Gardening: Question time with Brian Kidd (May 10)

Q: The autumn before last I packed 12 large polythene bags with leaves from my garden. Last month I looked at the results and found there was about six inches of leaf mould in each sack. I mixed up some compost using the formula you suggested several years ago and the tomatoes growing well. There are nine seedlings in the six pots. Can you tell if they are weeds? GL, Horndean.

A: I am pleased to let you know that these are beech tree seedlings. What you ought to do is pot each one into a small pot and then find someone who would like one. Try a school.

Q: My friend asked me to look after her dog for a day. I allowed it to play on the lawn and there are now two dead, round areas as a result. What can I do please? DS, Copnor

A: Simply water these areas with a gallon of cold water. In about three weeks you will see the edges of each will grow very quickly and the bare patches will regrow.

Q: I put some runner bean seeds into a lunch box with wet paper as you suggested last month but more than half of them went black and three grew fur. Did I do something wrong? I want to grow them in a growing bag by the wall of my flat. LD, Fratton.

A: You didn’t do anything wrong because a lot of them grew. The reason is that the seeds were not of good quality. They may have been stored in a damp place. I am pleased you are going to grow them on the path alongside the wall of your flat.

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