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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 2021 Social Sciences
Episodes
  • #614– Digging Deep: Soil Surprises, Straw Bale Success & Ladybird Swarms

    #614– Digging Deep: Soil Surprises, Straw Bale Success & Ladybird Swarms
    Jul 14 2025
    This week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast takes a deeper look at what lies beneath – literally and figuratively. With driveway works revealing long-hidden soil and water pipes, and a hot, dry summer pushing crops and gardeners alike, there’s plenty to reflect on. Here’s what you’ll hear in episode #614: Home Plot Update: What Lies Beneath? Work began this week on replacing the front driveway – an area where Richard previously grew fruit trees and bushes in pots. As the old concrete and gravel were removed, soil that hadn’t seen daylight in nearly 100 years was exposed. What did it look like? Lifeless. No worms, no structure, no organic matter. Just solid clay and compacted ground. This led to a powerful comparison with the healthy, rich, worm-filled soil in the veg beds – a reminder of just how important compost, mulch, and time are in building soil life. It also triggered a bigger thought: what’s beneath our gardens? A small leak in the water pipe and damaged drains revealed how much infrastructure quietly runs under our feet. What would happen if a pipe burst beneath your allotment or veg patch? Something to consider before planting perennials or laying paths. Allotment Update: Mornings and Mulch With high temperatures continuing, Richard has shifted his allotment routine to early mornings – working from 6:30 to 9:30am across the weekend. This made all the difference, especially for weeding and watering. First and second early potatoes are now being harvested Straw mulch continues to prove invaluable – potato beds are holding moisture well despite the heat Straw bale gardening is also thriving, with the internal moisture levels keeping plants happy with very little watering Richard shares his watering strategy too – watering deeply once a week to encourage deep roots, rather than frequent shallow watering. He uses the classic ‘finger test’ to check moisture and shares how to read plant signs. Midseason Blues? Keep Going Around this time each year, many gardeners feel discouraged and start talking about “writing off” the season. Richard urges listeners to reframe that thinking. There’s still time to: Sow green manures to feed the soil and attract pollinators Fill gaps with quick-growing crops like spinach, radish or carrots Reflect and adapt – not every season is perfect, but there’s always something to learn Recipe of the Week: Homegrown Tomatoes with Anchovy, Lemon, Basil & Caper Dressing Chef Scott is celebrating the tomato harvest with a fresh, bold-flavoured salad that lets ripe tomatoes shine. It’s a simple dish – tomatoes, anchovies, lemon zest, capers, olive oil and basil – but full of depth and perfect for a warm summer meal. Listener Message: Sterling from Seattle A shout-out to long-time listener Sterling from Seattle, who left a lovely voice message about discovering the podcast while searching for how to grow potatoes. He also shared how he tried Chef Scott’s rhubarb crumble recipe, swapping in strawberries. We love hearing stories like this! Ladybird Boom & Natural Pest Control There’s good news for gardeners this week – ladybird numbers are booming. A reported swarm even disrupted a cricket match at Lord’s! Ladybirds are a natural predator of aphids, and their increasing numbers this year are linked to the warm weather and rising aphid populations. Richard shares tips on encouraging beneficial predators, like: Leaving out shallow water bowls and shelter piles Planting flowers that attract insects Avoiding pesticides Considering green manures that also feed pollinators Final Thought:A hot week above ground. Big revelations beneath it. This episode is a reminder that gardening is as much about observation and reflection as it is about digging and sowing.
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    29 mins
  • 613 – Filling the Gaps, Compost Trials & The Great Driveway Move

