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Articles by Adele Dyer
5 things I'd never do as a pressure washer expert
Which? has put 49 pressure washers through our thorough testing so we know a thing or two about what makes a good one. I also regularly use a pressure washer at home. As part of our rigorous tests, we assess pressure washers' performance on surfaces such as concrete, softwood decking, bock paving, and even on cars. We also look how how much water they use, how noisy they are and how easy they are to clean with.
Best liquid plant feeds
Liquid feeds are fertilisers that are applied as you water your plants. They include both concentrated liquids you dilute in water and granules you dissolve. You can use them for pots and borders to give your plants an instant pick-me-up. If you prefer to add controlled-release fertiliser to your pots, you may still use a liquid feed at the end of the summer as the controlled-release fertiliser runs out. Breathe new life into your outside spaces.
How to grow heucheras and best varieties - Which?
Heucheras, and their close relatives heucherellas and tiarellas, are most often grown for their foliage. They do best in full or partial shade, as their leaves can get scorched in sun. However, there are several varieties that are suited to growing in a sunny spot and have good flowers. Which? Gardening has tested heucheras for both sun and shade, alongside tiarellas and heucherellas, to find the ones that have attractive foliage in every season, as well as great flowers.
How to grow heucheras and best varieties - Which?
Heucheras, and their close relatives heucherellas and tiarellas, are most often grown for their foliage. They do best in full or partial shade, as their leaves can get scorched in sun. However, there are several varieties that are suited to growing in a sunny spot and have good flowers. Which? Gardening has tested heucheras for both sun and shade, alongside tiarellas and heucherellas, to find the ones that have attractive foliage in every season, as well as great flowers.
Best Controlled-Release Fertilisers - Which?
A decent controlled-release fertiliser will keep your plants fed for months on end, but a bad one will leave them performing poorly. Our expert tests have uncovered the best options for you. Controlled-release fertilisers are the ultimate low-maintenance option for feeding plants in patio pots and baskets, because you add the granules to the compost when you plant up. The containers only need liquid feeding at the end of the summer when the original feed runs out.
How to grow lavender and best varieties - Which?
Lavenders are loved for their scented flowers that can be dried after they finish blooming. Bees adore them and they thrive in a sunny spot in well-drained soil. Which? Gardening magazine grew 23 varieties of English lavender in the north and south of the UK over two years to see which would give us the best display and be hardy enough to get through UK winters. We also grew 11 varieties of French lavender, which is less hardy and better suited to summer pots.
Best wildflower suppliers
Whether you want to create a mini meadow or a wildflower border, getting the right plants and knowing how to grow them will be key to your success. Some mainstream plant sellers stock a small range of wildflowers, but there are specialist nurseries and farms that offer far more choice and a wealth of useful information. So where should you start? Which? Gardening magazine has investigated the options to find the best places to buy. Breathe new life into your outside spaces.
How to get rid of fungus gnats
Fungus gnats are small black flies, also known as sciarid flies, mushroom flies and mycetophilids. They are a very common pest on houseplants, seedlings and cuttings. They aren’t strong fliers and usually flit about close to the surface of the compost, or crawl around the edge of pots and their ideal habitat is pots of damp compost. Find out how to control fruit flies Adult fungus gnats don't do much damage, but can help to spread diseases such as damping off.
Best lawn edging shears
Lawn edging shears are much quieter to use than a grass trimmer, as well as easier for cutting a neat edge to your lawn. To find the perfect pair, the handles need to be the right length for you to use without being hunched over, and the blades need to stay sharp and rust free. Which? Gardening tested 10 pairs of shears to help you buy the right one. Make more of your garden – get our free Gardening newsletter for top tips from our experts. Best lawn edging shears from our test Only logged-in Which?
Best hoes for weeding
Using a hoe allows you to weed large areas quickly without bending, but this can still be hard work if it isn't sharp, the angle of the head is wrong, or the handle is too short. The Which? Gardening magazine researchers tested different makes and models of hoe to find out which ones are most effective and easiest to use. Make more of your garden - get our free Gardening newsletter for expert tips from our experts The best hoes from our test Only logged-in Which?
Best peat-free composts for pots of summer bedding in 2023
A pot full to the brim with bright, cheerful flowers is a great way to cheer up any patio. Or you may prefer to harvest from veg from your containers – dwarf tomato plants and peppers can look just as attractive. But for great plants you need a great compost. Which? Gardening has been testing compost for almost 40 years,, so we know how variable they can be and the difference a Best Buy can make. We tested 25 peat-free composts that are meant to be used in pots.
Best compost 2023: sowing seeds, young plants and containers
When you click on a retailer link, we may earn affiliate commission, which helps fund our not-for-profit mission. This tracks your activity using third party cookies. By clicking a link you are consenting to this. The best compost will provide all the nutrients and support needed for seeds and veg to grow and thrive, while the worst will leave you with meagre crops and feeble plants.
