Soil preparation is one of the most important elements where tree planting is concerned. This is because the tree can be in the same spot for a number of years. Firstly dig a large pit and break up the base with a fork or in extreme cases using a long handled pick. Remove any larger [...]

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Composting Laurel leaves is not an easy task as they contain a small amount of arsenic and they are a very tough leaves. The arsenic in the leaves hinders the bacteria etc in the compost heap from breaking down the leaves. The arsenic content is not normally a problem but the compost produced from laurel [...]

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To point a newly laid patio or to re-point a patio you need to mix 4 part sand ( ideally a builders sand ) to two part cement. Mix with water that has a few drops of Plasticizer ( available from a builders merchant or a few drops of washing up liquid. Mix until creamy [...]

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Designing a garden with dogs mind can be a bit of a conflict However we have designed several gardens for this purpose using large rocks and cobbles, plus plants such as Phormium tenax and Phormium cookianum, planting them at an established size. The hardest element has always been a lawn so often we have ended [...]

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Tulips – As the tulips fade and die, the key to next years flowering is to allow them to do this undisturbed. As the foliage dies, all the energy is taken from the leaves in to the bulb to create next years flowers. Once the foliage has died away the bulbs can be left in [...]

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If a magnolia has been flowering in recent years and then fails to flower it could be one of several reasons. The first might be that it has just been caught by the weather. In this case you should see some damage to the leaves and the buds or see that the buds have just [...]

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For gardeners seeking to improve a clay soil, you need to add lime and organic matter.This should ideallybe in the form of spent mushroom compost, which contains chalk. The lime or chalk helps to breakdown the clay soil and the organic matter is incorparated into the soil by lob worms and this helps the drainage. [...]

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If you have removed some conifers and plan to re-plant the area with some shrubs etc its a good idea to dig in some bulky organic matter such as well rotted farm yard manure and add a general garden fertilzer. This is because conifers tend to take a lot out of the ground and once [...]

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There are a number of plants suitable for screening a road. To name a few conifers and other evergreen plants can be used. However to achieve the required height you often have to consider spacing to allow them to spread. If you have restricted space then bamboo is a good idea it will grow quickly [...]

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Its only the softwood ones that become slippery. The decking boards from teak do not have this problem. With softwood boards the cure is to water them every winter with Jeyes fluid or treat with a patio cleaner to stop the build up of lichen and mosses that are the main causes of this problem. [...]

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The loss of leaves on indoor lemon and orange trees or bushes in the UK, usually occurs around xmas until early spring. Often linked with the low light levels and dry air through household central heating systems. In response to these conditions indoor orange and lemon trees will drop their leaves to avoid to much [...]

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To control woolly aphid on your garden plants you can use a systemic insecticide such as Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Concentrate systemic insecticide to work fully this will require several treatments. Or you could try placing bird feeders into or near the infected plants to encourage blue tits of garden finches who should also feed [...]

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To grow a wisteria as a standard plant either in the ground or in a pot is to install a tree stake at the base of the plant and then start to train the wisteria stems around the tree stake. Then when the stems have reached the top of the tree stake or the required [...]

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One of the best plants for a tub or container in an exposed condition is skimmia japonica which with its waxy leaves and strong stems is idea for difficult conditions including windy spots, shady areas, and also areas of high salt content such as coastal or near to major roads

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Often the reason for a plant not coming into leave in the spring as early as it would normally or at the same time as plants of the same species is that it has suffered some sort of shock. For example if it was potted up or re-planted as a bare root plant during the [...]

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Cutting tree roots – Normally you can reduce the total of tree roots by 20 percent without effecting a tree to much however this should not be carried out in the spring and is ideally carried out in the autumn.

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All Datura plants contain tropane alkaloids such as scopolamine, hyoscyamine, and atropine, primarily in their seeds and flowers and so are dangerous to children and adults. Because of the presence of these substances, Datura has been used for centuries in some cultures as a poison and hallucinogen.There can be a 5:1 toxin variation across plants, [...]

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Olive plants although quite hardy are often damaged by winter winds and frosts which burn the leaves. This can be avoided by placing a horticultural fleece over the olive plants on the coldest days and nights or bring them inside if they are in containers. If your plants have been damaged they should recover in [...]

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Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer Chafer grub killer the recommended application is to moist lawns during August and early October. This is when the young grub larvae are active and the temperature is above 12ºC (54ºF). Use Nemasys Chafer Grub Killer to deal with a chafer grub infestation, without any of the precautions associated with chemical [...]

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with the leather jackets the best control is Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer (Crane Fly or Daddy Long Legs are the adult leather jackets) Recommended application late August to October. Use Nemasys Leatherjacket killer To kill the larvae 2 weeks after you have seen the first adult daddy-long-legs emerging.

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