Questions and Answers

Gardening questions from around the peninsula

The mailbox is bulging with questions from intrepid Inishowen gardeners. The garden always gives us something to think about and this year is no exception. Watering and drought in the vegetable patch has been the biggest issue this year, with many of us opting to collect rainwater in barrels from the roof to water the beds and borders. Let’s see what else is on our minds.

Shrubs for a north-facing doorway

Q. I have some planters to put either side of our front door. The wall is north facing so they would never get any sun and it would be very dry. I don't like conifers, dwarf or otherwise. Any ideas what shrubs might be up to the job?

A. Try pyracantha, rhodos, pieris (forest flame) and ivies. You could also try hydrangea petiolaris, it’s not evergreen but does have a bit of winter interest with the flower heads. Then there is aucuba, choisya ternata Sundance, mahonia, sarcococca and viburnum. We are spoilt for choice really. It might be worth lining you pots with bubble wrap for extra insulation for the roots for when it gets cold in the winter.

Climbers for south facing fence

Q. I am about to have new fence put in my garden, which is south facing, the fence in question receives morning sun, and just a little in the afternoon, it now has a huge pyracantha on it and has to be removed, I have an actinidea that loves it and has grown large, so I am going to keep that, preferably something with winter interest, spring and summer, it is a long fence so could incorporate all three. I do like the berries on the pyracantha and the birds love them too, so could plant another.

A. You could try honeysuckle, winter jasmine, clematis, hops or a grape vine if it is a really sunny, sheltered, south facing spot.

Ants in the pots

Q. I have ants in all of my containers. I don't know how to get rid of them without harming my plants. I have flowers and vegetables in them. Any advice would be warmly welcome.

A. You could order nematodes online. You simply add water to them and add to the soil. It’s a bit unnecessary though as the ants are an indication of the soil being too dry, the pots might look well watered but are bone dry after an inch down. The first thing to try is pour a lot of water into the pots. The ants will soon pick up their eggs and move house.

Ants on runner beans

Q. I have noticed lots of ants scurrying up and down my canes with my runner bean plants on them. Any suggestions how I can get rid of these unwanted visitors and do you know if they will have harmed the runner beans?

A. It's not the ants you have to worry about; it's the black fly. Whenever you see ants on a plant you can be sure that it either has green fly or black fly. The ants eat the sugary substance, which both of those give out, and they will protect them from predators.

Well-ie never

Q. I have kept my sons wellies with the idea that I could grow small alpines in the tops.
If I fill with compost, put holes and crocks in the bottom for drainage, what are my chances of success?

A. Plants will grow in any container if the growing conditions are right.
My most successful sedum lived happily in a hole on a building for years. Make sure there is good drainage by making holes in the base. Unless of course you are planting aquatic plants, they would be more than happy in a pair of old wellies.

When to pull up garlic

Q. Can any one tell me how long after garlic flowers do you pick it? Mine is just starting to flower.

A. Plants that were put in the ground in autumn should be looking good by now.
Pull off any flower stems when they appear. Once the leaves turn yellow they can be dug up and dried off for storage by plaiting them and hanging them up in a dark room. Alternatively leave them in the ground, and just harvest as and when you need them.

Onions going to seed

Q. Some of my onions have started to run to seed and they are only the size of a golf ball. Why is that?

A. Probably through lack of water. It has been so dry over the past few weeks that if the soil has not been kept moist continually, most vegetables tend to run to seed. Try giving the ones that haven’t gone to seed a drink each night and see how you get on.

Courgettes in pots

Q. I am growing courgettes in a pot for the first time this year and the first few were fine, but now they are starting to rot at the ends when they are only 2"-3" long. Any ideas please?

A. Growing veggies in pots is always a bit trickier than in the ground. Irregular watering could cause a few problems, like blossom end rot in tomatoes. Humidity can be an issue too, if you see the flowers get mushy, remove them, leaving the courgette intact. If any do start rotting, take them off before the rot spreads to other courgettes on the plant. Growing in pots will avoid the courgettes laying on wet ground though, so it does have it’s advantages. Nip off the leading shoot after the third flower and then nip sideshoots at the third or fourth leaf. This will give you a plentiful crop.