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Q - ÌýWhat is the definitive treatment for Box tree caterpillar?

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Pippa – It really depends on the conditions of the year. When the weather starts to warm up I would regularly inspect the plants. You can use biological controls such as nematodes if they appear again.

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Q – How do I grow Helleborus foetidus (Stinking hellebore) well?

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Anne – They may not transfer well as whole plants, you might be better off getting a packet of seeds. They like growing in cracks and dry shade.

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Matt – There’s a form called ‘Wester Flisk’ which is one of the best.

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Q – I have a Callicarpa bodinieri (‘Profusion’); how can I encourage it to grow more berries?

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Anne – Try and thin out the stems so they have the space to flower and fruit properly. Feed it and mulch it too.

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Matt – You can try and cross pollinate it using a different clone to help increase the berry number.

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Q – What can I plant for a successful winter allotment crop?

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Matt – Certain vegetables such as Pak Choi, mizuna and mibuna greens are normally sewn in late August so they can grow large enough to get through the winter. You could also try brassicas if they are sewn in pots in a ‘Cut and come again’ style.

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Anne – You might be able to sew things like parsnips as early as February to establish big roots. I would try kale too. Ìý

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Q – I am trying to start a cutting garden; how do the team advise I do this?

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Anne – The Centaureas such as cornflowers, poppies, calendula (Pot marigold) are hardy annuals so you can put them out early. Make sure you plant at sensible distances, around 9 inches (23cm) apart to let them get to a good enough size to pick from. The tall stem plants such as Ammi majus will need support like sticks or a net.

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Pippa – You could try the last daffodil bulbs from this season. I would plant dahlias and annuals like sunflowers. The best perfumed cutting flowers are things like sweet peas.

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Matt – I would put foliage plants in there such as pittosporums (Cheesewood) and ivy. Plants like gladiolus murielae, lavatera and cosmo can be sewn in succession.

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Q – I have planted two container-grown trees, a Golden chain tree (Laburnum) and a Whitebeam, they are about 12ft (3.6m) tall. When is the best time to water them?

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Matt – They will go into a state of dormancy over winter and then start growing again in the spring; that is the best time to see if they need watering.

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Q – Could you suggest a fruit tree or soft fruit variety to commemorate 70 years of the allotment I cultivate?

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Anne – I would go to a local fruit nursery and look for an old apple variety

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Matt – Malus ‘Golden Hornet’.

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Pippa – I like autumn-fruiting raspberries such as ‘Autumn Bliss’ and ‘Joan J’.Ìý