Ken and Gill's allotment:
We have just taken on an allotment and are far from knowing to do. We have to clear the weeds and don't know when to plant what. We would like the following:

Potatoes, cabbages, radishes, tomatoes and other salad stuff, an herb garden, corn, onions, strawberries, rhubarb, and we'd also like a plum and apple tree.

Ross replies:
Like anything, preparation is the key to success, so be very thorough in the clearing, digging and disposal of the waste. Do not compost the weeds. Lay out the allotment with a central path 80-90cm wide and mark out the beds to about 1.20 m wide, running out to the edge of the plot. If room allows, have secondary paths for easy access. Use old carpet remnants laid on the path to suppress new weed growth and lay gravel over the top.

Form 10cm high timber edges to the beds to help pest control and help drainage of surplus water away from sensitive plants like strawberries, pumpkins and lettuce. Rotate your crops year by year and complete a cycle within 3-5 years to help maintain soil nutrient levels.


Taehras Mohammed's apple tree
I have a small but very fruitful three year old apple tree in my garden. I would like to reposition the tree to a larger space but am not sure if it would take again. Can you please give me some advice?

Ross replies:
Apple trees are very tolerant of being transplanted and the best time to do this is Nov-Feb. Retain as much of the soil around the root ball and plant into the new site with a rich blended mix of soil and organic compost. Stake the tree for stability for the first 3 years to allow new roots to anchor.


Ray's privet dilemma
Which plants can be grown below a privet hedge in full sun?

Ross replies:
Privet has a dense root system close to the leafy area of the hedge, so before planting anything, till over the soil and lay a rich bed of organic mulch on top of the soil, so the new plants have a chance of drawing a food source and retaining any water shed by the greedy hedge. Try planting some of these: Pachysandra terminalis; Hebe rakaiensis; Teucrium chamadrys; Sedum spectablis; Danae racemosa; Geranium macrorrhizum.


Maureen's New Zealand Flax
Can I propagate a New Zealand Flax from the flower pods once they've finished flowering?

Ross replies:
The flax seed exercise might prove fruitless, but the most effective way of propagation is to divide from the parent plant. In November, lift the flax out of the ground and with a sharp knife or spade slice into the base at an obvious division. Remove the long leaves to help transplanting success; put these rooted leaflets into a pot with some John Innes No2. In twelve months, you will have a prodigy to plant out or give to friends.


Bob's hydrangeas
Please could you tell me why no matter what colour hydrangea I buy, the following year they come out pink - with the exception of a white one which starts white every year and slowly turns pink. Also, I'd like to know when the best time to prune is, and how much I should do.

Ross replies:
Hydrangeas are chameleons of plants. You never quite know what colour they will turn out once put into the ground. The reason is that the soil ph and conditions will determine the colour. The solution is to abandon these varieties and opt for the more robust and consistent ones like H. arborescens and quercifolia. Walk around your neighbourhood and see what ones are flourishing in other gardens.