gardeninggenes

Talkback: Swifts

Some years ago I was working for a local authority who owned a house near their primary building. In preparation for painting the walls they removed about a dozen martins' nests from under the eaves.  They had been there for at least seven years.  Nothing was done. I know I should have compained but the poor birds had already lost their nests and they didn't make any effort ro replace them.  I was too cowardly to make trouble with my employers and very ashamed now!!!

Is glyphosate safe?

Last year I treated an area of bindweed with glyphosate - the nexy day I found a perfectly normal looking young blackbird, no wounds or signs of illness, dead about half  metre away.  Could the glyphosate have killed it?

Secondly, a gardener I know told me that glyphosate can leach from the roots of the target plant and kill others whose roots are nearby in the soil.  Does anyone know if there is any truth in this?

Gardeners World - not back for 4 weeks!

Someone said Alan Titchmarsh's Love the Garden is coming on again.  Ground Force was OK when there was decent coverage of real gardening as well, but more of the same? Alan Titchmarsh is on TV (and everything else) far too much - can he turn down a job ? I doubt it!  I feel that he is trying to milk the millions (£) 

I wish dear Geoff Hamilton had lived longer, he was a real gardener and loved his audience and they loved him. He should have been given awards for his genuine service to the public! Come to think of it, I'd prefer to watch his old Gardeners' World programmes again than any of the new ones - old fashioned are they - what about the Beechgrove Gardens - watch it every week on Catch up TV! 

Talkback: How to clean bird feeders

Hi full time mum

Diluted bleach is the best of the two as I believe that Dettox contains phenols which are poisonous to animals. If you want to get some veterinary disinfectant try some of the animal food sites on the web, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to recommend a site but I use Pet Planet. The vet disinfectant is called Arkclens.

Japanese knotweed

Tim Burr

I'm sure you've covered every aspect of knot weed destruction, but I have heard that you should break the membrane that occurs at the joints so you can get more glyphosate in and also so it will get closer to the roots.

Japanese knotweed

Make sure before you eat it that someone hasn't treated it with glyphosate!!!!

Spanish Bluebells Still on Sale

Advertised in catalogue 

Hurrah! New Gardening Prog.

Joe Swift on Wednesday 

Hardy Geranium - Propogation

Mauve/Blue, white centres, large flowers, sterile 

Is glyphosate safe?

Can glyphosate kill more than it is supposed to?