The Veg Grower Podcast

• 591 Small Changes, Big Impact: Potato Prep, Leeks & A Mini Greenhouse Build

  As we edge closer to spring, there’s nothing like a bit of time on the allotment to lift the spirits. This week on The Veg Grower Podcast, I share how preparing the potato beds for planting has helped me shake off the winter blues and get excited for the growing season ahead. We also have our seed of the month. This month its the winter hardy favourite leeks. Getting Ready for Potatoes: Allotment update With just a few weeks until planting time, I’ve been busy prepping my potato beds. There’s something therapeutic about working the soil, clearing any weeds, and ensuring the ground is in the best condition for a good crop. It’s amazing how focusing on simple tasks like this can boost your mood and set you up for a productive season ahead. Seed of the Month: Leeks In our seed of the month segment, we’re talking about leeks—an incredibly versatile and hardy crop that no veg grower should be without. I’ll be sharing why I love growing leeks, how to get them started, and some tips to ensure a strong harvest later in the year. This segment is in collaboration with Premier Seed Direct and some of my recommended varieties areas follows Musselburgh A popular and hardy variety of leek Bulgarian giant A long thin early variety with exceptional taste Jolant Fairly new leek but seems to be very popular Chef Scott’s Recipe: Spaghetti With Broccoli And Hot Smoked Salmon Chef Scott is back with another delicious recipe to inspire you to cook with homegrown produce. This week, he’s sharing his salmon spaghetti—a simple yet flavourful dish that pairs beautifully with fresh ingredients. Mini Greenhouse Build Finally, I’ve invested in a mini greenhouse! Space for seed sowing is always at a premium this time of year, so I decided to buy and build a compact greenhouse to help free up some room. I’ll take you through the process and share how I plan to use it to maximise my growing space. So, grab a cuppa, tune in, and let’s talk all things veg growing!

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• #590 Grow Food Anywhere With Lucy Chamberlain

  In this weeks podcast Richard is joined by Lucy chamberlain, author of the book Grow Food Anywhere. Which has been our book of the month for January. Grow Food Anywhere Lucy's latest book Grow Food Anywhere is out now and is unlike any vegetable gardening book out there. This book is aimed at working the conditions you already have in your garden and finding the right plant for your conditions. Filled with ideas on tips on how to improve your garden and make the most of the space you have. Links Lucy's Instagram Buy the book on Amazon Chef Scott's Recipe of the week This week Chef Scott is back with his Guoguang Roast Carrots. A delicious Korean recipe using the good old staple, carrots. Adding a delicious spicy twist to those sweet tender orange sticks. And finally. If you have enjoyed this podcast and hearing about Lucy and her book then please rate and review on your podcast provider.

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• #589 Weeding Out Winter Woes: Why Your Garden Needs You Now!

  In this episode of the Veg Grower Podcast, host Richard shares updates from his kitchen garden and allotment, emphasizing winter gardening. He discusses essential tasks like weeding, checking plants, and managing pests, including setting up a scarecrow for pigeons. Richard highlights the importance of maintaining bird feeders and composting kitchen scraps and garden waste. He also shares his efforts to encourage wildlife, such as hedgehogs and ladybirds, and offers pruning tips for raspberry beds. Richard encourages listeners to support the podcast through the supporters club, which offers exclusive content and community benefits. Winter Woes From The Kitchen Garden Last week Richard complained that he felt his kitchen garden was very scruffy. With that in mind Richard decided this week to really turn his attention to tiding the kitchen garden. This meant time was spent clearing away weeds from some of the beds, Protecting brassicas from the hungry pigeons while also trying to provide food and habitat to other birds and nature. Composting is a big part of Richards garden and a lot of the pruning's made over the last couple of weeks have been run through a garden shredder. Providing Richard with plenty of wood chipping. Perfect for use in the compost bins or as a mulch. Continued Weeding On The Allotment Down on the allotment the winter tidy up continues. Each week Richard is focusing his time and energy to one particular area of the allotment that he has struggled to manage. This week that area happened to be his autumn raspberry bed. This area has struggled with couch grass and many weeds over the years that have been very stubborn. But Richard determined to beat the winter woes got stuck in and gave a good sort out of this area. Every Allotment plot has a scruffy area of course but Richard believes we can always do better. Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week Chef Scott is back once again with another delicious recipe. This week the recipe is this lovely peach and cherry cobbler for a real taste of the summer. Using ingredients Scott has grown and stored in his freezer to bring the taste of summer back in the middle of winter. And Finally The last segment Richard responds to reviews and comments from the last couple of podcast with listeners quest such as Is there any difference in taste between different Rhubarb varaties? IS it worth sowing seeds in January When do i plant out my onion seedlings. These are all from listeners who have rated and review or got in touch. If you have enjoyed this podcast then please rate and review on your podcast provider.

