Amateur Gardening – 21 May 2019

38 AmAteurGArDeNING 11 MAY 2019

Q

Myhydrangeahaslotsof strange

ovalshapes on the leaves. What

arethey?

Betty Whittick, Morden, Surrey

A

Yourplantis sufferingfroma pest

calledhydrangeascale.Thewhite

ovalshapesareeggmassesandyou

mightalsofindflat,oval,yellow-brown

scalesontheundersidesof leaves.

Thesearethenymphstageof the

insectandtheywillmovetothebarkin

autumnforoverwintering,before

maturingandlayingeggs.

Scale insects are sap feeders and can

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Q

AsI knowfoxglovesarepoisonous,

is it dangeroustogrowthemclose

tomyfruitandvegetableplants?

Samantha Marling, Thetford, Norfolk

A

Allpartsof a foxgloveplantare

poisonous,butbyvaryingdegrees

andonlyif ingested.Somepeopledo

findtheleavestobeanirritant,butthis

is moreduetotheirhairiness than the

chemicalswithin.

Thechemicalsin foxglovescannot

betransferredtootherplants,sothereis

noriskat allof endingupwithpoisoned

cropsfromgrowingfruittrees,shrubsor

plantsnearfoxgloves.Theonlypossible

riskI canthinkof wouldbeif foxglove

seedsadheredtotheediblepartsof the

fruitingplantsandtheywere not wiped

cleanbeforeeating.

ButI wouldsaythereis sucha

minusculechanceof thisoccurring,and

it is easilypreventedbywashingallfruit

beforeeating– whichis something you

would probably do anyway!

Are foxgloves too toxic near crops?

What’s attacked myhydrangealeaves?

Winterclematis

Q

Ihavesomesummer-flowering

clematis,butare there any that

bloomin winter?

Tim Lyons, Bournemouth, Dorset

A

Thereis anevergreenclematis

called‘Freckles’thatproduces

attractivepaleflowerswithredspeckles

in thewinter,usually between October

andFebruary.

It is dormantin thesummer,andlikes

a sunny spot sheltered from cold winds.

Q

WhyhasourCornuskousa,

whichweboughttwoyearsago,

neverflowered?DianeSmith,

West Bromwich, West Midlands

A

Yourtreeis tooyoungtoflower,

andyoumayhavetowaitanother

fourorfiveyearsbeforeit matures

and‘performs’.Whenthatmoment

arrives,itsspreadingbrancheswillbe

sleevedwithlargestarrywhitebracts.

Theflowersaresmallglobularstructures

thatappearin the middle of the four-

bract blooms.

Cornus query

Cornus kousa will flower once it is mature

Foxglovescansafelybegrown

close to edible plants

Hydrangea scale are sap-feeding insects, but an infestation is treatable
Alamy

bedestructive,buttheyaretreatable.

If youspraywitha pesticidenow,the

youngareat theirmostvulnerableto

chemicals.Applypesticidesthoroughly

totheundersideof leaves,butavoidany

neighbouringflowersasthepesticides

willkillpollinatinginsects.

Toavoidspraydamagetotheleaves,

don’tsprayin hotsunnyweatherorif the

soilis dry.Keepyourplantwateredand

feedit fortnightlywithliquidfertiliser.

If youhavepatience,avoidchemicals

altogetherandwipetheleavesclean

usinga milddetergentsolution(a drop

of washing-up liquid in water).

‘Freckles’is anevergreen winter-

flowering clematis