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Q – I’m interested in growing anything that you can eat – can you recommend any forest garden style perennials that are secretly edible?

Pippa – Native hedging plants – classics such as Rosehips for Rosehip Jam, Sloes for Sloe Gin, Crabapples for jelly.Ìý But for wackier things I’d look at Fuchsia fruits.

Matt – You can eat the new shoots of Hawthorn or young Nettles are nice too.Ìý But it’s difficult to get a good volume.

Christine – Hairy Bittercress which is nice in a salad.Ìý Even things such as Claytonia are good sprinkled on a salad.Ìý Horseradish too.Ìý Shepherd’s Purse, Ground Elder as well.

Matt – Alexanders – you can eat the young leaves of that as well.Ìý Sea Buckthorn is grown in Eastern Europe and there are actually commercial varieties of it.Ìý Aronia fruits also, it’s another super fruit, it’s an Amalanchier – those things are worth a try as a novelty crop

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Q – If you are making your own Comfrey Nettle feed how long can it be kept for? Does it get stronger, does it need diluting?

Christine – No longer than that growing season because it really pongs and it deteriorates over the winter period unless you can keep it frost free.Ìý I tend to strain it through tights and use it as liquid feed that season.Ìý

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Q – Is it too late to take cuttings from a Mock Orange?

Matt – You can take them any time from July to September. As it’s a plant that produces lots of cutting material I would definitely have a go. Cuttings about 2-3inches long, remove the leaves at the base and the bud above, you make a cut just below the lowest bud, and get a knife to take a thin slice of the bark dip it in hormone rooting powder and pop it into the compost.Ìý That should root for you.Ìý Key thing is to make sure that the bark and the stem are of the right consistency so it’s flexible and not too hard.Ìý Non-flowering shoots are always better.

Gritty compost and little bit of bottom heat would help as well.

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Q – How to rescue a brick-built flowerbed that’s become overrun with Couch Grass?Ìý I would love to rescue the Columbine and Lavender – how should I go about it?

Christine – The real way to get rid of it all is to take out the plants you want, wash off the soil and remove any of the little white roots of the Couch, and then allow the bed to regenerate.Ìý You can allow the Couch to get quite established – you want a good 6 inches (15cm) of growth and then you can spray it out with a weed killer.Ìý One spray won’t knock it off – you’re looking at 12-18months to really take care of it.

Q – I’ve tried growing squashes for the first time this year and despite amazing growth only a few of the flowers have set fruit; why? And what should we do differently?

Christine – Fluctuating night temperatures this year are to blame.Ìý

Pippa – Also, generally it’s been a bad summer and squashes do need that bit more warmth than something like a courgette.Ìý

Matt – Where there is extensive growth just cut back a couple leaves beyond each fruit so that all the moisture goes into the squashes themselves rather than the extension growth.Ìý Also, stick a bamboo cane in where you plant them – so when they’ve grown all over the place you’ve still got your marker point as to where you need to water.

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Q – I have masses of green tomatoes that I fear won’t ripen.Ìý I’ve put bananas under the ones in the greenhouse and I’ve put a heater on but are there any other tips to get them ripened?

Pippa – Make green tomato chutney!Ìý Get lots of fleeces, maybe some homemade cloches (so bits of hosepipe with bamboo canes shoved up the end and made into a hoop) stuck into the ground with polythene draped over the top.Ìý For indoor ones just be good at shutting the vents and doors closed in the early evening and then opening up the next day to keep the air circulating.Ìý The banana trick does work well because you get ethylene gas produced but it works better in a really enclosed environment rather than a greenhouse.

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Q – How can I stop squirrels from taking all my hazelnuts?

Matt – It’s very difficult.Ìý You could try and provide another food source for them or net the hazels.ÌýÌý