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• #588: Tackling January Gardening Goals – Allotment Tips and Kitchen Garden Updates

  Join Richard on This Week's Episode of The Veg Grower Podcast! In this week's episode of The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard dives into his January goals for the allotment and kitchen garden, sharing insights, tips, and progress updates. Here's a sneak peek of what to expect: Down on the Allotment January is all about tackling problem areas on the allotment. For Richard, this means focusing on the trickiest spots: the very top of the allotment and the area behind the greenhouses. These spaces have always been challenging to manage, but by addressing them early in the year, he’s setting the stage for a smoother growing season ahead. By clearing weeds, organising tools, and preparing the soil, Richard is transforming these once-problematic areas into productive parts of the allotment. His proactive approach ensures these areas will require less effort to maintain as the year progresses. In the Kitchen Garden This year, Richard is determined to give his kitchen garden the attention it deserves. While it’s been a productive space, it’s not always as tidy as he’d like. January’s focus is all about tidying up and making improvements to boost efficiency and yield. Inside the greenhouse, Richard has been hard at work decluttering, reorganising, and setting up systems to maximise productivity. Outside, he’s been pruning trees and cutting back overgrown bushes to allow more sunlight into the garden and the chicken run. These changes are already making a noticeable difference, and the chickens are certainly appreciating the extra light! Chef Scott’s Recipe of the Week We’re thrilled to have Chef Scott back with another delicious recipe! This week, he’s sharing his recipe for mackerel pâté with a rhubarb relish. With rhubarb as our seed of the month, this versatile ingredient adds a delightful tang to the dish. It’s the perfect way to make use of this perennial favourite in your kitchen. Seedling Update Richard’s propagators are already working overtime! In this week’s seedling update, he shares what’s germinating and how he’s keeping everything thriving during these colder months. From early sowings to preparing for the upcoming growing season, it’s all systems go in Richard’s kitchen garden. Support the Podcast If you’ve enjoyed this episode, we’d love for you to leave a rating and review on your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more listeners. Want to support the podcast even further? Consider joining our Supporters Club to gain exclusive benefits and help us continue producing great content for the gardening community. Tune in now and get inspired for your January gardening goals!

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• #587 Rhubarb Is Our Seed Of The Month

  In this weeks podcast the first podcast of 2025, Richard shares a seed he has to sow every year as the seed of the month. The seed is Rhubarb. Although it is too early to sow most seeds Richard shares other seeds that can be sown this month. We of course another delicious recipe from Chef Scott. So lets get into it. Rhubarb Our Seed Of The Month Each month Richard shares a seed of the month in collaboration with Premier Seed Direct Richards number 1 seed supplier. This months seed is Rhubarb which is slightly unusual to grow from seed but Richard finds it incredibly easy to grow from seed. Added to that growing from seed gives more choice and saves money when compared to buying a plan. Some of the most popular varieties of Rhubarb include champagne and victoria Other Seeds To Sow In January January can be a very tricky month to sow seeds says Richard. The days are short and cold but many gardeners find themselves itching to sow seeds. Because of this Richard has suggested a few seeds to sow this month Broad beans Onions Leeks Chard Winter Spinach Lettuce Parsley Radish Carrots Celery Chicory Kale Rocket Basil Rhubarb Chilli peppers Corriander Globe Artichokes Sweet peppers Please note that some of these seeds can be directly sown outside the majority will need protection or supplemental heat and lighting to grow strong. Chef Scott Recipe Of The Week This week Chef Scott is back with another delicious mouth-watering recipe. This weeks recipe is an Cajun style mac and cheese, using some ingredients you may have in the freezer. Give this recipe a go and share how you enjoyed this dish. Technology And Seed Sowing In the final segment of this podcast Richard shares how technology can help us sow seeds to produce food earlier and more reliably. Heated propagators provide heat to warm up seeds and speed up germination. Grow lights help supply plenty of light to grow strong plants from young seedlings. Hydroponics are becoming a more common site amongst vegetables gardener's too and Richards 5 pod from West Kent Hydroponics is being used to grow more summer crops such as tomatoes and chillies this January. Ai is also a new technology and Richard shares a seed sowing plan made for the entire year using ai to create the plan. Richard intends to follow this plan in 2025 to see if it works.

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