Question two: We have a lemon verbena which has been growing up a south
facing wall for about 15 years but the for the last two years the foliage is
becoming less and less and this year the leaves have appeared only at the
bottom. It is about 3m high and well supported and we have cuttings from it
but rarely seem to be able to keep these going for more than two years.
Please help – this was planted by a French window and every time you brushed
past it the smell was beautiful.
Lemon verbena – Aloysia triphylla – is a gorgeous aromatic
shrub and you have had 15 years of sheer enjoyment from it. Even on a south
facing wall if not protected over the recent harsh winter months then I’m
afraid what you have described sounds like frost damage or damage due to a
mixture of wet/cold winters.
We suggest that you prune the main stems to strong buds – about 30cm from
ground level – mid spring once the danger of frost has passed. Then, from
early summer, pinch out shoot tips for leafy, bushy growth. It is a bit late
now to prune back to 30 cm above ground so alternatively we suggest that you
prune back to where the growth is, take softwood cuttings in the summer and
then in the autumn mulch, protect over winter with fleece. Next mid spring
(2013) give it a prune back using the above technique.
Question three: My garlic is now flowering. Is it ready to harvest? It
seems too early but it has rust.
Garlic – Allium sativum – takes between 16 and 36 weeks to mature. Sounds like
you planted them in the autumn? If so, then flowering now sounds about
right. You need to snip off the flower spikes otherwise the plants put their
energy into the flower and seed rather than the cloves. The bulbs are ready
to harvest once the leaves fade (turn yellow) in mid-summer. Dry them
thoroughly, and store them carefully (they bruise) by hanging them in
bunches. The rust is either due to the plants being planted to closely
together and/or if planted in a shady spot.
Question four: I have a mint plants in the kitchen, where I strip
leaves, the shoots often grow back, long, straggly and yellow with tiny
leaves. What’s the best way to prune them to get less shoots but better,
greener leaves?
The key to having good mint plants is having good light conditions.
Unfortunately, mint plants don’t fare well indoors as light is reduced when
it passes through your kitchen window. It is therefore better to grow mint
outside in a sunny position and keep well watered. Grow in a rich, moist
soil in sun or part shade in a container and regularly divide the plants.
When your plants are young it is worthwhile pinching out their tips above
the nodes (two side buds) so that you create a more bushy plant. Then if you
continue to harvest the mint plants regularly you will maintain bushiness.
If grown in a container outside then it is worthwhile over time adding
nutrients by top dressing with peat free compost or in some cases dividing
the plant and repotting. Jekka Herbs supplies some really interesting mint
herb cultivars. We have had good success with Mentha spicata var. crispa
‘Moroccan’
Question five: Re: the slug problem – why don’t you encourage more
hedgehogs? I never have a slug problem in my garden as I have a resident
hedgehog. Eden Project is very well respected and could encourage everyone
to stop using environmentally non-friendly slug pellets and to help and
respect the hedgehog population. A small meal of dog food encourages them to
a garden.
We love hedgehogs and I completely agree with your solution of encouraging
more hedgehogs into our gardens to reduce plants being damaged by slugs.
Indeed, hedgehogs amongst other beneficial creatures that eat plant pests
such as ladybirds and lacewings are a gardener’s best friend. In particular,
as you quite rightly state, hedgehogs are fantastic at eating slugs, snails
and other pests that damage plants. Having a hedgehog yourself, you would
know that you can encourage them into your garden by having some entrances
and exits available to them – and by leaving piles of leaves and twigs
around for them to nest in, or by making purpose built shelters. Food should
be put out at sunset, so that flies cannot lay eggs in it. If the food is
not eaten by morning, it should be collected. A good hedgehog diet would
include tinned pet food, crunchy peanut butter, raw or cooked meat
leftovers, muesli and a small amount of vegetables. They should not be fed
on bread and milk if they are captive and cannot find other foods as this
gives them diarrhoea.
Unfortunately, many people’s first port of call to kill slugs is the use of
toxic slug pellets that contain harmful chemicals and this is why we suggest
the use of the non-toxic Ferramol Max slug pellets which contains Ferric
Phosphate only and not the additive EDTA in other Ferric Phosphate products
(thought also to be detrimental to the environment). In addition, we also
suggest using Nemaslug a bio-control that kills slugs. We feel that
suggesting a few options for the public gives them the freedom to decide
what route they want to take. These options include encouraging beneficial
predators into your garden such as hedgehogs, the use of less toxic baits
and bio controls. All of these options are given in the hope that the public
are well informed so that they can make their own choice and therefore
hopefully reduce the use of toxic slug pellets and thus reduce their impact
on the environment. Once again, thank you for your comment about hedgehogs.
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