0:00:12 > 0:00:15Hello and welcome to the Beechgrove quorum...
0:00:15 > 0:00:18or maybe it should be forum cos there's four of us!
0:00:18 > 0:00:21It's all about questions today, is it not?
0:00:21 > 0:00:22It is, very much so.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26We take it as a huge compliment when people refer to the Beechgrove
0:00:26 > 0:00:29as the Gardeners' Question Time on television.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32And, well, this week we're actually embarking on
0:00:32 > 0:00:34a mammoth Q&A session because
0:00:34 > 0:00:38we're going to be joined by the real Gardeners' Question Time team.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40And so we're going to join forces
0:00:40 > 0:00:43and answer as many questions as we can,
0:00:43 > 0:00:45both on radio and television.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49But of course we've got a member of the Gardeners' Question team
0:00:49 > 0:00:52here in our midst, our very own Mr B!
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Now, don't you go asking me awkward questions.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57I know what you're like!
0:00:57 > 0:00:59And as well as hosting the GQT panel
0:00:59 > 0:01:01we also have invited guests, too.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05There's my new build families and Jim's Aden allotmenteers.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07And as well as that we're going to dip into the post bag,
0:01:07 > 0:01:09answer some of the viewers' queries
0:01:09 > 0:01:13and finally we're ending up on the Gardeners' Question Time panel
0:01:13 > 0:01:17and, again, hopefully answering all those questions!
0:01:17 > 0:01:18It was ever thus.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21- But the first question, Jim, I think goes to you.- Yes.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23- How are your tomatoes? - They're doing fine.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24It's time I was there!
0:01:27 > 0:01:30And the first question relating to tomatoes
0:01:30 > 0:01:32is when do you start feeding them?
0:01:32 > 0:01:33Well, I can tell you - right now.
0:01:33 > 0:01:37Because these plants have now been in for five weeks.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39They're running out of steam.
0:01:39 > 0:01:40Their heads are getting a bit thin
0:01:40 > 0:01:44and some of you who saw the start of this whole story
0:01:44 > 0:01:47will know that we're going to test two different types of tomato feed.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50One is a commercial high potash,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53the other is our very own comfrey liquor.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55So one half will be done with one, then the other
0:01:55 > 0:01:59and we'll compare the results a bit later on in the season.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Now then, sweet peppers and how to train them.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Now, the question is, how do you train these things?
0:02:06 > 0:02:08Because they're a peculiar shape.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11They grow like a triangle on its point.
0:02:11 > 0:02:13That being the point, there.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Every time it produces a flower, it produces two shoots.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20So these produce two and these produce two
0:02:20 > 0:02:22and so you get something that's top-heavy.
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It's a bit of a problem.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27So what you do is you remove that shoot, there.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31And you're going to have one fruit on that joint.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Now, see what happens when you come to the next one.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35There's the flower.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37One shoot, two shoot.
0:02:37 > 0:02:39You remove one of the shoots...
0:02:39 > 0:02:41and they break out quite nicely.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42And you grow it, as it were,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44at a single cordon all the way up the string
0:02:44 > 0:02:48with a fruit at each leaf joint. And that's plenty for most people.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54Well, Gardeners' Question Time, they're on their way.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56But before they arrive, we thought we'd invite some people
0:02:56 > 0:02:59that have been involved with Beechgrove this year
0:02:59 > 0:03:01to have a look round the garden
0:03:01 > 0:03:03and of course also ask us some questions.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Now, we're going to start off with Anna, who is one of the new builds.
0:03:06 > 0:03:10And you might remember that Chris has been helping Anna and Andrew
0:03:10 > 0:03:12to create a productive garden.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15And you know, I think we might find them in the veggie plot.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24In a way, this is how you expect your veggies to be growing -
0:03:24 > 0:03:27on a much more extensive scale in the traditional rows.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29You know, very allotment-like in a series of beds
0:03:29 > 0:03:32- and you're rotating around.- Yeah. - Your style is slightly different.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- It's much more ornamental, more garden-style.- It is.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And it's got a kind of nice... Yeah, it works both ways.
0:03:37 > 0:03:40We've got the nice plant side that we're going to get some veggies,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43- but it still looks really good. Filling the garden well!- Yeah.
0:03:43 > 0:03:44What's interesting is...
0:03:44 > 0:03:47How does your crop compare - with something like the cabbages,
0:03:47 > 0:03:51- for instance?- Well, I've got some that are bigger than that!
