Got one of the down to earth special any question sessions and today we with the play the lines. Yet for today's program we've come to the social top end debate on Coleridge drive that the Batasan of the play the Lions Club now computer engineer is all set up and ready to go and so better introduce the team in the audience we have our young house plant expert Joe Bagley sailor Joe and on the platform so to speak we have got an expert Nick Toro I know we have design from 2nd nature gardens Chris Gutteridge ally and a man who's been doing this for over 50 years now films and nurseries John Smith hello So Joe Nick Chris and John ladies and gentleman make up today's team. Well thanks very much indeed as a say we're here at the social club an end to be just describe it for listeners who've been here we have a need for Actually I think we were here a year or so ago but it is a really nice place to be we've got one of the special rooms here there's a stage a little stage behind where the team sat on a sort of dumps top floor so much in the atmosphere as well as a bar down one side all kinds of trophies in cabinets down one side and some great pictures of the back facing me of old and to be as well it's a large spacious light and brightly lit rooms a get up a watch as I just discovered is a glitterball above where the audience is sitting so that confirms my suspicion that it must be adults area here I would guess as well we have got quite a few questions so we've got our experts as I mentioned So I think let's go to the lady here in the front row and get out. 1st Question Hello there and I want Sonny from the instant I am and I sometimes howl at Spirit supply you sit on the Hill it's a place where horses are kept and looked after they have hundreds of dock leaves they can't use wheat can live on them because of the horses is there any way of getting rid of them apart from digging them up for me chopping them down every time I go up there and help them right lots and lots and lots of doctors usually people looking for Dr place when they stung themselves up I rather than trying to get rid of them John do you want to kick off today's program well the problem is your animals isn't it you are you can't use. It kill them off can you I don't know that I do you won't use anything that will hurt the horses No Well that's the problem of course I mean there is a sob which is got law for sight in and that is very effective and if it comes in a small bottle which if you've got a big area perhaps that's not they are there but it does come in a small bottle and you can get that spry right down into the center of the plant only about 2 inches wide and that won't affect anything else around it grass or anything and would centralize it on the actual weed and that would kill it because it would go down through the roof take about 3 weeks you think you haven't done anything because it doesn't have an end effect until 3 weeks and then you start to see the go but the other the only other are serves you've already sent it you know how in the dark and digging them out is a real problem because of course as you know it's got a top root and you need to go down a quarter why but I think if you could sort of fence it off for a while and use a saw it that would be my answer to the plank with you that we got at 9 will be I was full of ducklings they are not to say that our. Hundreds Well obviously liter bottles are not going to go anywhere now. You know you'll need a sprite. Dockery's on an industrial scale needed by the sound of the some children up there with some stinging nettles get them stung him enough not to kick in the dock leaves. But no it is a problem and as John said it's glad to say that's that translocated one is taken down but I think I read somewhere that are they thinking of banning that one as well I have a feeling because you know there's a whole load of herbicides and insecticides that have been banned now and I have a feeling I'm not absolutely certain that one might be on the list but still still Yeah well oh yeah I mean you can still get it you can still get hold of it but it does you know these if they if they're that tough then they've been there a long time so I would do it in the spring when the new leaves are coming through because they're the most tender ones they're the ones the most fundamental and I mean it's going to be it's not going to happen overnight you know you know one spray is not going to do it thank you are going to have to be quite repetitive with it and see how it goes but dig them up as well if you can and do both. Christe do you come across Dr presuming they don't figure in God design particularly but do you have problems with it so strangely I'm not buying them or on a weekly basis now. The question I was going to ask actually was missed it but where are the doc leaves are obviously in the ground but I mean whereabouts in contacts they've got to be failed where the horses guy and then the doc leaves even where the horses are going to fail and I don't believe that for a poisonous horses or not no no no no no no I don't see horses Unfortunately I don't see why are so you have to you know and if they start to seed and then obviously going to get more of the things and Dave in myself. While I was going about one of your points and about actually fencing off the logical thing to do if they're over 2 or 3 fields on our no farm or by would be the logical thing to do with b. To rotate 2 of the fields and treat the 3rd field for a period of time but I don't know that and then one that's clear but I think the same time you might be fighting it's like a losing battle of nature and nurture and all of that isn't it's sort of you know as you well know the why do why would you need to get rid of them if they're not a problem for the horses why I mean I could understand Dr leaves in the garden wanting to get rid of them because of their taking up valuable space for plants and things but if they're just in fields why would they on the Thames does tend to be more dock leaves than glass you know you have to tell them a great a good make you go in right look at and they're going to be you know after all these Dr leaves and you know glass for the horses right where they will there's some suggestions Yes What we see that the place itself and where you where this happens where you are it's called some spirit and it's on the Hill and it's an equine assisted learning center and people can go there who have got emotional behavior and general disabilities people of all ages to go to sort of helps them. You know get feel better about themselves with it there