The Veg Grower Podcast

Join Richard in this weeks episode of the veg grower podcast. This week Richard feels like its all coming together as he is is looking at making more space in his greenhouse by using cold frames. He plants out some cabbages and cauliflowers. Also the grass paths have had their first cut at the allotment. Chef Scott shares an rhubarb BBQ sauce recipe too. Making room in the greenhouse. Like many of us Richard has lots of seedlings in his greenhouse and on his windowsills. But at this time of year a greenhouse also needs to be used for the growing of food. Richard now turns to his cold frames as a way of making more room in greenhouses and to harden off his plants. Join the supporters club If you enjoy this podcast and would like to support the work we do, then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club. For just £5 a month you get access to extra behind the scenes podcast as well as a monthly pack sent to your door. This pack contains our mini newspaper and a collection of seeds to sow in that very month. Click below to find out more. Its all coming together. One thing we have to do to grow our own food is plant plants! This week Richard has planted out his summer cabbages and cauliflowers, two of the hardest vegetables to grow. Richard talks you through his process of preparing the ground and planting out the plants and how to protect from pigeons. Chef Scott's recipe of the week This week Chef Scott has a delicious BBQ sauce using rhubarb for you to try. BBQ season is just around the corner and there's plenty of Rhubarb being harvested. The first cut. And finally we end with the first cut of the grass paths on the allotment. But the grass clippings don't get wasted, they can be used to make compost or for mulching the brassicas planted out earlier.

Join Richard in this weeks podcast as he opens up some bags of compost and prepares his hazel sticks for use

Join us in this weeks episode of the veg grower podcast where Richard wants to guide you through his journey of growing hi s own food on his allotment and vegetable garden. This week we have the seed of the month from premiers seeds, A visit to the Vegepod garden and how Richard has won the battle with whitefly. Lets not forget the draw for the name that chicken is taken place. Seed of the month: Dragons egg Cucumber With Easter and the beginning of the month coinciding, it only seemed fitting that the seed of the month for April be a dragons egg Cucumber. This promotion is in collaboration with premier seeds direct a great resource for all your seed needs. Premier seeds direct sell very reasonably priced seeds but to save even more money use discount code VEGPOD10 when shopping with them. The Dragons egg cucumber is a white egg looking cucumber that looks stunning and produces plenty of cucumbers. Sow now for a summer harvest and in this episode you will hear how Richard grows his. Support this podcast. If your enjoying this podcast then please leave a review on your podcast provider. It'll only take you a few seconds but helps get this podcast discovered by more people. But if you are really wanting to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of the supporters club. Hit the button below to find out mroe. The Vegepod Garden Its time to revisit the Vegepod garden. Richard's Vegepod garden is located on his patio and consists of 3 Vegepod. Small medium and large all of which has different uses. In this weeks podcast Richard takes you through his Vegepod and shares what's growing currently. he also shares what's next to do in his vegepod's. Chef Scott's recipe of the week. Each week chef Scott shares a delicious recipe and this week its a broad bean and apricot salsa. Just in time for our broad bean harvests. How we beat whitefly Whitefly has been a problem for Richard this year. And the loses have been mounting. However this did give Richard the chance to test out methods for tackling whitefly that sit with Richards ideology. The methods richard used that worked are Grazers g3 but this needs to be used before whitefly appears Natural predators such as lady birds A jet of water to blow of the whitefly Horticultural soap and now the whitefly is reduced. And the winner is. This month we launched a competition called name that chicken. There was lots of entries but there could only be one winner. And the winning name is Heggwig. Congratulations to the winner.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Veg Grower Podcast! I'm Richard, and my mission is to inspire and empower more people to grow their own food. Join me as we feel it is now time to spring clean the garden and allotment. Time to Spring Clean the Garden: As spring unfolds, it's time to rejuvenate our gardens. Learn how to integrate new chickens into your flock, tidy up neglected areas, and repurpose straw bales for mulching and composting. Discover the benefits of repurposing old structures, like transforming a quail cage into a hedgehog house. Plus, get insights into combating persistent pests like whitefly with organic solutions. Support this podcast: Support the Veg Grower Podcast by rating and reviewing on your podcast platform. Join our Supporters Club for exclusive content and monthly seed packs to boost your gardening journey. Find out more by clicking the button below Planting Potatoes and Combatting Couch Grass: Join me at the allotment as we plant potatoes and tackle couch grass. Learn the importance of soil preparation, spacing, and mulching for successful potato cultivation. Discover how potatoes can help suppress weeds like couch grass and the optimal timing for planting different varieties. Chef Scott Recipe of the Week: Stay tuned for Chef Scott's delicious recipe using fresh garden produce! This week its a delicious spring cabbage roll recipe which is just delicious. Maintaining the Fruit Garden: Explore strategies for maintaining a thriving fruit garden in limited space. Discover the benefits of container gardening and the importance of relocating potted plants for optimal sunlight. Learn how to protect delicate fruit trees from late frosts and diseases like peach leaf curl. Plus, dive into fruit propagation techniques like layering to expand your garden's bounty. Conclusion: As we wrap up, remember that spring cleaning isn't just about tidying up; it's about setting the stage for a fruitful season ahead. Join me next time as we continue our gardening journey together.

