Gardening | Brian Kidd solves your problems

Q: I had an amaryllis bulb for Christmas from a friend. I potted it up on Boxing Day and a long stem grew with lovely leaves. There were four flowers on the stem but since then another shoot has grown and there are now three flowers on that one. I have grown amaryllis for many years and have never had so many flowers on one bulb. Is this a record? JB, Stamshaw.A: You have been most fortunate. I have printed your letter so that we can find out if anyone else has more flowers. I will let you know what response I get.

Q: I was very surprised to see my clematis Nelly Moser has started to shoot. Shall I cut the dead parts out now or wait until spring? GK, Cosham.A: Cut the whole plant right down leaving only three inches on each stem. This will ensure the lower stems will be green and not a mass of dead wood. Do this right now and give it a feed of fish, blood and bone in April.

Q: I have just made a raised bed on an area of my allotment which is badly drained and am hoping this will improve this area. Is there anything I can do to prevent slugs entering the raised bed? I laid weed suppressant carpet to stop slugs and I bought bags of compost for the bed and want to know before I put the compost in the bed. SL, Fareham.A: You have done the right things. Buy some copper water pipe, choose the smallest diameter as this is cheaper, and fix this on to the top of the wood all round the new bed. This will work 100 per cent. This may help a lot of other readers.

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