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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Saving seed It’s that time of year again when we can save lots of seed for sowing next season. Here I have collected lots of coriander seeds. Just off a few plants I probably got about 300 seeds and if I bought the equivilent seed that would probably cost me […]
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We loved this perforated garden harvest basket which we reviewed in the September 2018 issue. It is made from polypropylene and is available in 4 litre and 15 litre sizes. The legs can be folded when harvesting and extended for storage inside. It has neutral base with lime coloured folding […]
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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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