Phil McCann from the RHS answers your gardening questions

[RachelMumsnet]

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is the UK's leading gardening charity. As a charity the RHS helps to bring gardening into people's lives and support gardeners of all levels and abilities; whether they are expert horticulturists or children who are planting seeds for the very first time.

Phil McCann, PR Manager for RHS Gardens, with support from gardeners at the four RHS Gardens, will be answering questions from Mumsnetters throughout this week. Whatever your query - from carrot fly to container vegetable growing, wisteria pruning to water-free gardening - Phil and the RHS team are on hand to give you advice and information.

Phil, who was previously Assistant Producer on BBC's Gardeners' World, is a trained horticulturist, a keen and knowledgeable gardener and allotment holder, a member of the RHS Vegetable Trials Committee and garden writer. Phil will be checking this thread each day and answering your questions on this thread along with his colleagues at the RHS. Final day for questions is Monday 5th July.

In return for posting a gardening question we will automatically enter you into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show next week. Each ticket will allow an adult and two children under the age of 16 into the show free of charge. Tickets will be valid on any day from Thursday 8 July to Sunday 11 July. For more information about the show visit www.rhs.org.uk/hamptoncourt.

Hi Phil. Thanks for the advice on moving the trees. It does sound like hard work. Am a bit worried I may lose a child in a trench like that... So prune in summer? Like now? Won't we lose all the lovely fruit??! Thanks again for all the varied advice. I am a totally mew gardener and learning masses. Kate

Hello

Could I ask for some hedge advice please? We have an inherited leylandii hedge, which I hate, and would like to get rid of. What could I replace it with? Our garden is rather alpine in topography, so the hedge lies at the bottom of a very steep slope (I frequently lose the lawn mower into it!). The slope is north facing, but runs east-west, so gets a moderate amount of sun in the summer. However, it can also be wet in places - on a couple of occasions a spring has quite literally come up under the hedge. I don't know the soil pH, but the bedrock is limestone. We are in the southwest.

I don't necessarily want a solid hedge as it's also fenced, so a variety of attractive, 'trainable' (by which I probably mean hackable to maintain shape!) shrubs would be nice. Or roses - are there any hedging roses that would tough it out, or am I being hopelessly optimistic?

Thank you!

Dear inthesticks,
Conifers and other hedging do appear to be dieing back more than ever - some hedges have been damaged by the tonnes of salt put down on the roads last winter, but yours could just be a natural occurrence. It can be due to a conifer aphid, scale insects or simply waterlogging at the roots.
You won't do any harm by pruning out the dead branches - you are right to say they won't grow back- but I would do it now, early August or April. Also , make sure any cuttings or thatch are removed from within the trees as this can lead to lack of air circualtion and fungal problems.
Privet: not too costly if planted bareroot in autumn but a heck of job getting 150ft worth of exisitng hedging out.
And always wear gloves and log sleeves when pruning conifers as they can cause skin irrtations.

Cheeky! is that an offer to help then?

Dear MayorNaze,
What - with all these questions to answer?!
If only there were more hours in the day!
P

Thanks for the answer regarding the Magnolia. Your suggestion sounds perfect for our garden. I promise not to kill the next one .

I cant see an answer about my figs yet or did I miss it?

Hello Phil!

We live in a typical victorian house with a side return. we have this year claimed this back - so now it's a lovely adult seating area rather than a kids toy dumping ground. Its a sun trap - esp given white walls on 2 sides - and very protected (we're SE/London - 10 mins from wonderful Wisley!), so I'd love to try out some more interesting planting options that would make the most of those conditions ... I'd like to feel like I can step out of my house into a holiday, iykwim. So far we've got mediterranean (olives, rosemary, lavender, thyme...) but it feels uninspired .... any suggestions?

Thanks

(PS Hampton Court show is much nicer than Chelsea, imvho)

Hello Phil
I have a rose question for you....
About 5 years ago, I bought a climbing rose (or so I thought), Apple Blossom, from Hampton Court actually. Anyway, I'd seen a feature on this particular rose on Gardener's World... you were going to grow it in an apple tree, and having a few apple trees myself, thought I'd give it a go.
Now,.. the rose is happy, but it's not climbing
Any ideas why?
Thankyou xx
p.s I'll put a pic on my profile

Dear isthatporridgeinyourhair,
You've got some great plants there - highly toxic though - and not usually seen in garden centres. Veratrum also has an AGM ( Award of Garden Merit) which is only awarded to the best garden worthy plants in various trials conducted by the RHS. Look out for the award symbol on other plants and seeds. You have to check out the Hampton Court Flower Show for inspiration, but I would plant them with plants that like similar conditions - and this one isn't too fussy. I'd plant some aqulegia with it so as not to hide its foliage and and even thalictrum would work well. But do be careful as all parts are poisonous.