0:03:51 > 0:03:52OK, well, let's move on!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00So this is on a completely different scale.
0:04:00 > 0:04:04- All about getting the most crop from the smallest space.- OK.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05Yeah, this is really good.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07This idea would work really well in our garden,
0:04:07 > 0:04:09the idea of a raised, contained garden
0:04:09 > 0:04:11that we can just keep eating.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Really it's all about selecting the right depth of pot
0:04:13 > 0:04:15for the type of plant you're trying to grow.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17So for instance with a table, like this,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20we've got baby beet on the edges
0:04:20 > 0:04:21and then spinach running down the middle.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24And the reason for that is that the shallowest soil is here.
0:04:24 > 0:04:25If you look at the bottom,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27you can see there's a sloping base to it
0:04:27 > 0:04:29so the spinach is in the deeper rooting zone
0:04:29 > 0:04:30and the baby beet,
0:04:30 > 0:04:33where you're just harvesting the leaves when they're very young,
0:04:33 > 0:04:34is on the edges.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- And another good example is the carrots.- Yeah, I love those.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39You don't need a huge amount of space for carrots,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42especially the round forms, the dwarfing forms.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- Pack them into a container like that but look at the depth of it.- OK.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- Yeah.- Nearly a foot deep so they can run those roots down
0:04:48 > 0:04:50and then you're sure of getting not just good roots
0:04:50 > 0:04:53but also, once you thin out, you've got the foliage as well
0:04:53 > 0:04:54to throw in the salad.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Meanwhile, Jim is with Jack from the new Aden allotmenteers group
0:04:59 > 0:05:02that Jim has been visiting on a regular basis this year.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07Well, Jack, you never had any difficulty getting here, did you?
0:05:07 > 0:05:13- No, I used to work here in 1978/79. - It's changed a bit.- It sure has!
0:05:13 > 0:05:15This used to be one slope all the way up.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- Trees up in here, cold frames down the bottom.- Aye.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21With semi-hardwood cuttings over the winter time.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23- Well, we've been busy since you left!- You sure have!
0:05:23 > 0:05:25It's been a big change since I seen it.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Well, Jack, I've brought you round to what we call Compost City.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34And you see the compost of all stages
0:05:34 > 0:05:36because one of the great features at Aden Country Park...
0:05:36 > 0:05:40when you set up these allotments, every one of them has a compost bin.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- That's correct, yeah. - And they're using them.
0:05:42 > 0:05:44They're using them. The idea is to put all their compost in here
0:05:44 > 0:05:46- and dig it back in at the end of the year.- Yeah,
0:05:46 > 0:05:49well, we like this style because it's easy to open up
0:05:49 > 0:05:52and turn it, and fork it into another one. It's a great system.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- But you've also come up with a problem.- Yes, pig manure.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57- I've got a wee bag of it here. - Oh, right!
0:05:57 > 0:06:00We got this from a local pig farmer
0:06:00 > 0:06:01and some of the allotments
0:06:01 > 0:06:03have been digging it straight into the ground
0:06:03 > 0:06:05to grow their vegetables this year on it.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07And we've actually banned it
0:06:07 > 0:06:09because there's a bit of a health issue, we think, with it.
0:06:09 > 0:06:12I would have thought that's entirely possible if you're using it,
0:06:12 > 0:06:14as it were, fresh on the place.
0:06:14 > 0:06:17Always, in my estimation and in my experience,
0:06:17 > 0:06:20you're offered pig manure, you compost it with something else
0:06:20 > 0:06:23- and you leave the compost making for maybe six months...- Aye.
0:06:23 > 0:06:25- ..and then you bury it. - And then bury it, dig it in.
0:06:25 > 0:06:29- You wouldn't put it on the surface - use it as mulch or anything.- No.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And back to Chris again with Susan and Brian from the new-builds.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36And, in their case,
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Chris has been helping them create a new ornamental garden.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44One of the great things about looking at other people's gardens
0:06:44 > 0:06:47is just to look at the different ways in which they solve problems.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49This is a seaside garden
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and it has much more generous borders than the borders that you have.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55And so we apply a slightly different planting technique.
0:06:55 > 0:06:58So in your garden we're using individual plants
0:06:58 > 0:07:01and knitting a tapestry together with quite fine threads.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04Whereas here it's big, broad brush approach
0:07:04 > 0:07:07with things like the Artemisia there, with the silvery leaf,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09with others swathing through
0:07:09 > 0:07:11and the Stachys coming through here.
