Edible Gardening

You describe it as 3m square. In that sized plot you can police it intensively. Suggest you clear all hiding places within ,say 5m, on all sides. Remove grass if its a path. Replace with woodchip/bark. Consider putting 'slug pubs' outside the plot.Grow plants and plant out when they are 75-100mm...

I hope I'm not the only one who likes to do some rather unorthodox experiments with plants- please share your adventures French beans sown in September are finally giving crops. Not perhaps enough to feed the family but at least the aphids are happy. And to be honest, for half a 10p bag of...

Thanks for all the advice guys , have a new pair of loppers so will get to work on it when the rain stops blowing sideways lol its a bit of an exposed site but I am determined to get fruit trees in first to bring some structure before planting anything else more delicate , glad I asked my...

What kind of soil do you have? It is always worthwhile providing details of (approx) location and soil type. While 18" may be ideal, they will make the best of what there is. Plenty of organic matter/bonemeal will help. Mine do alright without that depth of viable soil, having marine clay /silt...

I found a bit of blight on a couple of outdoor plants yesterday and more rain is forecast, so I decided to bin the lot. A pity because many plants were still churning out fruit. Ripening Central is back up and running and I have loads cooked down and frozen. Still have Santorini going in the...

Clue to diseased pear tree ???? Below are photos of the diseased leaves mentioned above. Any clue as to what it is ???

I have fiesta apple tree 3 yeats planted gave me one apple this year but has brow spot /patches on leaves which looks to be apple scab ,what is the most effective synthetic our natural spray to stop it coming back /kill it ? Also thinking of buying a ballyvaughan seedling apple tree is a irish...

My apples have actually turned out wonderfully. They are sweet and juicy if a little small, but next year I will thin them out a bit after the spring drop. I have a grease band ready to apply later in the season and I will do a bit of winter spraying with a Neem oil solution. It was only the...

I'm still picking runners but they are getting close to finishing.Any of them that get blackfly I just get rid of them by hosing them with the setting on jet. Works for me.

Feed, water and mulch now. You should have new canes/suckers to divide next spring.

I've grown Egyptian tree onions, and mine did, so maybe you got sold something else?I'm thinking back years now to when Medwyn Williams used to write in Garden News magazine, and I think he used to sell these from his prize winners.

Or, you could graft a bit of the old tree onto the sucker, once it's growing away well, in a couple of years, you could get rid of the old tree.

Water or spray the plants with a solution of table salt and water, 10grams (2 teaspoons) per litre. Treat again after 2 days. Only works on contact with caterpillars on brassicas, which are salt tolerant at this concentration. ( L H HILLS -Organic Gardening) ISBN 10: 0140462465ISBN 13:...

No you won't! Nature's very forgiving.... Yes, cut off the lowest branches if they're a nuisance. Yes, cut out crossing branches. Once you've done that, you'll be able to see whether you need to take out any growth from the centre. You're supposed to be able to throw a hat up through the...

Spartan, definitely red and juicy may be a bit late for you; Harvest October it says, mine are generally eaten by then. Laxtons Superb again October, but lovely. Cox is ready in September but not really red, Queen Cox is redder. There is also Red Falstaff. This link could be worth a look Apple...

I was watching a clip the other day called something like "turning horse manure into compost in four weeks" and they just covered it over with plastic and turned it over during the middle of the 4 weeks. Could just be internet nonsense though

Loosely related...when my polytunnel cucumbers got mosaic virus and RSM, I binned most but cut back a couple of Telegraph plants to see if they'd re-generate. With some TLC and regular watering, they did and are producing lovely cucumbers again I always have cut off the mildewy leaves on...

We cant eat our cucumbers quick enough, so have started giving them to neighbours and inlaws

Hi @ChrisWales , welcome!The planters look brilliant, very neat and smart. I'm leaving the soil and drainage questions to the experts, but regarding what to plant:What do you like to eat? Personally I wouldn't use such a premium, limited space for anything that supermarkets sell cheaply...

For the best flavour, opt for a greengage. Denniston's Superb (aka Imperial Gage) is self fertile. I'm not sure that any variety is especially resistant to pests. To prevent moth problems, hang a pheromone trap in the tree in early spring. This site might be of some help.....Dessert - Self...