Preston
Kathy Clugston and her panel of gardening experts are in Preston.
Kathy Clugston and her panel of gardening experts are in Preston. Fielding questions this week are Christine Walkden, James Wong and Kirsty Wilson.
This week the panel are at the University of Central Lancashire, where Kathy speaks to Vice Chancellor Graham Baldwin and groundsman Dave Genther about the new roof garden they've planted there, to encourage pollinators and support student wellbeing.
Down in the hall, the panel tell us how best to grow cauliflower and beetroot in the shorter growing season up north. They also give some advice on how to get lots of flax seed on a budget, and explain how to keep auriculas alive over winter.
Away from the questions, Matthew Wilson heads to Kew Gardens and speaks to botanist Carlos Magdalena about the new waterlily they鈥檝e discovered there - Victoria Boliviana.
Producer: Dominc Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Aniya Das
A Somethin' Else production for 大象传媒 Radio 4
Plant List
Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.
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Q 鈥� My Christmas Cacti will not flower until the New Year. Could the team suggest how to treat it in order to make it flower earlier next year? 听
(9 seconds)
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Q 鈥� I was given a small Christmas Cactus cutting 20 years ago. It鈥檚 continued to grow and flower. Should I just leave it or pot it up into a larger pot with new compost?
(2 minutes 54 seconds)
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Q 鈥� I鈥檝e successfully grown some cactus from seed and I now want to pot them on. Can the panel give me any advice? 听
(5 minutes 44 seconds)
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Q 鈥� My Streptocarpus are struggling. What am I doing wrong?听
(8 minutes 23 seconds)
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Q 鈥� Is giving plants a shower a good thing?
(11 minutes 56 seconds)
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Feature 鈥� Peter Gibbs visits RHS Wisley鈥檚 Giant Houseplant Takeover exhibit
(14 minutes, 23 seconds)
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Chamaedorea elegans (Parlour Palm)
Howea
Bromeliad
Nepenthes (Pitcher Plants)
Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Ficus pumila
Sansevieria cylindrica
Dracaena听
Euphorbia ingens
Macrozamia
Vanda Orchid
Staghorn fern
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Q 鈥� I have an orchid and all the aerial roots are untidy. Can they be cut off or trimmed or should I leave them?
(22 minutes 53 seconds)
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Pippa 鈥�
Phalaenopsis (Moth orchid)
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Q 鈥� Would there be any plants in [Kew] that are climbing plants that would be suitable for a very sunny windowsill?
(26 minutes, 3 seconds)
Scott 鈥�
Lapageria (Chillean bellflower)
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Anne 鈥�
Cestrum
African Lime
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James 鈥�
Cissus rotundifolia
Jasminum sambac
Passiflora 鈥楲ady Margaret鈥�
Tetrastigma
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Q 鈥� Do you have any tips to keep a tropical houseplant alive for a period of about two weeks whilst I鈥檓 away?听
(31 minutes, 16 seconds)
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Ficus alii
Calatheas
Alocasia
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Q 鈥� It is okay to plant something in a container without a hole?
(35 minutes, 26 seconds)
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Q 鈥� I have a love of wind up gramophones, but trying to find the steel needles can be difficult. I鈥檝e heard the needles of cacti can be used as substitute. Can I give this a go, and what species would be the most successful?
(39 minutes, 10 seconds)
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Toothpick cactus
Saguaro cactus
Six of GQT鈥檚 naughtiest gardening innuendos
When Gardeners' Question Time got mucky.
Podcast
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Gardeners' Question Time
Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts
