Gardenia	From: Tim M, UK
	Some of the leaves on a gardenia are turning brown and no sign of any flower buds yet. Have you any suggestions?
	From Alex M, UK Hi Tim, have a look in http://newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/ext/gardenia.html Can any other Gardeners Club members help Tim out? Click here if you can help

 

Geranium	From: Alan G, UK
	I have a geranium that has developed white spots on the leaves and then turn to holes. Could you please tell me what this is and how to cure it.
	From Alex M, UK Hi Alan. Doesn't sound good to me. Firstly I presume you mean Pelargoniums (potted Geraniums). If I am correct, then I think your plants are either suffering from Oedema or are virused. Oedema is caused by the soil being too wet and/or the atmosphere too humid and too high temperatures......the cure is...... up the ventilation and let the plants dry out a bit. It's surprising how dry you can let geraniums go, just think where they are from....the Canaries... where they can be seen growing unattended by the side of the road. If it is Virus i.e. rings on the leaves that go dry & crinkly then the only cure is bin them (not in the compost heap) and start afresh. Hope that answers your question.........A Can any other Gardeners Club members help Alan out? Click here if you can help

Hakuro Nishiki From: Gary, UK What soil should I put an INTEGRA HAKURO NISHIKI in? From Jenny S, UK I purchased an INTEGRA HAKURO NISHIKI a while ago and the planting advice which came with it was vague but it did say that it should be planted in 'normal' soil. This was based on the following key: Normal, Sandy, Clay, Chalky, Acidic. I hope this is of some help? Can any other Gardeners Club members help Gary out? Click here if you can help

Hibiscus	From: Richard L, UK
	Hello, I would like some help on the following please. I grew a hibiscus (indoor red one) from a cutting 3-4 years ago and each year. I find that it gets very leggy inside, so I put it outside and it grows very dark green leaves and looks very healthy. I bring it into a north facing porch in November (before the frost) and it sits there lookig at me not doing much. In December I bring it into the kitchen when within 2 weeks it drops every single leaf. I put it back in the porch in March-ish (any frost forecast and it comes back into the kitchen). It goes outside again in direct sun after the frost has gone and it sits their leaf less for ages. This year I first saw tiny leaves again the third week in June. Even now the leaves are still small. In spring I repot the plant in new compost, cut some root and some branches. It is feed occasionally with tomatoe fertaliser. Can you please tell what is going on and how to fix the problem? The same thing happens with a bourgonvilla I have had for the last 6 years. What is happening here? I water plants with rain water, not from the tap. Many thanks
	From Alex M, UK Hi Richard, do you know if your Hibiscus is an Indoor or outdoor variety? I'm getting a feeling that it is an outdoor variety. To help you with your problem I have found a web site that may assist you it is at :- http://web.wt.net/%7estrhibs/tips.htm Hope this resolves your problem............A Can any other Gardeners Club members help Richard out? Click here if you can help

