Plants, supplies and growing advice for UK gardens
Plant care advice
Plant care
Plant Care Made Simple
Healthy plants start with the right plant in the right place, then a few good habits: plant well, water deeply, mulch, prune at the right time and act early on problems. Use the tabs below for quick answers.
Planting pot-grown plants
- Water the plant in its pot and let it drain.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth.
- Tease out circling roots and place the plant at the same level it grew at in the pot.
- Backfill with the soil you dug out, firm lightly and water thoroughly.
- Mulch 5 to 7cm deep, keeping it clear of stems, and label the plant.
Planting bare-root plants
- Plant from November to March, when the plants are dormant and the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
- Soak roots for an hour or so before planting, and never let them dry out.
- Spread the roots out in a wide hole and plant to the soil mark on the stem.
- Firm in, water and mulch.
| Plant group | Watering | Feeding |
|---|---|---|
| Newly planted shrubs, trees and perennials | Soak thoroughly once or twice a week in dry spells for the first one to two years. | Mulch in spring; little extra feed is needed in the first year. |
| Established perennials | Only during prolonged drought, or when plants wilt in the morning. | Mulch each spring; a balanced feed in spring for hungry plants such as dahlias. |
| Established shrubs and hedges | Rarely, except in extended drought or when in flower or fruit. | A balanced feed or mulch in spring. |
| Containers and baskets | Check daily in summer; water until it runs from the base. | Start a liquid feed about six weeks after potting and continue every one to two weeks in summer. |
| Vegetables and soft fruit | Steadily, especially when flowering and when fruit is swelling. | Mulch with compost; high-potash feed for tomatoes and other fruiting crops. |
| Lawns | Let them go brown in drought; they usually recover. | Spring and autumn lawn feeds, following product directions. |
Check the soil by pushing a finger or trowel in: if it is damp a few centimetres down, you can wait. See our watering guide.
| Plant | When | How |
|---|---|---|
| Lavender | After flowering, in August or early September | Trim the flower stems and a little green growth; do not cut into old wood. |
| Bush and shrub roses | Late winter to early spring (February to March) | Remove dead, damaged and crossing stems, then shorten the rest to an outward-facing bud. |
| Group 3 clematis (such as 'Jackmanii') | February | Cut all stems to about 20 to 30cm above ground, just above a pair of buds. |
| Panicle hydrangea | Late winter to early spring | Cut back last year’s growth to a strong framework of buds. |
| Red-barked dogwood | March | Cut a third of the oldest stems, or all stems, to near ground level for bright new growth. |
| Spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia) | Straight after flowering | Remove a quarter of the oldest stems and shorten flowered growth. |
| Formal hedges | Late summer | Trim to shape, avoiding the bird-nesting season from March to August. |
| Apple and pear trees | Winter, while dormant | Remove dead wood and crossing branches, and thin to an open structure. |
| Autumn-fruiting raspberries | February | Cut all canes to ground level. |
| Blackcurrants | At planting, then after fruiting | Cut stems to a bud above ground at planting; later remove about a third of the oldest stems. |
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Slugs and snails
Signs: Ragged holes in leaves, slime trails, seedlings eaten overnight.
Why it happens: Damp, mild weather and plenty of hiding places.
What to do: Water in the morning, clear debris, protect seedlings and hostas with barriers, use nematode biological control and hand-pick at dusk. Metaldehyde pellets can no longer be used in the UK.
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Aphids (greenfly and blackfly)
Signs: Clusters of small insects on soft new growth; sticky honeydew and distorted shoots.
Why it happens: Rapid breeding in warm spring and summer weather.
What to do: Squash or wash off small colonies, encourage ladybirds, lacewings and hoverflies, and avoid broad-spectrum sprays.
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Vine weevil
Signs: Notches on leaf edges and, worse, plants in pots that suddenly wilt because grubs have eaten the roots.
Why it happens: Adult weevils lay eggs in compost; grubs feed from late summer to spring.
What to do: Check the roots of wilting container plants, remove grubs, and use biological nematode control in late summer or spring.
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Lily beetle
Signs: Bright red beetles and slimy, dark grubs eating lily and fritillary leaves.
Why it happens: Adults emerge in spring and overwinter in soil.
What to do: Check plants from March, pick off beetles and grubs by hand and destroy them.
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Powdery mildew
Signs: White powdery coating on leaves, typically in late summer.
Why it happens: Dry roots combined with humid air.
What to do: Water at the base, mulch to hold moisture, space plants for airflow and cut back badly affected growth.
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Tomato blight
Signs: Brown patches on leaves and stems that spread rapidly, then firm brown rot on fruit.
Why it happens: Warm, humid and wet weather in summer.
What to do: Grow under cover where possible, remove infected leaves quickly, avoid wetting leaves and consider blight-resistant varieties.
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Clematis wilt
Signs: Sudden wilting and blackening of a shoot or whole plant.
Why it happens: A fungal disease that is more common on large-flowered clematis.
What to do: Cut affected stems to healthy buds and bin them; plants often regrow from the base.
Prevention beats cure: healthy soil, good spacing, the right plant for the site and encouraging natural predators prevent most problems.
Care by plant group
See care notes on every plant card
A plant struggling?
Describe the plant, where it is growing and what you can see, and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.