are so many examples on there more of groups that work with animals generally horses in particular and how how that helps that kind of therapy really isn't it yeah he's brilliant I know that you did whisper to me that you you had a question about 6 women as well so go let's let's see what I will be my test on that one I had a beautiful 6 women this time last week it was absolutely fantastic it was full of flowers and it just started to look like it was going to a little bit yellow at the bottom so I thought I know I'll give it some smart of food so put in power in my kitchen sip some some artificial in it felt quite proud of me south put it back looked at the next morning oh my goodness make it gone it died all the leaves it drooped all the flowers it droops so that when I've done wrong I wish people at home could have seen the expression when you when you went. Now I mentioned we just got our panel here recently joining the down to earth statement being a young house plant expert Joe who is sitting in the audience and it's a houseplant question Joe cyclone So what do you reckon any thoughts oh there to be worse so they'll have it almost like a call not people who couldn't Holmes like a flattened which sits pretty much on top of the saw line. When you put it into the into the water was it quite light I don't know I just put it in the water main the only she was it might have been sudden too much moisture in and if you and then put it into water it may of them hard to us which would start the plant as is it the low release darting t.l.a. 1st yes yes they did so that's why Fed It would seem to matter feed. Ok. We could be too little light they might not be they might be too much moisture in the soil. If the tube is still in a rock solid it's not mushy you can store it over the spring into. In the period for them to reflower chewing or term if it is mushy then it's pretty much game over Ok thanks Judge wonder if it's pretty much it well no I mean you said about $6000000.00 house plants but they're actually not house plants they are referred to be outdoors in the cold and dry so this is the problem with buying 6 women at this time of year and they look amazing and they look you know I completely get why you'd buy it because they look amazing it was the 1st day Fessor Yes of course everyone does it everyone does it you know but the problem is that we bring them into our houses and our houses are too warm and you over often over water cecum and they don't like it and that's exactly what they do they just go that way yeah they just start to go yellow they go up and then just literally all flopped down so there's a good chance it's that my only other thought is have you looked inside the compost and look for any tiny little white grubs you know I have but I will go when I go has the only other potential thing is that it could be vine Weevil because sometimes vine Weevil grubs the roots of plants and so a plant can one day look perfectly fine all the roots get you know overnight and then the plant does that which is what you know so it could be one of the 2 might My hunch is that it's. Too warm and did you put it on a hot sunny window sill or whether you have a new kitchen or not we saw my name on my coffee table in the living room yes central heating is and it's been a bit cold at certain it won't like that temperature I text my friend last week and said so the plant looked people and we looked at was a factor not sure when it was a. You know if you've got a cold greenhouse put it in the cold greenhouse Now that would be much better for it. And of course actually added to what I was saying as well about the wall watering can be a problem it's a common concept Johnny that if it's if it's watered wrongly or gets over water there Yes Yes uncle it were to clear this up about the to Marta ferry then the next morning it was there. There were big problems there before you gave it to Martin to Martha for it is a good house plant because it's higher in part are sure to use flour and fruit for me so you were using the raw product I would want to give a secular moon to martyr free that kills it doesn't it does it good but there was a problem there long before you give it a Free Will thanks very much Ok Thanks very much indeed listening to Sunday supplement is the gardening part of the program got down to earth seem to be we've got John Mickel Chris you've got Nick we've got Joe just just before I move to another question Joe just just stand up for me can you. Now that we were talking about you know things being outside and inside and things that are too cold and too warm and just sort to just describe what you're wearing Well I'm wearing a cardigan with shorts Yeah I know shorts when we came to in the summer I fully expected you know shorts but it's it's flipping cold today saying oh see winter approaches and you're still wearing shorts it's just it's sort of a regular thing yeah oh yeah around us really we're even through the snow in the winter Yeah I don't feel the cold in my legs Wow in many trials is. They will thanks so much for say for that little bit of information back to you is a more plants in a bit I'm going to find someone on a row behind I think in a minute while I'm doing that can I just mention that if you would like the down to earth team to come visit you next year I'm now getting things ready for next year we're taking suggestions if you go to a club or a society or a pub or a village hall or a community center or whatever then please do get in touch with me and I can send you the information about how to because it's all free we will come we record on the Thursday evening and we bring that same along as long as you can guarantee an audience and some questions in a venue we will come out to you so best way to do is get in touch with me David Andrews at b.b.c. Dot co dot u.k. Or you can write once and it was place l e 15 l.b. And I'll send out the details to you or email the details to you with an application form we'd love to come out and see you at some stage next year during during 2020 right meanwhile back at n.d.p. There's a lady here sitting on the 2nd row so I'm going to ask her what questions would ask her who she is 1st Cynthia lines from here. I have 2 large plastic tubes one with Canada's in and one with Ginger lyn is to overwinter do I tip them out of the compost and clean off the surplus or do I leave them in the tubes and should I cook but the stones I would do to the is whether they're both very down oh so about half the stems on the counters flowered but so far I've had the ginger lives for 2 years and so far no flowers what