Trees

I'd be inclined to cut it at an angle to help stop rot.Our silver birch had the top 20ft taken off, by the tree next to it, during the November 1987 'hurricane'. It didn't stop it from growing healthily and is at least 45ft high now.It was about 35ft at the time and the silver birch next...

I have loads and loads, but unfortunately I'm miles away from London.

This is quite a concise and informative guide:Issues with clay soil are usually related to compaction, especially where new builds are concerned. Compacted clay soils retain water which can lead to waterlogging, anaerobic growing conditions and poor root development. I'd be inclined to dig...

If your soil isn't too alkaline, and the garden is reasonably sheltered, I'd recommend Arbutus unedo rubra. It's an evergreen with attractive bark, pink flowers and strawberry-like fruit. Attractive 365 days of the year!

They all look the same to me . Maybe thats because ive spent too many hours raking the little devils up the last few weeks ?Ive got autumn leaf blindness

It did keep my hands as soft as a babys bum but it didn't do much for my legs as @fat controller did say they look like the legs of an oil rig

Love the story....if you need any help with the malt....

Brilliant, thanks a lot for your help

Bare rooted plants are very uncommon here. The only ones I have ever seen are privately imported roses. So they will be in either pots (most likely) or possibly jute bags.My soil is sandy (hence my name!) so I will be putting plenty compost and/or peat in the holes, probably some bonemeal as...

Oh, and then rub a mislethrush up against it for luck, but not a redwing as it'll eat your berries

The Lilac we have is Lilac Prestoniae " Agnes Smith " , it has beautiful white scented flowers and only grows to about 4'. When established, it flowers in Autumn as well as late Spring.

I would say it could be re-potted now as growth will increase with the longer, warmer days. Make sure it is well fed for a couple of weeks before doing so. Definitely tease the roots apart to fit into your new pot, and don't be afraid to trim the roots if they are too long.I re-potted a Green...

Dont think I'd be very happy if I bought them and the tops had been cut off, I assume you bought them mail order?They grow pretty strong and will perhaps be a bit bushier for having had that done. They will probably form a new leader without much trouble.

Thank you.

If you really feel the need to prune right now, then you can stop sap loss by using a seal and heal product. The Japanese use a putty that you can obtain from a bonsai specialist. Best to prune in late autumn/early winter to allow new buds to form, and over winter them in a sheltered spot. From...

Thank you everyone! I will follow all of your advice, including looking for nesting birds. Xx

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.As for putting crocks in the pots - sadly I forgot to put any in one of the three plastic pots. Not sure that I want to take the risk of de-potting it to pop some in (I worry that something will go wrong and I'll end up breaking the tree - they are in...

Oh, I can't seem to find it again now. I think it might have been a fiddle leaf fig asit had branches but quite big leaves. Althought they looked lighter than I thought figs were.I was thinking that too, something tall but quite narrow maybe.

It does look a bit ominous, BND. Cherries are susceptible to bacterial canker and one of the symptoms is resin oozing from the stems. As it's on the main trunk, there's not a lot you can do to remove the infection. Here's a link which might helpIf it comes to the worst, you'll probably be...

Ah, I get your point, Sian. Sorry, I couldn't see the photo.What I'd do first if it was my tree would be to choose a good dominant top bud and cut off the tip to that point. This will first of all stop the tree becoming too tall and whip-like, and secondly, encourage strong lateral branches...