This week on the Veg Grower Podcast, I’ve been making the most of a rare bright December day down on the allotment, starting a long-planned project that should completely change how the plot looks in years to come.

Back at home, I’ve also been tackling a problem area in the kitchen garden and, with Christmas just around the corner, I’m sharing exactly what’s going to be on our home-grown Christmas dinner table.

It’s been a surprisingly productive December day down on the allotment, with sunshine, dry spells and plenty of motivation. One of my regular winter jobs is keeping the grass trimmed — it makes a huge difference to how the plot looks, even when very little is growing.

The main focus this week, though, has been starting a project I’ve wanted to do for a long time: training apple trees to form an edible fence. Along the roadside edge of the plot, I’ve cleared an underused area, removed old pots and revealed beautifully clean soil beneath the weed-suppressing membrane.

I planted a new apple tree and set three sturdy posts with supporting wires. This tree is being trained as a Belgian fence (espalier style), with horizontal arms running left and right at different levels. It’s a bold thing to do — you have to be confident with the pruning — but it creates a productive and incredibly attractive feature.

The posts went in deep (no concrete allowed on allotments), and I even uncovered an old lump of buried concrete that explained why a nearby apple tree had always leaned. Everything is now straight, mulched with compost and straw, and ready to grow.

I also reused compost that had been rotting down over an old elder tree stump. This compost-bin-over-the-stump trick is one I’ve used many times — it slowly rots the roots away and feeds the soil at the same time. The stump isn’t quite ready to come out yet, but another year should do it.

At home, I’ve been sorting out a boundary bed between the kitchen garden and the patio. The old wooden trellis had finally given up, leaning badly and relying on blackberries and tayberries to stay upright.

The plants were cut back hard, the rotten structure removed, and the area mulched with compost. It does mean less fruit next year, but sometimes a reset is exactly what’s needed. I’m now rethinking how best to create privacy here — possibly taking inspiration from the grapevine on the arch nearby, which has performed brilliantly.

With Christmas almost here, I’ve been doing final checks on the vegetables — and I’m pleased to say we’re fully stocked. This year’s home-grown Christmas dinner includes:

It’s simple food, cooked well, and made extra special because it’s been grown at home.

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A busy December episode this week, taking in fresh eggs from the chicken run, winter protection in the kitchen garden, a productive day on the allotment, a festive bread sauce recipe, and my honest verdict after several months of using a HotBin composter.

If you prefer to read along with the podcast or revisit a section, everything discussed in this week’s episode is summarised below.

There’s been some great news from the chicken run this week, with both of our newer hens now laying. That means four eggs a day, including some beautifully coloured blue and chocolate-green eggs. With bird flu restrictions still in place, the hens are confined to their run, so they’ve been enjoying plenty of garden greens to keep them happy.

In the kitchen garden, I’ve also been making good use of cloches. I planted out a small batch of peas that were started in the shed, giving them protection while I test how well they cope outdoors at this time of year. Plastic bottles and fleece are also doing their job where cloches won’t fit.

Despite it being December, we’re still harvesting Brussels sprouts, cabbages, broccoli and chard, and I’m pleased to see garlic and onions growing steadily.

Supporters Club members have been sowing lettuce and chilli peppers this week. Chillies, in particular, benefit from an early start when given a bit of warmth, and they’re a great crop to get going now.

A surprisingly sunny winter’s day made for a productive session on the allotment. Most of the time was spent on general tidying, including strimming the grass, which instantly made the plot feel more cared for.

I also emptied several compost bins and used the finished compost as a mulch, topping it off with straw to protect the soil over winter. Harvests included carrots, leeks and some much-improved parsnips, helped along by recent moisture.

This week’s recipe is a Christmas classic: bread sauce. It’s something we make every year in advance and freeze, ready for the big day.

An onion studded with cloves is gently infused in milk before adding breadcrumbs, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Simple, comforting and an essential part of a proper Christmas dinner. The full recipe is available on the website.

After several months of use, the HotBin composter has genuinely impressed me. Running it alongside a standard compost bin showed just how much quicker and more productive it can be, producing far more compost in the same timeframe.

It looks better than multiple Dalek bins, produces liquid feed, and importantly, keeps rats out. The main downside is the price, but based on compost produced, it should pay for itself within a couple of years.

