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to the tubers, which turn a reddish-brown and, if a secondary infection strikes, the crop turns slimy and rots.Potato leaves are marked by brown patches, causing them to curl up and wither. The infection then travels down to the tubers, turning them into a slimy

Fungal spores attack emerging tulip leaves. They invariably become malformed, with brown spots leading to rotting of both the foliage and flowers, although the buds may well fail to open. If they do open, there will probably be white spots

Blossom end rot is caused by calcium deficiency. Without calcium, a plant's cell walls collapse and die, resulting in the bruised appearance of the fruits. Plants take up calcium from the soil through their roots, so if it's dry, the calcium stays

problems affecting fruit bushes and treesGrey mould on soft fruitsApple sooty blotchPeach leaf curlBrown rot on apples, pears and plums

chippings or compost.Where I live Christmas trees must be left in a brown bin (for food and garden waste), to ensure they will be recycled, otherwise they end up in landfill. I know this because last year I called the council's recycling department and asked

Whilst out running in Peckham Rye Park earlier this week I noticed that the leaves of the horse chestnut trees are starting to show pale brown blotching all over. These are caused by the caterpillars of a minute moth, Cameraria ohridella - the horse

in a rented flat in Twickenham) as it is pretty elementary that soil needs nourishment and manure is a good option. This week a huge pile of the stuff arrived. Brown, crumbly and pleasantly pungent it sat on my drive, lightly steaming and awaiting

I'm in a quandary over what to do about potato blight (Phytophthora infestans), a fungal infection that causes foliage to develop dark patches and can result in the rotting of the tubers. We didn't seem to suffer from it at all on my last plot

yellowing leaves with brown edges.In summer, raspberries fail to thrive, the crop is poor and the leaves have a general unhealthy look.Pelleted poultry manure gives a quick boost of nitrogen, while organic compost gives a longer-term solution. Add bonemeal

that one of the most satisfying things in gardening is a well built, well maintained compost heap, but it is a bit much when people get smug about what is really just a pile of rotting vegetation. I do not claim to be an expert but what we make ends up