The Veg Grower Podcast

Welcome to Episode 666 of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week Richard has been juggling warm, humid weather, kitchen‑garden pruning, allotment challenges, and an exciting new project helping a young couple start their very first vegetable garden. It’s a classic midsummer mix of maintenance, problem‑solving and inspiration.

Here’s what’s been happening.

In the Kitchen Garden

The week began with early‑morning gardening sessions — the only time cool enough to work comfortably. Richard has been potting on cucumbers, cabbages, cauliflowers and kale, watering in the mornings to reduce slug activity, and making steady progress despite the heat.

Grapevine Pruning

A major job this week was pruning and training the productive grapevine. Richard explains how careful thinning improves fruit size and airflow, and shares his experiment with a Bramley apple grown from seed and trained as a step‑over tree. It’s decorative, compact, and a fun long‑term project.

Water Conservation

A new rainwater collection system has been attached to the greenhouse, along with an additional water butt. With rainfall scarce, every drop counts.

Down the Allotment

Warm, humid weather has made allotment visits tricky, but straw mulch continues to keep beds moist and plants healthy. Richard has been heading down early at weekends to stay on top of jobs.

Potato Problems

A late frost in early May killed the foliage of the first‑early potatoes, and the harvest has been disappointing — only enough for a couple of meals from a whole bed. Richard reflects on how weather extremes affect yields and why growing your own food matters more than ever.

Mixed Harvests

Despite the potato setback, other crops have been more encouraging:

Broad beans

Courgettes

Overwintered onions (small but usable)

Rhubarb

Tomatoes from the greenhouse

Broad bean plants have been cut back, with roots left in the soil to return nitrogen.

Straw Mulch: Still the Hero

Straw mulch has once again proved invaluable, keeping potatoes and other crops less stressed and prompting Richard to buy another bale to replace what’s been used.

Recipe of the Week

Warm Summer Cabbage & Herb Pan‑Fry

This week’s recipe is a simple, delicious cabbage dish perfect as a barbecue side. Finely shredded cabbage is sautéed with onions, garlic, wholegrain mustard, butter and fresh herbs. Quick cooking keeps it sweet, and it’s a great way to use summer cabbage

A New Vegetable Garden Project

One of the most exciting parts of this week’s episode is the start of a brand‑new edible garden for Lisa and Alistair, who have just moved into a house with a large front garden.

Richard visited to help them plan their first vegetable patch, offering guidance on:

Clearing and reorganising an overgrown compost area

Removing unwanted trees

Preparing a 10×20 metre vegetable area

Planning for a greenhouse

Installing sunk IBC water tanks

Building raised beds (possibly from reclaimed sleepers)

Garden designers John and Bryony will help shape the layout, and Richard will be checking in monthly to track progress. Listeners can follow the project on Instagram at Rooted at Belvedere.

Welcome to Episode 665 of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week Richard shares a classic mix of summer gardening jobs — fruit thinning, sweetcorn planting, slug control, greenhouse tidying — plus our Seed of the Month, a refreshing cabbage slaw recipe, and a look at July’s Book of the Month.

It’s been warm and humid on the allotment, but thanks to straw mulch and careful watering, everything is thriving. Let’s dive into what’s been happening this week.

Down the Allotment

The allotment has been busy with seasonal tasks, starting with fruit thinning after the June drop. Richard explains why apples and pears shed fruit naturally, and why thinning further helps produce bigger, tastier fruit and prevents biennial bearing. It’s a job that feels counter‑intuitive, but the long-term benefits are worth it.

Gooseberries are ready, but harvesting them has become nearly impossible due to thorns and invading brambles. Richard shares his difficult decision to dig up the existing bushes and replant with thornless varieties to make the area more productive and easier to maintain.

Elsewhere on the plot:

Straw mulch continues to reduce watering needs

Leeks are being held back until cooler, wetter weather

The final batch of sweetcorn has been planted

New potatoes, courgettes, rhubarb and cabbage are being harvested

A surprise rat encounter added a bit of drama to the week

Tune in to hear the full story and Richard’s thoughts on keeping the allotment productive.

Seed of the Month — Kohlrabi

This month’s seed is kohlrabi, a quirky root crop that looks alien but tastes fantastic — sweeter than turnips and incredibly versatile.

Richard shares:

How he sows it directly into the soil

Why consistent moisture is essential

How to thin seedlings to 20–25cm spacing

Why harvesting at golf‑ball size gives the best flavour

How flea beetle and slugs can be managed

Ways to use kohlrabi in the kitchen, including roasting, stir‑fries and slaws

And a reminder that the leaves are edible too

It’s a great crop for summer sowing and offers two harvests from one plant.