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Hello and welcome to this week’s episode of the Veg Grower Podcast! I’m Richard, and my goal is to encourage and inspire you to grow more of your own food, no matter the space you have available. I share what I’ve been up to in my own allotment and kitchen garden here in Littlehampton on the south coast of the UK. After over 30 years of growing my own food, I’m still learning something new every single day.

This week, I’ve been down on the allotment, getting stuck into some winter pruning, tending to my tools, and having a wander around the kitchen garden. Here’s what’s been happening.

It’s that time of year to prune trees and bushes. I’ve been focusing on my apple and pear trees, both now fully dormant, making it easier to see the branches and plan the cuts. I start with the three Ds: Dead, Diseased, and Damaged branches. Clean, sharp secateurs are vital here to prevent spreading disease. These pruned branches go straight into the compost—yes, even the diseased ones, where they’ll gradually break down over a few years.

Next, I look for branches that cross or rub together and consider the overall shape and ventilation of the tree. Light and airflow are crucial for healthy growth, fruit production, and reducing fungal problems.

One of my apple trees has been a bit of a challenge—it has a tendency to list over, despite staking. This week I hammered in a longer stake and tied the tree upright, then added straw mulch to protect the roots over winter. Mulching has worked really well this year, and I’m keen to continue using it wherever I can.

Despite the cold weather, there’s still plenty of life on the allotment. Some tender plants have succumbed to frost, but my brassicas and green manures are holding strong. The garlic is emerging nicely too, so I’m feeling optimistic about Christmas dinner straight from the garden!

The council has been improving the roads and paths up to our allotment. The main track is still closed to vehicles, but it’s looking much better than before. It’s exciting to see this progress, although some neighbours have been trying to improve traction with old plant matter—trust me, it doesn’t really work!

After my allotment visit, I brought my tools home for a proper service.

Taking care of your garden tools is one of my passions. I give all my hand tools a thorough clean, sharpening, and treatment each year. Rust is removed, handles are sanded and treated with linseed oil, and metal parts are sharpened. I also use a bucket of sand mixed with used kitchen oil to store tools—it cleans, abrades, and coats them in one go. This simple routine keeps tools in great condition and ready to last for years.

This week, Chef Scott has been cooking Carrot and Parsnip Spiced Fritters. A brilliant way to use up stored root vegetables, these fritters are lightly spiced, crisp on the outside, and soft in the middle. Serve them with yoghurt or a poached egg—they’re perfect as a light lunch, side dish, or garden snack.

Ingredients:

Method:

Feel free to swap spices—curry powder, garam masala, chilli flakes, or even grated apple can give a different flavour twist.

Winter is also the perfect time to go through your seed collection. I store my seeds in wooden boxes inside an old fridge in the shed, which keeps them at a constant temperature and safe from vermin. Going through your seeds allows you to:

I even used AI to create a weekly seed sowing plan for 2025, which worked surprisingly well—particularly for crops like dwarf tomatoes sown in January! I’ll be doing the same for 2026. My tip: make a seed plan for next year and match it with what you already have. It saves time and ensures nothing gets forgotten.

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This week on The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard delves into the latest happenings at his allotment and kitchen garden as he navigates the challenges of a busy schedule. With limited time available, he shares exciting updates on the ongoing improvements to the allotment and addresses a listener’s question about the troublesome gooseberry sawfly.

Richard kicks off this episode by recounting his visit to the allotment, where recent council works are paving the way for easier access. Despite the muddy conditions, he manages to tackle some persistent problem areas, particularly around his thorny gooseberry plants. He discusses a recent break-in at a fellow allotment holder’s plot, highlighting the unfortunate reality of allotment life.

In response to a listener’s query, Richard provides valuable insights on managing gooseberry sawfly infestations. He emphasises the importance of encouraging natural predators, such as birds and ground beetles, and suggests practical methods for dealing with the pesky caterpillars, including hand removal and the use of protective fleece.

Back in the kitchen garden, Richard reveals this month’s seed selection: aubergines! He explains why December is a great time to start these seeds, sharing tips on sowing, germination, and ensuring successful growth. With the right conditions, aubergines can thrive, leading to bountiful harvests well into the summer.

If you are looking to buy some Aubergine seeds then check out premier seeds direct.

Finally, Richard discusses his latest read, Digging for Victory by Twigs Way and Mike Brown. He reflects on the historical significance of the Dig for Victory campaign, uncovering lesser-known facts and its impact on food production during challenging times. Richard encourages listeners to explore this fascinating topic further.

