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The Veg Grower Podcast

The Veg Grower Podcast

By: Richard
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 If you are interested in growing your own food , then this is the podcast for you. Each week Join Richard Suggett as he shares his experience of growing food in his allotment and back garden.Copyright © Podcasting 2025 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • #633 Frost Hits the Kitchen Garden, Allotment Updates, and a Brilliant Christmas Gift Idea

    #633 Frost Hits the Kitchen Garden, Allotment Updates, and a Brilliant Christmas Gift Idea
    Nov 24 2025
    Welcome to this week’s companion blog post for The Veg Grower Podcast. In Episode 633, Richard shares what has been happening across the kitchen garden and allotment after a sudden blast of winter weather, and introduces a rather clever Christmas gift idea in conversation with a young gardener named Belle. Kitchen Garden Update Winter made itself known this week with a heavy frost across the kitchen garden. Many tender plants have finally keeled over, signalling the true end of the growing season. Although frost damage is never fun, it does help tidy the beds naturally and shows which plants are genuinely hardy. Richard talks through which crops held up well, which ones finally gave in, and what that means for the weeks ahead. Now is the time to clear away soft, spent growth and begin planning winter protection, mulching, and early sowing plans for the new year. Allotment Update A visit to the allotment gives a clearer picture of how the cold snap has affected things on the plot. Some crops have slowed right down, but others are surprisingly resilient. In this episode, Richard discusses: How the frost has changed the look and feel of the plot What still needs harvesting before the next cold spell Jobs that will take priority over the coming week How the allotment is responding overall as winter approaches It’s a good reminder that even after thirty years of growing, every season still has something new to teach us. A Christmas Gift Idea – Conversation with Belle To round off the episode, Richard chats with Belle, who shares a fantastic and thoughtful Christmas idea for gardeners. It’s the sort of gift that is practical, personal, and genuinely useful — perfect for anyone who enjoys growing their own food. SEalstop.co.uk This conversation offers a fresh perspective from a younger gardener and brings a lovely festive note to the end of the episode. Final Thoughts With frost now firmly part of the weekly forecast, the winter season is well and truly underway. That does not mean the garden falls silent — far from it. There is still plenty happening outdoors, and plenty to prepare indoors ahead of next year. If you have thoughts on how the frost has affected your own garden this week, or if you have your own gardening gift ideas, feel free to share them with the community.
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    32 mins
  • Tackling Problem Areas, Pruning Raspberries & Why Bare-Root Fruit Trees Save You Money — Episode 632

