The Veg Grower Podcast

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.

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.