The book of the month for December is Gardening with Junk by Adam Caplin

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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.

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.

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:

It’s a good reminder that even after thirty years of growing, every season still has something new to teach us.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Richard focuses on a few tricky spots this week:

Back home, the focus is on pruning summer raspberries.

Summer-fruiting raspberries fruit on second-year canes. So the job now is to:

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.

The autumn raspberries are still fruiting and even flowering, so they’ll be left until winter before being cut down.

Things are still thriving:

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

This week, I’ve been experimenting with something a little different — late-night gardening under torchlight!
With the clocks changing, I found myself missing the allotment after work, so I thought I’d give working by flashlight a try. Let’s just say, it’s not something I’ll be repeating. Between juggling a torch and trying to weed one-handed, it was more trouble than it’s worth.

Still, it was good to see how things are ticking along. There’s not too much to do this time of year — overwintering crops are established and looking after themselves — but I did take the chance to observe the health of my soil.

Lately, I’ve been noticing a lot of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil, those delicate white strands that form a natural network underground. It’s often called the “internet of the soil,” helping plants communicate and share nutrients. Seeing that tells me my soil is alive and healthy.

Good soil health is everything. Adding organic matter, compost, leaf mould and mulches all feed the soil and the life within it — worms, fungi, bacteria — which in turn feeds our plants. That’s why we say, “feed the soil, not the plants.”
With winter approaching, I’ll be leaving most of the work for the weekends, focusing on mulching and protecting the soil ready for next spring.

Back home, it’s been a similar story of abundance. Despite being November, the beds are still bursting with produce — tomatoes, chillies, aubergines, kale, broccoli, cabbages, and peas. Even the nasturtiums and dahlias are still flowering, giving the garden a slightly overgrown but wonderfully productive look.

The chickens are doing well too, though we’ve had a bird flu alert from DEFRA. Thankfully, I’m not in a protection zone, but I’ve started taking precautions — covering the run, moving feeders, and preparing to disinfect boots when going in and out of the coop if needed. It’s important to stay vigilant and protect our birds as winter sets in.

Our Seed of the Month for November is Winter Purslane, also known as Claytonia or Miner’s Lettuce.
It’s one of the easiest and most rewarding crops to grow at this time of year.

Sow the seeds thinly on the surface of moist, peat-free compost and cover lightly. It doesn’t need warmth — in fact, it prefers cool temperatures and short days. It’s perfectly happy in a cold frame, greenhouse, or even a windowsill pot.

Harvest the young leaves regularly for salads. They have a soft, refreshing texture, a little like spinach, and are full of vitamin C. A perfect way to add a splash of green to winter meals.

Get your seeds here.

This weeks recipe has been inspired by our Seed of the Month and has created a Winter Purslane and Potato Salad with Mustard Dressing.
This simple dish combines the mild lemony flavour of Winter Purslane with warm potatoes and a tangy mustard dressing — proving that even in the depths of autumn, the garden can still put dinner on the table.
You can find the full recipe on our website.

This week, I’ve been reading Digging for Victory by Twigs Way and Mike Brown — a fascinating look at how gardeners in wartime Britain grew their own food and wasted nothing. That led me to think about wood ash, which ties in nicely with Bonfire Night.

If you have a fire or bonfire, save that ash!
Wood ash is rich in potassium, which supports flowering and fruiting plants. You can sprinkle it over vegetable beds or add it in small amounts to the compost heap. Just avoid using ash from treated wood or coal, and don’t add it where potatoes will grow next year, as it can encourage scab.

Store it dry in a metal container, and it’ll be a valuable soil improver come spring.

It’s been a productive and reflective week — experimenting on the allotment, enjoying the abundance in the kitchen garden, and thinking ahead to how we can use every resource, even wood ash, to improve our plots.

This week on The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard enjoys a productive weekend of gardening, with mild autumn weather, a few fireworks for the dog to contend with, and plenty of composting, tidying, and planning for the colder months ahead.

After a lovely weekend of good gardening weather, Richard shares how it’s left him smiling — the kind of days that remind us why we love being outside this time of year.

With the dog and chickens safely tucked away during the firework noise, the focus has been on tidying up the beds and adding more compost to improve the soil before winter sets in.

Most of the compost used is home-made — the result of months of careful recycling and turning — but for anyone needing to top up, Richard recommends PSA100 compost bought in bulk as a cost-effective alternative.