    613 – Filling the Gaps, Compost Trials & The Great Driveway Move
    Jul 7 2025
    This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast is a true slice of life from the garden and allotment. As the height of summer brings its usual mix of challenges and opportunities, I share what I’ve been up to, what’s working, and what I’ve learned. Here’s what you can expect: Allotment Update: Back on Track After weeks of feeling behind, I’ve finally managed to get the allotment back under control. I spent time working through every bed, tidying, weeding, watering, and harvesting a satisfying haul – including potatoes, broad beans, raspberries, rhubarb, cabbage, gooseberries, and more. I also talk about thinning out my apples and pears by hand this year, due to a surprising lack of the usual June drop. Thinning feels counterintuitive, but the results in fruit size and quality are worth it. Dealing with Weedy Boundaries I touch on the ongoing battle with brambles spilling over from the neighbouring, abandoned allotment. It's a persistent nuisance and a reminder of how quickly things can get out of hand without regular maintenance. Straw Mulch Continues to Prove Itself The ongoing dry weather has made watering a near-daily task – but the beds mulched with straw are noticeably better at retaining moisture. I share just how well it’s working, and why I’m planning to mulch all beds with straw after laying compost each year. Filling the Gaps – Mid-Summer Sowing With a few crops failing (including sweetcorn devastated by slugs), and others now harvested, I’ve started sowing again to avoid empty beds. I walk you through what I’m sowing in the potting shed to fill those gaps: Dwarf French beans Chard Spinach Lettuce Microgreens Plus suggestions for what to sow direct this month: Carrots Beetroot Radish Turnips Kohlrabi Salad crops My approach continues to favour starting in modules to avoid confusion with weeds – except for root crops, which go straight into the soil. Visitors, Filming & The Great Driveway Move It’s been a busy week not just in the garden, but at home too. I hosted a filming day with the team from AutoPot, who make one of my favourite irrigation systems. We use their kit in the greenhouse and now in the potting shed – it’s a game-changer for watering seedlings and young plants. On top of that, the front driveway is being replaced – a big job, and one that required relocating every single fruit tree and plant growing out front. I talk about what that process was like and why we chose a porous surface to help with drainage and sustainability. Compost Trial Update: HotBin vs Dalek I share the latest progress in our composting experiment between a HotBin and a traditional Dalek bin. The HotBin continues to impress – producing compost more quickly, breaking down volume effectively, and even generating more liquid feed than my wormery. I discuss materials, challenges with browns, and the signs that it’s working well. Don't forget the discount code VGP10HB Recipe of the Week: Fennel Salad with Grapefruit & Capers Chef Scott celebrates our seed of the month, Florence Fennel, with a light and refreshing summer salad featuring grapefruit, lemon, capers and olive oil. A perfect pairing with grilled fish or pork – and another clever way to enjoy this bold-flavoured vegetable. Listener Comments & Questions We hear from: Annabel , who shares her support for the podcast and a bit of shed envy! Lynn, who’s struggling to stop her pak choi from bolting. I offer some advice: keep the soil moist, offer partial shade, and try spring or autumn sowings when temperatures are cooler. Final Thought:The key message this week? Keep sowing, keep growing, and don’t be afraid to try again. Whether it's replanting a failed crop, trying a new composting method, or moving a garden full of fruit trees, there’s always something to learn.
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    30 mins
  • #612 – The New Potting Shed, Fennel, and Feeling Overwhelmed

    #612 – The New Potting Shed, Fennel, and Feeling Overwhelmed
    Jun 30 2025
    This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast is packed with personal updates, seasonal sowing, and an honest reflection on feeling overwhelmed during the busy summer gardening season. Here’s what you can expect: Kitchen Garden Update: A Brand New Potting Shed This week saw a major upgrade in the garden — Richard has installed a brand new potting shed, combining greenhouse-style light with the solid build of a traditional shed. After removing the old, crumbling structure (which had long become a dumping ground), he replaced it with a spacious, double-doored model from Power Sheds. The new shed is already kitted out with shelves, growing trays and will be used primarily for propagation. It's a significant investment, but one that promises more organised and efficient seed sowing going forward. Seed of the Month: Florence Fennel This month’s featured seed is Florence Fennel, also known as bulb fennel. Richard discusses how to sow it, where it grows best, and why now is the perfect time to get it going. Key growing notes: Sow from late spring to midsummer (May–July) Direct sowing is best, though pot-grown transplants can work Keep soil moist to prevent bolting Harvest when bulbs reach 7–10cm in diameter (around 12–14 weeks after sowing) Richard prefers to start his in pots due to weed competition in open ground. He’ll be growing his inside the new potting shed. You can buy Florence fennel from our chosen suppliers below Premier seeds Simply seeds Recipe of the Week: Confit Elephant Garlic Chef Scott shares a beautifully simple and deeply flavoured recipe this week — Confit Elephant Garlic. By slow-cooking peeled garlic cloves in olive oil with rosemary and sea salt, you get soft, spreadable garlic perfect for toast or adding richness to dishes like bolognese. It’s a great way to preserve a bumper garlic harvest, and Richard plans to make a batch of his own. Feeling Overwhelmed in the Garden Richard opens up about the realities of struggling to keep up with the demands of summer gardening. From constant watering during a dry year to family life and work commitments, he shares his honest thoughts on burnout and how he’s coping. Tips discussed include: Mulching (especially with straw) to reduce watering needs Watering deeply but less frequently for strong root growth Doing a little weeding each day rather than letting it pile up Writing a weekly to-do list and focusing on just one job per day Accepting that not everything has to look perfect This segment is a reassuring reminder that it’s okay to slow down, simplify, and approach growing your own food in a sustainable, realistic way. Community Shout-Out A big thank you to Annabel Scott for her Spotify review, praising the podcast and Chef Scott’s seasonal recipes. It’s feedback like this that helps grow the community and reminds us why we do what we do. Also check out this article from Thompson and Morgon about natural pest control.
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    28 mins

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