Gardeners' Question Time BBC Radio 4

Kathy Clugston dives into the GQT archives for advice on how to deal with pests and diseases.

Past panels share their knowledge on everything from how to get rid of slugs, snails and sciarid flies to whether you should keep your dog from cocking its leg on a privet hedge. In classic GQT style, there's plenty of disagreement about what a pest is or isn’t.

And almost 40 years ago, John Humphrys asked if the panel could imagine a move away from using chemicals in gardening. The prophecy that organic gardening would become favourable was, in fact, very accurate.

Also on the programme, in honour of National Plant Health week in May 2022, Pippa Greenwood visited the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to see their 'Quarantine Unit'.

Producer: Dominic Tyerman
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

How can I get rid of slugs without using pesticides? Will rhododendrons grow on chalky soil? Should we remove dead trees or leave them for wildlife?

Joining Peter Gibbs to answer these questions and more in front of a live audience in Tring are pest and disease expert Pippa Greenwood, plantsman Matt Biggs, and garden designer Juliet Sargeant.

Also on the programme, Pippa Greenwood visits her old lab at the RHS Wisley Plant Science Laboratory which will shortly open its doors to the public to showcase past and present research.

Producer: Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer: Rahnee Prescod
Executive Producer: Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Can you keep geraniums through the winter without a greenhouse? What berries grow best in the shade? And can an aspidistra survive outside?

Joining Kathy Clugston to answer these questions in front of a live audience in the Norfolk Fens are horticulturist Christine Walkden, garden designer Bunny Guinness and passionate plantsman Matt Biggs.

Also on the programme, producer Dan Cocker visits Professor Monique Simmonds at Kew's Jodrell lab to find out why plants smell.


Producer - Daniel Cocker
Assistant Producer - Bethany Hocken
Executive Producer - Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

What's the best way to grow great swedes? What are green manure crops? And have you ever returned a dead plant to the shop you bought it from?

Joining Kathy Clugston to answer these questions in front of a live audience in the Norfolk Broads are horticulturalist Anne Swithinbank, garden designer Matthew Wilson and 'grow your own' expert Bob Flowerdew.

Also on the programme, Pippa Greenwood and Matthew Pottage head to RHS Garden Wisley to check out a new feature that both looks nice and harvests rainwater in times where many gardeners are worried about drought.

Producer: Bethany Hocken
Assistant Producer: Aniya Das
Executive Producer: Louisa Field

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Peter Gibbs takes a look through the GQT archives for top tips on sustainable gardening.

Over the years the GQT panellists have shared plenty of knowledge on how to be a green gardener. They look at everything from how to make your driveway more environmentally friendly, to efficiently collecting rainwater at home.

We also hear Hafsah Haferji's "how-to" on companion planting, and head back to RHS Wisley with Matthew Pottage and Environmental Researcher Tijana Blanusa to learn how trees help us with carbon capture.

Producer - Hannah Newton
Assistant Producer - Bethany Hocken

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4

Peter Gibbs and the team are at Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex. Juliet Sargeant, Matt Biggs and Matthew Pottage are this weeks' panellists, ready to answer your gardening questions.

Led by Herstmonceux's head gardener Guy Lucas, the team explores the castle grounds and learns about the sustainable gardening practices adopted in recent years.

The panellists also tackle questions from listeners, including suggestions for what to plant around a thatched cottage, and when to prune plants that are still in flower in the winter.

Producer - Jemima Rathbone
Assistant Producer - Aniya Das

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4