0:07:11 > 0:07:13This is great when you've got a bigger space
0:07:13 > 0:07:16or where you want a low-maintenance solution.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19So for instance, outside of the confines of the garden,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21street-side planting.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25If you think about seaside plants - very poor soil is what they enjoy.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28Lots of sunshine and free-draining soil.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31And all these plants will do well... and very low-maintenance.
0:07:31 > 0:07:33Just cut them down at the end of the year
0:07:33 > 0:07:34and they look after themselves.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38- And what kind of colour is this - yellow or white, these ones?- Mauve.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- That's a surprise for me!- It'll suit the gable end of the house!
0:07:41 > 0:07:42I didn't think it would be that.
0:07:42 > 0:07:44And this is a slightly different style
0:07:44 > 0:07:46but don't worry about where you tread here.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49This is thyme as a basic bed running through,
0:07:49 > 0:07:52not only on the horizontal but also as a waterfall -
0:07:52 > 0:07:54a horticultural waterfall just dripping over the rock work.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Different way of covering space in a low serviced area
0:07:59 > 0:08:01but it gives you that floral reward.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03Do the flowers need a lot of soil to bed into?
0:08:03 > 0:08:05It just looks like they're growing on the rocks.
0:08:05 > 0:08:07No, these are plants which are used to
0:08:07 > 0:08:11growing in just a centimetre or so of earth on top of rock
0:08:11 > 0:08:12and they'll thrive.
0:08:12 > 0:08:14No, it's a wonderful way of just employing
0:08:14 > 0:08:16a slightly different style of planting.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18They even attract the bees and we like the bees.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21- That's one of the joys. - There's lots of them. Lovely!
0:08:22 > 0:08:25Meanwhile, George is with Willy from Aden Allotments,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28in about the rhubarb.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Well, Willy, our rhubarb looks reasonable,
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- but there's a story about this.- Yeah.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35This is a sample from my allotment, and pretty much the same
0:08:35 > 0:08:38story across everyone else that's trying to grow rhubarb as well.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39We've got these holes,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42- and it's really been holding back the growth, we've noticed.- OK.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45If you turn it over - cos these holes are made by an insect -
0:08:45 > 0:08:48- there are the eggs.- Oh, right, yeah. I've seen them.- The orange eggs.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50- And if you look back here, look at that.- Oh, yeah!- Right?
0:08:50 > 0:08:52- So we've got little nymphal stages there.- Uh-huh.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55And I reckon that that's the nymphal stage of, possibly, a flea beetle,
0:08:55 > 0:08:59- and that eats holes in the leaves and, as you say, holds it back.- Yeah.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Eventually, the plant will grow out of it.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03- Not a serious problem.- Excellent.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Well, more question and answers,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and we're going to be dipping into the postbag, Facebook and Twitter.
0:09:11 > 0:09:12So, George, what have we got first?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Well, the first question is from Sheena Swanston,
0:09:14 > 0:09:18who is from the Isle of Islay, and she thinks she's got a problem
0:09:18 > 0:09:20because her cherry tree is laden with cherries,
0:09:20 > 0:09:21so I think to keep the birds off,
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- a good piece of netting over the top of it.- Absolutely.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26But also, she has a problem with her apple,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28and she's complaining about blackness on the leaves.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31Now, I think that's scab coming in already.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33You now, humid conditions, warm weather -
0:09:33 > 0:09:35- so the best way, really, is spraying...- Sure.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38..but use it as a preventative rather than a cure, I think.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41- That's it.- Then we move on to one - now, Joe Blackwell,
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and I definitely think this is one for you,
0:09:43 > 0:09:45- cos you've got the same problem. - This is it. Look at that.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47There's the mycelium of the problem.
0:09:47 > 0:09:51- There is...a slightly out of focus one, but this one...- That's good.
0:09:51 > 0:09:56That is good. That is garlic, and that garlic has got white rot.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58- And you have that in your allotment. - I have it.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00- So, what to do?- Well, cry a lot.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03But the other thing is, I've tried taking out a trench
0:10:03 > 0:10:05and putting fresh compost in and growing it -
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- and that hasn't made a difference. - Not a lot.- But, rotation.
0:10:07 > 0:10:10Because this will persist in the soil for up to five years.
0:10:10 > 0:10:12- Or even a raised bed, maybe. - Yes, well, that would do.
0:10:12 > 0:10:15OK, I like this question from Caroline Renner, here.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18"Can you grow tomatoes and cucumbers in the same greenhouse?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20"I'm getting a mixed response."
