Page 44 - Garden News

The Problem SOLVER

Why is my mandevilla Try to give the plant as much
Qyellowing? sunlight as possible during the
Try hand pollinating Philippa Foulkes, Brighton winter months as light intensity
with a soft brush for at this time of year is weak. As
be er fruit set
Mandevilla, also known as the plant will be growing more
Adipladenia, are tropical in slowly be careful not to
origin and need to be given overwater. It’s best to wait until
winter protection in this country the compost approaches dryness
as they don’t like temperatures and then thoroughly water the
below 15C (59F). I suspect the plant, allowing the soil to
yellowing of some of the foliage become almost dry again before
is due to the plant’s reaction to watering once more. Feeding
a change in temperature after isn’t necessary during winter
Alamy
coming in a little late in the and should be resumed once the
Why won’t they fruit? autumn from the garden into plant comes into growth once
the conservatory.
more in the spring.
Why did my numerous and artificial/hand
Qcucamelons produce pollination is generally not Mandevilla
so li
le fruit? necessary, as long as insects needs protection
over winter
Andrew Barton, have access to the greenhouse,
Sevenoaks, Kent so make sure doors and vents
are open during the day when
The lack of fruit could be they’re in flower. You could
Adown to incomplete or also try hand pollination with
poor pollination, causing the a soft brush. Drought and heat
fruit to drop before it matures. stress can lead to abortion of
Cucamelons, as with other the fruit, so ventilate well and
members of the cucumber make sure the plants don’t dry
family, produce separate male out. Leaving ripe fruit too long
and female flowers on the on the plants can also affect
same plant. These are usually further fruit set.

A warm spring What are the hard earlier last year has encouraged ericaceous gritty compost mix
last year has Qround growths on quite a few plants to set fruits. and see if they germinate.
encouraged my camellia? If you wait for them to fully It’s probably best to keep them
camellias to
set fruit Adrian Stachan, New mature and start to go brown and in a cold frame or frost-free
Milton, Hampshire split open, you can then sow the greenhouse if attempting to do
seeds. However, sometimes our this. The seed won’t breed true
These sound as summers aren’t warm or long and you may have to wait a few
Athough they’re enough for the fruits to fully years for flowers. You’re unlikely
small camellia fruits. I ripen and mature to produce to get exhibition quality blooms
think the warm, settled viable seeds. If they do ripen you but they should still make
spring weather we had could try sowing the seed in an attractive garden shrubs.

Do I need to prune my rhododendron to
Qencourage good flowering?
Gary Thacker, Luerworth, Leicestershire
Rhododendrons on the whole tend not to need
Amuch pruning other than the removal of dead wood
and deadheading of spent flowers if practical. Some
rhododendrons do, however, respond well to hard cutting
back where growth needs to be restricted or a shrub
rejuvenated. Deciduous azaleas and rough-barked
rhododendrons respond better to this treatment rather
than the smooth-barked kinds.
Cut back immediately after flowering in spring, mulch,
feed if soil conditions are poor, and keep well watered to
encourage new growth. You can prune most evergreen
shrubs just before growth starts in mid-spring. Pruning at
this time will avoid frost damage to new shoots, and any
pruning scars will be concealed by new growth. However,
evergreens that are still flowering or about to flower in
spring, like rhododendrons, can be left until flowering Generally rhodos don’t
has finished and pruned straight afterwards in late spring. need much pruning to put
on a good flower display
44 Garden News / January 27 2018