GARDENERS’ questions
Adrienne Wild offers advice on all your thorny horticultural issues
Q What’s causing the deformed branches, which have white fluffy growths, on my Malus ‘Golden Hornet’? A It would appear that your tree has been attacked by woolly aphids and if you look closely, you will see that beneath fluff there are thousands of tiny wriggling aphids. They live in the cracks in the bark of apples, both ornamental and those for eating. If left, they will breed and the tree will become more disfigured. The easiest way to get rid of them is to dislodge the colony with a coarse jet of water. Q It would be helpful if you could give me a pruning tip? A If you need to remove any tree branches that are overhanging your path, for safety’s sake make sure you can reach them from the ground and have the right tools for the job. Pruning saws will tackle branches up to 10cm in diameter and give a smooth finish with no tearing or rough edges. A good saw should have large, wellspaced teeth, which will cut with ease through soft, wet and sappy wood. Support the branch you’re cutting to prevent the blade getting jammed. Undercutting the branch first will help to stop the bark tearing down the trunk, then saw through the branch from above. Finally, remove any remaining stub left flush with the trunk. Q The nurseryman told me to ‘heel in’ the bare rooted tree that I’ve just bought. What does this mean? A If the weather or soil is very wet or frosted and not ideal for planting, or if you’re short on time, it simply means you can dig a trench and temporarily bury the roots and firm the plant in with your heel. When conditions improve, you can quickly lift them and re-plant properly.