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- I'd say yes. - I would say yes as well.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25If you've got just one small greenhouse, that's not a problem.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29I know they need slightly different growing conditions, but have a go.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32That's right. Maybe put the cucumber in a corner, where you isolate it.
0:10:32 > 0:10:35This is a flower which was sent in, and you know, it's interesting
0:10:35 > 0:10:38when we get sent flowers - we can say, "Oh, yes, that's such and such."
0:10:38 > 0:10:40- That's an iris.- It's an iris. But which one?- I know.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44This is Iris xiphium, which is the Spanish or the Dutch iris.
0:10:44 > 0:10:47- It's the one we see in the florist shops.- But we had to look it up.
0:10:47 > 0:10:49- We had to look it up. - We have to admit it!- Yeah.
0:10:49 > 0:10:51And then the last one here is this funny thing
0:10:51 > 0:10:53that I actually dug up in my garden.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57- What's this?- And it's a stinkhorn fungi. Very, very strange.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00- This is just the fruiting body just starting.- That's right.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03And there's no smell at the moment.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Because when this grows it come out and it's like a great big horn,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09I mean, the Latin name is Phallus impudicus, and that's what it is!
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- And it absolutely honks! - It's horrible!
0:11:11 > 0:11:14- It's terrible. - So, if you have it, dig it out.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- I mean, it normally grows on rotten wood.- Yeah.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20It's essential in nature to rot timber that's lying in the forest.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Evidently you can eat that. I wouldn't like to.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23Not today!
0:11:26 > 0:11:30And yet more questions and answers about Gardeners' Question Time
0:11:30 > 0:11:34and Beechgrove as the team arrive and take a tour round the garden.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36I want to turn the tables on you,
0:11:36 > 0:11:39because you've asked us lots of questions about the history
0:11:39 > 0:11:40of Beechgrove Garden.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I'd like to know a little bit, you know -
0:11:42 > 0:11:45how long have you been involved in Gardeners' Question Time?
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Well, you see, Beechgrove is a babe in arms.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49- THEY LAUGH - Yes, it probably is!
0:11:49 > 0:11:53- I mean, it's only been going since 1978, as opposed to 1947.- Wow!
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- But you didn't start on it then. - No, it's as old as me.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58- OK!- But I haven't been doing it from the beginning.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02No, I've done 20 years before the mast, as chairman.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05- I think I'm the seventh or eighth chairman.- Wow.
0:12:05 > 0:12:07But the amazing thing about this programme
0:12:07 > 0:12:11is that it started off as a six-week experiment -
0:12:11 > 0:12:13a young BBC producer called Bob Stead.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17And his bosses were a bit taken aback by this idea,
0:12:17 > 0:12:20- because at a time when radio was scripted...- Yes.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23..what he was proposing was that he let ordinary bog-standard gardeners
0:12:23 > 0:12:25loose on a microphone with no script.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I mean... What could they say?
0:12:27 > 0:12:30I know, well, that's another interesting question,
0:12:30 > 0:12:32because the panel, they don't know what the questions are, do they?
0:12:32 > 0:12:35- No, no.- You choose them. - They always used to.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I mean, for the first 30 years of the programme's life,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41they needed three weeks' notice and a course of pills, you know?
0:12:41 > 0:12:45But we insisted on stopping that, because it just allows them
0:12:45 > 0:12:49- to be more spontaneous.- You put us on the spot, that's the trouble.
0:12:49 > 0:12:52- Absolutely! Absolutely. - But then that's quite nice as well.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54Because as I think Jim would say, every day is a school day,
0:12:54 > 0:12:57and we don't necessarily always know the answers,
0:12:57 > 0:12:59but perhaps the audience like that.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01It just - you're allowed to say, "I don't know."
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Yeah, you are, aren't you?
0:13:03 > 0:13:04It's absolutely brilliant,
0:13:04 > 0:13:06I mean, it's obviously been going for a long, long time,
0:13:06 > 0:13:08- and long may it continue. - Let's hope so.
0:13:09 > 0:13:13And that's us off to get ready for the Q&A session this evening.
0:13:13 > 0:13:16And you can see that a bit later in the programme.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Never let it be said that gardening isn't competitive.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26In the world of creating melons,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30well, we've not had much success in 30-odd years of Beechgrove.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32So I thought I'd give it a go in a hotbed.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36This is a bed made of straw, newspaper, urine, dung,
0:13:36 > 0:13:40and just about anything else that's going to create heat and rot down,
0:13:40 > 0:13:43covered in a polythene sheet and nice and moist.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46Dark polythene to absorb the sun's rays.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49The temperature in here when it's all closed down -
0:13:49 > 0:13:5157 degrees.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The soil temperature is stable at 27 degrees.
