Fionnuala Fallon

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Fionnuala Fallon

Q: My potato plants have been badly damaged by frost. Should I write them off or do you think there’s still a chance that they might recover? M. Hanrahan, Co TipperaryA: Frost damage to the emerging soft, young leaves of potato plants is not unusual in colder parts of the country at this time of year, especially when it comes to crops that have been planted relatively early in the growing season.

1 week ago | irishtimes.com | Fionnuala Fallon

There are certain key times in the growing year – sometimes hours, or even just minutes – when an awful lot hinges on surprisingly little. It might be something as simple as just forgetting to close up the polytunnel, glasshouse or cold frame on a cold late spring night before a harsh frost bites. Or taking a risky punt on planting out tender summer bedding just that teeniest bit too early. Or perhaps being just a little too slow to water trays of young seedlings on a warm, bright day.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Fionnuala Fallon

I thought that rubber plants are supposed to be indestructible but mine has started losing a few leaves and looks unhappy. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong? – C Finnegan, WaterfordHailing from parts of south Asia and Indonesia, this tropical evergreen species (Ficus elastica) has long been a popular houseplant with a reputation for being exceptionally unfussy and hard to kill. Its common name of “rubber plant” or “rubber fig” comes from the milky white, sticky latex it contains.

2 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Fionnuala Fallon

There’s a special place in most gardeners’ hearts for the flowering plants of late spring, which have a newborn grace and freshness all their own. Many of the loveliest are edge-of-woodland perennials, whose fine-boned beauty belies their resilience and ability to flourish in cool, damp shade. By blooming and setting seed in this way, before their summer counterparts, these species gain a distinct advantage when it comes to competing for available light, nutrients and water.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Fionnuala Fallon

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