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the woody, flowered stems. Prune back to just above vigorous green stems growing from low down on the plant.For the thickest woody stems, or where shrubs have become very overgrown, use long-handled loppers or a garden saw to cut through the tough stems

A viral infection, for which, sadly, there is no cure. Some cannas seem able to shrug it off, but it has the potential to spread quickly from plant to plant, so it's best to remove and dispose of affected individuals at the first sign of trouble. It

, the productivity of the tree isn't usually affected.Miniscule gall mites live in the foliage of pear trees. In spring, they secrete chemicals that cause blotches to appear on new foliage. These eventually turn black and the leaf dies, usually in late summer. Remove

, pyracantha, sorbus all year roundMore common garden pestsAphidsWhiteflyLeaf miner flyEuonymus scale

climber, which invades your garden, smothering any plants in its path.Dig, dig and dig some more! Every piece of root left in the soil will grow into a new plant, and the roots can venture down as far as 5m. So you need to be really thorough as you dig

surrounding gardens, fields and waste-ground.Clump of leaves growing from a single or multiple point. Leaves and flower stalks ooze a milky substance when snapped. Bright yellow-orange flowers are followed by a fluffy seedhead or dandelion 'clock'.Remove

Fat hen, Chenopodium album, is an annual weed loved by butterflies, and whose young leaves are delicious in salads or cooked like spinach. However, it will also quickly colonise open ground and spread through your garden if left unchecked - a single

lawn weedkiller or a lawn feed and weed product.established flowerbeds, cracks in paving, garden walls, lawnsspring, summer, autumnMore advice on removing weedsGroundselMeadowgrassCloverDandelion

Left unchecked, hairy bitter cress can quickly spread to infest the whole garden. This weed can complete its lifecycle in three to four weeks to disperse thousands of seeds, all of which can germinate to release their own seeds in quick succession

needles. It dies back completely in winter.Remove rhizomes by digging as deeply as possible. The deep roots of established horsetail colonies will re-grow. Regularly removing the shoots and rhizomes as soon as they appear will weaken the plants, but total