Your Questions Answered

We've been asked a lot about gardening over the years and have been challenged to find the answer to some interesting questions at times. We thought it only right to share the most relevant questions together with their answers with you.

If you've got a question of your own or something you'd like to share with us please email questions@plantconnection.co.uk and Steve or Val Bradley our garden writers and gardening experts will reply to you.

Our most recent questions and their answers are listed below.

Q I'm a complete beginner to this gardening lark and I know nothing about pruning shrubs. Should I have done it all in the winter?

A. Timing depends on what you are pruning. With most shrubs it is quite easy; if it flowers before the end of July or beginning of August, you can prune immediately after flowering (cut off the shoots with the dead flowers on and you can't go far wrong). For those plants that flower later, wait until the late-winter or early-spring before you prune and aim to remove about one-third of the stems (usually the oldest), so that they can be replaced by new flower-bearing shoots.

Q.I ordered some geranium plug plants from plantconnection and they look lovely. How do I keep them healthy all summer?

A. Now that your plants have arrived, move them into larger pots (about 3 inch diameter) with multi-purpose compost, place them in a well-lit position (but not in direct sun) and keep them well watered. On warm days they can be placed outside, but they will need some frost protection at night, certainly for the next few weeks. If you want really bushy plants, you can pinch the tip out of each shoot to make them branch more, you will lose the first flowers doing this but the display you get later in the season will be well worth it. As soon as the first flowers open, feed the plants at two week intervals with a weak solution of tomato feed, and remove any dead flower heads as they appear to prevent the plants setting seed - which encourages the plants to stop flowering.

Q. I've just bought a polycarbonate greenhouse (8 x 6 ft) and now want to fill it with edibles, but what should I start with?

A. Most gardeners start with tomatoes. At some stage, everyone has a try at growing their own tomatoes and there are many to choose from, ranging from small cherry types like 'Red Robin' through to the more traditional large types. Peppers (both chilli and the sweet types) are also suitable, as are aubergines (although they need a hot summer to do really well). If you grow them in growing bags rather than the border soil, you have control of the watering and feeding, and there is less chance of your plants' roots being attacked by pests and diseases.