GARDEN GURU

What can I do to stop toadstools popping up in my lawn?

Q

Cheryl Lismore

Although they look

A unsightly, toadstools don’t cause any damage to lawns. They live and feed on dead organic matter under the ground, often on old shrub or tree roots. If they bother you, simply brush them off with a stiff broom as they appear and dispose of them to prevent spores being spread.

I’d like to grow blueberries Q in pots and have been told I need to buy more than one variety to ensure that they produce fruit. Is this correct?

Brian Peters

Yes and no. Some varieties A

(including ‘Bluecrop’, ‘Herbert’ and ‘Sunshine Blue’) are self-fertile and a single plant will deliver a decent crop of fruit.

However, others are only partially self-pollinating. These will produce better crops if you have two or three varieties that flower at the same time, planted close together to allow cross-pollination.

I have a camellia in a large Q pot that flowers well but has become a little straggly. Can I prune it?

Katie MacLennan

You definitely can prune

A

camellia, but you’ll have to wait until next spring. Prune the plant to shape just after it finishes flowering, cutting offending stems back to a bud to encourage the plant to become bushier.