Dropped leaves and speckled dots indicate a thrips infestation. Luckily, there is plenty you can do about it

What’s the problem?
The leaves of my 40-year-old rubber plant are speckled with tiny black dots, turning yellow, and many are dropping off. New shoots are still growing, but the older leaves continue to fall.

Diagnosis
The black dots you’re seeing are most likely thrips droppings. These tiny insects puncture the leaf surface to drain sap, resulting in silvery streaks, mottled patches, curling and eventual leaf drop. They thrive in warm, dry conditions and are easily introduced when plants are moved outdoors. Once inside, they spread rapidly, particularly on mature, leafy specimens. Their damage is often mistaken for nutrient deficiencies or sun scorch, but the telltale sign is the combination of silvery streaks with tiny black specks.

Autumn’s mess, sorted; tips for better mornings; and the best beard trimmers

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I love the colours in the trees at this time of year, but I know the joy won’t last. That beautiful kaleidoscope will drop to the ground and create a mulchy brown carpet. While wonderful for soil and many of the creatures that thrive as a result, leaves often need clearing up from our lawns, drives and pavements.

Many of us will reach for rakes and leaf grabbers – tried and tested tools that remain perfectly sufficient for the job for most people. However, for those of you with a larger garden, deciduous trees or a growing disinclination for thankless, laborious jobs (as I do as I get older), I’ve tested a selection of electric leaf blowers and garden vacuums designed to reduce the physical load.

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In this autumn special, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates our relationship with trees. David Maxwell returns to his childhood home to revisit the trees he grew up with. Tree expert Tony Kirkham introduces some of the trees grown in London’s Chelsea Physic garden which may prove more resilient than our natives as the climate changes. The myths and legends linked to trees are something that fascinates storyteller Vicky McFarland – she reveals tales of love and death. In Rostrevor, County Down, former carpenter Paul Clerkin knows the trees of Kilbroney Park better than most. Now a public park, it was once a grand estate where exotic trees were planted as status symbols. Amidst the beauty of the season, the programme also explores how trees continue to help us by cooling our cities, preventing floods and removing pollution. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Which seeds would you take to a desert island? How can I improve my success planting bulbs? Which easy-to-grow plants have you managed to kill?

Peter Gibbs and a panel of gardening experts are in Two Dales to share their top horticultural advice. Joining Peter are garden designer Bunny Guinness, RHS curator Marcus Chilton-Jones, and alpine specialist Bethan Collerton.

Later in the programme, Marcus stops to chat to Steve Porter, Head of Gardens and Landscape at Chatsworth House about the history of camellias and how best to grow them.

Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Producer: Matt Smith

A Somethin' Else Production for BBC Radio 4

Plant List:

Q — 2 minutes, 45 seconds Which easy-to-grow plant have you managed to kill?

Marcus Chilton-Jones Swiss cheese plant Mother in law’s tongue

Bethan Collerton— Gorse

Bunny Guinness— Bacchia Pelagonium

Q — 4 minutes, 41 seconds  I've got a prickly pear cactus and  the outer surface layer appears to be getting eaten in patches. Why?

QM I want to re-plant a board backed by a 6ft wooden fence. What would the panel recommend?

Bethan Collerton— Evergreen ferns Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ Brunnera macrophylla ’Silver heart’

Bunny Guinness— Lavender Yew Allium ‘Globe master’ Hydrangea seemannii

Marcus Chilton-Jones — Physocarpus Camellia Lobelia cotinus Hydrangea seemannii

Q 15 minutes, 30 seconds Cornus kousa ‘green sleeves’ Cornus kousa ‘milky way’

Bunny Guinness — Cornus mas ‘Cornelian cherry’

Q -- 25 minutes, 37 seconds  Could the team advise how to improve my  success rate of my bull planting?

Q -- 30 minutes, 30 seconds How should I prune a Victoria plum tree?

QF 37 mins 25 Which two packets of seeds would you take to a desert island?

Bethan Collerton— Courgette Rice

Bunny Guinness— Edamame Fig

Marcus Chilton-Jones — Tomatoes Sunflower

Big, blousy show-stoppers are all very well, but species tulips offer longer-term benefits and come in array of hot colours

Nearly three months after moving in and we’re still surrounded by boxes. Somewhere, possibly in the cellar or maybe the shed, there is a brown paper bag of bulbs I lifted from the old garden. Traditionally, I plant them in December – partly because life is always too busy, but also because as well as being cool, London autumns are increasingly wet, so that this helps stave off rot.

There’s something enticing about a second-year tulip. Anyone after big, blousy show-stoppers will replace their bulbs every year, and come April I will dutifully like their Instagram posts. But with my garden currently a wasteland, it feels almost perverse to insert the opulence of brand-new botanical tulips – like putting a wedding hat on when you’re in your PJs. Should I find my bag of older bulbs, anything they offer up will be a little more muted, but, crucially, free.

Corking is the most likely culprit, but it could be scale insects or fungus. Here’s how to check

What’s the problem?
My prickly pear (Opuntia) cactus is developing raised brown patches on both sides of the stem that are spreading, though the plant is still growing. Should I be worried?

