Can I use liquefied grass cuttings as fertiliser?

Joanne Wootton, by email

Stefan says: You write that, three years ago, you put grass cuttings in a barrel with a closed lid. They’ve now all turned to liquid and you ask if you can use this as lawn fertiliser.

I certainly wouldn’t risk it. My advice is to pour the material onto your compost heap, where it will add to the nutrient content, but I feel it would be very chancy to apply it directly to plants of any type.

And this goes for any home-made organic ‘brew’. I’m all in favour of gardening organically and of using green plant material to make compost. But I’m afraid that when this progresses to allowing it to rot down to yield a dark, strange smelling liquid, my scientific training kicks in and its uncertain and undoubtedly variable nutrient content means I wouldn’t risk using it directly on my plants.

Nat Sanders, by email

If they’ve simply lost their leaves, almost certainly yes. There’s no point doing anything until next year, but give them a good dressing of rose fertiliser in spring to help them start into growth again. They may also have been loosened, so do firm them in.

Peter Wells, by email

If you’re extremely patient, one day in the distant future you might have something. They’ll almost certainly bear no resemblance to the original fruit, although it’s always worth keeping your fingers crossed.