Dear diggingforvictory,
Sounds like everything is being done correctly - except the time you've been growing the tree. It can take a few years for pears to settle down, enjoy their surroundings and get flowering, and therefore fruiting. Don't be tempted to feed the tree as it will happily take up nutrients, grow lots of leaves at the expense of the flowers. Make sure you have a suitable pollination partner nearby as it is self sterile - I've got to say the Grow Your Own weekends happening at all four gardens this weekend sound ideal for you.
www.rhs.org.uk

Oh fantastic. Thanks for that answer. Never heard of those plants, except tulips obviously.
I do like your 'floriferous attitude' description, I shall use that as my phrase of the month!
i remember sending a plant leaf to the RHS once when I was about 12 to ask what is was. It must have been dead by the time it got there but they still managed to identify it for me and sent me a lovely letter back. Bless them

Thanks Phil

AGM is very useful.

I promise I won't be eating it! I grow ricin and aconitum too so maybe I just have an unhealthy taste in plants!

Hello Phil

I am about to move and leave behind my lovingly nurtured and tended garden. If I move in September, can I dig things up and take them with me? Or should I just take cuttings?

Also I have promised a friend some of my very prolific Crocosmia - I presume I can't move them now. If I dig them up and transplant them in September (ie after flowering), will they survive?

thank you very much for your advice

Dear LaTrucha,
You're thinking along the right lines - fruit doesn't really like windy conditions. However, a pear called Invincible lives up to its name and damsons, although a bit big for containers are tolerant. There's an apple called Katy that can be grafted onto dwarf rootstock and have you thought of strawberries?! They keep low to the ground and won't get too battered.
Climbers - I know ivy gets a bad press but there are some lovely varieties, I won't dare mention the mile a minute plant because you will curse me for ever more, but I do love the chocolate vine, Akebia. I had one growing through an apple tree in a windy site ( not near the coast) and it was a stunner.
Hampton Court Flower Show might get the juices flowing: check out www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/Hampton-Court-Palace-Flower-Show/2010

Dear GinaFB,
First time veg growers - fantastic and well done. You have to go to one of the gardens this weekend because we have special Grow Your Own events, so check out
Harlow Carr: apps.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder/details
Hyde Hall: apps.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder/details
Rosemoor: apps.rhs.org.uk/rhseventfinder/details
Wisley: www.rhs.org.uk/Gardens/Wisley/What-s-on/Berry-weekend
The following is useful if you have the technology:
www.rhs.org.uk/iphone- a great ( and free!) application.
Back to your beans - blackfly love the soft shoots - and don't you know it. You have to get rid of them because they will distort the flowers and beans. Rub the the blackfly off, spray them off with a hosepipe or there are organic insecticides based on horticultural soaps that will clean the plants up. Don't use chemicals because you are so,so close to tasty beans.

Dear WhoDunnitInnit,
Lavender - there's nothing better when its in full flower and the bees are going crazy for the pollen. However, it can be absolute rubbish with woody stems and frazzled flowers. The trick is to cut it back straight after flowering. Cut the old flower spikes and a bit of the stems out. The plants regrow and flower on stubby plants for a few years. They do give up after about five years, but it can be five years of utter pleasure.
I'd worry about moving your mulberry tree. It's getting into its stride and the roots will be well and truly established - I wouldn't fancy its chances of a move ( if you do - try it in early winter, get out as much of the rootball intact as possible and lavish care and attention on it for the next year)
I can't get at your profile picture so won't even start to guess at the plant! It might be me - or you might have locked me out!

Dear Earthymama,
Why are you asking me the questions - sounds like you have a piece of Eden outside your back door. Great choice in plants - and aquilegias do take some beating.
That hedge - don't get rid of it, trim it up and have a tall thin hedge and lots of happy birds. Obviously wait until the youngsters have flown the nest but then get stuck in - it will soon grow back and you can then re train to what you want it to be.
It all sounds fantastic.

Dear Phil
Would it be mad to try and grow a Wisteria on a North facing wall?
I'd like a large climber for the front of our Victorian house, and need something which can hide an ugly new basement window put in by the previous owner.
I thought the lovely draping Wisteria foliage would look great, though I know it probably wouldn't flower due to lack of direct sun.
Do you have any other suggestions (evergreen would be even better)?
Many thanks

Dear Dazmum,
Autumn Bliss is a real good do-er and usually produces the goods whatever the situation. Don't feed them as it sounds like the canes are enjoying a fertile, rich soil too much - treat them a little bit mean and you will persuade them to flower. Pruning is always the secret to good fruit production and autumn fruiting varieties need to be cut down to the ground every winter. The new canes emerge the following spring, flower and produce fruit in late summer and autumn.
The GYOwn weekend , this weekend, sound perfect for you: check out:
www.rhs.org.uk for more details.

Thanks Phil that's brilliant, will follow your advice with fingers crossed!

Great advice, thanks Phil. I've even just discovered a specialist clematis nursery about 3 miles from my house!

Dear Phil
I am in the process of redesigning our vegetable garden. The previous owner had planted several rhubarb plants that are well established - unfortunatley they are exactly where I want to put a shed and compost tumbler. When is the best time to move them?

Thanks Phil - that's very helpful and I'll get cracking on planting.