Quick Questions
Is it unusual for my tobacco plants to still be in flower?
Mary Fox, by email
Quite a lot of summerflowering plants will take a li le frost and still continue blooming. Eventually, however, the top growth of your Nicotiana mutabilis will be killed by a hard frost, but they often return to flower again the following year from the base. Many tobacco plants can be treated in this way, although some short bedding types are often best replaced with fresh plants each year.
Why is the bark of my snake-bark maple red and white and not green and white?
Helen Souter, Wells, Somerset
The bark of Acer davidii ‘Viper’ will turn green and white as it matures. Often young acers don’t exhibit their true bark until they’re quite a few years old, and this is quite normal. Given another year, I should think the thicker branches and trunk should start to green up.
Why were my beetroots so poor this year?
Sarah Ansley, by email Beetroot needs to be grown quickly. Sow thinly and thin seedlings to about 7.5cm (3in) apart. Keep them wellwatered. ‘Bona’ is a great new introduction. ‘Solo’ and ‘Pablo’ are two others.
Can you suggest some small evergreens to cope with full sun and a ‘wind tunnel’?
Tracey Whitehall, by email
Pi osporum tobira is a dome-shaped shrub with creamy-white flowers, suitable for containers. Other choices would be Pi osporum tenuifolium ‘Golf Ball’ and ‘Tom Thumb’ which are compact and easily trimmed. Hebe ‘Emerald Gem’ and
H. topiaria are also small and dome-shaped. They’ll need li le pruning.