Best organic slug and snail controls
Slugs and snails are very discerning in what they eat, bypassing the weeds to devour our favourite plants. They're difficult to stop and, while you can still use bated pellets containing ferric phosphate, different types of physical barriers are an increasingly popular choice. We looked at the current options to find out which are the most effective.
Peat-free compost: what is peat and how to use it
Peat was once seen as a cheap and plentiful material that gardeners found easy to use. However, peat harvesting releases huge amounts carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the climate crisis has shown us we need to stop this. The Committee on Climate Change estimates around 39 tonnes of carbon dioxide has been released from every hectare of lowland peat that has been drained and fertilised every year. To put this in context, the average person emits 10 tonnes per year in the UK.
Best grow bags for summer salads in 2023
If your tomato plants struggle to give you a great crop, the problem might well not be how you grow them, but the compost they're growing in. Grow bags are an easy way to grow summer crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, chillies, peppers and aubergines. You don't need a greenhouse, just a sunny spot such as a patio. However, grow bags have traditionally been a pile-it-high, sell-it-cheap option made with peat compost, which is low cost and readily available.
The best peat-free composts to get your seeds and young plants growing in 2023
A great compost supports your plants to grow quickly and healthily, but a poor one will leave them struggling to survive. The government has announced that peat composts will be banned from sale through retail outlets in 2024, so finding a good peat-free alternative is more important than ever. Which? Gardening magazine knows that some gardeners struggle to find good peat-free composts that work for them, so this year we only trialled peat-free composts so we could be sure to find the best ones.
How to grow ferns and best varieties - Which?
Ferns might lack flowers, but they're great plants for a shady spot. Many are evergreen and most have intricately cut leaves that are as beautiful as any bloom. Which? Gardening magazine grew a range of popular varieties to see which would thrive in a shady spot. We share recommended ferns and explain how to care for ferns.
Peat composts to be banned from sale in garden centres from 2024
The government has announced a ban on all peat compost sales to home gardeners from 2024. After the ban you will only be able to buy peat-free alternatives in garden centres, DIY stores and online. Which? Gardening has been testing peat-free composts for over 20 years. The majority of the composts we test are peat-free as we want to give our members as much information as possible about sustainable alternatives. See our results to find the best peat-free composts for you.
Best peat-free composts for your summer patio – Which? News
Growing pots of summer bedding and veg gives months of pleasure, but can you do it without costing the earth? Yes with a low-cost, peat-free Best Buy compost. Which? Gardening magazine has found five , all of them peat-free, which are perfect for plants in containers. This year we only tested peat-free composts as we know plants grow just as well as in peat, and it’s best to avoid using peat where you can. Best Buy sustainable composts We tested 25 composts, all peat-free, in summer 2021.
Great grow bags for summer veg in 2022 – Which? News
If your tomato plants don’t give a bumper harvest, it might not be down to how you’re nurturing them. Instead, it might be the fault of a poor growing bag. Which? Gardening has tested seven growing bags, and the good news is we found three excellent peat-free bags that gave us abundant harvests of cucumbers. In fact, these Best Buy grow bags gave us almost twice as many fruits as the lowest-scoring bags. Discover which are the best grow bags.
The composts that will get your plants growing in 2022 – Which? News
A great compost can help your plants to thrive, but a poor one will leave them struggling to survive. Which? Gardening magazine has tested composts for sowing seeds and growing on seedlings and plug plants to find you ones you can rely on. We found some fantastic compost, but also some that were very poor. Go straight to our compost results to find the Best Buys Make more of your garden – get our free Gardening newsletter for top tips from our experts Buy the best compost Which?
How does Which? test compost - Which?
By clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion. Compost can make or break a gardening job. The best will support the healthy growth of plants, veg and seeds, while the worst will lack nutrients and be so coarse it can stop plant roots from growing.
Compost advice guides
7 articles You can't pick a good compost by choosing the most expensive one. The only way to find the best performer for your seeds, young plants, pots and veg is to read the results of the Which? compost tests Best controlled-release fertilisers By Tom Morgan Our test of controlled-release fertilisers shows you which will keep your plants looking good all summer long. 13 August 2021 Should I buy peat-free compost?
Peat compost set to be banned - which peat-free composts are any good? – Which? News
The government has announced it intends to ban the sale of all peat compost in garden centres by 2024 as part of its England Peat Action Plan. This follows increasing pressure from environmental and climate change campaigners, as well as home gardeners. Which? Gardening magazine has championed the case of peat-free composts for many years. We only use peat-free compost in our own growing trials and we prioritise peat-free composts when choosing which brands to test for our compost trials.
