Reader Queries:

Q: We have several large potted plants on the patio, and it is increasingly difficult to move them. Any ideas? - Mr V. Wright

A: A sack trolley is the easiest way of moving big pots. Tilt the pot, slide the trolley’s foot under, tip back the pot and you’re away. Useful for bales of compost too. DIY stores carry them but you will get a stronger version at a builder’s merchant. Look for a trolley which has a concave back so the pot cannot roll sideways.

Q: When should I prune my Feijoa? It stands against an east wall, and has had but one flower on it – perhaps because I cut it back last September/October? - Mr J. Hok, Liss, Hampshire

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A: What a dreadful name is feijoa’s new botanical name, "acca"! Feijoa was so much more attractive and those small, bristle-centred red flowers are amazing. But it does need a hot spot to perform, preferably against a wall. It’s not for cold gardens at all, and your east wall is less than ideal.

The time for heavy pruning is spring, but you could do some nibbling now if you need to. Hard pruning of anything produces strong non-flowering shoots which then take time to settle and flower, so don’t expect wonders next year.

Q: We bought a cornus kousa var. chinensis from a reputable Northern nursery about three years ago. It is now 2m (6ft) tall, but has shown no sign of white bracts. Should we be patient or have we been "sold a pup"? - Mrs E. Wagstaff, Durham

A: This has been a wonderful year for all the flowering dogwoods - cornus kousa, florida, nuttallii, et al - and the branches have been laden with swags of blossom. If yours has failed to perform, either it is so well-fed that it is making extension growth at the expense of flowering growth, or it is disadvantaged at the root, either by disease or by being bought pot-bound and never having broken free. Thin, chalky soil can also cause them not to thrive. A height of 2m after three years suggests you bought an already large specimen, which means it could well have been pot-bound. Move it next winter, and see what is happening down there.

Q: Two honeysuckles in my garden have been slow to flower profusely. Both are three or four years old, and although one was planted and the other self-sown, they are climbing vigorously up adjacent cotoneaster bushes. This year I thought that we would get a good show of flowers since there were plenty of buds on both plants, but as these developed the florets withered and fell off. I am left with no flowers on the bought plant and only a few on the self-sown one. What do I need to do to keep the florets from aborting next year? - Mrs A. Reid, Monifieth, Angus

A: Your problem will be mildew. Honeysuckles are prone to it, especially when they are dry at the root from drought or too much sun or competition for moisture from other plants. The disease is often not apparent until flowering time, when the buds start to wither as you describe. Spray with a fungicide from the beginning of the season.

Q: I’d like to know when and how best to divide day lilies. I’ve had one specimen for 14 years and this year it has been very unproductive – just a couple of spikes whereas it normally produces more than 20. The leaves look healthy. Should it be divided regularly, and if so when? - Mr B. Harrison, London SE26

A: Day lilies (hemerocallis) need dividing every 4-5 years to get the best results. As you see, they can be left for much longer, but division does boost the number of flowers if that’s your main aim.

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