Propagating & Growing Plants

Quick Answer Rhododendrons most often die or decline in UK gardens because of alkaline soil, which stops the plant taking up iron even when nutrients are present, waterlogged ground that leads to phytophthora root rot, exposure to drying wind or strong winter sun that scorches the evergreen leaves, or bud blast fungal disease that turns […]

Quick Answer Hostas need moist, fertile soil and partial to full shade, with spring or early autumn the best time to plant them. Water consistently through the growing season, mulch each spring with peat free compost, and protect young shoots from slugs in April and May, since that’s when the vast majority of hosta damage […]

Quick Answer Buy plants online from reputable, UK-based nurseries with detailed descriptions, clear real-life photographs, and genuine reviews. Check the plant’s exact size (plug, P9, 1 litre or larger) before ordering, avoid buying in extreme weather, and inspect roots and foliage as soon as the box arrives. A seller who won’t say where a plant […]

QUICK ANSWER A dying ceanothus is usually down to waterlogged roots, frost or wind damage, hard pruning into old wood, or simply old age, since most varieties live only ten to fifteen years. Scratch a stem with your thumbnail: green tissue underneath means the plant can likely be saved, brown and dry means it has […]

Quick Answer Sow courgette seeds indoors in April or May at 18 to 21 degrees, then plant out in a sunny, sheltered spot once frost risk has passed. Feed weekly with a high potassium fertiliser once flowering starts, and harvest fruits at 10 to 15cm every two to three days to keep plants cropping all […]

Quick Answer Flamingo trees usually die from overwatering rather than neglect. Standing water around the roots, especially in pots without enough drainage, causes root rot far more often than drought does. Too much intense afternoon sun can scorch the variegated leaves, and a pot that is too small will leave roots circling and starved of […]

Quick Answer Ragwort is a UK native wildflower with clusters of small daisy like yellow flowers on stems 30 to 100cm tall. It is not illegal to have it in a garden, but it is listed as an injurious weed under the Weeds Act 1959 because it is toxic to horses and livestock if eaten. […]

Quick Answer Lavender and roses feed bees brilliantly for a few weeks in midsummer, but pollinators are active in the UK from January through to November. Add early plants such as winter aconite, snowdrops, primrose, hellebores and mahonia for late winter, and late plants such as echinacea, sedum, asters, Japanese anemone and ivy for autumn, […]

Quick Answer Lavender usually fails to flower because of too much shade, soil that’s too rich or too wet, or a lack of annual pruning that has let it become woody. Check the season and variety first, then work through sunlight, soil, watering and pruning history. Most causes are fixable within a single growing season. […]

Quick Answer Tomato leaves curl mainly due to environmental stress, inconsistent watering, pests such as aphids or broad mites, nutrient imbalances, viral infection, or chemical drift from nearby weedkillers. Most causes are fully reversible once you correct the underlying problem, and new growth typically emerges flat within a week or two. The one exception is […]