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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 2026 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Episode 650: Spring Sunshine, Potato Planting & A Buzzing Start to Beekeeping Season

    Episode 650: Spring Sunshine, Potato Planting & A Buzzing Start to Beekeeping Season
    Mar 23 2026
    Spring has finally arrived on the south coast, and with it comes that unmistakable lift in energy across the allotment and kitchen garden. This week’s episode was packed with sunshine, soil, potatoes, pots, and even a first look inside the beehive for 2024. Here’s everything that unfolded. Down on the Allotment: Grass Cutting & First Potatoes of the Year The warm, bright weather made the allotment an absolute joy. With the sun out and the soil workable, the first big job was tackling the grass. The strimmer handled the edges beautifully, but the battery mower decided to misbehave — a loose connection, by the feel of it. The top half of the plot is now looking sharp, and all those clippings have gone straight into the compost. But the real highlight was the start of potato planting. This year, instead of planting all eight varieties in one exhausting session, the plan is to stagger them over several weeks. First in the ground were the Rocket first earlies, planted into beds that had been sown with potato-friendly green manures last autumn. After cutting the green manure back six weeks ago and letting it rot down, the soil was in great condition. Each planting hole received a sprinkle of potato fertiliser — potatoes are hungry plants, after all — before being covered with compost. Once the shoots appear, they’ll be mulched with straw to help retain moisture and suppress weeds. With luck, the first harvest should be ready by June. The garlic and onions also received a drink, just to keep everything moving nicely as the season wakes up. In the Kitchen Garden: Spring Tidy-Up & Fresh Starts Back at home, the spring clean-up is well underway. Weeding, mulching, and general tidying have transformed the space, and the removal of the old tree a few weeks ago has opened up new possibilities. A new chainsaw blade made processing the remaining branches much easier — a reminder that sharp tools really do make all the difference. Potatoes in Pots Although most crops go into the ground these days, a few potatoes are being grown at home this year to mix up the planting. Four Rocket seed potatoes went into a large bucket in layers of compost and fertiliser. It’s a simple method and a great way to add extra growing space without sacrificing beds. Refreshing the Front Garden Pots After last year’s driveway replacement, the old mismatched pots at the front of the house were looking tired. Over winter, new decorative grey-and-black speckled pots have been gradually added. They complement the driveway beautifully and will hold fruit trees and bushes that can be moved when needed to make space for parking. A Surprise Behind the Shed A quick trip behind the shed revealed that the water butts were running low — not because of the weather, but because the downpipe had fallen off and dropped inside one of the butts. After fishing it out and refitting it, the hope now is for just a little rain to refill the system. Water is precious, after all. Recipe of the Week: Cheesy Leeks This week’s kitchen creation was a simple but delicious dish to accompany Saturday night’s steak: cheesy leeks. Leeks were gently softened in butter, then folded into a homemade cheese sauce made from a classic roux. After a short bake in the oven, the result was rich, comforting, and full of flavour — with plenty left over for the next day. A brilliant way to use fresh allotment leeks. Beekeeping Update with Mark from Buzz Into Beekeeping With the first warm days of spring, Mark was finally able to open the hive for a proper inspection — and the news was excellent. Inside the brood box, the frames showed everything a beekeeper hopes to see at this time of year: Eggs, larvae, and capped brood in neat concentric circles Plenty of pollen and nectar stores A growing population Drone brood developing, signalling the approach of swarming season Although the queen herself stayed hidden (as she often does),
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    30 mins
  • Episode 649- Early Carrots, Soil Care, and the Power of Wool Pellets — This Week on the Veg Grower Podcast

