Quick Questions
How do I grow bougainvilleas from cu ings? Mrs J Nye, Halstead, Essex
Ordinary cu ings don’t work well with this exotic climber, which is hard to root. Next summer take heel cu ings about 7.5cm (3in) long, where the shoot is pulled away from another stem leaving a triangular-shaped base. Dip in Clonex rooting compound and insert in a gri y cu ings compost. Placing in a propagator with a li le bo om heat also helps. Cu ings should root in about six weeks. Alternatively, try layering in late winter.
How do I prune my single-stemmed laburnum? Mr A Lawrence, Abergavenny, Gwent
Laburnums are pruned any time from late summer up until mid-winter to avoid them bleeding sap. I would prune it back by about a third to encourage it to form a well-branched head, but retaining a decent amount of trunk. Next year simply shorten back very long shoots to encourage them to branch.
Can I use a ‘feed and weed’ on the lawn around my birch tree? Maria Moloney, Basildon, Essex
Many lawn weedkillers have some residual activity – that is they remain active for a period of time. Birch are shallow-rooted and it’s possible some of the granular material could wash in around them after heavy rain. I’d apply a straight autumn lawn fertiliser and treat the weeds with a liquid lawn weedkiller.