Diagnosis
Those circular brown patches are a classic sign of corking. This is a natural process in many cacti, which causes the lower stem to gradually harden and turn brown, like the bark on a tree. It usually starts at the base and slowly works its way up as the plant matures. While the rough texture can look alarming, it doesn’t harm the plant. However, because corking can be confused with a fungal infection or pests such as scale insects, it’s worth a closer look. Scale insects will appear as raised, uniform bumps that can be scraped off, whereas corking is part of the stem tissue itself and cannot be removed.

Gifts for prosperity and joy; women’s autumn style essentials; and the best leaf blowers, tested

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As a kid, Diwali was five days of sensory overload: flickering lamps, friends and relatives you hadn’t seen since last Diwali, and mithai served on repeat until joy curdled into sugar-induced despair.

Growing up in Wales in the 90s, I rejected almost all of it. Being Asian felt like a marker of otherness, and when your teenage mission is fitting in, a celebration of being Indian wasn’t all that appealing. So I joined in half-heartedly, but longed for the escape hatch of a sweaty metal gig with my friends where identity didn’t feel quite so loaded.

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This week at the National Trust’s Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, beds are being prepared for winter by new head gardener Lizzie Whyman. The garden team are also trialling which apple varieties store best for winter use. Presenter David Maxwell also heads to Gilford Primary School where staff and pupils have turned a disused football pitch into a pumpkin patch. Also on the programme, how County Down native Beth Gregg is bringing back the posh cloche with her business Claverton Cloches and author Jules Acton on her book ‘Oaklore’ about the amazing life in our native oaks. In studio, David is joined by Rosie Maye who will answers questions on shrubs for a large bank, creating a windbreak with plants and what mushrooms circles mean. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Peter Gibbs and the Gardeners Question Time panel visit the RHS Wisley Greening Skills Garden in Woking, an exciting new project designed to inspire and equip the next generation of horticulturists. No postbag edition is complete without your questions, so the panel dip into the GQT inbox to answer your gardening conundrums.

Joining Peter are head gardeners and garden designers Pippa Greenwood, Matthew Pottage and Matthew Biggs.

Senior Producer: Dan Cocker Junior Producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Learning which species can tolerate a cold snap and how your patch reacts to different kinds of frost will serve veg growers well as autumn nights lengthen

There are a few dates in the gardening calendar that all growers ought to be aware of – and frost dates should be top of the list. The exact date of the last frost of the year is anyone’s guess, but it’s important to know how to anticipate that first frosty night and how it affects our plants. Understanding which of your plants can withstand temperature drops and which cannot is key to planning what to sow and when.

There are two main types of frost: air and ground. An air frost occurs when the temperature of the air drops to or below the freezing point of water (0C or 32F), whereas a ground frost occurs when the temperature of the ground drops that low. Each can happen separately, though they often occur together, and both can damage plants to different degrees.

Blitz the autumn clean-up in record time (and turn your bounty into mulch and mould) with our tried-and-tested leaf blowers and garden vacuums

• How to get your garden ready for autumn: 17 expert tips

Trees are glorious things to have in your garden, providing shelter, shade and a habitat for wildlife. Right up until the moment when their leaves start to fall off, that is, and you’re left with the annoying autumnal job of clearing up.

Traditionally, we’d just use a rake for this job, and perhaps a good pair of leaf grabbers to help transfer them to the compost or a recycling bag (see below for our gardening expert Matt Collins’ advice on what to do with your leaves afterwards). If your leaf drop isn’t particularly heavy, these remain perfectly adequate tools for the job.

Best leaf blower overall:
Milwaukee M18 Fuel Blower FBLG3-802

Best garden vacuum overall:
Stihl SHA 56

Garden getting you down? Tempted to just pave or concrete over the whole thing and put your feet up? There are more enjoyable and eco-friendly alternatives, from miniature meadows to giant borders

When faced with a muddy swamp, or a lawn that needs mowing (again), the most nihilistic among us may dream of concreting over the whole garden – and some turn that dream into reality. A recent report by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), which represents garden centres and suppliers, has warned that within the next five years, nearly a quarter of UK householders plan to pave or deck over at least part of their garden, and of those, nearly a third plan to cover more than half of the area. The HTA estimates this could mean a loss of about 8% of the UK’s total private green space, or 409 sq km.

“Paving over gardens with impermeable surfaces has and will continue to undermine urban resilience,” says Prof Alistair Griffiths, the director of science and collections at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Water can’t get through concrete, asphalt and paving, which contributes to surface flooding and overwhelms the sewer system, leading to pollution runoff. Loss of vegetation also contributes to global heating. “We’ve got these increased extremes of heat and if you lose green space, you lose that cooling effect,” he adds. Then there’s the loss of biodiversity that comes from paving over green space – not to mention the impact of a dead, grey landscape on people’s mental health. One RHS study showed that people who nurtured a couple of containers of flowers and a small tree in an urban street lowered their stress hormones as much as if they’d attended eight weekly mindfulness sessions.

It’s actually a euphorbia, and some careful pruning will solve your problem – and result in a more attractive plant

What’s the problem?
I’ve had this cactus for many years, but it keeps getting taller and soon it will hit the ceiling. How can I stop the plant growing without doing it harm?

