The Veg Grower Podcast

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.

March has arrived and the soil is finally starting to warm up.

This week on the podcast

In this week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard is welcoming in the month of March. I share updates on soil temperatures, warming beds for early sowings. We also have our Seed of the Month, and this month’s book review. There’s also a simple seasonal recipe using purple sprouting broccoli.

Down the Allotment

After weeks of rain, a few dry days have finally helped the soil begin to dry and warm. Richard has also been checking temperatures with a soil thermometer. Although readings are still around 5–7°C, things are moving in the right direction.

Richard goes on to talk about how he's using cloches to warm the beds ahead of direct sowing, and why he prefer them over black plastic or weed membrane. There’s also a bit of reflection on how the allotment is looking overall as we head into the new season.

In the Potting Shed

With the shed averaging around 11°C this week, Richard has moved some of his peppers and chillies out from indoors to free up space. They’re looking happy, and the shed is now ready for more seed sowing as temperatures continue to stabilise.

Seed of the Month Cauliflower

This month’s featured seed is a multi‑headed cauliflower from Premier Seeds Direct. Richard explain's why this variety caught his attention. It produces a main head plus several smaller ones. Making it ideal for gardeners working with limited space.

Richard also touches on why cauliflowers can be tricky, the importance of consistency, and how he start's his in root trainers to avoid disturbing their roots.

In the Kitchen

Purple sprouting broccoli is at its peak right now. This week’s Richard's recipe is a simple roasted lemon and garlic purple sprouting broccoli with crispy chickpeas. It’s quick, flavourful, and perfect as a side dish or a light meal. Full details are shared in the episode.

Book of the Month

For February Richard is reviewing No Dig by Charles Dowding. Although many of the principles are now widely known, the book still offers clear explanations and accessible science behind the no‑dig method. Richard share's his thoughts on why it’s still a worthwhile read, especially for newer gardeners.

Richard's also introducing next month’s book: A Year on the River by Fiona Sims, which explores growing, foraging, and cooking from a narrowboat.

Richard wrap's up the episode with a listener message about straw bale gardening and share why squashes and cucumbers are a great place to start. As always, Richard invite listeners to leave a review, join the Supporters Club, or get in touch via the website or social media.

This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, I’ve been dodging rain showers, running a greenhouse heating test, answering listener questions, and getting the allotment ready for the season ahead. Despite the soggy conditions, there’s still plenty happening both in the kitchen garden and down on the plot.

Kitchen Garden: Cloches, Weeds & a Diesel Heater Test

We’ve had tiny breaks in the weather — just enough to dash outside and get a few jobs done. Most of my time has been spent clearing weeds and preparing the beds for the cloches that will really come into their own throughout March. Cloches help warm the soil and give early sowings like carrots and beetroot a head start.

I also ran a dummy test of my new diesel heater in the greenhouse. It was a Christmas gift I’ve been itching to try, and despite the temporary extension lead setup, it worked surprisingly well. The greenhouse heated up quickly, and it’s given me a good idea of how to position it properly once I finally get those two trees removed and can run proper electrics down to the shed.

A few tweaks are needed — especially around exhaust placement and raising the heater off the ground — but it’s a promising start.

Listener Question: What Veg Can You Grow While Heavily Pregnant?

I received a lovely email from Tanya, who is 36 weeks pregnant and looking for easy, tasty crops to grow. I suggested things like radishes, tomatoes, kale, rhubarb and beetroot — but I also put the call out to listeners who have grown veg during pregnancy to share their experiences. If that’s you, get in touch and I’ll pass your tips on to Tanya.

She also sent a photo of her chilli plants, which had some marks on the leaves. My first thought was spider mite, but after checking my own seedlings indoors, I discovered a greenfly outbreak. A simple blast of water from a spray bottle cleared them off — not my favourite method, but effective for now until the plants can move outside where ladybirds can help.

Down on the Allotment: Lighter Evenings & Straw Bale Gardening

The evenings are noticeably lighter now — not quite enough for after‑work gardening, but we’re getting there.

The allotment is still saturated, so I focused on tidying, checking beds, and clearing weeds. I also noticed my hazel sticks had been disturbed, though thankfully none seem to be missing.

This week I mulched my garlic and onions with straw to help lock in moisture for the months ahead. I also started conditioning a new straw bale bed, something I trialled successfully last year. With regular watering and high‑nitrogen feed (I use urea), the bales break down into a warm, nutrient‑rich growing medium. It’s a great way to turn problem areas into productive beds with fewer weeds.

Recipe of the Week: Cheesy Leek, Kale & Potato Bake

This week’s recipe is a comforting, late‑winter favourite: a cheesy leek, kale and potato bake. It’s simple, warming, and perfect for using the leeks we’re sowing this month and potatoes from storage. You’ll find the full recipe on the website.

Beekeeping Update with Mark

Mark from Buzz Into Beekeeping joined me for our monthly update. We talked about what bees are doing right now — clustering for warmth, taking cleansing flights on mild days, and beginning to collect early pollen as the queen starts laying again. It’s a crucial time for beekeepers to ensure colonies have enough stores and are ready for spring expansion.

This week’s episode of The Veg Grower Podcast was packed with those subtle but exciting signs that the growing season is waking up. After a rare dry spell on the south coast, I finally managed a full day in the kitchen garden — and it felt good to get stuck in.

Kitchen Garden: Early Growth & Essential Tidying

With the soil warming, weeds have started to appear, which is always a positive indicator that spring is on the way. Even more surprising was spotting the first early shoots of asparagus pushing through — far earlier than expected, but very welcome.