Join Richard in this weeks podcast in which Richard asks himself Why do we have so many plant feeds? Richard then takes us down the allotment where we find how the rain has affected the planting of potatoes and finish off with how the temperature in the greenhouse ahs freed up the kitchen worktops. Of course there's chef Scott's recipe of the week too! Why Do We Have So Many Plant feeds? Lately Richard has been asking himself why do we have so many plant feeds? Do we really need lots of different feeds and what do they do? With that in mind Richard looks in his shed to see what he actually has and does he actually use them in the garden or allotment. With so many different feeds it can be very complicated to work out just what is needed. Become a member of the supporters club. If you have been enjoying this podcast then please rate and review on your podcast provider. By rating and reviewing it helps give us important feedback and helps get us seen by new listeners. But if you are really enjoying this podcast, then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club. For just £5 a month you get access to extra behind the scenes podcast as well as a collection of seeds sent to your door each month. Click the button below to fond out more. Has the allotment dried out. This week Richard has been able to visit his allotment every day after work. This has really helped get on top of the weeds and make the allotment look tidier and prepped for growing. However the allotment is still very wet and after digging a small hole and monitoring the water Richard has postponed the planting of potatoes for a week in the hope the ground will dry out enough. Planting when so wet can lead to the potatoes rotting. Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week. This week Chef Scott has this delicious asparagus, tomato and feta focaccia recipe. Asparagus season will soon be upon us and having this recipe ready for those delicious spears makes it all the more exciting. The Greenhouse Has Warmed Up. Over this last week, Richard has been able to move his pepper and aubergine seedling out into the greenhouse away from the kitchen worktops. Below 10c these plant go dormant. But as the temps in the greenhouse have exceeded that now, its safe for his seedlings to go into the greenhouse. Outside the new chickens are settling in well. It'll soon be time to mix the old and new together. Don't forget there's a chance to win tickets to gardeners world spring fair just by suggesting a name for the chicken. The seed of the month seedlings are also growing. These are the summer squash zephyr f1 in collaboration with premier seeds direct. Use discount code vegpod10 for even more savings. Don't forget to follow us on social media and rate and review on your podcast provider

