The Veg Grower Podcast

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 crops alive through the drought.

Allotment Update: Hydrophobic Soil & Survival Mode

The main theme this week is hydrophobic soil — ground so dry and compacted that it actively repels water. Beds have become rock‑hard, making digging, planting and watering difficult. Watering still has to be done by hand with cans, taking up to two hours to give each bed a proper deep soak. It’s heavy work, but essential for keeping established crops alive.

With conditions too harsh for planting out young plants, the focus has shifted to:

Keeping mature crops alive with deep, infrequent watering

Delaying new plantings until the soil can absorb moisture again

Planning ahead by clearing beds for a potato‑specific green manure

Tidying perennial areas like the gooseberry patch and bramble‑filled corners

Preparing for wetter weather so the site is easier to manage when conditions improve

Green manures have been a success in previous seasons, helping reduce pests and disease, and with blight not yet appearing this year, it’s a good moment to prepare beds for next year’s potato rotation.

Kitchen Garden: Greywater Trials & Practical Housekeeping

At home, the drought has prompted a deeper look at greywater reuse. After a failed experiment using water mint as a natural filter, a more structured filtration system has been tested:

A bucket drilled with holes

Layers of gravel, sand, charcoal and straw

Some success in removing contaminants

Some soap residues still present

It’s an ongoing experiment, but a promising step toward making greywater safer for garden use during droughts.

Other practical jobs this week include:

A garage clear‑out, removing broken petrol tools and freeing up space

A renewed focus on repairable, durable or compostable items to reduce waste

Sowing overwintering onions and radish for supporters, though germination is uncertain in the dry soil

Using mulches and compost to help established plants cope with the heat

Recipe of the Week: Smoked Sweetcorn & Courgette Salad

This week’s recipe is a vibrant summer dish that makes the most of seasonal produce:

Smoked sweetcorn and courgette salad with chilli butter croutons

Charred sweetcorn and courgette

Lime‑honey‑mustard dressing

Crisp chilli‑spiced breadcrumbs

It’s colourful, flavourful and pairs beautifully with grilled chicken — a perfect late‑summer plate.

Hydrophobic Soil: Causes, Fixes & Long‑Term Prevention

The episode closes with a detailed look at hydrophobic soil — what causes it, how to fix it, and how to prevent it in future droughts.

Why Soil Becomes Hydrophobic

Organic particles dry out and harden

Soil structure collapses

Water beads and runs off instead of soaking in

Beds flood when rain finally arrives because water cannot penetrate

Short‑Term Fixes

Repeated light watering with a fine rose

Laying damp hessian or cardboard to soften the surface

Bottom‑watering containers to wick moisture up

Gentle, patient rewetting rather than one heavy soak

Long‑Term Prevention

Regular additions of organic matter

Consistent mulching with straw, leaf mould or woodchips

Avoiding complete drying by giving a light weekly watering during drought

Using soil conditioners like coir or biochar

Adding shade or wind protection for exposed raised beds

Slow, deliberate watering or drip irrigation to allow moisture to penetrate

These techniques help rebuild soil structure, improve moisture retention and make gardens more resilient as droughts become more freq...

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. Sow seeds one to two centimetres deep and keep them moist; germination normally takes seven to fourteen days. Module-grown seedlings can be planted out at twenty to twenty-five centimetres apart. Pick young outer leaves regularly, or allow plants to mature for generous autumn harvests. Protect later crops with fleece or a cloche in colder weather. Its dark-green leaves work equally well in salads and cooked dishes.

Kitchen Garden and Allotment Notes

With nesting season over, I carefully checked and trimmed the congested blackberry and tayberry growth. I am also experimenting with aquatic plants and grey water during the drought, while treating this as a cautious trial rather than a ready-made irrigation solution. The Vegepod continues to supply plenty of salad, while the allotment has produced an enormous courgette, more space around the gooseberries and room for another planting of leeks. Regular hand-picking seems to have reduced the caterpillar pressure on the brassicas.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Pasta

This weeks recipe of the week is roasted tomato and basil pasta. A delicous and easy dish to cook up using some of those lovely homegrown tomatoes that are in abbundance right now.

