Flowers: Gardening Q & A

Jun 8 2008 Carolyn Spray

Q I have made a veg patch but am waiting for more soil to be delivered and am worried it'll be too late to sow carrots and peas. How late can I sow?

A You can easily start off all your seeds in pots, ready to transplant when your borders are complete.

Carrots can be sown until the end of June and peas come in early, second early and maincrop varieties. I would sow early ones, which take only 11 to 12 weeks from sowing to picking.

Q My ligularia and hostas are being eaten by slugs. What's the best organic way to kill them?

A You can get organic slug pellets but you could try a beer trap which they love and will die a happy death. A barrier such as crushed egg shells, which they don't like, works well or copper bands, which give a small electric shock, keeps them away from plants.

Q My grass is yellow and not growing fast. What can I feed it with?

A A small lawn can be easily fed with a soluble fertiliser but for a larger area a granular one is probably more practical. I use a slow-release feed that you put down now and feeds the lawn all summer.

Q I want to keep the weeds down in the borders of my garden with a hoe. How can I do this and when is the best time?

A Hoeing is a good way to keep weeds down and, once the borders are clear, maintenance is easy and quick. Hoe on a sunny, dry day with a good breeze. Slice weeds off just under the soil and leave them on top to die. Hoeing when the soil is damp is pointless as they stick their roots back in and re-grow.

Q My clematis montana has flowered well but it is getting too big. Can I prune it and when?

A Montanas don't need pruning except to stop them overgrowing. Cut it back after flowering to your right size. You may not get as many flowers next year but it will recover to bloom again.