Questions

Over ten years, Gerry Daly answered more than 5,000 gardening questions. His knowledge is based in science and practical experience, and by working on radio and television. Access to the advice database is open

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We have 5 old apple trees and one old pear tree, all 10 to 15 feet high. They have always been good croppers and are professionally pruned every 2 years. In recent years, we have developed a huge problem with Codling Moth. We have used the traps each of the past 3 seasons. The first year 50% of the crop were affected. Last year the percentage was much lower, but it was an enormous crop. This year, the apple crop is much smaller, and it looks like a high percentage are affected again. Some pears are always affected. I understand that most garden insect sprays have been banned. I agree with this, but clearly the Pheromone based glue traps are not working. Any suggestions?
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I bought a plastic hanging basket preplanted with cherry tomatoes. They are just ripening but the plant appears to be dying and half the tomatoes are diseased looking . What is it and what can we do?

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We have three cooking apple trees, all 70 to 80 years old. I was always told they were Bramleys, but the fruits on each are clearly different from each other. I was wondering if you could help me to identify them from the photo. Left to right, 2 apples per tree. Tree 1, all the fruits are deep red, most are quite small. Tree 2, green with most having reddish stripes, tend to be large, some are huge. Tree 3 yellowish-green with few if any having red in them, medium in size.

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I have 4 tomato plants growing indoor, Shirley, Moneymaker x 2, and Shipsaint. One growing outdoor Tomatoberry. The plants seem weaker than other years and the leaves are all getting a heavy brown spotting. All are forming fruits but I think there should be more. They were planted in the first week of May. Is there something I can do to sort this out this year, or otherwise for next year

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We have a 25 year old Pittosporum, which is 25 to 30 feet high. It is a beautifully shaped tree, normally with dense foliage. Last year we cut and stripped some ivy which was getting quite heavy on the trunk. Since Spring, the foliage is getting thinner and thinner. The tree is currently flowering, small maroon flowers. Is it dying and if so did the winter frost cause the damage?

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I have (maybe had!?) a 40 year old clematis which did very well for years. It was growing up a wall and wandering through the neighbours hedge at the top. This helped to support it and it gave spectacular flowers. Last Oct/Nov we cut it back as we were doing some work on the nearby wall. I can't see any leaves on it at all, there were some small little sproutings on the old wood and all of them seem to have withered. Do I have to give up on it? Or is there something else I can try

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