Welcome back to another exciting episode of our podcast! In this instalment, we embark on a journey of transformation, from repurposing a Belfast sink into a herbal tea bed to exploring the veg gardens of RHS Hyde Hall. Join us as we delve into the joys of gardening and culinary delights! Creating a Herbal Tea Bed in an Old Belfast Sink We kick off the episode by diving into the process of transforming an old Belfast sink into a flourishing herbal tea bed. I was set the challenge to create a herbal tea bed. After doing a lot of research I decided to use a Belfast sink I was recently donated. There are lots of herbs we could use for making teas but the only herbs available at this time, are Rosemary, Thyme, Sage, Moroccan Mint and Lemon Balm. We would have liked to add Lavender, Chamomile and Bergamot to the mix. What herbs do you use for tea? Become a supporting member. If you enjoy this podcast then please rate and review on your podcast provider. Rating and reviewing only takes a few seconds but helps get this podcast seen by other people who might be interested in growing there own food. But if you really want to support this podcast, then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club. For just £5 a month you get extra behind the scenes podcast as well as a collection of seeds sent to your door each month. Click the button below to find out more. Exploring RHS Hyde Hall with Lee Connolly Next, we're joined by special guest Lee Connolly as we embark on a captivating journey to RHS Hyde Hall. We really enjoy visiting gardens, especially if they have a vegetable garden. RHS Hyde Hall certainly delivered on the vegetable garden front and looking around gave us many ideas of what we could incorporate into our own gardens. Lee Connolly of course is well know for his work getting kids into gardening. Find out more about lee here. Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week Our resident chef, Scott, shares a mouth-watering recipe featuring our seed of the month Zephyr f1 summer squash. This recipe uses the squash to make a delicious pasta delicious which can be found here. Give it a try and let us know what you think. Premier seeds direct have also given us a discount code for you to use when shopping at their website. Use discount code VEGPOD10 when checking out. A Visit to the Allotment We wrap up the episode with a visit to the allotment, where we share updates and insights from our gardening adventures. Join us as we reflect on the joys of tending to our own patch of greenery.

Join Richard in this weeks veg grower podcast. This week Richard has been dealing with a few pests and got some new chickens. WE also have a new feature called seed of the month in collaboration with Premier Seed Direct. Pests are about Usually Richard gets very little problem with pests but this year slugs and snails have attacked his seedlings and aphids have started attacking his young plants. As a rule Richard hates pesticides, preferring nature to do its thing, but as these plants are in his kitchen Richard has used grazers g2 and g3 to tackle these pests. Mice or rats have also appeared in the garden, which is inevitable with chickens Become a supporting member If you enjoy this podcast then please rate and review, but if you want to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of the supporters club. Click below to find out more Seed of the month We have launched a new monthly segment if collaboration with premier seeds direct. Premier seed direct offer fantastic price on seeds with very reasonable quantitys. This month seed of the month is the fantastic zephyr f1 and courgette like summer squash with a unique look and taste. Get your seeds from premier seeds direct Chef Scott's recipe of the week Each week chef scott brings us a delicious recipe of the week and this week its this delicious parsnip hash brown recipe. New chickens This week saw the arrival of 2 new chickens. Chickens are great in the vegetable garden for a wide range of reasons but mostly because of fresh eggs. However these chickens do need names and Amanda has named one egguinox but the other needs a name too. Submit your name suggestion and you could be in with a chance to win tickets to the Gardeners world spring fair. Details can be found here.

This week Richard attended the garden press event. A yearly event where garden media personalities come together and explore new trends and products for the coming year. Richard discusses what he discovered with Jenny and Scott. Allotment update: Flooding avoided Richard went to his allotment but with it being so wet there is little that can be done. This however did cause him to reflect on how no dig gardening may prevent flooding. While on the allotment Richard has been running the hoe through the beds, in order to keep weeds down. Garden press event Richard attended the Garden press event and discovered a huge selection of new products to get excited about including Gardeners world live events Andermatt potato mist with a 15% discount using code veggrower15 Kent and stowe sure cut range with shock absorbers Envii plant feeds Germie seed starter kits The dipping tank You can hear our conversation on this products in todays podcast Chef Scott Recipe of the week This week Chef Scott shares with us this delicious Crispy Chilli Cauliflower With Tofu rice. Very popular at his place of work and sounds delicious. Garden update: Seed sowing and potting on In the garden Richard finds himself in the shed to stay dry and has been sowing a collection of seeds including radish, spinach and more. Also he tests the germie seed starter