Hostas From: Maureen E, UK I have a number of Hostas in pots around the patio. It has been a really disastrous year and they have been eaten alive despite masses of gravel in the pots. They now look so unsightly that I would like to cut them back. Is it ok to do this now and what can I do with the plants if I want to use the pots for other plants? Can they be heeled in somewhere else in the garden? From Nick S, UK Cutting them back now will not do any harm.  You can save then over winter by sinking them in damp peat, in a box, or simply potting them up into large pots, and keeping them on the patio, or in the shed. They have very thick fleshy roots which are very tough. You'll need to put them in their final homes in about February next year so they are ready to grow on in the spring. Can any other Gardeners Club members help Maureen out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: R Neil, UK
	I have recently been given a Hydrangea - when I planted it the flowers were pink. They have now turned a green colour? I have been told that the soil they are planted into changes the colour of the flower. Does anyone know if it is a problem that the flowers have turned green and if so what I should do about it? Any general tips on looking after it would help as well - Thank you.
	From Elizabeth C, UK Hello, I am not an expert on Hydrangea but I do have two - both blue. When I planted these two I had wonderful blooms but now other plants/shrubs have grown behind them and I have noticed that only the blooms in the front have retained their colour, the ones at the back are green - just as you describe yours. I think they are in too much shade. I take cuttings every year and even those still in pots have given me really lovely, big, fat blooms. I think if I were you I should take some cuttings now, into pots and leave them in a sheltered spot. Next Spring see if you can put your original in a fresh place before it starts to make new growth. Hydrangeas are very obliging plants and cuttings will take with no problems. Feel free to e-mail me (cushy_butterfield@manx.net) if I can be of any further help. Best of luck ........... Elizabeth. Can any other Gardeners Club members help R Neil out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From Distressed, Canada
	I have a hydrengia that is not blooming. After reading some of the answer regarding the reasons why it could not be blooming, I realized I should have not cut it back. I have great folige, but I really would like the flowers. Is there any way I can get it to flower again. Please advise what I can do.
	From Valerie, Ontario Hi I'm in Canada too (Ontario). My hibiscus never did come back this year and I have recently purchased another - I'm glad you mentioned it should not be cut - I wouldn't have known that. Thanks Can any Gardeners Club members help out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: Kat, Illinois USA
	I live in midwest Illinois. Have put out two Hydrenga flowers, neither one of them have lived. Also added acid to the soil because that is what they like. Planted in part shade/part sun on the south side of my house. Their leaves would turn yellow and then brown and drop to the ground. I looked up and thought they may have a disease and added a fungicide. They still died. What am I doing wrong? Thanks
	From Alex M, UK Hi Kat, an intriguing question. You say you 'also added acid to the soil' - in what manner did you apply it? I would agree that yellowing leaves is a sign of too alkaline a soil. What I would do is lift the plants, dig a new planting hole, fill it with ericaseous compost (discard the existing soil to somewhere else in the garden), replant your plants and water only with rainwater (if possible) if not use cold boiled water. Can any other Gardeners Club members help Kat out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: Peter, UK
	Could you please tell me why my 2 hydrangeas get plenty of foliage but no flowers?
	From Dawn, UK if you cut them back last year, you would have cut this years flowers, because they flower on last years growth. From Monica Hello Peter. Not sure if this may help or not, but are you cutting the hydrangea back at all. This would result in it not flowering the following year. The mophead and lacecap hydrangeas flower on shoots made the previous growing season. In early spring give them a quick release fertilizer, at a rate of 4oz per sq yrd, and apply a thick mulch around them. Hope it helps, Monica From Phil G, UK When deadheading the previous years flower heads, be sure only to take off the dead flower itself or you will remove the bud for current year flowers. Can any other Gardeners Club members help Peter out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: Brian, UK
	I am currently enjoying the sight of my mophead hydrangea with its blushing pink flowers, its position giving the garden a rather continental feeling. However all good things must come to an end so with the onset of winter I need to think about cutting some of this back. Ordinarily I would leave it apart from taking of the heads, unfortunately it is now blocking part of my access steps to garage and the rest of the garden. Can anyone advise when and how best to prune this bush? The year before last I made a mistake and didn't have any flowers at all during the summer.
	From Tom, USA Hydrangeas that bloom on old wood include the commonly seen typical bigleafed hydrangea or Hydrangea macrophylla. These plants bud and bloom only on old wood, or stems that grew the year before (or earlier). Pruning is limited to removal of truly dead stems (eg complete kill by winter damage) and periodic thinning by removing some fo the older stems at the base. The thinning would be done right after blooming and new growth should develop to fill in the plant. If you prune these hydrangeas in fall or spring you will remove flowering wood for the coming season. This also explains why severe winter damage and/or freak late spring frosts can destroy the buds for the entire coming season. I hope this answers your question. Can any other Gardeners Club members help Brian out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: Ron & Dorothy, UK
	What is the correct way to trim a hydrengia? We have been told that the old wood will grow next years blooms. Our plant is quite large and we want to trim it down in size. Look forward to your help. Thanks
	From Michael, UK When deadheading the previous years flower heads, be sure only to take off the dead flower itself or you will remove the bud for current year flowers. Prune out thin or weak branches. H.arborescens and paniculata can have their flowering shoots cut back by half. H.macrophylla need two or three year old shoots cut out to ground level. Can any Gardeners Club members help Ron & Dorothy out? Click here if you can help

Hydrangea	From: Brian, UK
	I planted a hydrangea last year and to my amazement it flourished quite well in fact. The position I chose is really unsuitable, can anyone advise me the best time to transplant it and should I prune it to encourage growth? I have already prepared the new site.
	From Michael Barratt - the Gardeners Club resident gardener The hydrangea can be transplanted now. No regular pruning is required other than to remove dead flowers. Prune out thin or weak branches. H.arborescens and paniculata can have their flowering shoots cut back by half. H.macrophylla need two or three year old shoots cut out to ground level. Can any other Gardeners Club members help Brian out? Click here if you can help