Ask the EXPERT
Advice on planting hardy cyclamen
Q How should I plant up hardy cyclamen? I’d like to grow them in an old sink on the patio.
A What a lovely idea. Cyclamen will add much in the way of foliage interest, as well as long flowering. Producing small, pink, shuttlecock-like flowers, they are one of my favourite plants.
Ensure you use a soil-based compost such as John Innes No2, to which I add 25% sharp alpine grit, as the corms will rot if they sit in wet conditions over the winter. Put plenty of drainage in the bottom of the sink. Both Cyclamen coum and C. hederifolium can be grown very successfully in a sink, but don’t plant them together as C. hederifolium is the more vigorous of the two and will smother the coum and kill it out.
Once established, these plants will seed themselves into the sink, making a beautiful display over time.
WHAT ARE THE MARKS ON OUR HEALTHY BAY?
Q The leaves of our bay tree are covered in strange marks. Would it help if I pruned it back?
A The marks on the bay tree leaves may be caused by scale insect, a sap-sucking pest that can weaken a tree.
If this is the problem, spray the tree with a mild solution of washing-up liquid or a proprietary organic insecticide. Several applications will be necessary to catch the juvenile stages of the insect.
Alternatively, the problem may be the fungal