0:13:55 > 0:13:57If we can't grow melons in those conditions,
0:13:57 > 0:13:59we may as well all just give up.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01But we're not finished yet,
0:14:01 > 0:14:07because selection of the particular variety is important.
0:14:07 > 0:14:08In a confined space like this,
0:14:08 > 0:14:11you want something which is really quite compact,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13and is going to deliver a real punch.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18So two varieties which are well worth exploring, both from the '60s,
0:14:18 > 0:14:23bred in America specifically for northern climes and small gardens.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26This one's Minnesota Midget.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29It produces a cantaloupe-like melon.
0:14:29 > 0:14:34Not huge, but still, it's a melon.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36And just be careful when you transplant -
0:14:36 > 0:14:37they don't like root disturbance,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41they certainly don't like being squeezed around the collar.
0:14:41 > 0:14:43So leaving a watering gap, and then...
0:14:45 > 0:14:48..just an added little bit of espionage -
0:14:48 > 0:14:50the black polythene around is absorbing the heat
0:14:50 > 0:14:52and pumping that down into the soil,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56but the white collar that then slips over the top
0:14:56 > 0:15:03reflects the sun's rays back up onto the underside of the leaf,
0:15:03 > 0:15:05so it gets not only the first hit of sunshine
0:15:05 > 0:15:07as the rays travel through the leaf,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10but then a second hit as it bounces back through.
0:15:10 > 0:15:12So, Minnesota Midget is one,
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and the other one that's well worth trying
0:15:14 > 0:15:16is a plant called Sweet Granite.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19It's slightly larger, takes a bit more space,
0:15:19 > 0:15:20but is equally promising.
0:15:23 > 0:15:28Well, from the frantic to a slightly cooler approach.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30And I'm going to take a tip from my dear old dad,
0:15:30 > 0:15:33who was gardener many, many moons ago.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35When his cold frames were emptied of bedding plants,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38what was he going to do with them for the rest of the summer?
0:15:38 > 0:15:40Grow melons.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45So, first of all, he dug a huge hole, put in a pot, bottomless pot.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47We're using landscape fabric.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50Fill the bottom half with good old well-rotted manure -
0:15:50 > 0:15:54and it really is well-rotted, it's breaking up beautifully.
0:15:54 > 0:15:58Bottom half. And then in goes the compost.
0:15:58 > 0:15:59Top it up.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02And we've got three varieties of melon.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05Going in this one is the Minnesota Midget.
0:16:05 > 0:16:07HE CHUCKLES
0:16:07 > 0:16:10I imagine they'll be about the size of oranges or something like that.
0:16:10 > 0:16:12And here we have the plant ready to go.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Then we've got Sweet Granite, little bit bigger.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And at the far end there's one called Five Desserts -
0:16:17 > 0:16:20in other words, one melon to five people, I suppose.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23But there we go. Nice root system.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27They do need to be cosseted, so the frames will be closed up.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Ventilated daily.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31Nice, humid atmosphere,
0:16:31 > 0:16:35but much steadier growth.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Absolutely super.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41Well, Carol, it hardly seems like five weeks ago that we were
0:16:41 > 0:16:43pulling out the spring bedding.
0:16:43 > 0:16:45- We're starting all over again, aren't we?- Yeah.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49So we've got a range flowers here that will flower in the springtime,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52so things like the pansy, violas -
0:16:52 > 0:16:54I mean, there's some beautiful ones there.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Myosotis, wallflower, Bellis.
0:16:56 > 0:16:59These can all be sown directly outside, just in rows.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Now, if you sow them in a row, you remember that that's them,
0:17:02 > 0:17:03and you don't hoe them out.
0:17:03 > 0:17:04I've got foxgloves here.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I could sow them in a row outside, or just scatter them
0:17:06 > 0:17:09where I wanted them to flower next summer,
0:17:09 > 0:17:10because these are summer flowerers.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14But I'm going to take the chance of sowing them into cells.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17- I made a little indentation on top. - They're very fine, aren't they?
0:17:17 > 0:17:19Don't do it on a windy day.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22- You know? There they are, in there. - And in cells because...?
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Well, because then I can transplant them into pots,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28I can grow them on as bigger plants. But I'm going to cover this.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30- I've got my make-up brush. - I thought that for me!- No!
