Q &A

May 4 2008 Carolyn Spray

Flowers

Q I carefully prune my roses each year to an outward-facing bud but my neighbour cuts his back with his hedgetrimmers and gets similar results. Who is right?

A It has been proved that either method works well but obviously hedgetrimmers are quicker and require less effort. If you enjoy working in the garden, continue with your own method.

Q I bought sweet pea plants in my garden centre but the tops have all been broken off. Will they be all right?

A Sweet peas flower better on sideshoots so the tops are usually pinched to encourage these. Water them well to avoid bud drop on the first flowers.

Q I want to plant plums.

Which is the best variety for an Edinburgh garden and will I need more than one type?

A A very popular variety for colour and flower which does well in Scotland is Victoria.

It is self-fertile but will always perform better with another variety nearby. There are several new self-fertile varieties to choose from.

Q A friend advised me to mulch my borders as it is meant to help keep the weeds at bay. Do you agree?

A Mulching is a great way to stop annual weeds developing. It also helps retain moisture and improves the soil as the worms in your garden work into the soil. Spread about 2-3in depth of well-rotted manure or garden compost over your borders in the spring.

Q Can you suggest prizes for a gardening contest at our school?

A You could consider awarding plants such as tomato or pepper or even fruit bushes or strawberry plants as kids love to grow things that produce an end result they can eat. You can also now get a good range of children's gardening tools in stores and garden centres which they would find useful.