Q What can I grow in a small garden that has a huge conifer? Q How can I save my conifer? Andrew Linscott, by email
A MATT SAYS Despite the soil under conifers being dust dry and full of roots, there are several plants that will be successful. But first you need to improve the soil with organic matter. Try Dryopteris filix-mas ‘Linearis Polydactyla’, a deciduous fern with a filigree of ‘crested’ leaves, forms of the hart’s tongue fern ( Asplenium scolopendrium), which looks good with the silvery-patterned leaves of Cyclamen hederifolium and its pink and white flowers in autumn, and Cyclamen coum, which has more rounded leaves in spring. Also look at evergreen geraniums, such as the white-flowered Geranium x cantabrigiense ‘St Ola’, which blooms from late spring to midsummer, and G. macrorrhizum ‘Spessart’, which has white flowers with a pink calyx and red leaves in winter. Water the plants well until established. A BOB SAYS The first problem is lack of light, as conifers create perpetual shade. Then there is the competition for water and nutrients. A tree’s roots extend out, on average, equal to the height of the tree, so a massive tree sucks dry and impoverishes a massive area. Choose vigorous, tough, drought-resistant and shade-tolerant perennials to plant in the ground, and use containers and urns for the more choice, colourful or important plants. These can also be grown in a light place, then redistributed for display. Likewise, much soft fruit, vegetables and salads could be in pots or raised beds of improved soil sited in the sunnier spots. A PIPPA SAYS The patchy areas of dieback really don’t look good in your photograph (below), I’m afraid! There are a number of pests or diseases that could have been involved in causing the foliage dieback and probably some stem dieback, too. Sadly, whatever the precise cause, it won’t be possible to get the tree back to looking as it once did. Unlike many other woody plants, conifers like this don’t have the ability to produce replacement foliage or stems if others have been removed, damaged or killed. So, even if you were to remove all the dead and dying bits, and embark on an intense programme of TLC with feeding, watering and mulching, the tree would still be full of ‘gaps’. So, you should remove the entire tree and, in case there are pests or pathogens involved that are still present, make sure the remains are disposed of by burning or taking it to your local tip.
A PIPPA SAYS I’m afraid that even when a plant has died from ‘old age’ or environmental causes such as cold or wet weather, I would always suggest putting its replacement in a different place. Alternatively, use an unrelated plant to replace it in the same spot. Q Which evergreen will grow on a 2.5m high brick arch? Lee Howley, by email A MATT SAYS Try Ligustrum delavayanum, a pretty, smallleaved privet or the dark-green Osmanthus x burkwoodii, which will grow up to 3m. To accentuate the contours, go for an ivy such as Hedera helix ‘Brokamp’ with its dark, shiny, heart-shaped leaves or other unusual forms that can be found in specialist nurseries. Q Can I use old newspapers in my compost? Cyrin Nicholas, Worcestershire A BOB SAYS I add loads of newspapers with little worry as their fibre is valuable. There’s a small risk of contamination from manufacturing residues such as chlorine, and dyes, but modern dyes are safer these days and lead is no longer used to print newspapers, so they are much less hazardous than they used to be.