Welcome back to The Veg Grower Podcast! This week’s episode is packed with useful updates from my garden and allotment, a very special interview with the folks from Hotbin, and of course – Chef Scott returns with a cracking recipe using your homegrown veg. In the Kitchen Garden We’re now well into May, and the garden is shifting into high gear. This week, I’ve been planting out tomatoes, brassicas, peppers, chillies – basically anything I can to fill the gaps. The overwintered chard has started to bolt, so that’s out, and new plantings are in. As I’m heading off for a week on the road with Lee Connolly and our school gardening mission, I’ve had to prepare the garden for Amanda to take over the watering duties. I’m not a fan of using the hosepipe, but I’ve set one up to make life easier while I’m away. I’ve also prepped the greenhouse with the autopot system and the Vegepod with a water timer. With little rain recently – and none in the forecast – these measures should help everything establish nicely. Hotbin Composting – Interview The highlight of this episode is my chat with the team at Hotbin, a composting system designed to heat up your compost and speed up the process. I’ve been trialling the Hotbin against a traditional ‘Dalek’ bin and share a few observations of my own before the interview. If you’ve ever struggled to keep composting going all year round – especially in colder weather – the Hotbin could be a game-changer. We talk about how it works, what materials it handles best, and tips for getting the most out of your compost pile. If you are interested in buying a hotbin then hotbin have kindly giving us a discount code. Use code VGP10HB for 10% off. Recipe of the Week: Vegetable Crisps with Herbs & Garlic With me travelling this week, Chef Scott’s whipped up the perfect travel snack – homemade vegetable crisps seasoned with crispy garlic, sage, rosemary, and sea salt. He uses whatever root veg are available: carrots, parsnips, beetroot, celeriac, sweet potato and even Jerusalem artichokes. They’re thinly peeled into ribbons and fried with herbs and garlic until perfectly crisp. No quantities needed – just a method and a bit of experimentation! Read the full recipe here Allotment Update Every evening this week I’ve made it to the allotment to get some solid watering in. The garlic, onions and potatoes are all doing well. Even though I mulched the potatoes last week, they’ve already shot up and need another layer of straw. I’ve held off planting anything new since Amanda won’t be able to water while I’m away – but the weeds are making up for it with their rapid growth. A quick tidy-up and I’m calling it done until I return. Join the Supporters Club If you enjoy this podcast, please consider leaving a review – it really helps. And if you want to go one step further, why not join the Supporters Club? For just £5/month you’ll receive: Exclusive behind-the-scenes podcast episodes A mini newspaper posted to your door each month A curated pack of seeds to sow that very month This week’s pack includes runner beans and winter cabbage – both great choices for succession sowing. Sign up at Here. Community Corner We wrap up with a lovely comment from listener Lynn on Spotify. She’s had six allotments over the years – from vandalised plots to marestail nightmares – but now has one she’s happy with. Thank you for sharing your story, Lynn. Stay in Touch Got a question or story to share? Email me, leave a voicemail on the website, or message me on social media. And don’t forget – you can support the show by shopping through our affiliate links: Autopot (use discount code auto10rvg for 10%off) Premier Seeds Direct Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you next week!
