chrissieB

which way up

Does the way the fibrous roots grow give any clues - they would normally grow downwards? sorry if seems an obvious thing to say

Other that that I don't suppose they would object if you planted them horizontally? it may be less risky than a 50:50 chance of being upside down as some plants really resent that.

Broad beans - Who attacks them

You don't need netting. You may get some taken by mice (I know they like peas) so you may want to plant a few extra just in case as replacements.

Main problem with broad beans is black fly on the new growth in early summer  - you can spray but good organic tip is to nip off the top soft growth once the beans have set (its this soft growth that attracts the flys). Also autumn planted beans are less susceptible as they are growing earlier in the season.

You might want to have some sort of fleece/cloche to protect them from frosts depending on how sheltered your plot is 

Plant closer together in containters or raised beds...

One of the main reasons is that you don;t need to allow any space for walking between rows for weeding, harvesting etc.

Most distances quoted in books and on seed packets allow for this. A lot of veg are quite happy to be planted closer anyway you may just get a smaller sized crop eg carrots, onions, beets etc

New Garden, need help to design

You can grow vegetables in a shady garden you just need to accept that you wont get bumper crops and some will do better than others. A general rule of thumb for veg and herbs is that leafy crops will do better than those that flower and fruit. So salads, spinach, chard, kale, cauliflowers (although these are tricky anywhere), brussel sprouts etc should be fine. You can grow beans but crops may not be as large as on a plant in the sun.

Mint, parsley, chives and lemon balm are all quite happy in the shade.

How to prevent damping off?

Damping off is caused by a fungus and good ventilation and hygiene are key to trying to prevent it. Also try to ensure that you are not sowing too thickly so that the seedlings are not overcrowded.

If you spot it again, remove the affected seedlings immediately to try and prevent it spreading.

Always wash your trays before re-using (whether you've had problems or not)

Talkback: The strange case of the wilting wisteria

Hi

Most wisterias are cultivars grafted onto a rootstock. One of the tutors on my RHS course advised me that these grafts can suddenly start to fail even on mature plants. As the graft fails you will start to see the symptoms many of you have described and suckers growing from the base are also a sign that the graft may be failing.

Unfortunately there isn't anything you can do to cure the problem. If you get fresh growth from the base of the plant this should grow healthily but remember it won't be the same variety as your original plant. It should be vigorous but may not have the same flowering properties (colour, scent etc).

Living Walls

Protecting broad beans?