In this weeks mailbag episode Richard has received a few correspondence that he wanted to share with you. Richard also has the latest from the allotment and garden and chef Scott has a delicious recipe using purple sprouting broccoli Veg garden update: getting ready for spring This week in the garden Richard has been busy getting ready for spring. The beds have been mulched and feed or lime. The hoe has been running through empty beds and the garlic, onions and daffodils are showing off in the February sun. Supporters members club If you enjoy this podcast then please rate and review on your podcast provider. by rating and reviewing you help get this podcast discovered by others. but if you really enjoy this podcast then please consider becoming a member of the supporters club. For just £5 a month you get extra behind the scenes podcast as well as a collection of seeds sent to your door every month. To find out more click the button below. Mailbag episode This week we have received a few messages. The first comes from Ellen. She shares how her turmeric and ginger harvest have performed as well as a tip for growing citrus through the winter. Stuart shares how he appreciates hearing us admit to mistakes. And Deborah is after some help with her chillies. Chef Scott's recipe of the week. Chef Scott has a delicious recipe this week which can be found here Allotment update: New compost bin and compost Continuing with the spring prep Richard has spread more compost on the allotment. But also wanting to produce more compost he has built a new compost bin. Built from old fridge doors this compost bin should last a while.

Join Richard in this weeks podcast where he is asking have you ever grown asparagus from seed? Why is he asking that well its because he has grown asparagus from seed and is sowing more today.

This weeks podcast is a little different as Richard was asked to participate in Seedy Sunday's local gardeners question time. Seedy Sunday Seedy Sunday is an annual event held in Brighton, East Sussex. Its Britain's oldest and longest running seed swop event The idea is a simple, you bring along some seeds you want to swop for seeds you want to go home with. Its held every year on the first Sunday in February. Local Gardeners question time This year Richard was invited to be on the panel answering members of the publics questions on gardening. Joining Richard on the panel was Kate Bradbury a well known wildlife gardener Ruth a founding member of brighton and hove organic gardening group Kate Harrison, the boss of Seedy Sunday and chaired this event. Questions asked incude How to save money agrdening How to rescue a poorly olive tree How to prepare for droughts and many more Richard mentions an olive feed for olive trees, the product he recommends is here.

In tis weeks podcast Richard has suffered a bit of storm damage. We have a new member with a new allotment join the team and we finish with a discussion on shed storage. Allotment update: Storm damage Last week the uk got hit with 2 storms, and Richards shed got blown over. Luckily the shed was due to be moved this weekend anyway and the damage wasn't to serious. With the shed sorted and moved this freed up space to move an apple tree. This apple tree when planted was squeezed into a space that wasn't large enough so it was time to give it the room to thrive. Supporters club If you enjoy this podcast then please rate and review. Rating and reviewing helps more people discover this podcast. But if you really want to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of the supporters club where you get extra benefits for just £5 a month. Click the button below to find out more. Jenny's allotment: A new allotment adventure This week we have a new member to the team who has a new allotment. Jenny has taken on allotment with lots of plans to grow food but work with nature. We look forward to hearing plenty of updates in the future. Scott's recipe of the week: scotch broth. This week Scott has this delicious scotch broth recipe, one that his grandmother used to cook for him. Garden update: Shed organisation In the garden Richard is looking at how he organises his shed in order to make his life easier. Tools are hung using pegboard and stocking filled with pots make a good use of space. A good tidy shed makes gardening much easier.

