Gardeners' Question Time From the Archives: Woodland
12 snips
Oct 10, 2025 Join Pippa Greenwood, a pest and disease expert, along with grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew, and horticulturists Anne Swithinbank and Matt Biggs, as they share their greenery wisdom. Discover how to manage pesky alder leaf beetles and revive your dwindling daffodils. Learn about planting under copper beech trees for thriving gardens and whether you can grow mushrooms on living logs. Plus, Bob shares essential autumn allotment tasks for a bountiful harvest. Perfect for every gardening enthusiast!
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Choose Small Wildlife-Friendly Trees
- Plant compact blossoming trees like Malus 'Everest' or Pyrus 'Chanticleer' in small gardens to attract pollinators.
- Encourage ivy and nectar-rich shrubs such as Ceanothus to provide late-season food and shelter for bees and birds.
Catch Alder Beetles Before Overwintering
- Collect and destroy alder beetles before they descend to overwinter in the soil to reduce next year's population.
- Encourage natural predators (birds, ground beetles, frogs) rather than broad pesticides to control numbers.
Diagnose And Limit Honey Fungus
- Confirm honey fungus by checking for black rhizomorphs in soil and white mycelial sheets under bark before acting.
- Remove stumps/roots where possible and plant resistant species listed by RHS to reduce spread.