Compost for patio pots of flowers and veg – Which? News
A great compost helps your plants to thrive, but poor ones leave your plants struggling to grow. Which? Gardening magazine tests composts every year to make sure your pots will burst with life all summer long. We tested 25 composts by growing bedding geraniums and potatoes, as many gardeners do up and down the country. Find out which are the best composts for containers.
Best new grow bags for summer veg – Which? News
Which? Gardening has tested the mostly widely-available grow bags so you can give your plants the best growing conditions. Great plants start with great compost, and this is particularly true when growing summer veg, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chilies. We tried 11 grow bags, and grew cucumbers in them. These produce a quick crop, but they are hungry plants.
Which? finds the best composts for young plants – Which? News
Which? Gardening has tried 17 composts for sowing seeds and 15 for raising young plants, such as seedlings and plug plants. We found some gave great germination rates and produced robust seedlings. But even some big-name composts grew weak, unhealthy plants that would struggle to give a good summer display. Check the best composts for sowing seeds and raising young plants. Sustainable Best Buys We have two Best Buy peat-free composts for sowing seeds and two Best Buys that are peat-based.
Why do we need compost best-before dates? – Which? Conversation – Which? Conversation
Using old compost won’t do your garden any favours, but sadly, we’ve found a lot of it for sale on shop shelves. It’s time to introduce best-before dates on compost – and now B&Q’s investigating the idea… We’re very pleased to report that Britain’s biggest retailer of compost, B&Q, is extremely interested in putting best-before dates on compost packaging and help prevent out-of-date stock from hitting the shelves.
How can you spot a bag of dodgy compost? – Which? Conversation
If your car starts to misfire, you might suspect the fuel. But if your seeds won’t germinate or your seedlings fail to grow and thrive, you may blame your lack of green fingers. But what if the fault lies with a bag of dodgy compost? At Which? Gardening every spring we buy over 40 brands of sowing, cutting and multipurpose compost that you’d find in garden centres and DIY stores.
Could the Airthings Wave Mini help improve air quality in your home? – Which? News
Air pollution is something we’re very aware of when we walk down a busy city street next to a queue of cars. But do we need a monitor like the Airthings Wave Mini to tell us about the air quality in our homes? Few of us probably spare a thought for the quality of the air in our homes – I know I never had previously – so when I was asked to put the Airthings Wave Mini through its paces in my home for a month, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Is Lidl’s £80 petrol chainsaw worth buying? – Which? News
Lidl has a range of gardening products in store from Sunday 23 September 2018. Among them is a the Florabest Petrol Chainsaw for the bargain price of just £80. It’s a high-spec machine with a 51.7cc engine and a 45cm-long bar. But is this the perfect chainsaw for cutting wood for your log burner? With the nights drawing in and evening temperatures dropping, you might be thinking of firing up your log burner. But you’ll need an efficient chainsaw to reduce your log pile into handy lengths.
Is Lidl’s 4-in-1 garden multi-tool really a bargain? – Which? News
Lidl’s 4-in-1 multi-tool is back on sale again from 1 July 2018. This petrol machine can be turned into a grass trimmer, long-reach hedge trimmer, brushcutter or pole pruner. It’s priced at just £129. We tried out this machine when it was originally on sale in 2016 and were impressed by the low price. Multi-tools from other bargain brands cost around the same, but you can pay from £250 for just the engine from a premium brand.
Are you unwittingly buying counterfeit goods from Amazon and eBay? – Which? News
One in three Brits may have bought a counterfeit electrical product, many through trusted online retailers, which could give them an electric shock or start a fire, according to Electrical Safety First. The electrical safety charity surveyed 2,000 people and found that 30% have bought electrical products online the turned out to be counterfeit. It also found that 92% of people think online retailers have complete control over third-party sellers, regulating what goods they offer.
Which? finds the best way to keep your pots flowering all summer – Which? News
We all want our bedding plants to flower non-stop all summer, but they can’t do that unless you feed them well. Which? Gardening tested 10 widely available controlled-release plant foods to see which ones gave us great flowers all summer long. Find out which are the best fertilisers for pots. Use the slider to see the difference between a Best Buy controlled-release fertiliser and a Don’t Buy. The plant on the left flowered wonderfully for five months.
Which? tries out the Gtech cordless leaf blower – Which? News
This cordless leaf blower from Gtech is designed with the same style as their lawn mower, strimmer, and hedge trimmer. It has a few great features, such as the ability to alter how hard or softly it can blow, and the large button on the battery to show how much charge is left. Find out what we thought by reading our first look review. In our first look review we tried it out on a pile of dry leaves, and cleared path of twigs and gravel.
Which? Awards 2018: shortlisted brands announced – Which? News
The best brands from a wide range of sectors, including banks, cars, home appliances and utility providers, have today been named on the shortlist for the upcoming 2018 Which? Awards. Now in its 12th year, the Which? Awards celebrate the companies that consistently get it right for UK consumers. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on 23 May, with shortlisted brands competing for awards such as Which? Retailer of the Year and Which? Technology Brand of the Year.
