It’s time to...

... clean the greenhouse, using a plant label to scrape moss from joints between the glass. How do I stop squirrels from stealing tulips bulbs out of pots? – Hilary Austin, Crieff Cover the bulbs with a sheet of chicken wire. The stems will grow through this but the squirrels will be unable to reach the bulbs. What’s the benefit of starting off sweet peas this month? – Wendy Earl, Williamwood

The seeds that germinate will grow very little over the winter, but will still be ahead of those sown in early spring. The key is to keep them slightly dry and to protect them from mice. I planted an acer in spring but it lost some leaves over the summer and has put on no new growth. What is wrong with it? – Drew Ferguson, Ayr

It could have run short of water during the dry spell or it may have been pot-bound. Dig it up, tease out the roots and replant it, watering it well from spring onwards. I tried sowing some salad leaves but they developed a fluffy, grey mould. What went wrong? – Lily Holmes, by email

Your compost was too wet, the seeds were overcrowded and there wasn’t enough airflow around them.

email your questions: ps@sundaypost.com