Join Richard in another productive week on the veg garden and the allotment. Richard was also invited onto BBC radio 2 to quiz DJ OJ about veg gardening. Listen to it all in this weeks veg grower podcast Veg garden update: Compost flies. From the home plot this week Richard is indoors potting up some of his seedlings that are growing well. However he has noticed that some of his multi purpose compost seems to contain compost flies, which is causing a few issues in his kitchen. To tackle this Richard has decided to use coir compost as this shouldn't have any fly eggs in it, but as a second line of defence he has introduced a carnivorous plant into his set up. Join the supporters club In this supporters club this week we have been sowing celeriac and rhubarb. 2 long term vegetables that are well worth growing from seed. The supporters club is set up to help keep this podcast running. For just £5 a month members get a collection of seeds sent to your door every month as well as extra behind the scenes podcast. To find out more and sign up click the button below Richard Appears on Radio 2 Richard was invited onto radio 2 to take part in a feature known as "midnight mastermind". Richards specialist subject of course being vegetable gardening. DJ OJ was the Dj and wanted to get all 3 questions correct but how did he do and how well will you do? Listen to play along Chef Scott's recipe of the week This week Chef Scott has another fantastic recipe for you. A chicken and squash traybake which is easy to make and uses up some of those squashes that we all have in storage. Give it a try and let us know what you think of this recipe. Allotment update: Clearing more areas Down on the allotment this week Richard has cleared an area in preparation for growing potatoes later on this year. These potatoes are to be saved for seed for the following year but also serves to help reduces the weeds in this tricky part of the allotment. Richard has also started to move the shed to a new location, although the plan has changed on this. And Finally Each week Richard is setting a mission for everyone and this week he wants to know how you store gardening items in your shed? Send your photos or email to Richard@theveggrowerpodcast.co.uk or via social media We will be back again next time so until then please take care

Join Richard in this weeks episode of The Veg Grower Podcast. This week Richard has had to protect his garden from the cold weather and removed a gooseberry bush from the allotment. Richard also ways in on a debate about is it too early for sowing seeds. Garden update: Protecting from frost This week the temperature has really dropped. Although there is not much actively growing in the garden at the moment, what is growing needs protecting. Richard has covered his plants with some horticultural fleece in order to protect them from frost. Richard has also wrapped his wormery with fleece, bubble wrap and even a duvet to protect the worms from getting too cold too. A wormery is a great addition to any garden as any kitchen waste gets thrown into the wormery of which the worms munch through and create compost. Other tasks in the garden have included building a new bed and spreading wood ash onto his beds for extra potash. Nothing gets wasted here. This week in the supporters club Rating and reviewing this podcast really helps this podcast get discovered by new listeners. This week we was left a lovely review from Lynn about how the discussion on plug plant trainers was very useful information. This type of feedback is valuable to us. So please do Rate and review. The Veg Grower Podcast also runs a supporters club as a way of keeping this podcast running. For just £5 a month you can get extra behind the scenes podcasts as well as a collection of seeds each month you are a member. Over this last week we have been sowing Fenugreek, a tasty microgreen and Parsley and herb that needs no introduction. If you are considering becoming a member please click the button below to find out more.

Join Richard in this weeks veg grower podcast. This Week Richard has had a good weekend on the plot, some time spent gardening on the alltometn and the veg garden. its made him very happy to tackle a number of jobs with a lovely break in the weather. Allotment update: Pruning Blackcurrant We head to the allotment first of all where Richard tackled a number of tasks. Firstly Richard tackled a bit of a tidy up. Strong winds have a habit of blowing unwanted litter onto Richards allotment all of which needs tidying up. However Richard does say we can be to tidy!! Nature loves messy areas so leaving some dead plant material for example can provide nature a home. Richard also harvested some Brussel sprouts and mulched the asparagus bed with some seaweed collected from a local beach. But the main task Richard tackled is the pruning of a blackcurrant bush that he inherited. Pruning can be a very daunting task but plants do benefit from a prune. When it comes to Blackcurrants pruning can be pretty easy. Richard always starts with any dead, diseased or damaged brunches all of which get pruned away, after that he looks at the overall shape of the bush, planning to try and end up with a goblet shaped bush at the end. This allows plenty of light and air around the plant. To achieve this Richard prunes away any brunches that are more the 5 years old. Overall a good weekend work on the alltoment Seed potato experiment; the harvest Richard is always trying to find ways of saving money and seed potatoes is a way Richard is experimenting with this year. 2023 Richard planted some extra potatoes in concrete pipes in a separate area of the allotment, the idea being to grow these plants to produce some seed potatoes. This weekend Richard harvested these seed potatoes in preparation for growing these in 2024. Will it be a success? Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week Sticking with potatoes Chef Scott has shared a delicious potato tart recipe. Which sounds delicious and easy to make. Its certainly one I will be trying. Garden update: A good weekend for bed making At home the veg garden is coming together nicely. Beds are continuing to be mulched in preparation for growing and a new bed has been built. Building this bed Richard uses thick untreated wood which is cut to size and screwed together. Sticking with no dog principles Richard then places cardboard on the ground and compost on top. This also gave Richard the chance to test his new ryobi battery charger. This charger can charge 6 batteries at the same time and also doubles up as a handy carry case for all his battery's, making life simpler. Added to that this week Richard has also sown a few seeds. Celery ahs been sown in the greenhouse, Mustard and Spring onions have been sown in the vegepod and indoors Richard has sown a second batch of chillies and aubergines. As you can see there's been lots going its been a good weekend on the plot

