Gardeners love to chat and share our knowledge, the joys and triumphs of nurturing our patch and the individual plants within it.

We often get asked at the Walled Gardens why a particular plant is not thriving as it should. Tales of possible exotic diseases and deadly pests are mentioned from trembling lips. However before these more scary possibilities are contemplated, it is often useful to go back to the basics of planting, feeding and watering to see whether your leafy friend is strong, and thriving and therefore able to resist!

Strong foundations and a good start in life are important cornerstones for healthy living. When selecting where to permanently site a plant a good rule of thumb is to find out where it grows in the wild and try to emulate these conditions. In my view it is better to understand your plot and choose your plants accordingly, considering issues such as amount of sun received and type of soil. However, if you simply must have a plant (and we’ve all been there), you could attempt to recreate its natural habitat

There is a wonderfully evocative phrase in horticulture called ‘teasing the roots’. If you buy a plant and the roots circle round and round the pot, it is important to loosen them first. Otherwise they have a tendency to continue to circle around and will eventually strangle themselves! If the roots are resisting being teased then use a knife, spade or secateurs to tease them a little more forcefully.

For trees and shrubs that will be in situ for years to come, it is worth taking some extra time and consideration. One of the team here cites a wonderful piece of advice: “a shilling for the plant and a pound for the hole’. For clay soils dig vertical sides to the hole rather than slanted so that water doesn’t pool at the bottom and fork the sides to ensure that the roots can get out and explore its new abode! Plant at the same level that it is in the pot. Burying the stem is a big no-no and may lead to stuntedness or even the future demise of your chosen treasure.

There are an amazing array, of fertilisers available, organic and inorganic, liquid and granular, compound and straight. However you can’t go wrong with adding some lovely homemade compost or some fish, blood and bone around the top of the plant if your plant is looking peaky. Basic signs of nutrient deficiency are yellowing or discoloured leaves and just like us a general lacklustre! Be careful not to touch the leaves with the fertiliser or it will scorch them and get the dosage right or you risk burning the roots.

Finally, I can’t emphasise the importance of getting the water requirements of your plants met. With weeding little and often is advocated but with watering, do it very thoroughly and then leave it to dry out a little. This will ensure that the roots continue to grow out and seek out water outside of the current root zone. Again, knowing the origin of your plant and your soil type will help you determine its watering requirements.

Being good at observation is the key to being a successful gardener. If you watch your treasures, the greenness of the leaves, how quickly it grows, how it smells and so forth, you will soon be able to tell when it ails. Now that warmer weather is on its way, it is the perfect time to pull up a deck chair and look closely at what is going on in your garden.

If you would like to study a Horticulture course, please call our Information and Guidance team on 01278 441234.