S4 Ep7: July - Ditch the plastic this Plastic Free July with Sally Nex

07/01/24 • 65 min

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What do bed sheets, hessian and bacteria have in common? They might help us reduce the amount of plastic we use in our veg plots!
Award-winning author, gardener, peat- and plastic-free advocate Sally Nex shares fascinating advice for reducing, reusing and recycling the 500 million pots, seed trays, and other bits of plastic we get through in our gardens every year in the UK.
“When we chip a pot and it goes directly into our soil, it's going to stay there for the next 400 years,” says Sally. “Experiments have shown that earthworms, which are living in soils high in microplastics, lose weight and soil biodiversity is a fraction of what it is in clean soils.”
Also in this episode...

Chris and Fiona chat about the delay in germination and plant growth due to the cool start to the summer – and reassure that it’s not too late to sow now. From the postbag, Anton advises on using organic slug pellets, and the team mull over what creature might be creating ‘strawberry piles’!

Previous Episode

S4 Ep6: June - How to be water wise with Jo Osbourn and Sally Morgan

We’ve got a double bill this month to help you save more water in your garden over the summer.
We’re joined by Jo Osborn from the charity Waterwise – who tells us that in England alone, we face a potential water deficit of close to 5,000 million litres of water every day by 2050. She shares how crucial it’s we conserve more of it in our homes and gardens.
And climate change gardening guru Sally Morgan talks rainwater and grey water harvesting. She reveals ways to water plants more effectively, and the importance of soil health.
“No dig is important because we don't want to disturb the fungi in the soil,” she says. “Most plants have a relationship with the mycorrhizal that extends beneath the plant – and it’s this fungus network that does the watering for them, finding water in the soil.”

Also in this episode...

We'll be answering your questions about how to deal with box hedge moth, what to do about allotment-loving ants, and how to tackle chilies that are not hot.

Next Episode

S4 Ep8: August - The pesticide problem with Nick Mole, PAN UK

Fiona chats with Nick Mole, Policy Officer from the Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK who shares why pesticides should be banned from use in our urban spaces, and how communities can be affected by pesticide use.
“Knowing that there are alternatives to pesticides that do work, pesticide use in our towns and cities is completely unnecessary. France has banned the use of all non-agricultural pesticides. They have legislation in place and it works. It is often hard, councils are facing all sorts of difficulties. So we do need that support from our legislators.”
Also in this episode...

Chris and Fiona discuss why hardy annuals are popping up in Chris’ allotment now, and look forward to September seed sowing. From the postbag, the team troubleshoot a late flowering courgette, and with the help of listeners, find out what animal was causing last month’s strawberry piles!
Thanks again to our sponsors, Viridian Nutrition. Visit their website at www.viridian-nutrition.com
Sign the petition to ban the use of pesticides in urban spaces https://pesticidecollaboration.org/go-pesticide-free/