    Episode 649- Early Carrots, Soil Care, and the Power of Wool Pellets — This Week on the Veg Grower Podcast
    Mar 16 2026
    Spring is finally starting to show itself in Richard’s garden this week, with early sowings going into the ground, the greenhouse warming up, and both the allotment and kitchen garden shaking off winter. From experimenting with early carrots to juggling seedlings on every available surface, and finishing with a fascinating conversation about soil health and wool‑based fertilisers, it’s been a week full of momentum and inspiration. In the Allotment Richard began the week with a touch of gardener’s guilt after a rare day away at a photography show. But despite that, the allotment is progressing well. Cloches and black membrane have been warming the soil, creating ideal conditions for the first early carrots of the year. As he explained, “when you have consistently same soil… the carrots don’t fork” — the reason behind his decision to grow them in concrete tubes filled with fresh compost. Parsnips also went in, earlier than he would normally attempt, but with the hope of an early harvest. Around the site, spring is unmistakably arriving: nettles, gooseberries, blackberries and even the neighbour’s plot are showing signs of life. Compost continues to be added to empty beds, and Richard reflected on the ongoing debate about whether spring or winter is best. As he put it, “adding compost to the soil is a good thing… when the beds are empty is when we add the compost”. Green manures are still doing their job too, being chopped and dropped to feed the soil before a layer of compost goes on top. In the Kitchen Garden Back home, the mix of frosty mornings and warm afternoons has created perfect conditions for more sowing. Carrots and parsnips have gone in again under cloches, acting as a backup to the allotment. Richard also shared how his polyculture experiment is progressing. It’s a learning curve, but already proving interesting: “You really do have to think about what you’re sowing and where and when those plants are going to be ready for harvesting.” The veggie pods are now filled with lettuce, spring onions and cut‑and‑come‑again salads — a setup he has relied on for years. Indoors, tomatoes, courgettes, pumpkins and more are filling every available space, with cold frames warming up ready for the next wave of seedlings. Inside the greenhouse, watering has become a daily reminder. As Richard noted, “a greenhouse doesn’t get rain on the inside” — something many gardeners forget at this time of year. Recipe of the Week This week’s dish was a bright, seasonal plate of purple sprouting broccoli with lemon butter and orzo. Quick, simple, and a perfect way to celebrate one of the best crops of early spring. Interview: Eddie from Traditional Garden Growers In the podding shed, you welcomed Eddie from traditional Garden Growers — a grower with a passion for soil science and regenerative methods. His journey from Harper Adams to market gardening, and now to producing natural fertilizers, made for a fascinating conversation. One standout moment was his explanation of wool pellets. Older farmers used belly wool and daggings on their veg patches, and Eddie has revived that tradition in a modern form. As he explained, wool pellets: Increase water‑holding capacity Boost microbial activity Release nutrients slowly Provide natural nitrogen and potassium He also introduced other products: Power Plant Pellets — digestate‑based rocket fuel for hungry crops Thatcher’s Mulch — pelletised straw that expands into a weed‑suppressing, moisture‑retaining mulch Compost Booster — a brown‑matter solution for slimy, green‑heavy compost heaps It was a brilliant discussion on soil health, sustainability, and making the most of undervalued natural resources. 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
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    34 mins
  • Episode 648: A Big Tree Down, Compost Going Out and My Top Tips for Successful Seed Germination

    Episode 648: A Big Tree Down, Compost Going Out and My Top Tips for Successful Seed Germination
    Mar 9 2026
    This week’s episode has been a satisfying mix of big winter jobs finally completed, steady progress in both the kitchen garden and the allotment, and the start of the busy seed‑sowing season. Here’s a written look at everything covered in Episode 648. Kitchen Garden Update The biggest achievement this week was removing the large elm tree that had taken root beside the greenhouse. What looked manageable from the ground turned out to be around five metres tall, meaning a scaffold tower was needed to safely take it down. As you said in the episode, climbing up reminded you that heights still aren’t your favourite place to be, but the job needed doing and it’s now complete. With the stump cut low, a Dalek compost bin has been placed over the top. This is a method you’ve used many times before. By excluding light and keeping the area damp with added compostable material, the stump slowly rots away over a year or two. It’s simple, inexpensive and avoids the need for heavy machinery. The thinner branches have already been shredded for woodchip, which will be used around the garden and in the chicken coop. The thicker pieces will dry out and become winter fuel later in the year. It’s another step toward making the garden as self‑sufficient as possible. Elsewhere in the garden, weeds are being cleared and the chillies and peppers moved to the potting shed last week are looking strong and dark green. Seed potatoes also arrived this week. Eight varieties in total, now chitting in the potting shed and greenhouse. Chitting isn’t essential, but as you explained, if potatoes are going to sprout anyway, it makes sense to control the process and encourage sturdy, healthy shoots. Down on the Allotment A mostly dry week had raised hopes for good soil conditions, but Friday’s rain left the ground claggy in places. Beds that haven’t had much organic matter added over the years were noticeably harder to hoe, while beds enriched with compost were far easier to work. It’s a clear reminder of how much difference organic matter makes to soil structure. The strimmer came in handy for cutting weeds where hoeing wasn’t possible. After that, homemade compost was spread on the poorer beds. Each bed takes around five wheelbarrow loads, and one compost bin filled only three beds, showing just how much compost a productive allotment needs. The long‑term goal remains the same: to produce enough compost on site to avoid buying any in. A new dwarf variety of Jerusalem artichoke called Small Wonder has also been planted. These grow to around 80cm tall, far more manageable than the towering varieties grown in previous years. Planting them in a large pot should help contain the tubers and make harvesting easier. Recipe of the Week Chef Scott returned with a seasonal dish: a warm salad of chargrilled spring vegetables with feta, mint and chilli. It features purple sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, asparagus and peas, brought together with lemon zest, chilli, mint sauce and crumbled feta. A simple, fresh recipe that pairs beautifully with spring lamb chops. The full method is available on the Veg Grower Podcast website. Main Topic: Tips for Successful Seed Germination With March underway, seed sowing is now in full swing. Over the years you’ve developed a reliable routine for achieving strong germination, and this week’s episode shared those key principles. The first is to use seed that is in date. Older seed can still germinate, but fresh seed gives the highest success rate. The second is to read the packet. Every seed has its own requirements, whether that’s light, darkness, warmth, soaking or chilling. The packet contains all the information needed to give each seed the right start. A good quality seed compost is essential. A fine, free‑draining mix with added perlite and vermiculite creates the ideal balance of moisture and air. Checking seeds regularly is important, but patience is equally vital.
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    35 mins
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