    Tackling Problem Areas, Pruning Raspberries & Why Bare-Root Fruit Trees Save You Money — Episode 632
    Nov 17 2025
    Welcome to this week’s blog post accompanying Episode 632 of The Veg Grower Podcast. In this episode, Richard shares what’s been happening on the allotment and in the kitchen garden during mid-November, tackles a few tricky areas, takes us through pruning summer raspberries, and explains why bare-root fruit trees can save you a fortune. Allotment Update - Tackling problem areas After a very wet Saturday, the weather dried up enough for a productive session on the allotment. Mid-November brings a noticeable shift: fewer people around, shorter days, and trees only now beginning to drop their leaves thanks to the mild autumn. Tackling Problem Areas Richard focuses on a few tricky spots this week: The top boundary alongside an abandoned neighbouring plot, where brambles and tall weeds always creep across. Only so much can be done until the plot is re-let, but winter tidying keeps it under control. The asparagus bed, now fully died back. Richard: Cleared weeds around the crowns Added homemade compost Layered on seaweed from the local beach (with permission) Finished with straw from the potato bedsAll to give the asparagus and rhubarb a strong start into spring. Under the gooseberry bushes, where thick bramble growth has taken hold. After cutting them back to the base: A few low gooseberry branches were removed for access Some bramble roots were dug out The plan now is regular hoeing to stay on top of regrowthIt’s part of a longer-term approach to improve the area while keeping things mostly no-dig. Kitchen Garden Update - Pruning raspberries Back home, the focus is on pruning summer raspberries. Pruning Summer Raspberries Summer-fruiting raspberries fruit on second-year canes. So the job now is to: Cut the older, brown canes at ground level Keep the younger, greener first-year stems for next year’s crop Richard uses a system where one side of the raspberry bed is first-year growth and the other is second-year, making pruning simple and repeatable. Autumn Raspberries The autumn raspberries are still fruiting and even flowering, so they’ll be left until winter before being cut down. In the Greenhouse Things are still thriving: Tomatoes have now been cleared Habaneros, chillies, and aubergines are still fruiting Strawberry plants, citrus, grape and peach trees are now sheltered inside The Autopot system has performed brilliantly again Planning ahead for sowing chillies and aubergines in December/January to make the most of the long season Recipe of the Week: Habanero Honey Hot Sauce With so many chillies still producing, Richard shares a beautifully balanced homemade hot sauce. It works with any type of chilli and stores well in the fridge. The full recipe is available on the website. The Podding Shed: Bare-Root Fruit Trees It’s the perfect season for bare-root fruit trees — usually available from November to February — and they’re one of the best ways to save money when expanding your fruit patch. Why Choose Bare-Root? Often less than half the price of potted trees Much easier to transport Establish extremely well when planted while dormant Ideal for gardeners on a budget Looking After Them Soak roots for 24 hours before planting If you can’t plant immediately, pot temporarily Get them into the ground while the soil is still warm Come spring, they bounce into life with fresh growth Richard also mentions his chosen tree for the year — a Cornish Gold pear, grown especially for juicing. If you would like to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club or use some of affiliate links below for items you might be buying. We might get a little commission Premier seeds direct for all your seed needs Autopot uk a revolutionary watering system for growing the best veg easily. User discount code auto10rvg for 10%off
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    29 mins
  • Extending the Growing Season: Rainwater, Chickens, and Indoor Gardening

    Extending the Growing Season: Rainwater, Chickens, and Indoor Gardening
    Nov 10 2025
    This week on The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard reflects on another busy week in the garden and allotment. With mild weather still hanging on, there’s plenty of fresh food to harvest — from kale and leeks to the last of the tomatoes and chillies. But as winter creeps closer, Richard’s focus turns to preparing for the months ahead and keeping the growing going indoors. In the Kitchen Garden Despite the changing season, the kitchen garden is still producing well. Richard talks about his continued harvests of late crops and how the mild weather has delayed the first frost. He shares how vital homemade compost has been this year — improving soil moisture and helping crops like parsnips thrive even after a dry summer. With 16 water butts already in place, he’s been busy transferring rainwater between them to make the most of every drop. Richard also discusses plans to add an IBC tank to boost rainwater storage and the benefits of composting for soil health, including his ongoing success with the Hotbin composter. Its mentioned about some black Fridays deals from HOTBIN composters that might be of interest to you and can be found here, or by using BF2025 in your cart when checking out There’s both good and bad news in the chicken coop this week. A compulsory housing order is now in place across the UK due to bird flu, meaning all poultry must be kept indoors. Richard shares how he’s keeping his flock safe — and the joy of discovering the very first egg from one of his new hens, a beautiful small blue-green egg laid by Panther. Down on the Allotment At the allotment, the focus has shifted to clearing and preparing beds for winter. Richard discusses the importance of green manures for protecting and improving soil health. He’s experimenting with different types — from phacelia to winter tares and forage rye — to see which works best in his soil. He’s also noticed some of his raised bed timbers are starting to rot, a good reminder that winter is the perfect time for maintenance projects like replacing boards and refreshing bed edges. Recipe of the Week This we week we have a perfect seasonal recipe — Roasted Root Vegetable and Apple Soup. This simple dish combines carrots, parsnips, swede and apples for a sweet, hearty winter warmer that’s ideal for using up stored crops. In the Potting Shed Richard finishes the episode talking about growing indoors — from microgreens on the kitchen windowsill to experiments with hydroponics. He explains how grow lights, heated propagators, and even small hydro systems can keep gardeners growing all winter long. Even when it’s cold and dark outside, the gardening doesn’t have to stop. With a few trays of microgreens or herbs, there’s always something fresh to enjoy — and plenty of ways to scratch that gardening itch through the winter.
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    35 mins
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