Connacht Gold Garden Centres

If you have any questions you would like us to answer, just email Brendan or any of our team of horticulturalists to this address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We endeavour to answer all your questions within 24 hours. Response to emails may take longer at weekends and bank hoildays.

Is there any way to prevent carrot fly from attacking my crop?

There are currently no insecticides approved for carrot fly control. Some carrots such as ‘Sytan’, ‘Resistafly’ and ‘Flyaway’ are less susceptible to damage than other cultivars. Seedlings of carrots sown after late spring will miss the first generation of larvae, carrots harvested before late summer will miss the second generation. Do not over sow the seeds as the thinning out process can attract the adult female. Building a ‘fence’ around the crop using horticultural fleece will also help. The barrier should be approx 80cm high. The female carrot fly flies close to the ground looking to lay her eggs and will not fly above the barrier.

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How far should you space hedging apart?

There is no one single answer to this question. It can depend on variety, plant size and your budget. For a general guide click here to enter our hedging section with general guides to the most common hedging varieties.

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What can I feed my camellia?

Camellias are known as ericaceous or acid loving plants. This group includes camellias, heathers, rhododendrons and pieris. They are best fed with foods specifically balanced for these plants. Algoflash for Acid Loving Plants or Westland Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia Plant Food are two recommended feeds.

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I have noticed a white fluffy substance on my beech hedge. What is this?

This is the beech woolly aphid. These pale yellow insects are covered with a fluffy white waxy material. These are mainly seen at the shoot tips or the underside of leaves. These aphids suck the sap from the plant. Leaves often become sticky from their excrement called honeydew. Control on tall beech trees is impractical. On hedges, control maybe used by spraying with BugClear or Roseclear.

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What is causing the leaves on my shrubs to turn yellow?

Yellowing leaves on shrubs is often a condition called chlorosis, which can have a number of causes. The most common cause is nutrient deficiency. In this case the application of a general purpose food such as Growmore often helps. In acid loving plants, yellowing can be a symptom of iron or magnesium deficiency. Application of Sequestered iron should remedy this and applying Westland Rhododendron, Azalea and Camellia plant food should help prevent this.

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My fruit trees had a poor yield this year, what has caused this?

This was a widespread problem this year and was caused by the poor wet weather in the spring and early summer leading to poor pollination and therefore a poor yield. In mild drier springs yields will tend to be better in the autumn.

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Why do the heathers I plant in the summer always seem to turn brown and the winter spring heathers I plant always do well?

Summer flowering varieties are much are fussier about the soil that they like to grow in. All heathers like an acidic soil but whereas many winter spring heathers will tolerate certain limey soils, summer varieties will not. Look for varieties from the Erica carnea group such as ‘Foxhollow’ and ‘Rosalie’. These tolerate a wider range of soil types. It is best when planting to incorporate liberal amounts of ericaceous compost. Always feed with feeds for acid loving plants. In the drier months of summer water the plants with rainwater as opposed using mains water.

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Can you suggest a climber for a north facing wall?

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrandea petiolaris) will grow well on north facing walls. It is a non evergreen climber with white flowers during the summer. An excellent evergreen climber is Pyracantha. This bears white flowers in early summer with berries appearing during the autumn and winter months.

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How far apart should I plant my roses?

This can depend on the grouping of roses being planted. Smaller patio roses are more compact than larger bush roses. A general spacing would be every 3 feet. This will allow the roses to develop to a nice size with spacing allowing for good ventilation reducing problems of blackspot. Incorporate well rotted farmyard manure when planting.

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How often should I feed my roses?

Roses are a hungry plant demanding plenty of nutrients for a good return of flowers. Using a granular feed such as Toprose will require feeding every 4 to 6 weeks. Liquid foods will have to be applied more regularly, approximately every 10 days or so.

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I have a lot of greenfly on my roses and I don’t like using chemicals. Can you suggest an alternative?

Garlic spray is a great alternative to many chemical sprays available. It can easily be made at home. The recipe is as follows:

• Finely chop three cloves of garlic
• Soak for twenty four hours in two teaspoons of paraffin liquid.
• Strain out the liquid and mix with 5 litres of water.
• Spray onto plants regularly at a dilution rate of 1 part garlic mix to 50 parts water.

From personal use I have found it is much better used as a preventative measure rather than as an insecticide.

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My honeysuckle seems to have developed a white powdery dust on its leaves, is this normal?

It sounds most likely that your plant has been infected with powdery mildew. Treat with a fungicide such as Fungus Clear or for a more natural approach make your own using one part milk to one part water. Use a liquid feed to help your plant recover.

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When is the correct time for planting spring bulbs?

Autumn is the correct time for planting spring flowering bulbs. These are freely available from garden centres from mid august. Always plant as soon as possible after purchasing. Click here for more information on planting spring bulbs.

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Are there any effective non chemical controls against slugs?

Slugs play a vital role in the garden breaking down garden debris. However this good deed is often outdone by the damage inflicted to many plants. Chemical control using pellets is effective but gets into the wildlife food change. One of the most familiar non chemical methods is using slug traps. A jar half full of beer or milk can be almost buried in the ground, where the smell will attract slugs and snails, which fall in and drown. The addition of some porridge oats makes it even more effective bait. Hollowed out grapefruit halves can be propped up on stones in the garden; again slugs and snails are attracted to the smell, crawl in and remain there. The skins can then be picked up in the morning complete with slugs and disposed of. Organic slug gel, egg shells or horticultural grit can also be placed around plants to discourage attacks. Attracting other wildlife such as wild birds will also help control thir population.

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What is causing dark sunken spots to appear on the base of my tomato fruits?

This is called blossom end rot. A sunken patch develops at the blossom end (base) of the developing fruits. It is caused by irregular or insufficient watering. This prevents the plant from taking up sufficient calcium. The low calcium content of the fruits causes the cells to collapse and discolour. To prevent this ensure adequate and sufficient moisture to the plants especially the more vigorous and heavy cropping varieties. Pick off fruits that have developed the symptoms and improve the watering routine.

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Wasps have begun to attack my apples, is there anything I can do to stop them.

Wasps on apples are generally enlarging damage done by birds, but they can also initiate feeding on softer fruits. As well as damage caused they can also make fruit picking hazardous. Fruit cages can be built to prevent the initial damage done by birds. For an effective way to reduce wasp damage is by using  traps. Half fill an old jar with water and sugar mixture and seal it with some paper and an elastic band. Make a small hole in the paper and hang the jar on a branch. In an attempt to reach the sugary mixture the wasps will drown.

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When is the best time to prune roses?

Roses are best given a light prune in late October taking off roughly one third off its growth. This reduces wind and storm damage to the plant during the winter months. Roses should be given a hard prune back in February/March.

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What should I feed a newly planted hedge?

Fish Blood and Bone is the best fertiliser to give to a newly planted hedge or indeed most trees and shrubs. It promotes strong root growth which will in turn result in strong vigorous growth during the growing season. It may be incorporated into the soil before or during planting or applied as a surface dressing after planting.

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When is the best time to feed my lawn?

Ideally lawns should be fed three times a year. Feed in late spring or early summer, again around mid July with an autumn feed applied during September. Best results are achieved by using three in one treatments. These contain a feed, weed and moss killer which helps control moss and many of the most common lawn weeds. Autumn treatments contain a special formulation with a balanced feed to toughen up grass and promote root growth as well as ferrous sulphate to control moss.

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