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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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Ants in potted peach tree
I dug up a peach tree from the open garden last year as I was fed up with leaf curl every year. I potted it in a large container and moved it to a polytunnel where it has thrived, flowering for the first time this Spring and currently carrying a half dozen small fruit. Recently, however, I have discovered a colony of ants living in the rootball with dozens of tunnel holes in the compost. I am perfectly prepared to leave these creatures there, but my question is will their tunneling have any effect of the root system of the peach? And as the fruit swell and ripen will they be attracted by them? If I need to, is there a friendly way to persuade them to vacate the pot? I had a two-day invasion of flying ants in the polytunnel last Autumn. Could these be offspring?
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Extra hardy Fuchsia
Some years ago when I moved house, I didn't have sufficient protected space for my half hardy Fuchsia collection. So, I planted some of them out in the garden. Many survived the first few mildish winters, but only this specimen came through the savage winter of 2010 when my garden plummeted to an all-time record low of -17 degrees celcius with three weeks of permafrost. And just to confirm its hardiness it came through -10 the following year. It has been in the ground now for ten years and enjoys no more favourable microclimatic conditions than any of the other varieties that died. It makes a bush of 4-5 feet tall every summer with a light pruning in spring and is festooned with thousands of flowers from June to October. I can find no other hardy variety like it in the catalogues. Would commercial growers have an interest in it? It seems such a shame that I would be the only one to enjoy it.
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Botrytis in Polytunnel

I have had a problem with botrytis on my tomatoes in a polytunnel this year. They had plenty of ventilation but I assume the cause is climatic (a combination of humidity and low light levels). I have grown tomatoes for 30 years and have never encountered this before. My question is: Can I spray the tunnel extensively inside (including the soil) with Jeyes Fluid to prevent the spores overwintering? If so, how soon can I replant the beds. Or, is there a better, less severe, product that would do the job?

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Fireblight?

A young pear try that I purchased in Spring and planted up immediately always had droopy foliage. I assumed that was a varietal habit. However, in recent days it has developed black and brown marks on the foliage and the droop has become more prounced. I am concerned it might be fireblight as it is planted among 25 more apple, pear, plum and cherry trees. Is my diagnosis correct (see attached photo)? Will it spread? Shoud I remove the tree and burn it? The variety is William Bon Chretrien.

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