The same approach has been used in the Vegepod area, where the beds have been cleared and prepped ready for the next round of sowing. It’s all part of setting the garden up so it’s ready to burst into life again next spring.

As always, Richard pauses to thank his Supporters Club members for helping keep the podcast running.
Members receive extra behind-the-scenes podcasts and a monthly seed pack to sow, along with exclusive growing tips and access to a friendly online community.

You can join the Supporters Club for just £5 a month at theveggrowerpodcast.co.uk.

Over on the allotment, Richard has now lifted the last of the potatoes for the year — a satisfying job that marks the end of another growing season.

The leftover straw mulch from the potato beds has been repurposed to cover the rhubarb and other perennial vegetables, helping protect them from the winter cold and frost.

It’s a small but effective way to reuse materials and make sure the soil — and plants — stay healthy through the winter months.

Chef Scott makes his return this week with a recipe for Quince Jam, perfect for making use of those seasonal fruits. His recipe is simple, fragrant, and a lovely way to preserve autumn flavours for the months ahead.

You’ll find the full recipe over on the website.

Back in the shed, Richard turns his attention to a timely topic — heating the greenhouse.

The first step, he says, is always insulation. Bubble wrap or fleece can help trap warmth and protect plants from frost.

He also uses a water butt full of water as a thermal battery, storing warmth during the day and releasing it at night.

In the past, he even experimented with a compost heap for heating, inspired by the Victorians’ pineapple houses — though this proved less effective in practice.

When it comes to heating options, paraffin heaters can work well but bring concerns about safety and ventilation. For reliability and peace of mind, Richard now leans towards an electric greenhouse heater fitted with a thermostat to keep conditions steady without wasting energy.

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

This week on The Veg Grower Podcast, Richard shares another busy few days of tidying, planning and preparing for the colder months ahead — and reflects on where he finds his garden design inspiration.

Down on the allotment, the big tidy-up continues. With the days drawing shorter, time after work is now limited, so Richard has been making the most of every dry spell.

This week he’s been tackling weeds, laying down mulch, and organising tools and materials ready for winter. Straw has once again proven to be a fantastic mulch — keeping weeds at bay and making maintenance much easier.

He’s also been sorting through canes and supports, using a simple but clever trick for storing them neatly: fixing a bungee cord to the shed wall and slipping the canes behind it. It’s easy, quick, and stops everything falling about in the wind — a great tip for anyone short on shed space.

Plastic pots have also had a bit of a tidy. While Richard prefers to reuse rather than throw away, he’s been organising them into bins and boxes to keep things under control. The goal this winter is clear — get the plot tidy, mulched, and ready for another productive year.

Back home in the kitchen garden, listener Stuart Jackson got in touch with a great question: how do you overwinter chillies?

Chillies are actually perennials, so with the right care, they can keep going for years. The trick is to move potted plants indoors — a shed, greenhouse, or even a bright windowsill works well — and keep them just ticking over.

Richard recommends pruning each branch back to about a third, watering sparingly, and keeping them frost-free but not too warm. Then, when spring returns, the plants can burst back into growth and reward you with an early crop.

It’s a simple method that helps keep those favourite chilli plants alive year after year.

At home, the brassicas are thriving — Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbages and cauliflowers all doing well. The new chickens are settling in, though not yet laying, while the older hens continue to keep the egg basket full.

Remarkably, the courgette plants are still producing flowers and fruit — quite something for October. And there’s plenty of beetroot too, recently harvested for a batch of delicious beetroot and chocolate brownies.

This week’s recipe is Spicy Autumn Potato Soup, perfect for a chilly October day. It’s a simple, warming dish that uses stored potatoes, late chillies and peppers for a kick of flavour.

You’ll find the full recipe on the website — ideal for using up seasonal veg and serving with crusty bread after a day in the garden.

As the rain fell outside, Richard found himself thinking about garden design — not just for practicality, but for beauty too.

After ten years in the same home, the kitchen garden continues to evolve. The ambition now is to make it look amazing while still being productive. To do that, Richard’s been looking everywhere for inspiration — from social media to stately homes, RHS shows and hotel gardens.

He’s already bringing ideas home, like training apple and pear trees over a small arch — a miniature take on the grand designs seen at places like West Dean or Bewley Gardens. It’s proof that even in a modest garden, we can borrow the elegance of larger spaces while keeping things edible and functional.

So, where do you get your garden inspiration? Get in touch and let Richard know.