Welcome back to another exciting episode from the veg grower podcast. Happy new year to you are you ready to hear the start of the 2024 garden updates? This week Richard has wanted to hit 2024 running with the gardening so over the last week there has been preparations underway. Garden Update: We first head into Richard's garden for the first 2024 garden update, where work has been taking place to get the vegetable beds ready to grow. Food has been harvested such as leeks, parsnips and sprouts. But there is still more food waiting to be harvested, carrots and purple sprouting broccoli to name a few. With vegetables harvested this cleared the beds to have some space. In which weeds have been cleared and the areas mulched with compost. All this is getting our 2024 garden ready. Seeds have also been sown including peppers and aubergines indoors and onions in the greenhouse. However some chilli pepper seedlings have been attacked by slugs or snails. Them damn pests. The 2024 Garden needs some seeds: After the garden update we head into Richard's greenhouse where Richard is evaluating the plug plant trainer's he has used. These are great way to start some seeds and Richard has found that it reduces the amount of time spent pricking out later on in the year. There are 4 types of plug plant trainers Richard has used and they can be found at Cheap plug plant trainers that might last a season or 2. These are far from Richards favourite but are cheap. Richard bought his from wilko's or the range. A much better option is these plug plant trays that Charles Dowding helped design. These are reusable and easier to get the plants out. Richard has also found these rubber plug plants trainers to be easy to use and reusable. But Richard's favourite are these plug plant trainers from Agralan. These have been well thought out and offer many handy features that gardeners might find useful. What do you like to use to start off your seeds? Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week: This week Chef Scott has adapted a recipe sent in by a listener. This is a great way to use butternut squash and make a quick and easy pasta dish. Check out the recipe in full here. Allotment Update: Of course it wouldn't be complete without a visit to the allotment. December was a wet and dark month so Richard is hoping for a better start to the year and he got it!!! On the allotment Richard has made a note of tasks to do especially throughout January including moving a shed. Richard has also been covering empty spaces with cardboard and mulching fruit bushes with wood chip and lets not forget the dreaded weeding!!! And finally: Its been a productive week and start to the new year. Richard has set some homework for you. That is to take a photo of your allotment or garden at the start of the year. That way we can all refer back to it later on in the year and see how it changes throughout the year. Don't forget to share your photos or get in touch with anything regarding todays podcast. If you have enjoyed this podcast then please rate and review on your podcast provider, and if you want to support the work we do then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club. Click the button below to find out more.

Join us on Christmas day for a special episode from the veg grower podcast

In this weeks podcast we are evaluating how much food we have produced in our allotment and garden and ew have an interview with Littlehampton community fridge

As 2023 draws to a close its time to look at some the experiments we have run over 2023 and see what the results are.

Planning is one of those tasks that I absolutely love. This week I have sat down to make my 2024 veg garden and allotment layout plants.