In the Kitchen Garden

The kitchen garden has been all about organisation this week. Richard tidied the area in front of the greenhouse, sorted pots, removed weeds, and potted up cabbage, swede and late brassicas. The chickens’ area also had a tidy, making the whole garden feel calmer and more productive.

Slug & Snail Battles

Slugs and snails have been relentless this year, especially around the bean plants. Richard shares several methods he’s using:

Yeast traps made from wine sediment

Watering in the morning

Upturned pots to collect slugs overnight

Feeding trapped slugs to chickens and birds

It’s a constant challenge, but numbers are slowly coming down.

General Garden Notes

Tomatoes are loving the warm weather

Herbs are thriving but dry

Mulch continues to help retain moisture

Courgettes and other crops are producing well

Marigolds are being deadheaded daily to keep flowers coming

The kitchen garden is productive, colourful and full of life.

Recipe of the Week

Summer Cabbage & Peanut Slaw with Lime & Chili Dressing

This week’s recipe turns a humble summer cabbage into something exciting. Richard grates cabbage, carrot and red onion, adds fresh herbs and chili, and finishes with a zingy lime dressing and roasted peanuts.

It’s crunchy, refreshing, and perfect for warm weather. You can find the full recipe on the blog.

Book of the Month — The Victorian Kitchen Garden by Jennifer Davies

Richard reviews this classic book, which accompanies the BBC series of the same name. He explores:

Victorian walled gardens

Skilled head gardeners

Coal‑heated greenhouses

Hotbeds made from fresh manure

Fruit‑tree training

Soil care and mulching

Season extension techniques

The craftsmanship and attention to detail of Victorian growers

Welcome to Episode 664 of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week has been shaped by one thing: heat. With temperatures soaring and humidity making everything feel heavier, Richard has been adapting his gardening routine to keep both the kitchen garden and the allotment thriving during a heatwave.

In this episode, he shares how early mornings, deep watering, mulching, and a few clever tools have helped him stay on top of things during a UK heatwave. If you’re growing food in hot weather — or want to be prepared for when the next heatwave arrives — this is an episode worth listening to.

In the Kitchen Garden: Heatwave Gardening

The kitchen garden has been a challenge and a joy this week. With the house feeling like an oven, Richard has been heading outside at 5:30am to make the most of the cooler hours. These peaceful early mornings have become the perfect time to water, tidy, and enjoy the garden before the heat sets in.

In the podcast, Richard talks about:

How he’s using deep watering to keep crops alive

Why his Ryobi pump has been a huge time‑saver

Filling gaps with tomatoes, chillies and peppers

Updates from the edible pond and its oxygenating plants

Improvements planned for the chicken area

What’s been harvested despite the heat

If you want to hear how the kitchen garden is coping — and what’s thriving — tune in to the full episode.

Down the Allotment

It’s been a productive week on the allotment too, especially with a fantastic 6kg harvest of Morello cherries. Richard shares how he processed them and what’s next for the stone fruit trees now that harvesting is complete.

In the episode, you’ll hear about:

Summer pruning of cherries, peaches and plums

How straw mulch has been the hero of the heatwave

What’s growing well in straw bale beds

Sweetcorn, squash, pumpkins and onions

This week’s allotment harvests

If you’re looking for practical allotment tips for hot weather, this segment is packed with them.

Recipe of the Week

Tomato & Herb Summer Salad with Chickpeas

This week’s recipe is a refreshing, no‑cook dish perfect for hot weather and ideal for using up homegrown tomatoes and herbs.

You’ll find the full recipe in its own blog post.

From the Podding Shed

In this week’s reflective segment, Richard talks about how gardening is changing as UK summers become hotter. He shares his thoughts on adapting our growing methods, staying safe in extreme heat, and planning for the future.

Topics include:

Working early or late in the day

Staying hydrated and sun‑safe

Providing water for wildlife and chickens

Increasing rainwater storage

Growing more drought‑tolerant edible crops

Why mulch continues to be essential

It’s a thoughtful discussion about how we can all continue growing food even as the climate shifts.

This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, I took you with me on my annual pilgrimage to Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC in Birmingham — for the very last time at this venue before the show moves to a new location next year. And what a send‑off it was.

Right from the moment I stepped into the Beautiful Borders, it was clear that grow‑your‑own is becoming more deeply woven into garden design. As I said in the episode, “I’m already in the beautiful borders and I can already see there’s lots of vegetables incorporated in the design of these gardens.”

