成人快手

Peter Gibbs is joined by Matt Biggs, Toby Buckland, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Wilson to answer questions from a local audience at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

Peter Gibbs also goes behind the scenes at the Botanic Gardens to hear about their project to create a database of DNA barcodes for all the native flowering plants and conifers in the UK. For more information on the barcoding project, please go to www.gardenofwales.org.uk/science/barcode-wales/

Produced by Darby Dorras
A Somethin' Else production for 成人快手 Radio 4

This week's questions:

Q. What can I plant in my garden to remind me of my son who lives in New Zealand? The garden is north facing and 600ft above sea level.

A. Tree ferns suitably protected with hay, hessian and plastic will come back year after year. Astelias will do well if planted in a sheltered area. Raoulia hookeri is another option.

Q. My Solomon Seal has been depleted by gray caterpillar-like grubs. What can I do?

A. This sounds like your plant has been plagued by sawfly. There's not much you can do this year but mark the date in you diary of when the infestation became apparent and so next year you can try to deal with it before it gets out of hand. One option would be to use nematodes as a form of biological control. Birds will also help so you could put a couple of birdfeeders to increase the numbers.

Q. Along my neighbour's fence there are Chestnut, Lime and Alder trees. I'd like to grow Clematis up some of the shrubs in my garden to screen from the trees. Could the panel recommend some varieties that would cope with a bit of shade and the dryness beneath the trees?

A. Firstly, you will have to dig a big hole when planting anything beneath the trees. Make sure to use plenty of compost and use leaf mould to help retain moisture. Clematis Montana is a robust variety. Clematis Alpinas are a bit more delicate. The Elizabeth and Frieda cultivars of Clematis Montana are a bit less rampant than the standard Clematis Montana but should still grow well.

Q. I have limited space for growing vegetables so I try to clear and store what I grow. What's the best way to store leaks onions and potatoes?

A. Make sure all the vegetables are well dried. Only store the Onions that have narrow necks - a bull neck means it will not store well. Handle Onions and Garlic carefully as bruising can be a source of problems later on. You could hang them up to dry or use a palate or chicken wire to ensure a good circulation of air around the vegetables. If they dry well over several consecutive sunny days you can plat the stems, or store them in old seed trays. As long as the place you store them is cool, frost-free, well ventilated and not at all damp they should keep well. With potatoes, just rub off any clumps of mud and leave them to dry and then store them in hessian bags. Leaks can actually be left in the ground over winter, just use straw to stop them from freezing.

Q. Some of my squash plants have done well, while others have yellowed, wilted and died. What went wrong?

A. Planting in cold soil can cause yellowing. What you can do next time is warm up the soil before you plant. Put cardboard over the soil and then dark mulch over that. The sun will warm the soil this way. A more worrying cause of the problem would be aphids that spread disease. This might be a case of the Tobacco Mosaic Virus. The problem might also be down to slug and snail damage. Have a look at the base of the wilting plants to look for signs of chewing around the base. Also, if transferring squash plants from a greenhouse to the garden, make sure to acclimatise the plants first by first bringing them out in the day and putting them back at night for about ten days before planting them in the ground.

Q. What is the best way to look after my Auricular now the flowers are over?

A. Divide the plant after flowering. Snap open the stems and divide them into chunks with the crown with some root on, pot them up into terracotta pots with some light-weight compost and keep them moist through the summer and feed with tomato feed. Keep them sheltered in the winter and they should do well.

Q. Please explain the advantages of a double-walled garden.

A. Double walls help get rid of insects. The more wall space, the more areas to grow plants up. The double walls keep the temperature low in the winter, helping the plants go dormant and getting rid of unwanted pests.

Q. Which plants attract wasps or emit noxious smells?

A. Gloire de Marengo Ivy attracts wasps, particularly in late summer. The Dracunculous vulgaris smells like rotting meat. Angelica Gigas attract wasps as does Bupleurum.

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