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Q. My five-year-old mistletoe won’t produce any berries. What is going wrong?

A. Bob – They are male and female plants, and you require both.

Bunny – You can buy fruit trees with mistletoe already established.

Q. I have a seventeen-year-old olive tree in a pot. Should I plant it out? And what is the best way to prune it?

A. Bunny - They are used to growing in confined conditions, but I think they do better in the ground. They are much hardier than we think as long as they get sharp drainage and a bit of protection. For pruning, you can try topiary. Prune whenever suits you because you are unlikely to get an olive crop.

Anne – I bring my potted olive into the greenhouse because a severe winter could knock it back. It might do better in the ground.

Bunny – You could fleece it if a severe frost was expected.

Bob – I would continue with what you have been doing because you have had success so far. If you want one planted out, by another one!

Q. How hard do you need to cut back geraniums?

A. Bunny – A lot of people cut them back after flowering because they get a fresh flush of foliage. This does not work well for the varieties with very fine leaves. I would cut back Geranium phaeum because it tends to become straggly. If they seed, then you can just pull them out.

Anne - Some will not flower again so the cut back is just to tidy the foliage. If you want one that will keep flowering, choose Rozanne or Azure Rush. Don’t cut them back, just let them carry on.

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Q. I would like to grow pots of herbs on my balcony. Are there any herbs that are not compatible growing together?

A. Anne – I tend to divide herbs into the green herbs (parsley, basil, dill etc.) and the Mediterranean shrubby herbs that will go through the winter (sage, thyme, rosemary etc.). Similar herbs will require the same conditions and are easier to grow together. The green herbs tend to want semi-shade and more water. I would keep mint separately.

Bob – Fennel and wormwood don’t work well with other herbs.

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Q. Why is my rhubarb not growing like a weed? It is very spindly. It is planted in a raised bed.

A. Bob – It may be that it is just poor stock. Some of them are naturally thin such as ‘Timperley Early’, whereas Victoria is always very chunky and vigorous. I wouldn’t recommend growing them in a raised bed because they have big roots and need lots of water. I would pop it in the ground with a lot of manure.

Bunny - It has been a very dry spring.

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Q. My clematis has disappeared overnight. Is there any life left in it?

A. Bunny – Often when people establish clematis they don’t give them enough water. They are also very prone to slug and snail damage. Clematis wilt is actually quite rare. It is more likely to be a mildew.

Bob - Woodlice will take all of the young bark off at the bottom of the stems. You may also want to lime the soil.

Bunny – Durandii is a great clematis to try with its blue flower going on and on.

Anne – Clematis are one of the few plants that are recommended to be planted deeper than they come in the pot. Ìý