Reading for Growers

Bob Flowerdew’s The Gourmet Gardener argues for choosing crops and varieties for exceptional taste, freshness and enjoyment. Its detailed organic-growing guidance and preserving ideas make it a useful reference for confident growers, even if beginners may prefer to browse one crop at a time. In August, the podcast reading choice moves to Ade Sellars’ The Plot on the Hill: The Carrot Catastrophe, a magical allotment adventure for younger readers.

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 about grey water, and a quick update on the bees.

Allotment Update: Borders, Potatoes and Continuous Planting

Richard starts the week by assessing the allotment and creating a list of areas to concentrate on. The borders and edges, often the first places to become untidy, are prioritised for improvement. This structured approach helps break the plot into manageable zones.

Potato harvesting continues, adding to the week’s produce. Newly cleared spaces are immediately replanted:

Kale planted into gaps left by harvested crops

Cabbages planned for planting soon

This ensures that the allotment remains productive even during drought conditions.

Kitchen Garden: Organising the Plant Pots

A single large job was chosen for the kitchen garden this week: sorting the extensive collection of plant pots. Over time, pots had accumulated from various projects and purchases, creating a substantial backlog.

The sorting process included:

Organising pots by size

Disposing of damaged or unusable pots

Cleaning and storing good pots neatly

Setting aside reusable extras for future use

The result is a more organised and efficient workspace.

Recipe of the Week: Tomato and Courgette Gratin

This week’s recipe features a simple yet delicious tomato and courgette gratin that perfectly captures the essence of summer. Bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients, this dish is a wonderful way to make the most of your garden’s bounty. Whether you’re looking for a comforting side or a light main, this gratin offers a satisfying blend of flavors and textures.

For the full recipe and step-by-step instructions, follow the link below to discover how to create this golden, bubbling delight in your own kitchen. It’s an ideal way to use up those abundant summer courgettes and enjoy a taste of the season..

In the Podding Shed: Grey Water and Bee Update

A listener email from Lynn raises the topic of using grey water in the garden, a relevant issue as parts of the UK face hosepipe bans and prolonged dry weather.

Topics discussed include:

When grey water is safe to use

Suitable plants for grey water

Avoiding harmful detergents

Reducing pressure on stored water during droughts

Lynn also requests a bee update, and Richard shares the latest news on the colony.

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 white caterpillars chewing through the leaves. Instead of using pesticides, he checked each leaf, picked off the caterpillars by hand, destroyed the eggs and took the caterpillars home for the chickens. Netting helps keep butterflies out, but it also makes day‑to‑day care awkward, so Richard plans to attract more birds to the plot with feeders and bird houses.

The leeks — sown back in January — finally went into the ground after the garlic came out. Each leek dropped into a dibbed hole and received a good soak. Daily watering will help them settle in. Harvests this week included courgettes, tomatoes, blackberries, currants, rhubarb, cabbage and second early potatoes, which performed much better than the first earlies. The soil remains very dry and the allotment badly needs rain.

Kitchen Garden Update

A few small jobs kept the kitchen garden productive. Richard trimmed thyme, rosemary and sage to encourage fresh growth and better flavour. Soft prunings went straight into the kitchen, and healthy stems went into water to root into new plants. He also extended the chicken area with poultry netting, giving the hens more space to forage while keeping them safe from foxes and Roxy the dog.

The hot bin ran smoothly this week. Richard removed finished compost from the bottom and added fresh material to the top. The mix of greens and browns keeps the bin hot and active, producing crumbly compost much faster than a traditional heap.

Recipe of the Week: Stir‑Fried Summer Beans

This week’s recipe is a quick stir‑fried bean dish made with runner beans, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. The beans cook until bright and tender, then get coated in the fragrant sauce and finished with sesame seeds. It’s simple, fresh and perfect alongside grilled meats, noodles or rice.

From the Potting Shed

Soft fruit spoils quickly, so Richard explored the best ways to store it. Freezing works well when fruit is frozen individually on trays before bagging. Raspberry jam is the easiest preserve to make, and jellies offer a smooth alternative. Bottling gives long‑lasting results without using freezer space. Fruit wines — raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry, rhubarb and elderflower — offer another way to preserve flavour. Dehydrating creates fruit leathers and chewy snacks that store well.

Storing soft fruit properly reduces waste and keeps summer flavours available all year.

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.