Garden Problem Solving
Other problems to keep a look out for…
Every gardener runs into problems, and the first thing to say is do not panic. In fifty years I have seen very few that could not be put right, or at least lived with, once you understand what is actually going on. Most trouble in a garden comes down to a handful of causes, and the knack is reading the signs and matching the cause to the cure rather than reaching for a spray at the first sign of a nibbled leaf.
In this section I help you work out what has gone wrong and what to do about it: the common pests and how to deal with them before they take hold, the diseases worth worrying about and the many that are not, and the problems that are nothing to do with pests at all but down to soil, water, weather or how a plant has been grown. The aim throughout is a clear answer first, then the detail if you want it.
Start by looking closely and describing what you see, that is half the diagnosis done. The guides below cover the problems gardeners ask about most, with practical, tried-and-tested ways to deal with them.
How to help frost damaged plants
Most frost-damaged plants recover on their own, so the first rule is not to panic. Wait for warmer weather .....
Why do my roses get black spots on the leaves
The black spots that appear on the leaves of roses in the growing season are all down to a .....
Why are my hellebore leaves turning black
Blackened hellebore leaves, stems and flowers are usually Hellebore Black Death, a virus spread by the hellebore aphid. There .....
What’s eating the buds on my fuchsias
A gardening friend in Poole, Dorset, sent me a text and photo in May 2020 asking what was making .....
Why have the leaves fallen off my box bushes
When an otherwise healthy box ball or hedge suddenly develops brown or black patches on the foliage and the .....
What are the white pests on my sprouts
A common pest on all brassica crops in the summer and early autumn are the dense clusters of cabbage .....