Talkback: Ask Adam - Page 8 - Talkback

nadiamaz

23/04/2012 at 07:38

Hello Adam, last week-end (15/4) I sowed runner beans indoor. In 1 week, 4 seedlings are > 6 inches tall but have not true leaves yet. What should I do: plant them outdoor, repot them indoor or let them in their tiny pot until they develop true leaves? Note: I live in Lancaster and the metoffice forecasts between 4 and 11C for this week (and rain showers, of course...).

patsy francis

23/04/2012 at 11:33

hello, i am having trouble growing lily of the valley,i have even kept it in a pot to nurse it with no success, help please.

framble36

23/04/2012 at 12:54

Hello Adam, Monty suggested on a TV programme, that it would be fun to save some tulip seeds to grow. I have done this but I can not find any mention of how to propagate them once saved!! Help please.
I live in South Gloucestershire

Jane 4

23/04/2012 at 13:57

Where can we buy the greenhouse capillary fed tank system shown in May's issue of Gardeners World? Step by step page 79.

Ian Fisher

23/04/2012 at 16:13

I bought a Bamboo plant about 18 months ago ( which is in a large pot ) this spring the stems are green but the twigs off them are grey and dead looking and I am reluctant to cut these back. At the base of the plant new shoots have come through with leafs on them,

High-Ruchill

24/04/2012 at 13:39

Weather wise in England differs to that in Scotland do you know how far behind wee are in Scotland. To you Guy's in England Re the start of the Growing season.

John McVicar
High Ruchill
Right below the Campsie Fell's

Lindylou3

24/04/2012 at 14:23

Hi Adam,

I am a GW subscriber and have received my May edition. In your 'what to do now' section you suggest setting up a greenhouse watering system. Can you tell me the name of the capillary fed tank system you are using please.

Thank you
Lin

Adam Pasco

24/04/2012 at 15:44

Hi Lindylou3. As this is a quick one I'll answer it here. Thhe greenhouse watering system is the Quadgrow from Greenhouse Sensation – a great system to look after greenhouse watering automatically while you're on holiday. Find them at www.greenhousesensation.co.uk.

Also check out the systems produced by Autogrow, which I've also used successfully for many years.

Gill Gardner

25/04/2012 at 10:02

I have Agapanthus in pots but because of the water shortage would like to put them in the garden borders is this ok ?. what soil does Skimma Kew green need

Ron Forsyth

25/04/2012 at 11:51

My magnolia produced 1flower last year and none this year I have only had it 3years but it was 4feet high when I bought it so presume it was over 5years old aney ideas whats wrong

Ron Forsyth

25/04/2012 at 12:30

My magnolia only produced 1 flower last year and nothing this year it is in a sunny spot in a large pot any. Ideas

blackeyedsuzie

25/04/2012 at 17:42

hi adam, ive grown a acanthus from seed and for the last 3 years it has produced lots of leaves but no flowers why is this? sue g

Steviefr

26/04/2012 at 18:08

I planted my garlic last Autumn and it seemed to be doing well. now, however the bed is waterlogged with all this rain. Will this ruin or rot the bulbs? what can I do to prevent this from happening.
I live in North Yorkshire

rtcurry@rtcurry.free

27/04/2012 at 09:21

The current hailstorms are damaging my young plants and Rhubarb, will the plants recover and is the rhubarb still edible?

helensky_blues

27/04/2012 at 10:01

Hi Adam.
What is the diference between Perlite and Vermiculite and which is the best to use.
Thanks Helen

Sharon Brattle

27/04/2012 at 10:10

yesdnyl wrote (see)

I have a 30x50ft new build 'garden' of turf which I want to nurture into a 'real' garden. We're in North Hampshire, however there's a lot of builder's rubble on top of our Hampshire chalk! The turf was laid 18mths ago, the garden is SW facing, the grass grew differently/patchy across the garden last summer. My question is: Should I lift the turf, remove the rubble & improve the soil before I think about design/borders/planting/veg patch? What advice can you offer for dealing with a new build garden?

yesdnyl wrote (see)

I have a 30x50ft new build 'garden' of turf which I want to nurture into a 'real' garden. We're in North Hampshire, however there's a lot of builder's rubble on top of our Hampshire chalk! The turf was laid 18mths ago, the garden is SW facing, the grass grew differently/patchy across the garden last summer. My question is: Should I lift the turf, remove the rubble & improve the soil before I think about design/borders/planting/veg patch? What advice can you offer for dealing with a new build garden?

I also have a SW facing garden in Berkshire, when we moved in 12 years ago it had also been used as a builders tip for the neighbourng houses! Before I could do anything I had to remove all the bulders rubble into a skip (or 2) and dig down about 3-4feet, mix in manure and new topsoil into existing soil and re-plant. If your grass is really patchy, I would lift the bad bits and re-turf. It will look terrible for the first season but will merge in as mine has, and improve.Only then could I start to re-design my garden how I wanted it. Godd Luck! Hope this helps.

francesmhendry

27/04/2012 at 10:37

Can I compost my cat's litter tray? I know you're told not to, but the material I - or she - uses is shredded cardboard, she has no diseases [she never goes out, she's too nervous], and her food is almost entirely dried packet stuff. If I shouldn't use it, why not? Or can I put it in the brown garden-stuff bin for the council to cope with, where it'll be a much smaller proportion of material among the piles of other people's garden waste?

Marianne31

27/04/2012 at 15:32

Hello. In our garden we have a massive laurel bush which is now more like a tree. I would like to cut it back to a sensible height but I don't know how best to discard the waste branches. We have a natural area where we normally dump all our garden waste but I have been told that they will root and shoot again, creating multiple laurel bushes, which we don't want. Also, I have been advised that you can't burn the waste as the fumes given off are toxic. Can you please tell me if the advice I have been given is correct, and if so, how you would recommend that we get rid of a very large quantity of the waste?
Thanks very much
Marianne

Jill Ashe

27/04/2012 at 16:52

Hi Adam

When is the right time to trim a laurel hedge ?

frances jarvis

27/04/2012 at 20:16

Hi Adam, most of my plants that where in or new ones i put in, they all have white spots on them, can you tell me what causes this and how can i stop it, i,m pretty new to doing my garden.
thank you
frances