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 How can I persuade my apple tree to produce bigger fruit? This year the apples were tiny. – Shirley Bruce, Lanark.

A Next year, remove the middle fruit from each cluster when the apples have just formed, and the apples around it will grow to a good size.

Alpines need exposure to cold temps to

germinate so overwinter pots containing seeds in a cold frame, leaving the lid open a little to allow for ventilations.

Q Can I add bulbs to pots containing mature shrubs without first removing the shrubs from their containers?

– D, Nicholson, Laurencekirk.

A Be careful and you should be able to make planting holes for small bulbs, such as crocus, dwarf narcissi and species tulips without damaging the roots. Top with fresh compost.

Remove bramble stems that have appeared among plants in borders, digging as deep as possible before cutting them out.

Q I want to move a small acer to a part of the garden that I can see from the kitchen window. – Emma Wilson, by email.

A Wait until all the leaves have fallen then move to a new spot, digging out a large planting hole and adding well-rotted compost. If mulching afterwards, make sure none of the mulch touches the stem as this causes rot.

Continue to clear leaves from ponds. Do it daily to prevent the leaves sinking.

Q Is it too late to take cuttings from a Forsythia? - Jim Bell, Dundee.

A No, its not, many plants root well at this time of the year and Forsythia is one of them. Insert your cuttings into a deep pot, or a trench lined with sharp sand, and firm them in. It will take around a year for them to be big enough to transplant.

When planting bare root plants, first soak the roots in water for an hour. If they can’t be planted immediately, heel them in to a bare patch of soil.

Q Why are some of the leaves on my evergreen agapanthuses turning yellow? – Clare Mitchell, Bishopbriggs.

A Dampness is the usual cause. Strip off the dying foliage and make sure the plants are kept almost dry until spring.

Check over cuttings of shrubs taken in the autumn and remove any showing signs of fungal diseas.