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 My husband loves hot food so this year I want to grow the hottest possible chillies for him. Which one packs the most punch? – Amy Wilson, Kirkcaldy.

A The ‘Carolina Reaper’ is the world’s hottest chilli. It’s available as a young plant as part of a collection of four volcanic chillies from seed supplier DT Brown. Visit dtbrownseeds. co.uk or call 0333 003 0869.

Move sacks of compost into a greenhouse or porch for several weeks to warm them up before sowing seeds.

Q We’ve been cooking a lot with kale and want to try growing it in the garden. When should we plant it? – Jane and Keith Mullen, by email.

A Kale is easy to grow in any decent soil. Sow it at the end of this month then transplant into the vegetable garden when big enough to handle, puddling in the seedlings with water. You can pick it when it is young and tender. Sideshoots will form after you cut the crown. Grow under fleece if pigeons are a problem.

Feed daffodils and tulips with a dilute foliar feed to assist flowering and to help build up the strength of the bulbs.

Q Is it true that volcanic dust improves the fertility of soils? – Lesley McTurk, Johnstone.

A Volcanic soil is rich in minerals and grows bumper crops. It should have a positive effect when added to the soil.

If raspberries have grown too high, cut canes level with the top of their supports. Make the cut just above a bud.

Q I need to cut back an overgrown privet hedge that’s home to lots of sparrows. Have I left it too late? – Clare Anderson, Penicuik.

A I think you have. Your sparrows will be nesting now so you are going to have to leave a major trim until the autumn.

Feed blueberries with ericaceous fertiliser. If growing in pots, top dress with a layer of ericaceous compost.

Q Can I move an established winter jasmine? We are extending our house and the jasmine grows where the new kitchen will be. – David Tait, Clydebank.

A Cut back flowering shoots and remove some of the older stems. Dig up the jasmine with a good rootball attached and replant into well-drained soil. Firm in and water well and your jasmine should soon recover.

Check the lawnmower and have it serviced if necessary. Cut grass with the blades at their highest setting.