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3 or 4 tablespoons of rapeseed oil in 500ml of water with a dash of washing up liquid, sprayed on the aphids (allegedly) helps. The (theory is) washing up liquid breaks down the woolly coating as well as keeping the oil in emulsion, then the oil blocks the spiracles, suffocating them. This is...

Stig, try antstop granules, they can be dissolved in a can and watered straight into the nest. Done in the evening it'll be gone by morning

Two ways to grow brassicas, covered with very fine insect mesh, or a weekly dose of something concocted by Porton Down

Robot mowers are great until some little oik nicks the charger, happened twice to one relative :mad:

Something with a Honda engine, alloy or good steel deck and single point height adjustment and you won't go far wrong. If it's self propelled all the better. I've got a 21inch mountfield, 25 years old, wasn't new when I got it, steel deck gets waxoyled every so often and it still does a great job

What's more amazing is it took till 1865 to start brewing lager in the UK (Scotland, apparently) What did they drink with it for nearly 100 years?

A lot of those we hold in high regard had the opportunity to hone their skills at a time when there were live venues in just about every middling size town and reviews were in a local paper. There was time to develop rather than be thrust onto a global stage with little warning. That said, there...

I think it is an elephant hawk moth caterpillar

Talking if caterpillars, found this on some willowherb last year.

Once it was going it was brilliant, cut through all sorts of undergrowth and the large wheels meant it rode well on all sorts of ground. If you were to fix a piece of tin over the front to stop the cut grass wrapping on the axles they'd be better than any modern machine I've used. Just my...

True, but if it's anything like the Allen scythe I had way back I could lose half a day trying to start the wretched thing, adds up over a season. If there was a way to fix a modern engine on them like people have on the Howard Gems that'd be the way to go

Or buy one of these unless you enjoy tinkering with old machinery https://www.tracmaster.co.uk/products/bcs-615-crusader-power-scythe

It should be possible to hire a walk behind flail mower that will tackle that fairly easily, go steadily and watch for which way the grass is lying and you should get a good finish. Alternatively strim or scythe in late August before it gets totally flattened, leave it to dry like hay and gather...

Used to find swing top useful when freelancing, never knew what might be lurking in someone's lawn so it was a bit more forgiving. Unless you've got some seriously uneven ground a straight blade should be fine. If you want a roller on it I'd look at Kaaz or the lawnflight mentioned earlier...

If you've got goldfinches in the area it is well worth leaving dandelions to seed for the sight of them sidling up the stems to eat the seeds

As I do this for my day job a few things I've noticed re time to cut a lawn: takes twice as long in the spring and autumn cos you have to empty the bag more often, on a big lawn a builders bag at either end saves time, empty the bag before the chute gets clogged, if it's got too long cutting...

Ok, bit surprised it isn't on a short stem, but it looks as if you've got Bramley on the right and braeburn on the left. Given the thickness and angle of the Bramley stem I think you'll struggle to keep both alive. I'd rub off the buds below the graft, train the stem upward and just keep the...

Put some pics up if you can please Cozzer. Most single variety trees are grafted just above soil level but 'family' trees often have an interscion between the rootstock and the chosen varieties. If there's a graft near soil level and another at the fork then the buds that are breaking may be...

If you can't lock the spindle just bolt another piece of 3 X 2 to the outboard faceplate that is long enough to jam against the bed

SGS supply gas struts that allow you to reduce the pressure using an Allen key in a grub screw valve. We modified the roof platform in a Mazda Bongo and needed shorter struts, they were able to supply just the right size and I'diot proof instructions. I wouldn't have wanted to try adapting them...