What ails my potted conifer?

I love rescuing other people’s neglected plants and have just taken on a poorly conifer. It is in a small pot and stunted, so how can I make it beautiful again, and keep it in a container? Claire Birchill, Cannock, Staffordshire

- Anne Swithinbank

As a child, most of my plant collection consisted of rescued plants and restoring them to health was really satisfying. Plants in containers generally need more care than those in the ground, starting with an appropriate potting compost, correct positioning, and then regular watering and feeding.

After a few years, they will fill their pots with roots and need potting on to a larger container, or perhaps have their roots pruned and potted back into the same one. Weeding, topdressing with fresh compost, and watching out for pests and diseases are ongoing tasks.

Step by step is the way to go. Begin by removing the plant from its pot. With help, try upending and rapping the rim against a solid wooden fence post. If the pot is too large, lay it on the ground and tap the rim with a thick wooden stick. If rootballs stick in a pot-bellied container, cut around the outside using an old knife. This seems brutal, but is similar to root-pruning and saves breaking the pot.