I mulched the asparagus bed with rich worm compost from the wormery, although I did discover a small mouse living beneath the bin. Thankfully, not a rat — and a reminder to keep an eye on things, especially with chickens nearby.

I also planted out some strong young leeks that were originally destined for a cancelled project. These were sown in May and have grown beautifully in pots, so they’re now filling an otherwise empty bed. I’ve also started another batch of leek seeds using my usual polystyrene‑box method.

Seedlings & Temperature Monitoring

Seedlings are everywhere at the moment — chillies, peppers, onions sown on Boxing Day — and they’re finally putting on growth after a slow start. My Bluetooth thermometer in the potting shed continues to be invaluable for tracking temperatures and deciding when to sow.

Allotment: Winter Jobs & Greenhouse Prep

Despite the rain, I pushed on with allotment jobs. February is always a strange month — half winter, half spring — but I managed to clear prunings, weed, and top up beds with compost.

When the rain set in, I moved into the greenhouse for a full clean and sterilise. Broken panes were swept up, frames washed, and everything disinfected with a natural biodegradable cleaner. It’s now ready for the season ahead.

The second greenhouse, “The Sergeant,” still needs glazing, but I’m leaning toward covering it with polytunnel plastic — a practical and affordable solution that should get it functional quickly.

In the Kitchen: Crispy Veg Pancakes

With Shrove Tuesday and Chinese New Year coinciding, I cooked up crispy vegetable pancakes filled with homegrown leeks, cabbage, carrot and onion, finished with a sweet chilli and soy dressing. A delicious way to use winter veg.

Grow Lights: Why They’re Becoming Essential

This week I also talked about grow lights — something I once thought unnecessary but now consider vital for year‑round growing, especially with limited winter daylight.

My older IKEA lights are fading after a decade of use, and last year’s cheap Amazon set hasn’t impressed. But this week I received a sample from a new company, Oasis Grow Lights, and the build quality and brightness immediately stood out.

One key feature I love: adjustable chains. My own experiment this year showed that seedlings grown with lights 10cm above them were stockier and stronger than those grown with lights 60cm away. Light distance matters — a lot.

I’ll be trialling these new lights properly over the coming weeks, but first impressions are excellent.

It’s been another wet and windy week here in Littlehampton, and once again the weather has been calling the shots. Outdoor jobs have been limited, but plenty has still been happening both indoors and on the allotment.

In this week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast, I’m sharing an update from the kitchen garden, how seed sowing and potting on are progressing, a slightly frustrating allotment visit, and answering a listener’s question about crop rotation.

In the kitchen garden

The constant rain has been a bit of a worry this week, particularly for the chickens. Even with a covered run, the clay soil is holding a lot of moisture and becoming boggy underfoot. For now, it’s a case of managing things as best as possible and planning improvements for drier conditions later in the year.

Elsewhere in the garden, everything is ticking along nicely. Garlic, chard and purple sprouting broccoli are all growing well, which is always reassuring at this time of year.

With outdoor gardening limited, most of my focus has been indoors. February is a great time to get ahead with seed sowing if you’ve got a warm windowsill or propagator. Aubergines, celery, celeriac, leeks, chillies, cauliflowers and cabbages have all been sown, setting things up nicely for the months ahead.

Seed compost, mixes and potting on

I keep seed sowing simple. A fine seed compost mixed with a small amount of perlite provides good drainage without overfeeding young seedlings.

Once plants are established, they’re potted on from plug trays into individual pots using multi-purpose compost, again with added perlite and just a light sprinkle of a general feed. Starting plants in plug trays has made potting on quicker, tidier, and reduced waste, which has been a real bonus.

Everything is still growing indoors under heat and grow lights for now, but the aim is steady, strong growth rather than rushing plants too early.

Harvests and preserving produce

Despite it still being winter, there’s plenty to harvest. Kale, chard, Brussels sprouts and purple sprouting broccoli are all being picked regularly, along with a good amount of parsley.

Some of the parsley has been dried using a small dehydrator set to around 35°C. It’s a simple way to preserve herbs and extend the usefulness of what’s grown in the garden. I mention the dehydrator I use in the podcast and this ca be found here.

Recipe of the week: Creamy Leek & Mustard Pasta

This week’s recipe uses one of those reliable winter staples – leeks. They quietly earn their keep all winter and work brilliantly in simple, comforting meals.

The recipe is a creamy leek and wholegrain mustard pasta that’s quick to cook, flexible, and perfect for using home-grown leeks.

You can find the full recipe here: Creamy Leek & Mustard Pasta

Down on the allotment

A brief dry spell made it possible to visit the allotment, and the raised beds and no-dig approach are once again proving their worth. Despite all the rain, the soil remains workable and free-draining.

Most of the time this week has been spent dealing with a problem area near neighbouring plots that have been left unattended. Brambles and weeds continue to creep in, along with dumped pots and debris. Cutting things back while everything is dormant helps keep the situation manageable.

There are also clear signs that spring isn’t too far away. Buds are appearing on the thornless blackberry, garlic and onions are looking strong, and recent work on the potato beds is holding up well.

Listener question: Is crop rotation still necessary?

This week’s listener question comes from Lynn, who asked whether crop rotation is really necessary on an organic, no-dig plot, especially in a small space with perennial crops.

Traditional crop rotation helps reduce pest and disease build-up and manage soil fertility, but in smaller gardens and allotments it isn’t always practical or essential.