Author Topic: Things I will grow less or more off next year - how about you?  (Read 3293 times)

Crystalmoon

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Hi everyone I have enjoyed really good harvests from my new allotment so far this season but there are a few things I will do differently next year...how about you?

I grew Mangetout Norli & they were great but I struggled to use them all & gave lots away so definitely growing less of them next year. I found Sugar snaps Jessy to be much more versatile, enjoying them raw, steamed & stir fried so growing more of these next year instead of so many Mangetout.

Purple top milan turnips - great crop but a bit too many all at once, so less of these next year & I am going to use different varieties at different times of year so I don't get fed up with them.

Sweetcorn Lark - haven't harvested any yet but growing very well so will definitely grow more of these than this year. I sowed into fibre pots to give them a head start as the weather was so bad & it seems to have worked well so will continue to do so.

Beetroot Perfect 3 - wonderful crop, wish I had grown more....the leaves have been delicious steamed so double crops this year from each seed. I did an experiment with salt in some rows when sowing & not in others...the ones grown with the salt are a much deeper red so will do this with them all next year & will try a few different varieties.

Courgettes striato d'italia - never grown this variety before & I love their pin striped skins, great texture & keep well in the fridge. Lovely long courgettes that don't seem to get too fat. I don't think I will bother to grow any other varieties next year & just stick to these ones. The Tristar mixed courgettes have done ok too but I do find the yellow ones have a tendency to go soggy even when young so I won't grow these again.

Peas, Terrain - I have never grown peas before & tried a cheap 99p pack from Thompson & Morgan & they are fabulous so will definitely be growing heaps more of these next year for a much longer growing period.

Dwarf french beans Amethyst - fantastic crop, lovely raw in salads...shame they go green when cooked but equally as delicious so lots more of these next year for a much longer growing period.

Herb Basil Lemonade - another 99p trial pack from Thompson & Morgan - has grown really well both indoors & outside. Lovely lemony flavour that I much prefer to the intense flavour of other basils so lots more of this being grown next year & I won't bother with other varieties.

Would be interested to hear what others have decided to grow more or less of xJane   
 
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 12:11:13 by Crystalmoon »

johhnyco15

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so my little tip about the salt worked for you also i really does work beetroot originate from the flood plains of the nile so soaking and putting salt in the drill is perfect im glad it worked
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Duke Ellington

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MORE:-
spring onions....I do better with these than shallots and if I let them grow on they are so like shallots anyway.
Early potatoes in an attempt to avoid blight.
Greek Basil much nicer and a prettier plant and more resilient than normal basil.
More garlic because I know it will keep and be used all year!
LESS:-
Main crop potatoes.
Rhubarb ...will give one of my plants away.
Duke

dont be fooled by the name I am a Lady!! :-*

johhnyco15

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more : everything



less : nothing



i love it all
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

galina

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It's not a calculation I make.  I grow what I like (or what OH likes) but in different years I get different quantities.  I can never tell beforehand whether there will be a glut or a near crop failure.  As I grow the stuff I like, and with a good sprinkling of perennial veg that I can always rely on, it doesn't really matter if there is a bit more or a bit less from one year to the next. 

Having said that, I never have enough carrots and peppers and these are the veg I end up buying.  Could go without and only eat what I produce, but it is nice to buy red sweet peppers year round.  Managed to be self-sufficient with chilis from the freezer and dried, but not a chance with sweet peppers.  :wave:
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 22:48:54 by galina »

Beersmith

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My allotment is basically a vegetable plot. Every year I adjust a little more of this and little less of that. I will probably stop trying to grow spinach as it always seems to run to seed and instead a bit more chard as it is a good substitute and quite versatile too.

But next year I take on another five pole plot. So for me it is a new venture into fruit. I plan a couple of apple trees and an assortment of gooseberries blackcurrants redcurrants and maybe a loganberry or something similar. I'm looking forward to new challenges.

Cheers

Beersmith
« Last Edit: July 27, 2016, 22:51:30 by Beersmith »
Not mad, just out to mulch!

Crystalmoon

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Hi Johhnyco15 yes thank you so much for the beetroot/salt tip it really did make a difference

Crystalmoon

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Hi Beersmith I agree Chard really is as good as Spinach as far as I'm concerned & more versatile as I use the stems in stews & stir fries so nothing goes to waste. I am going to try sowing some late Spinach this year to see how it does but if it goes to seed then I won't bother with it again apart from for baby leaves for salads grown in small pots at home. I hope you really enjoy your new fruit plot. I grew red gooseberries for the first time this year & they were much sweeter than the green, nice to eat straight from the plant.

Hi Galina yes true we never know what type of growing year we will get....it was so wet & grey & cold at the start of this Summer I didn't expect anything to do really well but I have been pleasantly surprised.

Hi Duke, I lost one 2nd early to blight in mid June but so far the others have been ok but I agree next year I will grow earlies to avoid the blight worry & also to free up the space spuds take up earlier in the season. I inherited a large rhubarb patch & I can't eat it even though I love it as it makes my arthritis play up so I am contemplating giving it away to gain the space. I have never tried Spring Onions as I don't eat many of them but I think I will try some next year as I like the idea that they can be left to get bigger & be like shallots.   
 

   

Deb P

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Less peas and climbing French beans, we don't really eat that many so I end up wasting them.

Less overwintered shallots from sets, they do ok but seeds so much better. Will try a few spring sets though as they were huge!

Fewer annual flowers, I had a lot of Sarah Raven seeds last year and went a bit mad, need to be a bit more restrained this year at the seed sales.......

Everything else about the same.
If it's not pouring with rain, I'm either in the garden or at the lottie! Probably still there in the rain as well TBH....🥴

http://www.littleoverlaneallotments.org.uk

Tee Gee

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Not so much less just spreading my sowing times out so that I get more continuity throughout the season.

For example instead of sowing twenty at once I will sow ten twice!

strawberry1

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Re: Things I will grow less or more off next year - how about you?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2016, 14:40:12 »
I needed to grow less this year and also make my allotment easier to manage as I was widowed 16 months ago. Last year I still grew the usual purple sprouting, borecole, kale, brussels but tbh they were not worth it for me, I mean the time/reward/space factor. I just buy purple sprouting etc as wanted from riverford and am happy anyway to support an organic veg business

My swedes were mushy when cooked, didn`t enjoy them at all, none this year. In fact the only brassica I am growing is red drumhead as I make sauerkraut, which is very good all winter and beyond. Chunky tight heads so hardly a pest in sight, under mesh though, no faffing and will stand and/or store for quite a while. Several of them and they are enjoying this weather

Fewer butternuts, I think. Depends on weather and pollination only two plants but they are easy and freeze well. One potato variety only, charlotte as multi purpose. I am going to cut out more blackcurrant stems this year, yet again they are laden. Gooseberries have been scalped and are now 4 foot tall growing as well staked standards. Fewer beans, only moonlight and just enough to freeze a few. Everything else is fine and am especially happy with the chard. I think the amounts will be the same next year, maybe only one courgette and not two as I have it every day and you can have too much of a good thing

private plots so we can have as many flowers as we like. Am getting rid of messy ones that support weed growth and am putting more roses in
« Last Edit: July 28, 2016, 14:42:17 by strawberry1 »

 

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