Welcome to my potting shed! This is the column where I’ll share all my gardening hints and tips – and I’ll try to answer any queries you may have.
Q The tops of my tulips are being eaten as they emerge from the ground. – John Ward, Beith.
A This sounds like rabbit damage and the only way to stop it is by making your garden rabbitproof. This involves burying chicken wire in a trench around the entire perimeter.
Start off sweet pepper and tomato seeds on a warm windowsill or in a heated propagator. Q Can you tell me what’s wrong with my new flowering currant? The flowers are a greenish-white colour instead of pink. – Emma Dawson, by email.
A I think your plant has been mislabelled. You have been sold a white variety instead of the usual pink forms.
When picking cabbages, cut a star on the stem left in the soil for a second crop of loose leaves. Q I sowed sweet peas in late autumn. They germinated well but now look a bit thin and weedy. – Mrs Ann Brown, Auchterarder.
A Pinch out the tips and they should become sturdier and bushier. It’s also worth sowing a fresh batch of seed now for flowers later in the summer.
There’s just time left to plant bare-root fruit trees, hedges and roses before the growing season gets underway. Q What sort of conditions do I need to grow asparagus? – Ian Sinclair, via email.
A An open, sunny position with good, freedraining soil is best. In warmer parts of the country asparagus can grow in dappled shade, but normally the plants need all the sunshine they can get. Plant the crowns in late March in a well-matured trench and don’t pick spears until the second year.
Move sacks of potting compost into a shed, greenhouse or garage, to raise the temperature for seed sowing. Q How can I tell if the flower seeds I saved from the garden last year are still viable? – Les Weir, Carluke.
A Sprinkle some on a sheet of damp kitchen towel and place in an airing cupboard. If they germinate, then you can sow the rest.
When growing blueberries in containers, plant in ericaceous compost as they require acidic soil. Topdress plants that have been in containers for several years with fresh compost.