Gardening: Your questions answered (June 21) | Brian Kidd

Q: Please can you identify this shrub. C’OB, by email.

A: This is rare and I didn’t know what it was but my son Christopher knew! It is Elscholtzia stauntonii. Look after it. Take cuttings in July.

Q: One of my cherry tree branches is smothered in black flies. SL, by email.

A: When the sun is off the tree, use a high pressure pump sprayer with an insecticide which will kill aphids. Repeat a week later. Or cut off the infected branch and wrap it up so the aphids won’t escape.

Q: The top leaves on my tomatoes have gone a rather strange shape. DH, by email.

A: I think the plants have had just a sniff of lawn weedkiller. Have you left your shoes in the greenhouse or is there a bottle of lawn weedkiller there? The alternative is a pest called broad mite. If this is likely, spray when the sun has gone with an insecticide which will kill red spider mite. This pest can’t be seen unless viewed through a powerful lens.

Q: Can you tell me the name of this yellow daisy shrub and when to prune it please? RJ, by email.

A: This is a Jamaican primrose euryops. Prune as hard as you want as soon as all the flowers fade. A wonderful shrub for a sunny spot.

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