Episode 654: What’s Really Growing This Week — And How Do You Label It All?

In this week's episode of The Veg Grower Podcast, host Richard shares a vibrant update from his allotment and kitchen garden, highlighting the surge in spring growth across his plots. He details planting new batches of potatoes, onions, broad beans, and carrots, while also celebrating early signs of life like emerging rocket and asparagus spears. Richard emphasizes the importance of consistent maintenance, including hoeing, weeding, and mulching, especially on heavy clay soil. He discusses the challenges of slug and snail infestations in cold frames and shares his humane, chicken-friendly pest control strategy. A major focus of the episode is on plant labeling—Richard reflects on his long-standing use of reusable plastic labels with pencils, acknowledges their environmental downsides due to microplastics, and introduces a new sustainable solution: hand-painted wooden labels that are durable, eco-friendly, and reusable. He also mentions copper labels for permanent plant identification. The episode concludes with a recipe from a listener, rocket pesto, and a heartfelt call to action for listeners to rate, review, and join the Supporters Club for exclusive content and seed packs.