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Q – I find radishes hard to grow well – what am I doing wrong?

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Bob – I’d let radishes bolt – those little seed pods before the seeds form are delicious.Ìý German variety: ‘Munchen Bier’.Ìý I think you’re sowing them too thick.Ìý Thin them out early on so they’re at least an inch (2.5cm) apart.

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Pippa – Quickest way to get something to run to seed is fluctuating or inadequate moisture levels in the soil.Ìý Try growing Mooli.

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Matt – Grow it in a container of multi-purpose compost, keep it moist, and harvest when they’re quite small.

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Q – I have a 25-year old Clematis.Ìý It is a tangled mess.Ìý How can I rejuvenate it?

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Bob – I’d guess this is a Montana.Ìý Hack it back as much as you want.

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Matt – Cut it back in stages.Ìý If there are six major stems then do two each year and prune straight after flowering.Ìý

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Q – How can you make courgettes climb?Ìý I grew ‘Shooting Star’ this year but they show no inclination to climb.

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Pippa – You can’t; they don’t!Ìý Try climbing squash instead, they work much better, something like Butternut or ‘Turk’s Turban’

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Bob – Pumpkins climb.Ìý Loofahs (another gourd) - I’ve seen them climb 30ft.Ìý

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Q – I planted chitted parsnip seeds in June but have found that the plants have stunted roots – what’s wrong?

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Bob – I suspect the bed is too loose.Ìý Make holes and fill with sand and sow in the top of that.Ìý The seed will then make one root to search for water/nutrients.

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Pippa – High nitrogen levels would be my suspicion

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Q – What is the best way to deal with rust on Pelargoniums?

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Pippa – The rust loves moist, stagnant air.Ìý So keep air dry and well circulated.Ìý For already affected plants I would pinch out the affected leaves.Ìý Only ever water at the base.

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Q – My daughter is getting married on June 24 next year.Ìý I want to grow white flowers for decoration.Ìý Suggestions?

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Matt – Anything with the name ‘Alba’ in it really!Ìý White sweet peas, White Cosmos, grasses.Ìý

Pippa – Successional sowing is important to raise the chance you’ll have flowers on that specific day.Ìý White Candytufts would be nice.Ìý Gypsophila maybe.Ìý White Cornflowers.Ìý

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Bob – Iceberg roses

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Q – I have a twenty-year-old Crabapple.Ìý It recent years I have tried grafting scions onto other trees but none seem to take. What’s going wrong?

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Bob – You need to do it in spring as the sap rises and use pieces of wood cut off in the autumn (so they’re full of sugars).Ìý ‘Approach grafts’ are the easiest.Ìý Try making bigger grafts.

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Matt – Try chip budding

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Q – How can I grow asparagus from seed?

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Bob – It’s easy but takes a couple of years.Ìý You only get seeds from female asparagus plants.Ìý

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Matt – Put them on raised beds