Amateur Gardening – 29 June 2019

36 AMATEUR GARDENING 29 JUNE 2019

Ask John Negus

John has been answering

reader queries for 49 years

Q

Our border is overcrowded. When

is the best time to lift and separate

plants without damaging them?

Angela and Steve Pare, via email

A

There isn’t a right time to clear the

bed without some risk to the plants,

though the probable worst case is that

you will lose the flowers for a year.

Ideally, tackle the bed in the autumn

when plants are approaching dormancy.

This will be perfect for the shrubs and

many perennials. However, irises would

be better replanted now, or September

at the latest, and you may find the tulips

When is the best time to lift border plants?

Magnolia pruning

Q

I have a Magnolia ‘Susan’ in my

garden. When should I prune it?

Mona Lochlan, Sheerness, Kent

A

This shrubby magnolia is one of the

most floriferous and one of the

latest to flower, which means the flowers

are rarely damaged by frosts.

By all means prune out the offending

shoots to maintain a nicely shaped

shrub. The best time to prune is right

now, straight after flowering.

Lifting an entire border of plants

is not an easy thing to do

Prune Magnolia ‘Susan’ after fl owering

have started into growth, though they

can be replanted in November.

Autumn is also a good time to tackle

improving the soil. Dig in well-rotted

organic matter to improve conditions.

Do you have somewhere to put the

plants while you sort out the bed? You will

either need to heel plants in to another

part of the garden for a few weeks, or

you could pot them so at least there is

only one shock to the root system. If

you can put the plants back into their

permanent homes during autumn they

will be able to start establishing before

entering full dormancy.

All photographs TI Media unless otherwise credited

Q

Please can you identify this plant?

Margaret Kovrlija, Knottingley,

West Yorkshire

A

It took me a while, but I think I have

now identified your plant – I believe

it is a type of shrubby honeysuckle. The

Latin name is Lonicera involucrata var.

ledebourii. It doesn’t appear to have

been given a common name!

This shrub is native to California in the

USA, and according to all the sources I

looked at it is quite unusual in

cultivation. It looks like you did a very

good thing in taking a cutting and

making this lovely plant more widely

available! It is certainly a treat to look at,

and I can see why you like it so much.

Unusual honeysuckle

Unravelling a woolly menace

Q

What can I use to remove woolly

aphids from my fruit trees? I am

scared they are damaging them.

Robert Burton-Taylor,

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warks

A

Woolly aphid is an insect that

sucks sap from woody stems,

and protects itself with a white fluffy

coating that looks like cotton wool.

The thinner bark around old

pruning cuts is a prime site for aphids,

but they also spread to younger

shoots, which develop soft, lumpy

growths where the aphids have

been feeding.

The only way to control infestations

without chemicals is to check plants

regularly, and wash or brush insects

away. If you have a hosepipe with a jet

spray, you can use that to blast the

pests off. It is also worth giving the tree

a brush-down in winter to remove

overwintering aphids.

Chemical sprays include Bayer

Sprayday Greenfly Killer and Provado

Bug Killer ready-to-use.

Woolly aphids

suck sap from

woody stems

Lonicera involucrata var. ledebourii

is native to California