They may not be the fastest veg to grow but they are well worth the effort – the aroma of freshly pulled carrots and fresh to the plate is a joy not to be missed. Oh dear, but what are those black streaks? These are the tell-tale sings of carrot […]
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If you cherish your gooseberry crop, keep an eye out for gooseberry sawfly, which can devastate the foliage on your gooseberry bush. They first thing you’ll notice is that the foliage will start to disappear and then when you look underneath remaining leaves you will see little green caterpillars with […]
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The tips of broad bean plants are something of a magnet for blackfly (black aphids). These will cause stunted growth and affect the quality of the pods. So what can you do about it? 1. Prevention. When the flowers on the plant start to set (produce pods) at the bottom […]
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If you want to grow broad beans, when is the best time to sow them? The answer, of course, is it depends. Autumn Sowing • If you sow in October/November you will have an earlier crop than those sown in spring (estimated 30 weeks from sowing). The plants are also […]
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Chilli peppers are wonderful plants and there are lots and lots of varieties, coming in all different shapes, sizes and degrees of heat. They can make great ornamental plants too! However, people sometimes wonder why their chillies don’t do so well. Here are a few tips: • Chilli seeds need […]
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My rosemary plant has what looks like white foamy spit on the stems. What is causing this? Mrs R Peters, Dorset This is called cuckoo spit as it often appears in spring around about the time you start hearing cuckoos calling. It is common on certain plants such as lavender […]
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How do I protect my brassicas, they always get eaten? Several rows of young Brussels sprout plants were destroyed overnight by something Mr H Graham, Suffolk Brussels, cabbages and in fact all brassicas are prone to damage by pigeons and cabbage white caterpillars. The only way to prevent the damage […]
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