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Isn't it amazing what us gentlemen use?
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Now, I may be a little bit luckier here with the Sweet William,
0:17:35 > 0:17:36cos it's slightly bigger seed,
0:17:36 > 0:17:39and, again, this flowers in the summer time.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42And I'm just sprinkling them on.
0:17:42 > 0:17:44You know, be careful, don't put too many seeds in the pot.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47If you've got lots of seeds, put it in another pot.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49And then you'll just sprinkle compost on the top,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51give it a good soaking of water,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54and we should have a great display next year.
0:17:54 > 0:17:55But you need to hurry up.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56We're off to Banchory now,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00for a Beechgrove meets Gardeners' Question Time special.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Mobile phones... Do you have your mobile phone on?
0:18:09 > 0:18:13If your mobile phone goes off, we do have to punish you.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15LAUGHTER
0:18:15 > 0:18:17This is Woodend Barn near Banchory,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20and it's the venue for tonight's Gardeners' Question Time,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22the Q&A session.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27Now, Jim, Chris and myself are going to be joining Matthew Wilson
0:18:27 > 0:18:31on the panel, and, as ever, it's going to be chaired by Eric Robson.
0:18:31 > 0:18:32So, fingers crossed,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34we're going to be able to answer all the questions.
0:18:37 > 0:18:38Your Gardeners' Question Time panel.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
0:18:44 > 0:18:46This week we've headed to Aberdeen
0:18:46 > 0:18:47to meet up with our colleagues
0:18:47 > 0:18:49on Scotland's longest-running and most popular
0:18:49 > 0:18:51television gardening programme.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Who's got our first question, please?
0:18:53 > 0:18:55Good afternoon, panel.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57My name is Michael Williamson.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01How does one get rid of voles in one's vegetable patch?
0:19:01 > 0:19:05Michael, is it the fact the voles - are they eating the seeds?
0:19:05 > 0:19:09Yeah - well, it's much more that they go inside the bulbs
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- and eat the soft juicy bits in the centre of the bulbs.- Yes.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14OK, well, the one thing that I would suggest is
0:19:14 > 0:19:17if you can get some gorse. That's quite good.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20- So, when you're planting things, you know, whether it's...- Ah!
0:19:20 > 0:19:23- Is that a good one?- I like it.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24- Good! - LAUGHTER
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Need I say any more? It's prickly, they don't like it.
0:19:27 > 0:19:31Which, actually, brings me onto another way of doing it,
0:19:31 > 0:19:34which is - and my father found this,
0:19:34 > 0:19:38my family have a great tradition of finding treatments for rodents,
0:19:38 > 0:19:46and my father raided my mother's perfume cabinet,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- and used to use Chanel No 5. - Thank the Lord for that!
0:19:48 > 0:19:49LAUGHTER
0:19:49 > 0:19:52Er, and tip that down the hole, and that works too.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55- Right. Thank you, panel. - Great stuff.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Lady, next.
0:19:56 > 0:19:58Good afternoon.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00Freda Emry, from Westhill Gardening Club.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06I made the basic mistake of planting these Antirrhinum seed
0:20:06 > 0:20:08without my glasses.
0:20:08 > 0:20:09I now have a thicket.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Can I winkle out some seedlings,
0:20:12 > 0:20:16or should the whole lot go on the compost heap?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18May I give those to you, Mr Beardshaw?
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- You say you did this without your spectacles...- I did.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23Did you also do it after dark?
0:20:23 > 0:20:26LAUGHTER
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I'll just hold this up for the benefit of everyone else.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32LAUGHTER
0:20:32 > 0:20:35Less a seed tray, more a square of turf.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39The problem is going to be extracting them
0:20:39 > 0:20:41without ripping the whole thing to pieces,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and I think the way of doing it
0:20:43 > 0:20:46is to soak the whole thing in a bowl of water
0:20:46 > 0:20:49and leave it there for an hour or so.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53And you'll find it's then very easy to gently pick out
0:20:53 > 0:20:55an individual leaf, give it a bit of a tease -
0:20:55 > 0:21:00you might even want to use a pencil or a skewer to just tickle the roots,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03and you'll be able to extract, you know, a reasonable amount.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05To be honest, you're going to be there forever
0:21:05 > 0:21:08if you try and plant them all.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12But certainly you'll get, you know, several thousand out.
