Six Inches of Soil - The Podcast

Unruly: Soil Secrets for Gardeners & Green Keepers

4 snips
Mar 11, 2026
Guest
Marnie Thompson
Guest
Nick Mole
Guest
Vicki Hird
Guest
Nicole Masters
Marnie Thompson, Montana soil health practitioner who educates farmers; Nick Mole, UK pesticide policy lead fighting chemical use; Vicki Hird, wildlife and invertebrate advocate and author; Nicole Masters, agroecologist and regenerative soil coach. They question common garden chemicals, read weeds as soil clues, explore pesticide-free public spaces, and share practical tips for nurturing soil life and wildlife-friendly greens.
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ANECDOTE

Classroom Slake Test And Egg Demo

  • Richard ran a slake test and egg comparison with school children to show soil stability and food quality differences.
  • The practical classroom demo used garden verge soil vs a cornfield sample and regen versus factory eggs to spark kids' curiosity.
ADVICE

Replace Herbicides With Design And Hands On Care

  • Avoid glyphosate and other herbicides by using non-chemical strategies like hand-weeding, mulching, and planting competitive native species instead.
  • Nick Mole highlighted parks in Belgium that replaced formal beds with native plantings to remove herbicide use while keeping design.
INSIGHT

Switching Pesticides Can Replace Problems Not Solve Them

  • Banning one pesticide can prompt manufacturers to substitute equally harmful chemicals unless public understanding and demand change.
  • Nicole warned Bayer replaced glyphosate in Roundup formulations with Diquat and Triclopyr in some markets, creating new residual harms.
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