#534 Let’s get 2024 Growing

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Welcome back to another exciting episode from the veg grower podcast. Happy new year to you are you ready to hear the start of the 2024 garden updates?

This week Richard has wanted to hit 2024 running with the gardening so over the last week there has been preparations underway.

Garden Update:

We first head into Richard's garden for the first 2024 garden update, where work has been taking place to get the vegetable beds ready to grow. Food has been harvested such as leeks, parsnips and sprouts. But there is still more food waiting to be harvested, carrots and purple sprouting broccoli to name a few.

With vegetables harvested this cleared the beds to have some space. In which weeds have been cleared and the areas mulched with compost. All this is getting our 2024 garden ready.

Seeds have also been sown including peppers and aubergines indoors and onions in the greenhouse. However some chilli pepper seedlings have been attacked by slugs or snails. Them damn pests.

The 2024 Garden needs some seeds:

After the garden update we head into Richard's greenhouse where Richard is evaluating the plug plant trainer's he has used. These are great way to start some seeds and Richard has found that it reduces the amount of time spent pricking out later on in the year.

There are 4 types of plug plant trainers Richard has used and they can be found at

• Cheap plug plant trainers that might last a season or 2. These are far from Richards favourite but are cheap. Richard bought his from wilko's or the range.
• A much better option is these plug plant trays that Charles Dowding helped design. These are reusable and easier to get the plants out.
• Richard has also found these rubber plug plants trainers to be easy to use and reusable.
• But Richard's favourite are these plug plant trainers from Agralan. These have been well thought out and offer many handy features that gardeners might find useful.

What do you like to use to start off your seeds?

Chef Scott's Recipe Of The Week:

This week Chef Scott has adapted a recipe sent in by a listener. This is a great way to use butternut squash and make a quick and easy pasta dish.

Check out the recipe in full here.

Allotment Update:

Of course it wouldn't be complete without a visit to the allotment. December was a wet and dark month so Richard is hoping for a better start to the year and he got it!!!

On the allotment Richard has made a note of tasks to do especially throughout January including moving a shed.

Richard has also been covering empty spaces with cardboard and mulching fruit bushes with wood chip and lets not forget the dreaded weeding!!!

And finally:

Its been a productive week and start to the new year. Richard has set some homework for you. That is to take a photo of your allotment or garden at the start of the year. That way we can all refer back to it later on in the year and see how it changes throughout the year.

Don't forget to share your photos or get in touch with anything regarding todays podcast.

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