Groundwork: Soil, Compost, Mulch and more!

Any tips on how to keep a Venus fly trap alive? How do I successfully grow a cucumber? What unusual fruit or vegetable do the panel think is underrated? Kathy Clugston and a panel of horticultural experts are in the hot seat, as they answer the gardening queries from an audience in Hull. On the panel are head gardener Matthew Pottage, garden designer Bunny Guinness and curator of RHS Bridgewater Marcus Chilton-Jones.Later, Hull-born panellist Matthew Pottage meets with Cllr Henry from Hull City Council, to learn more about their ‘Right to Grow’ initiative which allows people to grow on public land for the first time.Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Kathy Clugston digs through the Gardeners' Question Time archive to root out some information on Soil, Compost, Mulch and more.Our various GQT panellists over the last 77 years have been no stranger to soil and compost related questions, from queries on how to create a workable soil in the garden to questions on the difference between compost and soil conditioner. For the first autumnal archive programme of 2024 we’ve raked through the extensive GQT archive and pulled out some of the best advice on these topics. We also hear from garden designer and lecturer Humaira Ikram, who explains the importance of understanding the PH level of your soil.Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4

How can I control alexander plants? How can I encourage my gage trees to flower? What tips do the panellists have for increasing biodiversity?Kathy Clugston and her team of green-fingered experts are by the Suffolk Coast to share their advice with an audience of garden enthusiasts.On the panel are head gardeners Ashley Edwards and Matthew Pottage, and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood.Meanwhile, Matthew Pottage explores the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. He dons his hard hat to get up close with a particularly dangerous local pine and admires the wollemi pine, a living fossil thought to be extinct for two million years until a small population was discovered in the Blue Mountains of Australia in 1994.Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Senior Producer: Dominic Tyerman Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

What can I use to stop mites from destroying my nine foot Schefflera? Why haven't we seen many bees this year? How do I remove fungus growing on my hawthorn tree?Peter Gibbs and his team of gardening gurus travel to Blenheim Palace in Woodstock for a postbag edition of GQT.While Head Gardener Andy Mills leads Peter and the panel around the historic grounds, they also rake through the GQT inbox to answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, house plants expert Anne Swithinbank and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood.Later in the programme, the panellists receive a surprise question from English fashion and textile designer Dame Zandra Rhodes, who asks what she should do about her dying hydrangeas. Senior Producer: Dan Cocker Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Do grass snakes have any benefit to my garden? How do I stop my autumn raspberries from getting maggots? What I can plant between now and next June that will flower in time for my daughter’s wedding? Kathy Clugston and a panel of experts are in the hot seat as they answer the gardening queries from an audience in Southwold. On the panel are head gardeners Ashley Edwards and Matthew Pottage, and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood.Later, Matthew Pottage sneaks away to Wootens of Wenhaston Plantsman Nursery in Darsham, where he meets co-owner Jill Stafford to discuss Pelargoniums and how there's a variety for everyone.Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

How do I get red cedar root balls to spread? What gardening task do the panel find daunting? What are the panel’s thoughts about composting organic materials?Kathy Clugston and her team of horticultural experts travel to the University of Exeter for a postbag edition of GQT. While Curator of Horticulture Anthony Cockell leads Kathy and the panel around the grounds, they also dig through the GQT inbox to answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are garden designer Chris Beardshaw, grow your own guru Bob Flowerdew, and proud plantswoman Christine Walkden.Later in the programme, the panellists discuss the University of Exeter's national collection of Azaras, share tips on how they can add structure to the garden and provide a sensory experience.Senior Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

My Fatsia plants had their stems nibbled by deer – will they recover, or should I buy new ones? Any tips on how I can get my eucalyptus plants to produce juvenile flowers? If you were building a scarecrow in your garden, what would you suggest dressing it in? Kathy Clugston and a panel of experts are in Cheshire West to answer queries from an audience of keen gardeners. On the panel are garden designer Bunny Guinness, houseplant expert Anne Swithinbank, and curator of RHS Bridgewater Marcus Chilton-Jones.Later, James Wong and head gardener of the Castlefield Viaduct Nancy Scheerhout discuss how the 'garden in the sky' was created, as well as how it's maintained.Producer: Bethany Hocken Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Will my blind daffodils ever flower again, or should I just discard them? Can I use old yule logs to line my plant beds or will the harvested fruit and veg become poisonous? How can I repel spiders from my garden without using chemicals? Peter Gibbs is joined by his enthusiastic team of horticultural experts as they dig through the GQT inbox and answer your gardening conundrums. On the panel this week are landscape architect Bunny Guinness, self proclaimed botanical geek James Wong and pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood. They visit the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, where head of horticulture Errol Reuben Fernandes gives the team a tour of their historical and extensive gardens.Later, Peter and the panel discuss whether there are house plants that can produce enough oxygen to purify air or if this is just a myth.Senior Producer: Dan Cocker
 Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Kathy Clugston navigates the murky waters of the GQT archives in search of some Pond and Bog related advice throughout the years.Water is the giver of plant life and nourisher of wildlife, but how do we ensure that we’re using it correctly? The GQT team have sorted through the archives in search for some questions and answers from the past.The programme's horticultural experts share their knowledge on what to do if your pond liner breaks, how to remove bird poo from the surface of your pond, and what sort of plants you could plant in bogs and ponds to increase biodiversity? We also listen back to when pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood visited the Exbury Gardens dragonfly pond to learn more about these little creatures. Producer: Dan Cocker
 Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
 Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Could the panel share some gardening tips for wheelchair users? How do I start growing mulukhiyah in my garden? Which hedges could I grow that are resistant to ermine moths and offer privacy? Peter Gibbs is joined by his eager team of horticultural experts as they dig through the GQT inbox and answer your gardening queries. On the panel this week are landscape architect Bunny Guinness, head gardener of Horatio’s Garden Ashley Edwards and curator of RHS Wisley Matthew Pottage. This week they visit Ham House and Garden in Richmond where head gardener John Myers gives them a tour of their unique horticultural treasure trove. Later, Peter and the panel discuss the fundamentals of a kitchen garden and give tips on non-typical fruit and vegetables you could grow in your garden.Senior Producer: Dominic Tyerman Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod Executive Producer: Carly MaileA Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4