From chard and strawberries to pumpkins, herbs and even buckets of potatoes, veg was everywhere — and it looked fantastic.

Lucy’s ‘Make a Meter Matter’ Garden

One of the highlights of the show was catching up with the brilliant Lucy, who created a stunning grow‑your‑own themed border built around the idea that one square metre can make a difference.

Her horseshoe‑shaped layout featured nine individual 1m² zones, each packed with ideas for different types of growers. As Lucy explained, “If you can just convert one meter of your outdoor space into somewhere where plants can thrive and grow, then that’s a brilliant thing.”

The Kids’ Growing Zones

Lucy dedicated three metres to inspiring children to grow:

Speedy veg with egg‑head planters, quick lettuces and tactile mint

Pizza & pasta plants including basil, rocket and the adorable Micro Tom tomato

Smoothie ingredients like blueberries, strawberries, kale and beetroot

Her goal was simple: make growing fun, colourful and irresistible.

Urban & Rental Gardeners

Next came three metres designed for those with balconies, courtyards or tiny spaces:

Eco‑warrior zone with coir pots, wooden labels and guerrilla‑gardening seed bombs

Party‑goer zone complete with a mini ceramic BBQ (yes — the same one I own!)

Gourmet zone featuring Malabar spinach, cucamelons, Japanese parsley and more

Fruit in Small Spaces

Lucy’s final three metres championed fruit — something she feels is underrepresented. She showcased:

Beautifully trained apples

Compact currants and strawberries

A one‑metre forest garden of “super fruits”

Micro‑fruit options for pots

As she put it, “Fruit is so underrated and underrepresented in the gardening world.”

Exploring the Show & New Ideas

After dragging myself away from the show gardens (never easy!), I wandered the stalls, picked up a few tools and plants, and soaked up the atmosphere. I love how these events spark new ideas — even if they make me want to redesign my entire garden.

Mushroom Growing with the K Brothers

I also sat in on a fascinating talk by the K Brothers, known for their mushroom‑growing kits. Even though I’m allergic to mushrooms, I’m always intrigued by how accessible mushroom cultivation has become.

Jodie explained that mushrooms will grow on almost any organic material: “They will grow on any organic material… books or straw or sawdust or cardboard or your old jeans.”

Their kits use hardwood sawdust for maximum nutrition, and with daily misting you can harvest mushrooms in as little as three weeks.

Plant Expert Stand with Saul Walker

To round off the episode, I caught up with Saul Walker, who shared insights from the plant expert stand. Climate change, unpredictable weather patterns and plant establishment issues dominated the questions this year.

As Saul noted, “The key with gardening is you need that stability… now that things are changing every year… I don’t know what to say sometimes.”

Aphids, scale insects and general plant stress were also common topics — all reminders of how important diversity, observation and early intervention are in our gardens.

This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, I’ve been making the most of a week off work — and it’s amazing how much difference a few focused days can make. Daily visits to the allotment have helped me get on top of all those little jobs that build up, and the plot is looking better than it has in a long time. It really has been a week of garlic harvest and garden tidying, and everything is thriving for it.

Allotment Progress

The highlight of the week has been the garlic harvest. The bulbs grown on the allotment have outperformed those at home, with bigger bulbs and stronger stems. They’re now curing in the greenhouse ready for long‑term storage.

I’ve also been cutting back large clumps of comfrey for the compost bin. It’s growing vigorously at the moment, and while the bees love the flowers, the leaves make fantastic compost material.

Kitchen Garden Improvements

Back home, the kitchen garden has had a proper tidy and reset. I’ve moved the HotBin composter to a more practical location and set up a new Autopot Spyder watering system — a product I genuinely rate highly. If you’d like to try Autopot yourself, you can use my affiliate code AUTO10RVG for 10% off on the Autopot website.

I’ve also spent time checking supports, tying in plants, and trimming back anything getting unruly. We’ve even had a nest of bumblebees set up near the chicken coop, which has been fascinating to watch.

Recipe of the Week

This week’s recipe is a simple but delicious pea and mint crostini — perfect for using those early‑summer harvests and ideal as a quick garden‑side snack.

In the Potting Shed

In the potting shed, I’m talking all about feeding our plants — when to feed, what to use, and how to avoid overdoing it. If you’re looking for reliable plant feeds, I recommend Empathy products.

They offer excellent seaweed feed, tomato feed, and specialist blends.