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Q – My daughter has moved into a new house with an orangery.Ìý She’d like to grow a lime and a lemon tree.Ìý What varieties can you recommend and what other tips would you suggest?

Bob – ‘Meyer’s’ lemon is said to be easiest.Ìý ‘Lisbon’ lemon.Ìý ‘Eureka’ is one of the best.Ìý Limes: Green Lemons are a better option than actual limes.Ìý Try growing Satsumas too.

Matt – They don’t like low temperatures or fluctuating temperatures.Ìý They are prone to scale insects.Ìý

Q – I’d like to know what homemade feed is good for fruit and flowers?

Bob – They used to recommend comfrey leaves which is high potash – so good for tomatoes, roses, potatoes.Ìý Stinging nettles are the best all-round feeds.Ìý You could add borage to it – which is high in magnesium and nitrogen.Ìý Also, diluted burdock.

Matt – If you’re burning wood then put the wood ash round the bottom of trees and water it in.Ìý Youthful stems have more potash than older ones

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Q – I’ve recently replanted my Camellia in ericaceous compost but the leaves have all turned brown.Ìý What’s happening?

Pippa – I think it’s scorched.Ìý The re-potting and the heavy rain followed by bright sun will have stressed it.Ìý It will be fine.

Matt – Always transplant just after flowering and then protect it with fleece.Ìý Give it some liquid seaweed too.

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Q – I have an ant infestation in my greenhouse; is it safe to use insecticides on the soil?Ìý They are farming the soft shoots on my apples, cherries and plums – what can I do?

Pippa – There are plant-safe insecticides you can use.Ìý I would go for nematodes in the soil.Ìý

Bob – I put jam around for the ants – if they’ve got a supply of sweet, sticky stuff it keeps them satisfied

Matt – As you’re going to prune the fruit trees it doesn’t matter that the ants have been at them

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Q – What is the matter with my Echium?

Pippa – This is a classic example of fasciation; when stems fuse into their neighbours.ÌýÌý It’s very common of Delphiniums, Forsythia, Daphnes.Ìý It’s usually caused by physical damage.Ìý

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Q – I’m growing Dahlias from cuttings.Ìý I’ve ‘stopped’ them once – is this enough or should I do it again?

Bob – I don’t ‘stop’ at all as I want quantity rather than size.Ìý One-stop would be enough for big flowers.Ìý Dahlias are very hungry so feed them plenty.

Pippa – Plenty of water too.

Matt – Make sure there’s plenty of organic matter in the soil.

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Q – Can you recommend shrubs/plants to put along a large, north-facing brick wall?

Bob – A selection of pears in an espalier.Ìý Redcurrants can make huge plants if trained along wires.Ìý The Whitecurrant too.Ìý Gooseberries.

Pippa – Clematis.Ìý Something like ‘Elizabeth’ or ‘Freda’.Ìý

Matt – Ivy.Ìý Clematis orientalis ‘Bill MacKenzie’.Ìý

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Q – I have a tree but don’t know what it is… what is it?

MattÌý - It looks like Koelreuteria paniculata or the ‘Golden Rain’ tree.Ìý

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Q – In the coming months I will be inundated with marrows from my allotment.Ìý I would like to preserve some for the winter months – can I?

Bob – They don’t keep very well; you’d be better off with winter-storing squashes like ‘Crown Prince’.