Garden Guru

Q My wife and I run a small cattery. We get through a lot of wooden-pellet cat litter. Once the solids have been removed, could we dig it into the soil at the allotment? Allan Doyle

A I wouldn’t recycle cat litter in the garden. Although you have taken out the excrement harmful bacteria could remain on the litter and spread in the soil, allowing pathogens to transfer to your skin when digging or weeding. Some manufacturers say wood-pellet litter can be composted, but I’d be wary.

Q I have a 12-year old cotoneaster that was planted by my dad before he passed away. It’s in semi-shade, in pretty good soil and near a fence. Unfortunately, it has never flowered or produced berries. Please could you offer me some growing advice – I’d love to see it in berry. Gill Savage

A This is a tricky question without seeing a photograph of the plant in situ. However, cotoneasters usually produce flowers and fruit readily, in sun or dappled shade. One thing that could hinder flowering is being in a windy position – they prefer a sheltered spot. Otherwise, give it a boost by spreading slowrelease fertiliser granules around the base of the tree in spring, followed by a mulch of garden compost or similar.

Q Last year I had a big problem with the buds of my day lilies being eaten by gall midge. How can I stop them? Shirley Davis

A Gall midge is a tiny fly that lays eggs inside developing buds. The eggs hatch into maggots that chomp away and prevent flowers from opening. Infected buds need picking off to prevent the larvae overwintering. Unfortunately, there’s very little else you can do. However, the midge seems to target early-flowering varieties only, so later-blooming plants should be able to make it through the summer unscathed.