Dear All, I have seen the perfect pigeon control on the BBC website. Apparently there is a pelican in one of the london parks gulping down the local pigeons. It has been caught on camera with many witnesses. Now, what I want to know is does anyone think that pelicans count as wildfowl or poultry wit...

Dear Alison,
just looked for the website as it is a while since I last looked and the address is www.europotato.org/menu.php
or put european potato database into the search engine will do.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Alison, I grow lady christl and find it to be an excellent new potato and if you have too many they make good bakers when they are mature. I grow charlotte as my mids they are good new/salads and when they are mature (and I grow extra specially) they are the best ever roasters and will keep unt...

Dear All,
I tend to go for the back friendly method of pruning. Curious? Simple, cut off anything that is below about a foot and take over to the chair and sit in comfort to pull off the berries. The oldest wood seems to sag the furthest so it works pretty well.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Wellie,
I just prune off the dead when it has started back into growth and any dangly bits to neaten the shape. Nothing to it really.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear All, a lemon verbena has been growing at my place of work for over 16 years outside in the ground. It has a well drained gravelly soil and a very sheltered spot against a south wall. This year it got to over 8 feet and the flowers smell different to the leaves. I cover the rootstock with some o...

Dear Ferret,
eat them!
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Beryl,
steamed pudding is easy. Especially when you do it in the microwave. Make up as normal and microwave for about 6 minutes. Jam roly-poly is good. what about on top of milk puddings eg rice pud.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear Bouncin Bob,
consumption of this would be less Sunday lunch and more last supper! BTW it is a member of the potato family.
Regards Sally Wright.

Dear All, this is datura stramonium, it is exceedingly poisonous and should be disposed of before it spreads. Wear gloves as the juice can cause irritation and if you get it in your eyes can be very nasty. A Modern Herbal by Mrs M Grieve will give you more information. She classes it alongside bella...

Dear Quirkas, Beetroot jelly is simple to make. Cook the beetroot as normal and dice, slice or crinkle cut as desired. get a fruit jelly, raspberry or blackcurrant for red beetroot. Lemon for white or yellow beets. Make up the jelly with 3/4 pint of hot vinegar and water. The ratio of vinegar/water ...

Dear Johnboy, I think the delay between cutting and harvest is to allow the little stalk that attaches the potato to the stems to shrivel and die. If it didn't then the potatoes would be discarded with the remains of the haulms and a portion of the crop would be wasted. At least that's my theory any...

Dear Chantal, all squashes intended for storage need to be left until the first light frost of Autumn before picking. Unless that is the rain starts again or the plant has died and gone crispy. To aid ripening on the plant lift the squash off the ground onto a piece of carpet or straw and cut away a...

Dear Fen, pfa are the longest growing potato available in the uk which need around 18-20 weeks from planting to maturity. If yours have not had so long then the tops need to remain for now. I tend to take off tops if they have blight, that they have become so long they are a hazard to passing cyclis...

Dear DahlisMarie, A poly tunnel(note the one l) is short for polythene tunnel. This is a large sheet of plastic stretched over two or more large hoops and the excess sheeting is held down by strips of wood at the base or is dug into a trench around the perimeter of the structure. Doors are in either...