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GQT at ±«Óătv: Biodiversity Starters and Tips from The Archers

Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.

Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts. Peter Gibbs is in the chair, with Chris Beardshaw, Pippa Greenwood, and Matt Biggs answering questions from a virtual audience across the country.

This week, the panellists get excited about the growing seasons ahead, discussing their top tips for cultivating healthy coriander and gooseberry plants, when to cut back a buddleia to maximise its butterfly potential for the summer, and what "to chit your potatoes" means.

Also, Claire Ratinon goes in search of a lesser known community garden in Southwark, the Crossbones Garden, and Bob Flowerdew shares his advice on growing the juiciest strawberries.

Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Bethany Hocken

A Somethin' Else production for ±«Óătv Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Feb 2022 14:00
±«Óătv Radio 4

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Plant List

Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Ìę

Q – Having just finished an academic module on pests and diseases, I’ve been left wondering, how do we manage to grow anything?

(1 minutes 34 seconds)Ìę

Ìę

Q – How to grow healthy large coriander leaves?

(6 minutes 16 seconds)Ìę

Ìę

Chris Beardshaw –

Coriander ‘Leafy leisure’

Coriander ‘Calypso’

Ìę

Q – Can you help me with my african violet plant? It’s sitting on a west-facing windowsill above a radiator.

(9 minutes 8 seconds)

Ìę

Q – When is the best time to cut back my buddleia in order to maximise its butterfly potential for this summer?

(11 minutes 28 seconds)

Ìę

Chris Beardshaw –

Buddleia, Butterfly bush

Buddleia davidii

Buddleja fallowiana

Buddleja crispa

Buddleia alternifolia

Ìę

Feature – Claire Rattinon visits the Crossbones Garden in Southwark, London to chat to Helen John and Lucy Coleman-Talbot

(14 minutes 42 seconds)

Ìę

Q – The trees of our laburnum arch are becoming hard to maintain as the branches are getting so thick. Is there any way to maintain the arch?

(19 minutes 42 seconds)

Ìę

Chris Beardshaw –

Laburnum ‘Vossii’ (alpinum x anagyroides)

Laburnum ‘Purple plum’

Ìę

Q – Are there any gooseberry varieties that aren’t affected by american mildew, and is there anything I can do to minimise the impact of this fungus?

(24 minutes 25 seconds)

Ìę

Matt Biggs –

Gooseberry ‘Hinnonmaki Red’

Gooseberry ‘Hinnonmaki Yellow’

Gooseberry ‘Hinnonmaki Green’

Gooseberry ‘Invicta’

Ìę

Pippa Greenwood –

Gooseberry ‘Greenfinch’

Gooseberry ‘Remarka’

Ìę

Feature – Bob Flowerdew shares his advice on growing strawberries

(27 minutes 5 seconds)

Ìę

Q – How do I look after my penstemon?

(30 minutes 44 seconds)

Ìę

Chris Beardshaw –

Penstemon ‘Sour Grapes’

Penstemon ‘RČč±č±đČÔ’

Penstemon ‘White Bedder’

Penstemon ‘Purple Bedder’

Ìę

Q – What does “to chit your potatoes” mean, and is this a good idea?

(36 minutes 2 seconds)

Ìę

Matt Biggs –

Potato ‘Nicola’

Potato ‘Charlotte’

Potato ‘Ratte’

Ìę

Broadcasts

  • Fri 25 Feb 2022 15:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4
  • Sun 27 Feb 2022 14:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4

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