Latest news with #GrowAlongLive
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Grow Along Live: The Secret to Great Veggies? It Starts with Your Soil
The Secret to Great Veggies? It Starts with Your Soil Last week we kicked off Grow Along Live, our Summer gardening initiative where we invited you to grow your own veg patch in less than two months. And we're already hearing from green-fingered viewers across the country!Jason from Salford shared how his spinach and rocket are already starting to shoot up, and Sarah in Wollaston is seeing signs of growth too. Keep those updates coming – we love seeing your progress! This Week's Focus: Soil Care & Fertiliser It might be early days for our crops, but now's the perfect time to give our soil a bit of TLC. As Mark explains, healthy plants begin with healthy soil."It's easy to focus on what's growing above the surface, but everything starts beneath our feet. Soil isn't just dirt – it's a living ecosystem, packed with nutrients, microbes and organisms working together to feed your plants."Understanding Soil pH – and Why It MattersSoil pH measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is, and different plants thrive in different conditions. Here's a quick guide:Below pH 6: Acidic – can lead to nutrient 6 to 7: Ideal – slightly acidic is best for most pH 7: Alkaline – can reduce nutrient to Test Your Soil's pH at HomeYou can easily test your soil with a pH meter – many basic kits cost under £10 online. Just push the probe into your soil and get an instant kit? No problem! Try this DIY method:You'll need:Two soil samples (about a cup each, taken 6 inches deep)White vinegarBaking sodaDistilled or deionised waterTest for Alkalinity:Mix half a cup of soil with water to make a half a cup of = alkaline for Acidity:Mix a second soil sample with half a cup of baking = acidic soil."A strong reaction suggests your soil is very acidic or very alkaline," Mark says. "Slight fizzing is totally normal." Improving Your Soil's pH If your soil needs adjusting, here's what you can do:Too acidic? Add garden lime (ground limestone). Mix it thoroughly into the top 20cm of alkaline? Use garden sulphur to lower the pH. IMPORTANT: These products can be harmful if ingested. Always follow packaging instructions and take proper safety precautions. Make Your Own Fertiliser with Nettles This week, Mark also showed us how to turn pesky stinging nettles into a powerful plant feed."Nettles are packed with nutrients, especially nitrogen, which plants love. It's essentially plants feeding plants!"DIY Nettle Fertiliser Recipe:Forage nettles (wear gloves!)Chop them up to help them break to a bucket and cover with and leave for 2–3 weeks to ferment (warning: it will smell!)Strain and dilute – mix 1 part nettle liquid to 10 parts organic fertiliser will give your plants a nutrient-rich boost throughout the growing season. Send Us Your Grow Along Photos! We're loving all your updates – keep them coming via email or WhatsApp, and don't forget to leave your name so we can give you a shout-out on the show.
BBC News
09-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- BBC News
Grow Along Live
Studies have shown that gardening is good for both the body and the mind, and in fact, some GPs have even started writing prescriptions for gardening!This Summer, we're encouraging as many people as possible to get into an outdoor space and take part in our Summer initiative, 'Grow Along Live'. Whether you've got a 20-acre plot or a Juliet balcony, you can join Friday 9th July, gardener Mark Lane will be planting Spinach, Rocket, Kale and Basil on the Morning Live balcony, all of which are incredibly easy to grow and ready to harvest in just a few take part, simply grab yourself some seeds from your local garden centre, a container or plot in your outdoor space and some compost, and Mark will show you how to get started. You can also follow along on our social pages for Mark's bonus tips on growing Lettuce and Parsley love to see what you grow, so send us your pictures and we may feature them on the show across the Summer!
