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From the Archives: Allotments

We dig into the GQT archives for an allotment advice special.

Kathy Clugston looks back over 76 years of allotment advice on this special archive edition of GQT.

There has been a steady increase in the number of allotment owners over the years, as well as more and more questions on where to start, what to plant, and how to maintain them. The GQT team have gone for a no dig approach when pulling out questions and answers from our horticultural experts over various episodes. They share their knowledge on how to save an allotment after a flood, what sort of fruit and veg you should grow, and the properties of a successful compost heap.

And later we listen back to when Matthew Wilson and Christine Walkden paid Bob Flowerdew’s exotic polytunnel a visit back in 2018.

Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Hannah Newton

A Somethin' Else production for ±«Óătv Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

Last on

Sun 11 Jun 2023 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 – Given my no-dig approach,ÌęWhere do I start with an allotment riddled with weeds?

(1 minutes 05 seconds)Ìę

Ìę

Q – I’ve just got my first allotment - Where do I start?

(4 minutes 08 seconds)Ìę

Ìę

Pippa –

French beans,

Borlotti beans,

runner beans,

carrots.

James –

Berries

Ìę

Q – What would the panel recommend as the vegetable garden or allotment “big five” to grow?

(08 minutes 44 seconds)

Ìę

Christine –

Sprout

Sweetcorn

Bean (runner)

Ìę

Matthew –

Asparagus

Sweetcorn

Strawberry

Potato (salad)

Globe artichoke

Ìę

Bunny –

Lovage

Parsley, ‘Italian’

Tomato

Bean (runner)

Lettuce, ‘Cut and Come Again’

Q – Which luxury fruit would the panel recommend to grow in a northern allotment?

(10 minutes 08 seconds)

James –

RosemaryÌę

Sage

Salad

Raspberries

Blackcurrants

Gooseberries

Ìę

Ashley –Ìę

Pineapple sage

Wasabi rocket

Ìę

Christine –Ìę

Melon

Q – Why Isn’t my parsley growing?

(13 minutes 40 seconds)

Ìę

Q – How do you successful grow parsley?

(14 minutes 50 seconds)

Ìę

Q – We’ve decided to start again with our allotment compost heaps, but there’s so much conflicting advice on what to do. What are your views?

(16 minutes 23 seconds)

Ìę

Feature – Christine Walkden and Matthew Wilson visit Bob Flowerdew’s Polytunnel

(23 minutes 19 seconds)

Ìę

Q – What should we do with excess acorns that drop into our allotment?

(29 minutes 50 seconds)

Ìę

Q – How can I help my allotment recovering from flooding?

(31 minutes 45 seconds)

Ìę

Q – What do I do with the excess undeveloped potato’s – should I leave them to grow or compost them?

(33 minutes 44 seconds)

Ìę

Q -ÌęI have recently retired and will join my wife down at the allotment. What piece of wisdom can you give me that will make me look like a seasoned plantsman?

(37 mins 45 seconds)

Ìę

Ìę

Broadcasts

  • Fri 9 Jun 2023 15:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4
  • Sun 11 Jun 2023 14:00
    ±«Óătv Radio 4

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