The Veg Grower Podcast

Stormy weather may interrupt the jobs we planned, but it does not have to stop us making progress. This week, Richard checks the allotment and kitchen garden after wind and rain, clears two overfilled sheds and turns a dark evening into a useful seed-organising session. Productive Wet-Weather Gardening With outdoor work limited, the allotment sheds became the main project. Tools, feeds and useful...

I can cope with working in the cold. Working in the rain is another matter. With plenty of showers this week, I’ve found myself moving more of my gardening under cover — and growing food indoors has become the thread running through this episode. There are young plants filling the shed, cold frames back in position in front of the greenhouse and clear benches at the allotment where the tomato plan...

Autumn is full of useful materials that gardeners can turn into next year’s fertility. In episode 679 of The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard makes the most of fallen leaves, prepares to store wood ash safely and shares practical ways to keep growing costs under control. Turn Fallen Leaves into Leaf Mould At the allotment, the leaf mould bins are beginning to fill. A simple frame made from four posts a...

October may bring shorter days and cooler temperatures, but there is still plenty to do in the productive garden. In this week’s episode, I’m sowing crops for winter and next spring, preparing allotment beds, making a warming marrow curry and checking in on Alysda and Lisa’s new vegetable garden. Seeds to Sow in October Rather than choosing a single seed of the month, I’m looking at everything I p...

The end of September can look like the garden is winding down, but this week it felt more like a fresh beginning. Moist weather brought a burst of growth to the kitchen garden, the allotment continued to provide generous harvests, and autumn sowings offered the promise of food through winter. Turning a Tangle into Compost The grass, shrubs and an unruly mile-a-minute climber all needed attention....

In episode 676, the focus is on looking ahead to the next growing season through essential autumn tasks. The small but important jobs of planting garlic, sowing hardy leaves, and preparing protected growing spaces for the shorter days are explored in detail. Allotment Update: Autumn Garlic Planting and Bed Preparation The episode begins on the allotment, where six varieties of garlic, saved from t...

This week Richard takes us out of the kitchen garden and allotment and over to Audley End House in Essex for the Gardeners’ World Autumn Fair — the final show of the year and a perfect chance to gather fresh inspiration as we head into autumn. Victorian Walled Gardens & Orchard Training Richard begins his visit in the Victorian kitchen gardens, admiring productive orchard beds, fan‑trained fruit t...

After what has been a really difficult summer for growing, things are finally starting to feel like they are turning a corner. The rain has returned, the gardens are coming back to life and there is still plenty of time to grow more food before winter. Kitchen Garden Update Richard's kitchen garden has been a hive of activity this week. With the change in weather making a real difference. He is fi...

There’s a definite change happening in the garden now. Summer might still be hanging on, but I’m already looking ahead to autumn, winter and, believe it or not, the growing season of 2027. The recent rain has been very welcome after such a dry year and it has made a big difference to the garden. There’s plenty going on as we start preparing for the months ahead, so let’s get into this week’s episo...

After one of the driest Julys I can remember, this week finally brought the kind of rain that transforms a garden overnight. Every one of my sixteen water butts refilled, the soil softened enough to dig again, and the whole plot seemed to sigh with relief. It’s amazing how quickly things bounce back once moisture returns, and it’s given me a renewed push to get winter crops established while condi...

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week we’re taking a look at what’s happening both down on the allotment and in the kitchen garden, with plenty of harvesting, a few pest problems and some thoughts on storing our home-grown potatoes. Allotment We start the episode down on the allotment on a beautifully cool morning after another spell of very warm weather. There’s plen...

This week’s episode comes from the second week of August, following one of the driest Julys on record. The allotment and kitchen garden are both feeling the strain, with soil baked so hard that water beads on the surface and runs off rather than soaking in. Despite the challenges, progress continues — from experimenting with greywater filtration to planning green manures and keeping established cr...

August has arrived, and this week’s episode moves between the kitchen garden, allotment and podding shed. I choose spinach Medania as the seed of the month, share progress during a stubborn dry spell, turn ripe tomatoes into a quick pasta supper and revisit a gardening book that puts flavour first. August Seed of the Month: Spinach Medania Spinach Medania is a strong choice for an August sowing. S...

This week’s episode is all about focus, tidying, and keeping the garden productive during a long dry spell. Richard starts at the allotment, where he’s been tackling untidy borders, harvesting potatoes and filling gaps with new plantings. Back home, a big organisational job has transformed the plant‑pot collection into a neat, usable system. We also have a seasonal recipe, a timely listener email...

This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, Richard tackles caterpillars on the brassicas, gets his leeks planted at last, enjoys a strong run of summer harvests, completes a few kitchen‑garden jobs, shares a simple stir‑fried bean recipe, and looks at the best ways to store soft fruit. Allotment Update The allotment kept Richard busy with pests this week. While tending the broccoli, he spotted cabbage w...

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...

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 thrivi...

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...

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...

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...

Early June has brought that classic mix of heavy rain, strong winds and sudden sunshine — and the garden has certainly felt it. In this week’s episode, I’m sharing how the weather has shaped everything from seed sowing to weeding, plus an exciting update from the beehive as the colony continues to grow. Kitchen Garden Update: Wild Weather and Big Sowing Sessions The kitchen garden has taken a real...

Early summer has truly arrived, and with it comes one of my favourite celebrations in the gardening calendar—Tomato Fortnight. As I shared in this week’s Veg Grower Podcast, the allotment and kitchen garden are bursting with activity, from staking tomatoes to sowing French beans, harvesting peas, and even spotting new life on my citrus tree. Tomato Fortnight: Why I Grow So Many Varieties Down on t...

This week’s bank holiday brought record‑breaking heat, and like many gardeners, I’ve spent most of my time simply trying to keep plants alive. Between fast‑drying soil, thirsty young crops, and a greenhouse that felt more like an oven, it’s been a week of adapting, improvising, and learning a few new tricks to keep everything going. In the Kitchen Garden It’s been a scorching bank holiday, and mos...

This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast is a real mix of surprises, setbacks, and exciting new beginnings. From unexpected frost damage on the allotment to big changes in the kitchen garden — and the moment Richard finally becomes a beekeeper — there’s plenty to dive into. If you want the full story, the sounds, and the emotions behind it all, make sure you give the episode a listen. Down on...

This week has been one of those classic early‑May weeks where everything seems to need doing at once. I’ve been sowing our Seed of the Month, tackling slugs and snails in the kitchen garden, trying to stay on top of the allotment before inspections begin, and finishing our April Book of the Month: RHS Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex. There’s plenty to share, so let’s get into it. From th...