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Q – Is ‘double digging’ worth the effort?

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Bunny – I am more of a fan of ‘no dig’ – it is less work and I think you get better yields

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Bob – If you’re working for someone else make sure you’ve got plenty to do so double dig as much as possible!

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Q – I’ve got two Hebes which are 4-5ft (1.2-1.5m) high and wide.Ìý Can I cut them back?

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Pippa – I’ve never cut one back hard myself – I would recommend a lighter approach.Ìý

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Bunny – They are easy to grow from cuttings and you can then trim them back every year after flowering

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Q – We have no water supply on our allotment.Ìý Which edible plants should we grow?Ìý We have good soil.

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Bob – Grow perennial vegetables like globe artichokes, rhubarb, asparagus.Ìý There is also a perennial kale and cauliflower. Also carrots and parsnips (if they have germinated) they will find water.Ìý Avoid salad crops.

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Bunny – I do cut-and-come-again lettuce and celeriac without needing to water at all.Ìý

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Pippa – Tomatoes would be good.Ìý Herbs don’t mind low water; it’s erratic watering they don’t like.Ìý Some of the smaller-fruited outdoor varieties of sweet pepper like Redskin would work.Ìý

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Q – We’ve been growing veg in raised beds but the council have asked us to move to ground-level planting.Ìý Can we grow anything that would be a deterrent to dogs?

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Bunny – Could you fence it?Ìý Globe artichokes might put dogs off.

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Pippa – Stepover apples

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Bob – Stepover gooseberries would be better

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Q – What is the most exciting exotic fruit/vegetable that you have successfully grown?

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Bob – I would have said pineapple but I’ve now fallen for Feijoas – the Fruit Salad tree.

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Pippa – Okra (‘Ladies Fingers’)

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Bunny – Green chickpeas.Ìý Wasabi.Ìý Physalis (Little Buddha).

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Bob – It takes a lot to beat a good strawberry

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Q – We have an espaliered Conference Pear which has been in the ground for 10-12 years and we’ve never had more than eight fruits in a year.Ìý What’s going wrong?

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Bob – It could be Pear Midge.Ìý ÌýGive it lots of mulches.

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Pippa – It could also be Apple/Pear Scab.Ìý

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Q – We’ve been tasked with planting out a memorial trough.Ìý What will look good in November?Ìý It’s 2ft wide x 8ft long x 3ft deep (0.6m x 2.4m x 0.9m)

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Bunny – It would be difficult to get poppies at that time

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Pippa – Little Euonymus plants would be good.Ìý

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Bunny – My Dahlias and Canna iridiflora were still going strong in November last year.Ìý ‘Thomas Edison’ variety for the Dahlia.Ìý Then swags of ivy around the edges.Ìý

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Pippa – Keep a few plants in a protected greenhouse as a back-up plan!

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Bob – Small pot-grown hollies.Ìý Elaeagnus.Ìý

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Q – We practice permaculture in our garden and we really like beer.Ìý How can we propagate our dwarf hops (‘Prima Donna’) to get more beer?

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Bob – You should be able to separate the buds from the crown.Ìý But I think you should just buy more plants; it’s safer.Ìý

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Q – I have a Medlar (Mespilus germanica) that was planted six years ago but now I’d like to move it.Ìý Can i?

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Bunny – If you have to move it I would do it now before it grows again.Ìý I would be reluctant though.Ìý Buy another on – I’d recommend an Iranian Medlar.Ìý The standard is Mespilus ‘Nottingham’ and that gets quite a lot of rot.Ìý The Iranian one is better.