0:21:12 > 0:21:13LAUGHTER
0:21:13 > 0:21:16You can throw the rest away, I think it's safe to say.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20But, yes, I mean, just a little bit of patience with it, really.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23I may say, they are for a very special occasion.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25My son wants to have some of his wedding photos
0:21:25 > 0:21:29taken in the garden, and these ones will match the bridesmaids' frocks.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- OK.- So I really do need one or two to survive.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34- And when is the wedding?- August.
0:21:34 > 0:21:35Right. OK.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37Pushing it, yes. Uh-huh.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40Um, if you talk to us afterwards, we'll give you the name
0:21:40 > 0:21:42of a very good bedding plant grower down the road.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43LAUGHTER
0:21:43 > 0:21:44Um...
0:21:44 > 0:21:49I'd like to congratulate you for the germination rate.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52Normally at occasions like this,
0:21:52 > 0:21:56we have to deal with non-germination or very poor germination,
0:21:56 > 0:22:01because sometimes home gardeners with a little greenhouse at the back
0:22:01 > 0:22:03maybe just don't have the best of facilities
0:22:03 > 0:22:05to germinate things like Antirrhinums.
0:22:05 > 0:22:12Or they all damp off. But this is as you say, like a box of cress.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15And I hope you get them to flower for August,
0:22:15 > 0:22:19but I was thinking of August 2015.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22Freda, it's great that you've actually put on the label
0:22:22 > 0:22:25the date that you've sown them - so it was the 25th of April.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28- Mm-hm.- So, if you're going to grow Antirrhinums again,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32and you really want them to flower quite early, you know, July, August,
0:22:32 > 0:22:38really you need to sow them towards the end of February or into March.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41- She might not have a wedding in 2015, so...- But, you know,
0:22:41 > 0:22:42for anyone who wants to grow them
0:22:42 > 0:22:45and get the flowers, you have got to sow them a little bit earlier.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47And just a little tip for people,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50cos I know there's always this temptation
0:22:50 > 0:22:53when you have a seed packet and you want to sow them all,
0:22:53 > 0:22:55well, if you do, and they're very tiny seeds,
0:22:55 > 0:22:59add a little bit of sand, and it spreads them out a bit more,
0:22:59 > 0:23:03and you'll end up with not just one tray, one ice cream tray,
0:23:03 > 0:23:05but about six.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07I'll do my best.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09Thank you very much for your question.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Yes, gentleman here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13Yes, good afternoon. Jock Grant, from Ellon.
0:23:13 > 0:23:16What's the panel's view when it comes to planting trees?
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Square holes or round holes?
0:23:18 > 0:23:19LAUGHTER
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Carole Baxter.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23Well, I know Chris was talking about squares,
0:23:23 > 0:23:25but I'm quite happy to go for round.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28Just make sure it's big enough to start off with.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30- I think that's really important. - Yep.
0:23:30 > 0:23:31The round holes are great,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34as long as they're sort of angular round holes.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35LAUGHTER
0:23:35 > 0:23:38I like angular round holes.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41The reason - the thought process behind the angular approach,
0:23:41 > 0:23:46creating a square and steep-sided hole, is that the root -
0:23:46 > 0:23:48if it's a pot-grown plant,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51and I think this is where the difference between
0:23:51 > 0:23:54open-ground plants, which have been grown in a field and then lifted
0:23:54 > 0:23:55and sold on bare-root,
0:23:55 > 0:23:58and those that are grown permanently in a pot is that those
0:23:58 > 0:24:00that are grown permanent in a pot, most pots are round,
0:24:00 > 0:24:04and therefore there's a tendency for those soft roots to lignify,
0:24:04 > 0:24:05to become woody,
0:24:05 > 0:24:10and for the process of this circular root motion to be determined,
0:24:10 > 0:24:13and it's very difficult to break the plant out of that,
0:24:13 > 0:24:19and the idea behind the square hole is that the circulating root
0:24:19 > 0:24:22hits the corner of the hole, can no longer circulate,
0:24:22 > 0:24:23and then penetrates off -
0:24:23 > 0:24:27as long as you've dug the ground beyond the square hole.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So, I think there are all sorts of theories out there.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32You'll find the one that works for you,
0:24:32 > 0:24:37but be sure to have a defence ready in case it doesn't work.
0:24:37 > 0:24:39What size of hole would you prefer?
0:24:39 > 0:24:41LAUGHTER
0:24:41 > 0:24:42What, to jump into?!
0:24:46 > 0:24:49And that's it for this visit to Beechgrove.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Jim, Carole, thank you very much for being with us.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56From me, Eric Robson, it's goodbye and good gardening.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58APPLAUSE
0:25:03 > 0:25:05Wow, what a marathon!
