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St Austell: Kiwis, Proud Plants and Frozen Seeds

When do kiwis produce fruit? What plant cuttings are you proud of propagating? Should we freeze seeds in water before planting them? Kathy Clugston and the panel have the answers.

When do kiwis produce fruit in the UK? What plant cuttings are the panel most proud of propagating? Should we freeze our seeds in water before planting them in the ground?

Kathy Clugston and a powerhouse panel of gardening experts return to the iconic Eden Project outside St Austell in Cornwall where they field questions from a green fingered live audience. Tackling everything from persistent pests to planting dilemmas, the panel includes houseplant specialist Anne Swithinbank, award-winning garden designer Chris Beardshaw, and horticulturalist Frances Tophill.

Later in the programme, continuing our autumn feature series, Matthew Wilson provides an extensive guide to dividing your perennial plants.

Senior producer: Dominic Tyerman
Junior producer: Rahnee Prescod

A Somethin' Else production for 麻豆社 Radio 4

Available now

42 minutes

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Plant List

Questions and timecodes are below. Where applicable, plant names have been provided.

Q 鈥� I鈥檝e鈥奼ot two types of hydrangeas in pots, but they're not doing very well. Would they do better being planted in the ground? (01鈥�02鈥�)

Q 鈥� When do Kiwi鈥檚 produce fruit in the UK? (03鈥�59鈥�)

Q 鈥撯�奧e have a very tall and spiky hedge in our small front garden that I want to get rid of 鈥� Should I de-hedge it? (07鈥�08鈥�)

Feature 鈥� Matthew Wilson鈥檚 top tips on dividing perennial plants in the autumn. (12鈥�41鈥�)

Q 鈥� Do the panel advise that we freeze our seeds in water before planting them in the ground? (16鈥�44鈥�)

Q 鈥� What plant cutting had the panel been most proud of propagating? and which type of plant or cutting is notoriously the hardest to propagate? (21鈥�25鈥�)

Chris Beardshaw 鈥�

Citrus听脳听limon听(F), lemon

Anne Swithinbank 鈥�

Hylotelephium听sieboldii, October Daphne

Ceanothus, californian lilac

Frances Tophill 鈥�

Origanum听vulgare, oregano

Salvia听rosmarinus听(Ro), rosemary

Q 鈥� We plan to remove the loose stones on our drive, as they're proving hard to keep weed free. Is there an alternative use for them in the garden? (24鈥�54鈥�)

Frances Tophill 鈥�

Veronicastrum听virginicum, Culver's root

Astrantia

Q 鈥� What ornamental grasses are suitable for a sunny open space that are wind tolerant to create a prairie styled garden? (31鈥�03鈥�)

Frances Tophill 鈥�

Pennisetum听macrourum, African Feather Grass

Pennisetum听orientale听'Karley Rose', oriental fountain grass 'Karley Rose'

Pennisetum听alopecuroides听'Hameln', Chinese fountain grass 'Hameln'

Calamagrostis听brachytricha, Korean feather reed grass

Anne Swithinbank 鈥�

Hakonechloa听macra, Japanese forest grass

Molinia听caerulea, purple moor-grass

Deschampsia, hair grass

Chris Thorogood 鈥�

Miscanthus, elephant grass

Miscanthus听sinensis听'Kleine Font盲ne', eulalia 'Kleine Font盲ne'

Miscanthus听sinensis听var.听condensatus听'Cosmopolitan' (v), eulalia 'Cosmopolitan'

Stipa听gigantea, golden oats

Stipa听tenuissima, Mexican feather grass

Phalaris听arundinacea, reed canary grass

Briza听maxima, greater quaking grass

Monarda听'Violet Queen', bergamot 'Violet Queen'

Eryngium, Sea holly

Eryngium听agavifolium, agave-leaved eryngo

Eryngium听eburneum, yellow-tinged ivory white eryngo

Achillea听millefolium, common yarrow

Geraniums, cranesbill

Geranium听palmatum, Canary Island geranium

Q 鈥� When is the best time to prune acers? (36鈥�10鈥�)

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