Herbs on the Windowsill.
I recently bought some herbs to grow inside my kitchen for use in cooking (such as basil and chives). However, the plants I have bought are dying and I cannot keep them alive! I think this could be because there is not much light in my kitchen so the plants are being starved of sunlight. However, when i placed one outside it died very quickly as it hasn't stopped raining in ages here in Wales! I was just wondering if you had any tips as to how i can successfully grow these herbs so that they do not die. Thanks in advance. Stephen, Swansea.

As far as the chives are concerned they are hardy perennial plants and should flourish on a window sill - they can also be grown outside. As you are probably aware they are a member of the onion family and are therefore bulbs. Providing they have moist soil and reasonable light levels they should be fine. When you harvest them cut a few whole leaves from around the outside, (new leaves will soon emerge). As with most plants, when grown indoors the main problem is normally being too warm and dry. A room that is very shady could also be problem, but a window-sill, even one facing north should be ok for chives, but not Basil. Native to the Mediterranean regions basil requires heat and sunshine! It's an annual. If you recently purchased it then it should be ok for this winter - providing it is on a bright window-sill. Most of the herbs we buy come from such regions, i.e. from around the Mediterranean, Africa etc. That said many herbs grown here are perennial, for example, oregano (marjoram) or thyme and will grow happily outside and even survive our winters. Their main enemy is not the cold but wet soil. So the good drainage provided by a gritty soil is a must. As far as these 'dead' plants you have - they may not be! Give them a light prune, improve the light levels and do not over-water...make sure their soil is moist and not wet. Do not allow water to sit in the tray that the pot is in after ten minutes of watering. Let the compost almost become dry before you water again. DavidH.

Thanks for that reply, it was most helpful! Unfortunately my window sill is quite devoid of light and so I guess that I will have to just stick to jars of herbs. At least my chives survive. Once more thanks for your reply. Stephen, Swansea.

Strawberry loving Woodlice!
Hi Dave. Hello again! I'm desperate for some advice; my wonderful strawberry patch (about 4m long and 1m wide) is heaving with fruit, but as the strawberries are ripening, they're being hollowed out by wood-lice. I've looked on the internet for advice, but to no avail. I've got some fruit which is as big as my mobile phone (I'll send you a pic!), but am sad when it's being eaten by bugs. Any help gratefully received! Thanks, Adrienne.

Hi Adrienne - As you’re aware, normally strawberries fall victim to slugs, snails and birds. However it is not uncommon for woodlice to join in! Apparently there is a product on the market that claims to control not only woodlice but ants and earwigs too. It's called, Debug. It also claims to be safe and as such must be true, but whether you want to use any kind of pesticide on your food is a matter for you to decide. So it's back to that good old cultural control that I kept 'banging on about' in just about every one of our gardening lessons!!! Control your slugs and snails and if possible net the fruit. Try lifting the fruit from the ground and remove old/yellowing/dead leaves to allow good air circulation around the plants. If you have been traditional and used straw as a mulch that could provide a good home for them! Destroy any nests or large build-ups of woodlice you notice. Shrews, toads and centipedes are all predators of woodlice and there are also a few spiders and parasitic wasps that seek them out! I hope that helps. Let me know the outcome! DavidH.