GORGEOUS GREENS

Cavolo nero is a wonderful vegetable and is so simple to prepare and cook. Just chop it up into pieces about

5cm long, fry it off in a little bit of butter and a touch of water, then serve with black pepper. It goes really well with calves’ liver and is also brilliant fried in a wok with oyster sauce or black bean sauce.

QI planted wisteria two years ago but it has not grown more than an inch and hardly flowers. How can I help it? Peter Pearce,

Essex

AWisteria are notoriously slow to get going. You can help a lot by ensuring it’s completely free from weeds or grass for a radius of at least 2ft, and mulch thickly with compost or manure. Also water well once a week if it’s dry.

Q

I have amaryllis in full bloom. How do I keep the bulbs for next year?

Maureen Tutton, Bucks

AWhen the flower fades, cut the stem to 1in of the bulb and then place it where it will get maximum sunshine. Give it a liquid seaweed feed fortnightly. Then in September stop watering and move it to a cool, dark place to rest for 3-5 months.

Repot into fresh compost and put in a warm, bright spot. Once leaves start to grow, water sparingly.

QWe’ve cut all the canes off and attempted to dig the root ball out to control a 20-year-old black bamboo but it’s invincible. What can we do?

Jean Castle, Greater Manchester A

Bamboos are essentially grasses. To contain them, cut all growth down to ground level and mow culms as they appear – they will weaken and eventually die off.

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TV chef James Martin shares his culinary secrets with Weekend