Episode 651: Pea Planting, Beetroot Basics & A Year on the Waterway – Early Spring in the Garden cover art

Episode 651: Pea Planting, Beetroot Basics & A Year on the Waterway – Early Spring in the Garden

Episode 651: Pea Planting, Beetroot Basics & A Year on the Waterway – Early Spring in the Garden

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 This Week in the Kitchen Garden Richard opens this week’s episode by describing that classic early‑spring rush — the moment when the light improves, the soil warms and suddenly everything seems to need doing at once. As he puts it, “everything at the moment seems to be growing at double speed” . He talks about how the overwintered peas under cloches have suddenly surged, even showing their first flowers. With flowers come tendrils, so he’s been adding pea sticks to keep them upright and protected from the wind. Indoors and outdoors, he’s been sowing even more peas to keep the harvests rolling. Back in the potting shed, Richard explains that the seedlings — tomatoes, chilies, aubergines, celery — are growing so fast that some “seem to suddenly outgrow their pots overnight” . Space is tight, so the cold frames are now full, helping to harden off young plants while still shielding them from chilly nights. Seed of the Month: Beetroot Richard’s seed of the month for April is beetroot, with Boltardy taking the lead thanks to its reliability and resistance to bolting. Although beetroot traditionally prefers direct sowing, he admits he gets great results starting them in plug trays, especially on his cold, heavy clay soil. Once they have a couple of true leaves, they transplant beautifully. He also highlights Chioggia for its candy‑stripe rings, Burpees Golden for its non‑bleeding roots, and the fun rainbow mixes. As Richard reminds listeners, “once the beetroot are in the soil, we’ve just got to make sure they don’t dry out” . Down on the Allotment Richard continues his potato‑planting marathon. Last week’s Rocket potatoes have now been joined by Swift, filling the first‑early bed. Between the two varieties he’s sown a row of peas — a nitrogen‑fixing divider and part of his mission to grow more peas than ever this year. He’s also sown another row elsewhere on the plot, simply creating a drill, scattering peas and watering them in. Once they germinate, they’ll get their own pea sticks too. Another job this week was clearing the final leeks from one bed. With that space now free, Richard can weed it and mulch it ready for the season ahead. Mulching remains central to his low‑maintenance approach, though compost is expensive and hard to produce in large quantities. Straw continues to be a major part of his system. He also talks about straw bale gardening, which requires conditioning with high‑nitrogen feed. With urea becoming expensive, Richard is turning to homemade alternatives — particularly nettle tea. As he explains, “nettles, when they are growing, are absorbing nutrients from the soil… that water then takes on the nutrients” . In the Kitchen: Spring Green & New Potato Hash Inspired by all the potato planting, Richard shares a simple, budget‑friendly spring green and potato hash topped with a fried egg. Soft onions, garlic, crisped potatoes, kale, chard and spinach come together with a touch of paprika. The egg adds richness and protein, making it a hearty early‑spring dish. Book of the Week: A Year on the River by Fiona Sims Throughout March, Richard has been reading A Year on the River, a book he describes as “a celebration of seasonal food and sustainable living along the inland waterways” . He explains how Fiona Sims structures the book around the seasons, weaving together growing, foraging, storing and cooking — all from the perspective of life on a canal boat. With over 40 recipes and plenty of practical advice, it’s a book that aligns beautifully with the ethos of the podcast: growing food wherever you are, in whatever space you have. Next month he’ll be reading the RHS title Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots?, which already sounds promising.
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