Homeowner Forum / Lawn and Garden / August 2008

Last year I bought a raspberry which was supposed to be Autumn Gold or some
such - late fruiting with golden berries.
It fruited this year barely later than the main crops, in July, and the
fruits were large, long and delicious. But purple.

Why is wetwood good for trees?
Why is installing drain tubes harmful for trees?

I have this ongoing problem with hazel shrubs being attacked by some
kind of fungal or viral infection which affects the leaves and
eventually kills the plant. The only measure I've found at all helpful
so far is to spray them with Dithane before the infection hits, but this

i have done some googling and searching here & there.
i end up being told yes i should mulch then no i shouldnt
because then the plants dont harden up enough under the
mulch for the winter :(.

I have not posted here in some time, but after spending two hours
wandering all over the internet looking for help for an ant problem,
it occurred to me that people had commented on having ants on their
orchids & I thought maybe someone here might have some advice.  I've

I was out picking the day's crop of cherry tomatoes from my sole surviving
vine (a long sad story) and spotted a miniature mud structure attached to
the underside of one leaf. Overall the structure looks to be 18-20mm long
and the opening is certainly no more than 2mm. Appearance ...

I have an asparagus fern - house plant. I know it's not really a fer
but it's the best way to describe it.
It's grown a lot over the last year and taking up a lot of space. I wa
thinking of cutting it back but don't want to kill it.

I already have a compost bin on my allotment but wonder if there is any
need for a garden incinerator as well?  I'm referring to those small
galvanised metal bins with holes in them and a lid on top with a small
chimney.

This blog relates to sub-tropical gardening in Brisbane, Australia
includes all the trials, tribulations and challanges of gardening in a
drought. This garden is in the 'Open Garden' Scheme and the owners are
real weekend gardeners who do everything themselves. Find blog at

South east England. One - raspberries.Two - plums.
Autumn Bliss. Plants about five years old. Excellent crops until this year.
Very poor and the leaves on several plants have lost their "green-ness"
Prune to ground level every year about January and feed with Growmore at

How do I know they are Lilies? Ask Lonnie.
seriously I have lilies in pots, which have done very well.  This is
their third year, should I perhaps take them out of the pots and treat
them like onions, then replant next Spring in fresh compost? all

I am getting a tree cut down.
Is it true these tree cutters make mulch out of the trees and sell
them for profit?
I got $450 for a maple that is about 10 feet tall.

Have finally got round to trying to clear round our pond - severely
overgrown.
Two main problems are variegated bamboo and (I think) a dogwood - both of
which are spreading like wild fire.

My hydrangea bush/plant I get big 6" diameter blooms, then the petals turn
brownish after a few days.
Some new blooms form but not as many.
I fertilize with brand name food for hydrangeas as directed.