Topic: What was your best allotment related memories of this year?

[joji]

I thought I would start this thread as it is comming to the end of the year.

What was your best achievement this year ?

If some thing went wrong will you do anything different?

What was your greatest growing achievement ?

Is there anything different you will be trying this comming year that you were worried about growing last growing season ?

 :)

[Jesse]

So many achievements for me this year as it was my first year with an allotment which meant so much more could be grown.

Soft fruit was the biggest success, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and blackcurrants. Growing lots of onions was great, oooh and potatoes...I love growing potatoes, great fun digging them up and the anticipation of how many and how big they're going to be, same applied to sweet potatoes. And the sweetcorn and pumpkins were great fun to grow.

To do differently next year...I'll grow more potatoes and onions as they didn't last long enough. And I'm determined to get a decent crop of carrots next year. Oh, and keep on top of the weeds...they did far too well this year. ;D

[Paulines7]

Our best achievement was putting up a large netted fruit cage, digging out all the grass and weeds and planting strawberries, blackcurrants and ...later, brassicas.

What went wrong?  The pigeons ate all my brassicas in the veggie plot so I had to start from scratch again and put them into the fruit cage.  Unfortunately they were then so late that the summer varieties of purple sprouting, cabbage etc have been destroyed by frost.  Next year I will put netting right across the area where my brassicas will be.

Greatest growing achievement has to be the onions and potatoes that my husband planted.  I helped with the weeding.  I was also pleased with the strawberries.

I will be trying to grow squashes and hope to be successful in germinating parsnips.  We will also double the amount of onions we grew and triple the potatoes.  Hopefully they will then last us through the winter.

Pauline

[undercarriage plan]

Getting my polytunnel up.... and learning from Wards the non dig method!! Cos after that I'm never digging again.. ;D
not to be too fussy, to be kind to worms, and there's nothing wong with just sitting, looking and smiling for awhile..

[Jesse]

to be kind to worms

...but don't put them on your head! ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

The best was last spring, with  Trillium kurabayashii, crown imperials and masses of snowdrops. The worst was last summer when I was too unwell to do any more than watch the weeds grow.

[busy_lizzie]

We have had a really good year this year, and seemed to have learnt a lot by previous experiences.  I have been pleased with my salad crops this year, and instead of planting the seed in situ, I have done them in pots in the greenhouse first and then planted them out seperately and they have really benefitted so I have had nice big healthy lettuces that didn't have to fight for space. 

I have loved growing squashes and pumpkins and they really reward you with their quick growth and big fruits,  they are a joy to watch grow and have made me smile more than anything else I have grown this year. 

I have also used the plastic cloche sticks I bought cheaply from Wilkinsons this year,covered in netting for protection of crops and it has really paid off.  Far better than previous years just draping netting over bamboo stick with pots underneath, which I constantly tripped over and found awkward to shift so I could weed underneath. Our plot is a lot more organised this year too with proper bark chipping paths which make it so much easier to keep tidy. We have a new bed to organise this coming season in our wild patch at the back and when we do that I'll feel completely satisfied at how our plot is arranged.  I can't wait to get cracking again.  :D busy_lizzie 

[Icyberjunkie]

Being my fist year there are lots - the best of all though was the day I had finally clearedthe plot and got my first seeds in.  Just stood leaning on the fork and contemplating the coming year - peace contentment and hope!

Biggest mistake was frsh mauring and not watering my broccoli enough.  Result - 10 big plants, number of heads 0!   Know a bit more now.  Oh that and a grand crop of zero peas - with advice from here hopefully the toilet roll propagation will see some results this year.

[undercarriage plan]

...but don't put them on your head! ;D

Thank you, Jess! At least some will be safe next season, whilst others are wrecklessly experimenting with worm balancing......

Still haven't got the hang of this quote milarky..... ::) something to achieve next season, I feel.....

[Derekthefox]

Best memories? They have to be my onion and carrot crops. 800 onions, with some real whoppers in there, and carrots the size of marrows ...

I tend to blank my failures so I dont dwell on them, but I have determined to only use fresh compost for growing tomatoes ...

New crops for this year? Tomatillos and cape gooseberries are two ...

[terrace max]

Four perfect little cauliflowers - found abandonned in a patch of weeds...

[Rose.mary]

My first year too, and I can look back and laugh when I think that I did not know if I could dig or not at my age. I then went on, not to dig one plot but two. The last one my permanent one. Oh! and the pleasure of " my first". What a miracle putting little seeds in and watching them struggle with me >:(, each one of us determined to win (not always me) :o
Also finding out I could make a compost bin and cold frame and oh so much more. 
A Happy New Year everyone and happy gardening.

Love Rosemary

[adam04]

beiggest  ;D  was putting the Greenhouse up.  Toook it down at one place transported and refitted all the bits together. and now its up. pride and joy of the lottie! ;D ;D

[Rose.mary]

Adam you are so lucky. I have had a new 8' x 10' greenhouse since October, and it still is not up. It is either the weather or getting somebody to help me and then I had 3 weeks holiday, and then Christmas, I have got somebody who advertises in the local paper to do odd jobs and he has promised to help me for a day (£80) but so far when I have rung up he has been busy. DON'T PANIC!! DON'T PANIC!!
By the way I have put the sides together and put the foundations down

Rosemary

[Delilah]

Best allotment related memory............................GETTING ONE..........and not having to make to with small veggie patch at home. ;D

After that came getting my shed.........................closely followed by a JCB ;D

CUCUMBERS..................wow the first year I've ever managed to grow a decent cucumber, problem is that I have no idea what I did differently this year that made them so successful.

What were yours Joji?.................either I've missed something, which wouldn't surprise me, or you haven't told us yours................... :)

Well done rosemary keep going and you never know you might get it put up without having to fork out £80 :)

[Jesse]

New crops for this year? Tomatillos and cape gooseberries are two ...

I'm also trying cape gooseberries this year for the first time. :)

[Derekthefox]

I'm also trying cape gooseberries this year for the first time. :)

I never made a conscious decision to grow these, but acquired some seed from a generous benefactor, so I want to see if I can manage them, as my daughter loves this fruit.

[Nathan]

Getting an allotment, and then soon after getting the house adjoining the lottie....  then getting stuff to actually grow;  eating our first potatoes and sweetcorn, stringing up onions...  and too many other good memories to list

[Aeeeek]

just getting one  :D

[Dominique]

Everything is a good memory ...  Those first broad beans, the peas , the new potatoes... All a miracle that grew from what was only a patch of weeds a year ago...
Wonderful   :)
D