with the panel recommend. John what would you recommend definitely leaving them in the compost you can lift things like bogs and so on so much easier to leave them in the compost let the winter protect them in that why then you lift them put them in the garbage or some straw and dry them off then you've got start growing again so my own opinion is that you best to leave them in the in the tops and give them a little bit of protection are cold conservatory or just pull them into a corner where there's a walled area just to stop the worst of the winter but I think it would be Ok then to see you out there on the site I think the important thing with this is the you said that they're quite wet the compost is wet so that's the big thing that you need to sort out because they won't want that sitting in wet compost in the winter when they're not growing will just cause the roots to rot so are they holes at the bottom of the pot so the water can drain away Yes Ok so in which case make sure that it's lifted up so that the water can drain away and don't even think about watering them through that winter let them dry out they'll be perfectly Ok And as John said keep them in a frost free place in a greenhouse if you have a really really cold frost you know that can cause them problems and that you might you might lose them but it's the wet that really is that is the big problem so keep them nice and dry and then they should be fine though they'll just sort of go dormant and then in the springtime once it starts to warm up you can either pop them into fresh compost or a bigger pot or you know whatever you however big they are at the moment what do I cook but this stems to flower down the Tanners well they'll die back naturally anyway if you prefer to cut them back from an aesthetic point of view you can but they'll start to die back anyway and if it's in the greenhouse presumably if you've got a greenhouse was a frost free place to put them. Well the Korean Yes Yes Yes And have you had these before this is this is the can as I've heard yet or 3 years and what have you done in previous years hold to top into the guard jet and you're Ok Is it a bit dark or a bit lighter it is dark it's dark and they're Ok and survived Yes so in which case that's that's fine but it's so so in which case keep them nice and dry and you can cut those dead flowers back if you wanted to but it's not set extinct it's not going to do anything at the moment the plants going dormant now anyway and how do I get the ginger list to flower so they didn't flower last year you say so these new last years sort of Ok early summer so it could be that it's still a bit young. They generally flower Ok but they wanted to be a nice hot sunny position and this summer wasn't Ok we had a few hot days very hot days but they want a prolonged period of sunshine to flower and are they in a pot as well yet the n.f.l. To yet 30 centimeters wide yet so it might be worth. Putting them into fresh compost for next year a journalist or something Number 3 make sure is plenty of feed because they're you know they want plenty of fertilizer to produce that flower keep them well watered and give them a nice sunny spot and there's no reason why they wouldn't flower so and if you're not actually certain then give them as John said previously given the high potash food so something like a tomato food would do it and they should they should flower they're both get so on yeah from about midday I'd know where that's the best amount I don't know where most out yes in them where they are so I need some tree shade which I can't do anything about so that could be contributing to war it doesn't flower perhaps as reliably as one would imagine and given as much sun as they can get and if you've got a a wall or something where they can get a bit reflected heat that helps as well but otherwise it may be that you are in a position where you've got nice plant slightly dodgy position and in which case it's. Going to flower reliably but if we get a better summer next year it'll it'll do better thank you thank you very much right thank you much on interest whether you wanted to write anything about dillies lilies generally no I was actually just thinking given the time of year and given about the fact we're talking about things that are a little bit frost tender shall we say if you don't have someone where you can move them inside you definitely get them out of the room or shelter vission and the one thing that we didn't mention is course using some form of protection so some form of fleece some form of straw but it must be breathable if you're going to do it this doesn't relate directly to you this is more to anyone listening who's got sort of plants that they do want to over winter and it's important to wrap the pot up as well or sometimes the plant because actually we need to protect the root stock as much as we do actually the phone because the foliage can always come back but the root stock the thing that we've got to look after that's a very good point because I was trying to a friend who runs a nursery and he said that in a previous year they had a whole load of bowl daffodil bulbs in pots Now normally daffodil bulbs don't have any problems with frost but they had a bad frost and they lost every single one of them and it's because the pot was above the ground you know as you would do so it's soil and the soon as the roots get frosted that's when they can cause big problems so the top growth doesn't matter really it'll come back but roots frosting and that's you know that's that's that's problem so it's that's a good point I was already a way of protecting the part is to use bubble wrap you know several wraps around and it's amazing how good that is and as we say in the frost gets into that root which normally if it was in the soil will be protected with the saw itself so we've got to insulate the outside of the pot in some cases well for talking about bulbs there as as you were I just noticed on the they are a chest top 10 tips for the month of November is actually planting things like tulip bulbs for a spring a spring display is a good thing to be thinking of John at the moment yes yes talking about this for. We just sent this for the whole load of bull and they've got a wonderful lot of volunteers there that are going to plant them just this weekend Adil tone I think that's very worth mentioning as well given that the weather at the moment is the right time for planting Shalit bulbs and I know that you know obviously that few people should should we still be doing that well actually the answer is you should still be doing it