BRIAN KIDD: Solves problems with celery and has plenty of jobs for the weekend

Our gardening expert answers your questions and sets you to work for the weekend
Camellia DebbieCamellia Debbie
Camellia Debbie

Q: My son has a camellia called Debbie and I would like a cutting. How and when is the best time to do this? VL, Emsworth.

A: Take cuttings now. Find short side shoots about five inches long and pull them off with a heel. Put them into seed compost but add 50 per cent sharp or potting sand. Mix well. Remove all leaves except the top pair and the tip. Dib in the cuttings firmly and keep in the shade. They will root after about six weeks. Once rooted, plant each into a three-inch diameter pot and keep indoors in a light window. Plant out in spring in a border or pot where the sun shines in the afternoon.

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Q: My celery is growing well but one of the 12 plants has blisters on the leaves. Can you tell me what has caused this and what I do about it? Derek, Hilsea.

A: The culprit is leaf miner. Remove all infected leaves and get them out of the garden. There's no chemical control but if you use yellow sticky cards the flies which cause this problem will be caught on them. Hang the cards this week as the next batch of the winged parent flies will be around in the third week in August.

Q: My allotment is my best hobby. I love going there and the produce tastes wonderful, but my word, it is very hard work. There is a chain link fence right alongside of my plot and there is a huge bindweed growing on this fence and I have cut off the long strands which are trying to root into my plot. Have you any idea what I can do to kill off this weed? It was not there last year and it is now two feet wide and up to the top of the fence. KF, Fareham

A: Be patient as this job will take two hours. Carefully unwind every shoot on the fence and, keeping the shoots intact, put the bundles into carrier bags. Spray the weeds inside the carrier bag with a generous amount of Roundup weedkiller. The leaves and stems will take the weedkiller right through the plant and down to the underground roots and stems. Sounds strange but this will work as long as you are patient and thorough.

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Q: My tomato plants in my greenhouse are in flower but there are not many fruits. The flowers come into bloom but no fruit. FL, Fratton.

A: There is a simple solution. Simply shake all the stems during the morning or after tea every day. This silly idea will ensure pollen grains fall from one flower to another. Commercial growers employ a person to do this every single day.

 

JOBS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Sow spring cabbage seeds now. Choose new varieties like Offenheim 2 or Duncan, both F1 hybrids which won't bolt if we have a hot spell next May. The cabbage will be green too, not slimy yellow. Prune off summer-fruiting raspberry canes as soon as they finish fruiting. Ensure the area where they are growing does not dry out. New canes should be growing out of the ground and will bear next year's fruit. Tie the new shoots to wires when long enough. It's time to summer-prune apples. On the main branches you will see side shoots. Cut the side shoots back to half their length. This will induce fruiting spurs and a better crop next year. Try to summer-prune every year from now. Sow seeds of indoor cyclamen in the greenhouse or even on a windowsill. They'll take a long time to germinate as they make a tiny tuber even before the first leaf can be seen. See if you can find the type which is scented. Stop watering indoor amaryllis. Put the pot on its side somewhere indoors up in the sun. This will make the foliage die down. In October the leaves are cut off even if they are still green, the bulb is then potted in the same size pot in DRY, not even moist but DRY, John Innes No3 compost, kept in the light with NO WATER until the fat flower bud emerges in February the following year. Ensure azaleas, rhododendrons and in particular camellias are really moist at the roots. This will ensure the buds won't fall off next spring. Premature camellia bud-drop in spring is because of the roots being dry in August and into the autumn. Plant corms of freesias indoors in a large cool window or better still in the greenhouse. Plant five in a five-inch diameter pot and get hold of some hazel fans to support the long grass-like foliage. It gets very long and untidy and the hazel fans keep the foliage togethe. As a result, the flowers will be on long stems, not curly useless specimens. Imagine the perfume at the end of February onwards. Lift main crop potatoes as soon as the foliage dies down. The longer they are left in the soil, the more slug damage will be seen. If you want to save time, cut the haulms down and remove the weeds, it is surprising how much time can be saved - oh and do this job on a nice day.

Got a question for Brian? Click here and fire away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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