Episode 657: Sowing Winter Cabbage, Tackling Allotment Overwhelm & Our April Book Review

This week has been one of those classic early‑May weeks where everything seems to need doing at once. I’ve been sowing our Seed of the Month, tackling slugs and snails in the kitchen garden, trying to stay on top of the allotment before inspections begin, and finishing our April Book of the Month: RHS Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex. There’s plenty to share, so let’s get into it.

From the Kitchen Garden

This week in the kitchen garden we’ve been sowing our Seed of the Month: Winter Cabbage. I’m a little later than planned, but May and June are still perfect months to get these hardy brassicas started. Winter cabbages are one of my favourite crops because they stand strong through the cold months and give you that wonderful feeling of harvesting fresh veg when everything else has slowed down. There’s nothing quite like cutting a crisp cabbage on Christmas Day.

Somvarities I recommend are:

I sow mine in root trainers filled with a good quality seed compost, making a hole about a centimetre deep and dropping in one seed per cell. They don’t need heat at this time of year — just a cool, bright spot in the shed. Once the roots show at the bottom, they’re ready for potting on. I’ll be planting mine out in the bed where my first early potatoes have been growing, once those are harvested in June.

Alongside the cabbages, the kitchen garden has been full of activity. Lots of plants have gone into the ground, but the slugs and snails have been causing havoc, especially on my squash and sweetcorn. Thankfully there’s still time to sow replacements, and I even picked up a couple of courgette plants from the garden centre — different varieties to what I usually grow, but I’m always happy to experiment.

To help manage the slug problem, I’ve been using an upturned clay pot as a trap. The slugs hide inside during the day, making them easy to collect and feed to the chickens. It’s simple, effective, and nothing goes to waste. Some of my brassicas, especially the purple sprouting broccoli and kale, are still in flower and taking up a lot of space, but I’m determined to save more of my own seed this year, so I’m letting them finish their cycle before clearing the beds.

Down on the Allotment

It’s been incredibly busy on the allotment. We’re only a third of the way through the year, but everything seems to have hit at once. I’ll admit I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed — a combination of dry weather, lots of planting, and the knowledge that allotment inspections are just around the corner.

To stay on top of things, I sit down every Thursday evening and write a list of weekend tasks, sorted by priority:

  • Top priority: jobs that will cause damage if ignored — watering, planting out, anything urgent.
  • Medium priority: tidying, mowing, weeding, keeping the plot looking cared for.
  • Low priority: fun projects like cutting comfrey for compost or mulch.

This week I’ve been planting out cucumbers, which are now climbing up hazel sticks harvested from my own tree. They look great once they’re in, even if the sticks are a bit of a battle to get into the ground.

I’ve also been cutting back comfrey. It’s a brilliant plant for compost, mulch, and homemade plant feed, though it does have a habit of popping up everywhere. The leaves make a great mulch for tomatoes and cucumbers, adding potassium and helping retain moisture.

The allotment is looking good overall. Potatoes are up, asparagus and rhubarb are coming thick and fast, and the garlic is looking excellent with no sign of leek rust. Even the elephant garlic is starting to form flower heads — which I’ll snap off and use in the kitchen.

Recipe of the Week — Broad Bean Smash

This week’s recipe is a simple but delicious Broad Bean Smash, perfect for early‑season broad beans that have overwintered beautifully.

You’ll find the full recipe on the Veg Grower Podcast website. It’s quick, fresh, and works brilliantly on toast, with new potatoes, or alongside grilled halloumi or chicken.

Book Review — RHS Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex

Throughout April I’ve been reading Can I Grow Potatoes in Pots? by Sally Nex, part of the RHS practical Q&A series. Despite the title, it’s not just about potatoes. It’s a compact but incredibly useful guide covering a wide range of fruit and veg, with advice on choosing varieties, troubleshooting pests, and growing more sustainably.

The Q&A format makes it very easy to dip into. Instead of long chapters, you can jump straight to the question you need answered — whether it’s thinning beetroot, growing veg in pots, or dealing with pests without harming wildlife.

Sally Nex writes in a practical, down‑to‑earth style. With over 20 years of experience feeding her family from her garden, her advice is realistic and achievable. I particularly appreciate the sustainability angle — reducing plastic, working with wildlife, and growing food in a low‑impact way.

You can pick up a copy here!

It’s been a busy week, but a productive one. From sowing winter cabbages to battling slugs, planting cucumbers, cutting comfrey, and reviewing a great little RHS book, there’s been plenty going on both in the garden and on the allotment.

If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a review or joining the Supporters Club — it really helps keep everything running.

Until next time, happy growing.

If you would like to support this podcast then please consider becoming a member of our supporters club or use some of affiliate links below for items you might be buying. We might get a little commission

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The post Episode 657: Sowing Winter Cabbage, Tackling Allotment Overwhelm & Our April Book Review appeared first on The Veg Grower Podcast.



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