Gardeners' question time with Brian Kidd

This week: from lavender to mistletoe.
If you haven't sheared your lavender, do it now!If you haven't sheared your lavender, do it now!
If you haven't sheared your lavender, do it now!

Q: Is it too late to prune a three-year-old lavender? MB, Milton.

A: No, but do it as soon as you can. Use lawn shears but next year prune as soon as it finishes flowering in late August.

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Q: I want to grow onions but the ground doesn't seem right as each year they rot.  FS, Fareham.

Forget onions and grow shallots. Plant on the shortest day and dig up on the longest. Shallots are easy to grow and don't get onion rot diseases.

Q: I brushed mistletoe berries into the bark of our apple tree. I now have a clump of branches and leaves but no berries. SM, Rowlands Castle.

A: You did this three years ago so berries might appear next autumn. If not, the plants are all male. Wire in clumps of berries from a Cornus shrub when you bring bunches indoors at Christmas. No one will notice as they are identical.

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Q: Can you tell me the name of this weed which is coming up through my drive? ET, Cowplain.

A: It is blackthorn which we all know as sloe. Cut it all off and paint the tips left with neat SBK shrub wood killer. Keep people and pets off for 12 hours after treatment.

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