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 and weatherCan thenI start warmsplant peas themup? off– outdoorsD in Watson,my greenhouseonce Armadale.the A lengthdown Yes, the andof plastic middle.the best gutteringOnce way theyto that’s grow are been them ready splitis to in goa out out youof the then tube slide and the into plantsa shallowand composttrench.
Spreadshrubs anda mulch trees of to compostlock in moisture around and provide nutrients. ordinaryQ Can I grow garden Nomocharis conditions? bulbsMy gardenin is east-facing.A If your garden– Clarehas moist, Milne, acidic Tillicoultry.soil and dappledpossible to shade, grow then these the beautiful answer Himalayanis yes. It is flowers in Scotland.
Keep winter bedding performing at its best by picking off dead leaves and flowers and feeding the plants.
Q I grew chives from seed last summer to make an edging for my path, but they never produced any flowers. – Heather Fraser, Montrose.
A If you sowed them quite late in the season then they probably weren’t sufficiently mature. They should produce flowers without any problems.
Dig up and divide clumps of snowdrops as the flowers fade and replant in moist, humous-rich soil. Q I held on to my bedding geraniums through the winter. What’s the best way to grow the cuttings? – Andrew Frew, Inverness.
A Use a mix of compost and vermiculite and keep the cuttings moist but not waterlogged. Remove all but the top leaves and, once rooted, keep somewhere warm and bright, but out of direct sunlight. Harden off really well before planting out after the last frost.
Check forced rhubarb regularly, harvesting stalks while young and tender. Q My carrot crop was decimated by carrot fly. Is there any reliable method of beating this pest? – Mr L Stephens, Aberfoyle.
A Growing carrots in raised beds and covering the crop with fleece can all help to keep the roots out of the reach of carrot fly. Try to sow the seed very thinly, or use pre-seeded tape, as its the scent released during thinning that attracts the flies.
Begin watering tender agapanthuses
that have spent the winter under cover.