or ash — even then, only on certain soil types. Relax and enjoy your mahonia!

Q For my compost bin, I’ve used woody material layered with soft material, a compost accelerator and turned it all, but nothing works. What’s wrong?

A Do not build the compost in layers but mix it all up as you go. Fill the bin to the top, leave it for three weeks, then turn it. Repeat three or four times. Compost is made almost entirely by bacterial and fungal activity. Bacteria need oxygen, water and food. A so-called accelerator is just a fancy form of the nitrogen found in garden waste and kitchen scraps. So, mix it all up well, and turn, turn, turn!

Q We have a wisteria growing up a wall which is several years old but has never flowered. Why?

A Wisteria can take up to eight years to start flowering. If a mature wisteria ceases to flower it’s because it’s being fed too much nitrogen — which encourages leaves — or it’s been wrongly pruned. Prune now, cutting back unwanted new growth to two or three leaves. New shoots next spring will carry flowers.