Episode 649- Early Carrots, Soil Care, and the Power of Wool Pellets — This Week on the Veg Grower Podcast

About this episode

Richard discusses early sowings, soil health, and the use of wool pellets in his garden.

Spring is finally starting to show itself in Richard’s garden this week, with early sowings going into the ground, the greenhouse warming up, and both the allotment and kitchen garden shaking off winter. From experimenting with early carrots to juggling seedlings on every available surface, and finishing with a fascinating conversation about soil health and wool‑based fertilisers, it’s been a week full of momentum and inspiration. In the Allotment Richard began the week with a touch of gardener’s guilt after a rare day away at a photography show. But despite that, the allotment is progressing well. Cloches and black membrane have been warming the soil, creating ideal conditions for the first early carrots of the year. As he explained, “when you have consistently same soil… the carrots don’t fork” — the reason behind his decision to grow them in concrete tubes filled with fresh compost. Parsnips also went in, earlier than he would normally attempt, but with the hope of an early harvest. Around the site, spring is unmistakably arriving: nettles, gooseberries, blackberries and even the neighbour’s plot are showing signs of life. Compost continues to be added to empty beds, and…

People in this episode

Host: Richard

Topics covered

• early carrots
• soil care
• wool pellets
• spring gardening
• allotment progress

Keywords

• early carrots
• soil health
• wool pellets
• compost
• spring gardening

Mentioned in this episode

Products: wool‑based fertilisers, concrete tubes

Places: allotment, kitchen garden, greenhouse, neighbour’s plot

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• Episode 660: Embracing Tomato Fortnight & Sowing French Beans in Early Summer · June 1, 2026 · 31 min
• Episode 659: Battling the Heatwave & Finding a Rustic Vision for the Kitchen Garden · May 25, 2026 · 32 min
• Episode 658: The Week the Weather Turned… and I Finally Got My Bees · May 18, 2026 · 33 min
• Episode 657: Sowing Winter Cabbage, Tackling Allotment Overwhelm & Our April Book Review · May 11, 2026 · 27 min
• Episode 656: Highlights From the Gardener’s World Spring Fair · May 4, 2026 · 33 min