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Balling is triggered by cool, damp conditions, often in a partially shady site, where water-saturated outer petals fail to dry out before being scorched by the sun. The mushy plant tissue dries to form a stiff straightjacket around the petals, preventing the flower from opening. ...

Shrubs are useful building blocks when you're planning a garden, providing structure and substance. Winter is an ideal time to assess your garden and see if there's an empty space that's just right for a new shrub.Shrub

and the soil around it with a fungicide suitable for the control of rust fungus.roses, fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables spring, summer, autumnOther problems affecting garden plantsHollyhock rustRose rustBlack spotIris leaf spot

Sometimes shoots appear on previously plain-leaved plants with attractive variegations, and these can then be propagated by nurserymen to make a new plant. But the new variegated plant might try to revert to all-green foliage because the mutation isn't stable. If left, this all-g...

, just as the new foliage emerges, as a preventative measure.shrubs, roses spring, summerCommon problems affecting trees and shrubsAcer tar spotLeaf miner flyReversionPowdery mildew

of ornamental shrubsCankerEuonymus scaleLeaf miner flyHorse chestnut scale insect

Learn how to recognise and remove dead wood from garden trees, in Chris Beardshaw's video demonstration.summerMore advice on growing treesPlanting a bare-root treePlanting a fig treeTraining a nectarine tree against a fencePlanting a small tree

infestations, scrape off the scales by hand and dispose of them. For heavy infestations, prune out those branches that are badly affected. Spray with a plant oil wash in winter.euonymusmid-July, early September, winterMore common garden pestsWhiteflyLeaf miner

Follow Chris Beardshaw's video guide to transplanting shrubs. Chris explains the benefits of forward planning when transplanting a shrub, giving it the best chance of surviving the move.autumnMore advice on growing shrubsHow to plant a shrub

There are many different fungi that cause this problem, each of which usually affects a particular plant or group of plants. In each case they produce similar symptoms. Affected plants will have discoloured leaves, often also distorted when young, while general growth and vigour ...