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Q – About 45 years ago I inherited a Clivia miniata.Ìý Does it have a lifespan?

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Christine – No.Ìý If you keep repotting it can last forever.

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Q – I have trouble growing parsnips on my allotment.Ìý What can I do?

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Bob – You’ve got Carrot Root Fly.Ìý It can also affect Parsnips and any of the native umbelliferae.Ìý It lives on cow parsley naturally.Ìý I sow three seeds in one spot and protect them with a plastic cylinder with a muslin cap.Ìý

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Q – How do I keep my Acer/Maple alive?Ìý It was growing fine in an ericaceous raised bed but a badger dug it up.Ìý Six months after replanting it started to die.Ìý What can I do?

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Christine – Acers are quite delicate so it’s probably suffering a bit!Ìý Scrape the bark and see where the dead stops, trim back to there and then water it well.Ìý

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Bob – A raised bed is a dry bed – give it a really good water.Ìý And keep it sheltered from the wind.Ìý

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Q – I bought a Frangipani cutting a couple of years ago and I’m wondering how much longer I need to wait for it to flower?

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Christine – 5-10 years normally.Ìý If it’s a young plant get it out on its own and make sure it gets plenty of sunlight

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Matt – I managed to get a Frangipani to flower… once

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Bob – Dry it down in the winter

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Q – Why does my Clematis keep suffering from wilt?

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Bob – It could actually be damaged by slugs/snails/woodlice chewing away at the bark so look out for that

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Christine – The RHS recently put out a report that Clematis Wilt is actually very rare.Ìý I have to water my Clematis like mad – I have Clematis alpina, some of the large-leafed hybrids, also Clematis orientals, tanjutica, vitalba – and I have to put on several gallons each time.Ìý It’s normally a cultural problem rather than Clematis Wilt.Ìý

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Matt – Clematis like woodsy, deep soil.Ìý

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Q – Why do my rose bush leaves turn spotty and yellow every autumn?

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Matt – This sounds like Black Spot.Ìý You can spray with fungicide.Ìý And during the winter make sure you clean up the borders and then mulch under the roses.Ìý Feed with high potash fertilizer.Ìý

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Bob – It’s always going to be there but you can reduce it.Ìý I would recommend seaweed solution.Ìý And a good helping of horse manure

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Topical tips

Buddleja globosa

Embothrium coccineum

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Q – I have a north-facing garden with two vines planted on the south-facing wall.Ìý How should I prune these vines?Ìý

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Bob – You need to be ruthless – don’t worry about hurting an established vine.Ìý The canes that grew this year are the only ones that will fruit next year.Ìý Then cut back to leave young buds only.Ìý Then remove half again once they’ve started growing.Ìý The fewer you’ve got the bigger they will be.Ìý Prune as soon as you like.Ìý

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Matt – Traditionally you’d prune between Christmas and New Year

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Q – How should hungry allotmenteers prepare for the predicted hotter, drier summers and wetter winters?

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Christine – The key thing is moisture retention and increasing the organic matter in the soil.Ìý We may have to alter sowing dates.Ìý We might have to start looking more at Asian plants as opposed to Eastern European and North American.Ìý

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Matt – With fruits we might move into apricots, peaches, almonds.Ìý Vegetable: cardoons, globe artichokes, asparagus peas.Ìý Drip irrigation will come to the fore.Ìý

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Bob – Get more apples, more grapes.Ìý