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A selection of your gardening queries.
May 2005
Q: Miriam has a query about her yew
tree:
We have a problem with a yew tree which is dangerous and needs to
come down. It is about 400 years old. I have heard that they will re
grow if you take them down to about 5 feet high. Is there any truth
in this?
A: Yew trees become hollow with
age, and perhaps this is the reason you need to fell it.. But I
wouldn`t be surprised if it did sprout new growth from the
stump - why not try it and see?
Q: Susan`s pond needs repairing:
When thinning
out the vegetation at the edge of my pond, I went a bit mad with the
fork and stabbed holes in the butyl liner at the edge. The pond water
level has since dropped by a foot despite heavy, continuous rain.
Would it be possible to put a patching piece of butyl under the holey
one and what could I fix it with? What other alternatives do I have
for fixing my well-loved wildlife haven?
A: I`ve found a website that
supplies repair kits for butyl liners here:-
http://www.stephens-plastics.co.uk/sb-trde-aces.html
I hope you can get away with not replacing the whole liner and at
least it is at the edge and not in the middle..
Q: Animal mess in Roy`s garden:
Please can you help, its the cat and mainly DOG dirt getting into
and onto a garden and path. I would be very pleased if you could
recommend a good chemical that will stop them coming anywhere near
my plots. I must tell you that there is no danger of the public
coming into contact with what you might recommend, so it can be just
as strong as need be to clear my problem.
A: You could try putting down some of
the deterrents that are freely available from DIY shops.. Have a
look at this link:
http://www.martleyelectronics.co.uk/cat_control.htm
There is also a dog deterrent.
Apparently animals hate the smell of it.. They also hate pepper, the
white powder type. It is most unpleasant to find animal mess in your
garden. I hope you use gloves when touching the soil..
Q: A couple of identical Jasmine problems
from readers, one of which is here:
I have had a jasmine plant in my garden for about a year, it looked
lovely and climbed up the side of my window but three weeks ago it
started to go brown, it looks very sad now, can you help?
A: It has generally been a mild winter
and lots of early new growth on many plants seems to have been
caught by frost.. Whereas the older growth will withstand frost,
tender new growth is likely to get burnt..
If you don`t feel this is the problem, have a look in your gardening
book, or online, to find out if it is growing in the correct
conditions and aspect.
If cold weather is forecast, cover tender plants with horticultural
fleece.
Q: David asks about laurel hedges:
Could you please tell me if Laurel bushes can be kept small like a
hedge, and is it better to take cuttings or layer the branches and
letting them root.
A: Yes you can easily keep Laurel
hedges small. Prune them using secateurs. Avoid using a hedge
trimmer or shears as this leaves the laurel's foliage looking shabby
if the leaves are cut in half.
Take 15 - 20cm cuttings of mature wood of the current season's
growth, any time between September to February. Cuttings root
easily, even small branches.
Layering in autumn takes 12 months. I personally think cuttings give
a much better result.
Q: Jon wants to make his stream safe for
children:
I have a small stream at the bottom of the garden at the house I
have just bought. I have two small children. What can I do to cover
the stream and then grass over it so its not a danger to the
children.
A: Try this website
http://www.safapond.com/
The kit they supply can be put together to form any shape and is by
far the safest way to protect your children.. If you grass over your
stream perhaps the water will backup, causing problems elsewhere..
Previous editions of your gardening
queries:
Please
e-mail me with your garden problems, comments,
or ideas for this section of laterlife.
Click here for previous
editions of Gardener`s
Diary..
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