Episode 666: Grapevine Pruning, Potato Problems & A New Vegetable Garden Begins
About this episode
Richard discusses grapevine pruning, potato issues, and starting a new vegetable garden project.
Welcome to Episode 666 of the Veg Grower Podcast. This week Richard has been juggling warm, humid weather, kitchen‑garden pruning, allotment challenges, and an exciting new project helping a young couple start their very first vegetable garden. It’s a classic midsummer mix of maintenance, problem‑solving and inspiration. Here’s what’s been happening. In the Kitchen Garden The week began with early‑morning gardening sessions — the only time cool enough to work comfortably. Richard has been potting on cucumbers, cabbages, cauliflowers and kale, watering in the mornings to reduce slug activity, and making steady progress despite the heat. Grapevine Pruning A major job this week was pruning and training the productive grapevine. Richard explains how careful thinning improves fruit size and airflow, and shares his experiment with a Bramley apple grown from seed and trained as a step‑over tree. It’s decorative, compact, and a fun long‑term project. Water Conservation A new rainwater collection system has been attached to the greenhouse, along with an additional water butt. With rainfall scarce, every drop counts. Down the Allotment Warm, humid weather has made allotment visits tricky…
More episodes of The Veg Grower Podcast
- Episode 667- Mid‑July in the Garden: Caterpillars, Leeks and Soft Fruit
- Episode 665: Fruit Thinning, Thorny Gooseberries & Summer Slaw Magic
- Episode 664: Heatwave Gardening – Early Mornings, Water Wisdom & Edible Ponds
- Episode 663- Gardeners’ World Live 2026: Inspiring Designs, Mushroom Magic & Growing for Every Space
- Episode 662 — A Week of Growth: Garlic Harvest, Garden Tidying & Feeding Our Plants
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