0:25:05 > 0:25:08That's it all over, and some more questions answered.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11And now back to the garden for some hints and tips.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19I think it must be question 92 - "When do I prune my Clematis?"
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Well, this one, Clematis montana "Alba",
0:25:21 > 0:25:23flowering at this time of year
0:25:23 > 0:25:25can be pruned immediately after flowering.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Take the hedge clippers to it. No finesse needed.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30Whack it back to wherever, because it's so vigorous.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32And this is the result. Absolutely stunning.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35And whilst we're here, do you deadhead rhododendrons?
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Only in their young and formative years,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41because if you remove these flowers, look...
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Take the flower out, just look.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45There are the new shoots,
0:25:45 > 0:25:49and the sooner you get this out the way in the seed head development,
0:25:49 > 0:25:51the sooner that will start to grow properly.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53Well, you know, I just had to come back
0:25:53 > 0:25:55and have a look at these rapid salads from last week.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58Last week was the 21 days, when we should have had baby leaves,
0:25:58 > 0:26:00and some of them were quite tiny.
0:26:00 > 0:26:02But now, haven't they grown?
0:26:02 > 0:26:04And we're going to have a wonderful, fresh salad.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06What a difference a week makes.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12Buxus specimens, whether they're hedges or topiary, like this,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14should be pruned ...
0:26:14 > 0:26:16certainly before the end of June.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18The reason for doing that
0:26:18 > 0:26:20is that you're trying to catch that fresh growth
0:26:20 > 0:26:22before it becomes too woody.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26You're also pruning out any box aphid,
0:26:26 > 0:26:31which will exist within the curled leaves and stems.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34Prune them out, and then you won't have an infection later on.
0:26:34 > 0:26:37And once you've carried out a light prune,
0:26:37 > 0:26:39you can then water with a seaweed extract
0:26:39 > 0:26:41right into the heart of the plant,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43and that will help to revitalise the plant
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and, it's said, deter box blight.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Just as Chris was cutting the boxwood
0:26:50 > 0:26:53when the shoots were nice and soft, so it is with this pine,
0:26:53 > 0:26:55and a bit of cloud pruning.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58So, we're going to prune back the candles in this.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01- CHUCKLES:- There's more than "four candles" here, aren't there?
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Nice and soft wood, prune them back, pretend you're a rabbit.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Get them cut off and make it into a nice tight ball.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12I reckon this is coming on rather nicely, this area,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15- and we should give it a little bit of a higher profile.- We should.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17- I mean, look at those orchids, they're beautiful.- Spreading.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- Yeah.- I think maybe one or two wee bits of clover, the big red clover,
0:27:20 > 0:27:23or something like that would look quite well in here.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- It goes with the grass.- Yeah, just to punch a bit of colour in.- Yeah.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Add a little bit of extra texture. But the colonies of plants.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33- Up at the top.- All the yellow and orange Fox-And-Cubs tumbling down,
0:27:33 > 0:27:35- keeping it all natural, just moving around.- Super.
0:27:35 > 0:27:38I would like to reduce the Lady's Mantle a bit, Alchemilla.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41It's very invasive at the expense of other things.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44Cut the heads off or just chop bits out.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46- Controlled.- Controlled.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48Well, if you'd like any more information
0:27:48 > 0:27:49about this week's programme,
0:27:49 > 0:27:51and there will be lots of questions and answers there,
0:27:51 > 0:27:53it's all in the factsheet,
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and the easiest way to access that is on the website.
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Well, we're off on holiday, aren't we?
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- Away down the Angus coast.- Yes, yes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02- Down to Carnoustie. - Get a bit of a...
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- Get the golf clubs out. - Mm-hm, possibly.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07- Which leaves these pair. - It's just you and me in the garden.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09- It is! Gosh.- That means we can get up to mischief.- We can.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Don't tell them what we're going to do, though.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14- We can go anywhere we like. - Anything could happen.
0:28:14 > 0:28:15But you're on the community garden.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16- We are.- Yes, yes.
0:28:16 > 0:28:19The less said about that, the better.
0:28:19 > 0:28:20We're off for a fortnight
0:28:20 > 0:28:23because dear old Wimbledon will be whacking the ball back and forward.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27We'll be checking up on what the lawn's like down there.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29It won't be as good as ours. Until next time.
0:28:29 > 0:28:30- Bye!- Goodbye!