Diagnosis
The plant in question isn’t a true cactus at all, but a succulent called Euphorbia trigona, also known as the African milk tree. Like many columnar euphorbias, it can shoot up rapidly indoors if it’s happy, often outgrowing its space. Luckily, the plant responds well to pruning if done carefully.

This week, David visits the new sensory garden in Bangor’s Ward Park which as been designed with those living with dementia in mind. One listener gets in touch after finding fresh hens eggs (with a date stamp) buried in her garden pots – the team attempt to unravel the mystery. Adam Frost chooses Euonymus alatus as his shrub of the month for October. Garden designer and nursery owner Jamie Butterworth on his manic year that’s included designing a garden with Monty Don, getting married and writing a book! Also on the programme, with the arrival of the bulb of Narcissus ‘Gardeners’ Corner’, named to mark the 40th year of the programme, David Maxwell plants the first few bulbs in studio with Ann FitzSimons. Email the programme at gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

Is it possible to grow mushrooms on a living log? How do we control the spread of alder beetles in our garden? How can I remove wild garlic from a woodland garden?

Kathy Clugston delves into the rich Gardeners’ Question Time archives to unearth timeless wisdom on gardening in woodland conditions.

Drawing on decades of expertise, GQT panellists and chairs - past and present - offer trusted advice for every green-fingered challenge. From ethical ways to tackle moss and effective methods to control alder beetles, to planting schemes that gently deter unwanted wildlife, the team’s knowledge is as deep-rooted as the trees themselves.

Later, grow-your-own guru Bob Flowerdew rounds off our autumn feature series with a comprehensive guide to allotment tasks that will help ensure a plentiful harvest.

Producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Plants like lupins, ryegrass and field beans can help fix nitrogen in the soil, suppress weeds and increase biodiversity

I just removed a half-filled bottle of Lucozade from the euphorbia trough. It was left there by one of the scaffolders. “Are you sure that’s Lucozade?” ventured a visiting architect, which made me see the energy drink in a new light.

All of which is to say: the garden is a mess. But there’s a lot to be said for negligence; I returned from holiday to find a sunflower had appeared in the back corner.

It’s a buildup of mineral salts from hard tap water or fertiliser. Switching to rainwater or filtered water, and feeding only in spring and summer, will help

What’s the problem?
There is a chalky white crust on the top of my spider plant’s potting mix, and the leaf tips are turning brown. Why is this happening and how do I fix it?

Diagnosis
This is a buildup of mineral salts from hard tap water or fertiliser. As water evaporates, salts are left behind and come to the surface. Over time, they concentrate around the roots, drawing out moisture and scorching sensitive tissues, which shows up as brown, papery leaf tips and edges. It can also throw off the soil pH, so plants struggle to absorb nutrients.

Taylor Swift review | Aztec broccoli | Bogof v half-price | President Putin | Pannetone pudding

Everybody is entitled to an opinion, but I’m not sure what value to attach to that of a bloke in his mid-50s about the latest album by Taylor Swift, an artist whose songs resonate with a massive core audience of women up to two generations younger than him (Taylor Swift: The Life of a Showgirl review – dull razzle-dazzle from a star who seems frazzled, 3 October). Other than to warn off other blokes in their 50s.
Ian A Anderson (bloke in his late 70s)
Cambridge

• I was very pleased to see Adrian Chiles’s appreciation of Aztec broccoli (2 October). I discovered it last year, and though it’s not as tasty as real broccoli, it’s much easier to grow and doesn’t attract the dreaded cabbage white butterfly. I’ve been happily eating the abundant little shoots from just two plants for the past month.
Hannah Hyam
Batheaston, Somerset

With warm colours all around, Gardeners’ Corner celebrates the arrival of autumn. At the National Trust’s Rowallane Gardens, David meets head gardener Claire McNally for a walk in the woods where Acers, Sorbus, Birch and Enkianthus are stealing the show. As this year’s harvest is gathered in, Amy Kelly is thinking ahead to what can be planted now for early crops next year. In Moira, David discovers a secret courtyard garden beside the oldest house in the village and he chats to Mary Reynolds about her journey from being the youngest ever winner of a gold medal at the Chelsea Flower Show to the founder of the ‘We are the ARK’ movement which campaigns to restore nature through native planting. In studio, David is joined by Mary Doris who has made best use of the apple and pear harvest. Contact the programme on gardenerscorner@bbc.co.uk

What trees are flood and arid proof that will still be here in a hundred years? How can I rejuvenate my gappy Heathers? What fast growing plants could we plant to hide a wall?

Peter Gibbs and a proud panel of gardening experts venture to the Whitworth Institute in Darley Dale where they field questions from an eager live audience of gardeners. Tackling everything from hangry heathers to planting dilemmas, the panel includes head gardeners’ Bethan Collerton and Marcus Chilton Jones, and garden designer Bunny Guinness

Later in the programme, James Wong provides  some practical advice on how to keep your plants happy indoors this season.

Senior producer: Matthew Smith
 Junior producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4