Pot on your plants for more flowers and veg – Which? News
Garden centres and supermarkets are now selling packs of tiny plug plants. They’re a great way of filling your borders and veg patch cheaply without sowing seeds. Plug plants are often only a few centimetres tall and have a delicate root system. As a result, they need a compost that will give them all the nutrients they need to grow, but won’t let the plants get too wet by holding too much water. For the best compost for this job, look at our Best Buy composts for raising young plants.
Which? best compost for patio pots is a bargain – Which? News
A compost from a discount supermarket is the best compost for patio pots for the first time this year in the Which? Gardening trials. The peat-based compost costs just 5p per litre, but beat other composts costing as much as 60p per litre. It also scored well in our tests for sowing seeds and raising young plants, so it’s a great all-round option for half the price of many other composts. Find out which other composts are excellent by looking at our Best Buy composts for containers.
How much is your car really costing you? – Which? News
Cars with the best miles per gallon (mpg) offer the greatest savings on fuel. For example, the difference between the most and least fuel-efficient medium-sized hatchback is more than £800 a year – enough money for a holiday. But Which? tests have found that advertised mpg figures can’t always be trusted. Our fuel economy test is carried out on a rolling road in a lab and simulates wind resistance.
Is Echo’s cordless hedge trimmer as good as a petrol model? – Which? News
Cordless hedge trimmers have come of age, with many professional gardeners opting for cordless over petrol. At Which? we’re seeing more manufacturers bring out powerful cordless models, including the Echo DHC-200 hedge trimmer. This model isn’t just aimed at professional gardeners, but at anyone who has lots of hedges to cut. At £550, it’s the price of a high-end petrol hedge trimmer, but cordless models are often easier to use. We tried it out in the Which?
Can Stihl’s £99 cordless leaf blower clear up your garden this autumn? – Which? News
A new cordless leaf blower costing just £99 is now available from Stihl. The company is best known for its high-end, costly garden machinery for professional gardeners. This leaf blower, alongside a strimmer and a hedge trimmer, also both priced at £99, is aimed squarely at home gardeners. Leaf blowers are invaluable in autumn for shifting fallen leaves from your garden and blowing them into piles, ready to pick up.
Are Stihl’s £99 garden power tools a bargain? – Which? News
Stihl has released a new range of tools for small gardens. The company is best known for its powerful machines for professionals, and we have seen many Stihl Best Buys in the past. But can these budget tools meet our high expections? The range includes a cordless strimmer, hedge trimmer, leaf blower and shrub shearers – all with features that should appeal to those with your average back garden.
Which? tries out new Makita cordless chainsaw – Which? News
Makita has released a cordless chainsaw that uses twin 18V batteries to give extra power. In our trials, we haven’t been impressed by many cordless chainsaws as they often fail to deliver the power needed to cut large logs. So we were intrigued to see if it could cope in our first look review. The DUS353Z uses two 18V Li-ion batteries that sit either side of the body. This should, in theory, give it more power than many cordless chainsaws, but this comes at a considerable cost.
Is the Lidl 4-in-1 garden petrol multi-tool worth £129? – Which? News
Lidl will sell its 4-in-1 multi-tool from 2 July 2017. This petrol machine can be turned into a strimmer, long-reach hedge trimmer, brushcutter or pole pruner. It’s priced at just £129. We tried this machine out when it was originally on sale in 2016 and were impressed by the low price. Multi-tools from other brands can cost for around £250 upwards, but is this one a bargain or are you better off buying another model? Find out in our first look review.
Which? reveals the best new cordless strimmers – Which? News
Which? has reviewed ten new strimmers, including eight cordless models from top brands including Bosch, Black & Decker, Gtech and Stihl. Some were excellent and won us over with their mix of power and precision, while others left us underwhelmed. Cordless strimmers have some fundamental advantages over corded electric and petrol models. There’s no danger of cutting through an electrical cord and you won’t have to drag the cord behind you or find an extension cord to get to the end of the garden.
Which? tries new Aldi cordless gardening tools – Which? News
Aldi is offering a cordless hedge trimmer and a cordless strimmer for £39.99 each this Easter Monday. But are they worth buying? Cordless tools are great for the garden. You don’t have to worry about trailing power cords, finding a safe plug socket or using a circuit breaker. And, of course, there’s no chance of accidentally cutting the cord. But you often pay a hefty premium for cordless garden tools.
Which? reveals the best composts for containers – Which? News
Our tests have uncovered two great peat-free composts for containers, but you’ll have to pay more for them for some other composts. Only Which? carries out independent tests to find the best composts for containers, sowing seeds and raising young plants. Buying the right compost will make the difference between pots overflowing with flowers and ones where the plants struggle to survive.
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