Podcast - The Dirt
This is a podcast devoted to growing fruit and vegetables presented by Laura, the editor of Grow Your Own Magazine, and other members of the team. The show focuses on the pleasures of growing vegetables, learning along the way, rather than worrying about the perfect harvest.
There’s are a great set of guests from the world of horticulture, who reveal their hacks, disasters and successes. Writer and grower Alys Fowler shares her growing tips, such as ways of getting new plants off to a great start on the allotment by watering the planting hole several times to create a really damp spot that the roots will want to explore - keeping the watering going in the early days. Alys also highly recommends reading the book ‘Grow Your Own Vegetables, by her gardening guru Joy Larkcom.
Listening to guest Sarah Raven talking about what she grows and picks for salads throughout the year, with cut-and-come-again lettuce ‘Black Seeded Simpson’, strong-tasting rocket, mizuna and mustard, herbs such as flat-leaved parsley or coriander, together with pansies for a garnish, makes you want to rush out and make a salad. While journalist Alex Mitchell says she favours growing a big crunchy lettuce such as Webbs Wonderful. As a writer, Alex also finds keeping a diary of when she has planted or sown plants and going back and writing how they have turned out is a useful way of learning from her mistakes and successes.
These are just a few of the show’s interesting and knowledgeable guests. There is also a regular slot from Marshalls, whose horticultural experts give lots of really useful advice on things such as using plug plants –reminding us of the importance of opening up the packaging straight away, popping them in a tray of water to rehydrate and potting them up the day you receive them. Each episode ends with jobs to do that month with lots of tips, news stories and advice along the way.
