Author Topic: Disasters (Read 6380 times)

katynewbie · « **on:** June 27, 2006, 20:43:37 »

:-\

Ok, time to confess. Spuds looking ropey, even fireproof Desiree. A rogue tomato plant has popped up in the middle of my tray of leeks in the frame, no idea how cos i sowed them at separate times. While I have been away weeds have overwhelmed my celeriac, and the slugs have used weeds as a stairway to get to them.

It's all looking a bit dodgy. Is it just me?

???

SMP1704 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 27, 2006, 20:54:31 »

Katy

It's not just you - it's me too! and I don't even have the excuse of having been on hols :'(

It took me about a week to dig out the bed for the toms (well there are 16 of them) and get them planted in the bottomless Morrisons pots and in that time the Horsetail went into overdrive.

I now have a potato bed where the horsetail is taller, it completely overran the carrots and beetroots and is providing additional support for the peas............

The summer cabbages have been a disaster, so they went into the compost bin closely followed by the Pak Choi but it's all a learning curve. I have some cauli's and Broc's under fleece that are fabby - so next year my plot will be a sea of fleece & enviromesh...

I am slowly regaining control - really sharp hoe ;D

Choose a patch and weed, weed, weed and before you know where you are it'll all be neat and tidy again..............

Happy weeding ;) and if it all gets too much just picture me slashing away at the evil horsetail >:(

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #2 on:** June 27, 2006, 21:24:20 »

We all have disasters; my asparagus mostly disappeared, my hedge is so overgrown I can hardly use the path (which is a concrete one built far too close in), most of the brassicas fell prey to the pigeons last winter, and my squashes are miserable little things. But that's lottying for you.

mc55 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 27, 2006, 22:31:45 »

Katie, most of my peas were munched before they got big enough to do anything and two of my potato plants have alarmingly wilted and gone yellow. The final third of the plot still to be dug looks like its auditioning to become part of the rain forest - there were raspberries and rhubarb down there (I know cos I took a photo in April) but goodness knows where they are now. The aubergine that is at home in the mini greenhouse had its stem munched in two by some rogue snail / slug and I found another snail nestled into the courgette stem feeding itself by intraveneous drip >:( >:(

But my pumpkins all have flowers and my sweet peas are keeping my office and living room in colour and scent :) :)

katynewbie · « **Reply #4 on:** June 27, 2006, 22:48:22 »

:(

Also...only one of my runners is showing any sign of climbing, brassicas are looking a bit dodgy and sweet peas are lying down and sulking! Now I read the comments I feel a bit better and there really IS next year!

;D

supersprout · « **Reply #5 on:** June 28, 2006, 06:41:18 »

All adds to the excitement of visiting the plot, ooh the thrill of it all ...
Tomatoes sat still for 4 weeks and curled up, growing again, but no sign of fruit
No sign of asparagus crowns lovingly planted in November
Runners sat still (see tomatoes)
No carrots AGAIN, am thinking of using seed for mulch
Having sown beet twice as thick, they all germinated and I daren't thin them
Kale (which it turns out no-one will eat :-\) bustin' out of its net

Love it, love it , love it ;D

Emagggie · « **Reply #6 on:** June 28, 2006, 09:25:53 »

Am I glad to read this! Perhaps it is my style of gardening or just rotten luck. My beans, too, wont climb and this is the 3rd sowing,the carrots are as pathetic as the peas and spring onions-but the sweetcorn is looking really promising, so are the broccoli,sprouts etc.
BUT like you, Katie, I am planning on next year being sooooo much better. ;D and looking forward to it. (Optimism is a wonderful thing ;))

keef · « **Reply #7 on:** June 28, 2006, 12:05:40 »

I dug up my peas a couple of weeks ago as they were in a state of suspended animation - most were only about 2" high after geminating in April!. Replaced the row with some french beans, which are growing OK.

Loads of my first earlies failed to come up (Rockets) - and the ones that did look a bit sick. The same thing happened to my dad last year, think i might give Charlton park a miss next year...

But what goes around comes around as they say - i'm still picking 2lb + of strawberries every other night!

My runners took some persuading, but there going really well now.

lorna · « **Reply #8 on:** June 28, 2006, 18:14:24 »

Here goes from THE NOVICE OF THE YEAR!! Having only grown runner beans, toms and cues a couple of times, all others are new to me. I only have a very small area in my garden. Toms in g/house GD's) seem to be OK but later than most members, about 25 little toms so far. Cues in G/house looks like I will get one or two. Pumpkin my very first ever, took a pic of it :) Have been eating radish, lettuce and spring onions (all a first to me) Squashes coming along seem to be OK but don't know what stage they should be at. Just sown beetroot. Carrots, one small row but definitely something wrong, they seem to be growing almost on top of the earth, very stumpy. Did I sow them too shallow??(I do love raw carrots)
I have had great fun and no doubt my knowledge will improve by next year..
Also many non edibles which I have never grown and these came in the main from members of A4A who have kindly sent me seeds.
Lorna

Svea · « **Reply #9 on:** June 28, 2006, 20:29:11 »

everything seems a bit late this year - i have just done another sowing of french beans and courgettes - also just transplanted tiny squashes and cucumbers!! last year, i did that kind of thing a month earlier, at least!

anyways.

i had lots of spuds, earlier than i thought they would be ready! and the onions did well - pulled them up today for space.

flossie · « **Reply #10 on:** June 28, 2006, 20:36:18 »

My first year farming the whole plot, weeds everywhere. Expecting to see lions and tigers down there in the long grass. Would be great if they could catch and eat the pigeons.

Multiveg · « **Reply #11 on:** June 28, 2006, 22:09:42 »

Think it was at Banhams zoo - tiger (I think) belly flopped from the platform into the pond frightening the life out of a duck, which became its dinner.

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #12 on:** June 28, 2006, 23:58:56 »

Think it is always the same. This is the time when with one shower of rain, over night, the plot can be covered in weeds when the day before it was clear. My disasters have been my parsnips this year, when for the past two years they have been great. Only three germinated out of 20. Funnily enough I had tomato plants growing all over the parsnip bed which gave me false hope until I realised what they were, think the seed must have been in my homemade compost.

Our dwarf french beans have been eaten, so keep sowing more without much luck so far. Haven't had time to sow my carrots at the lottie, though have some in a tub at home. Haven't yet managed to thin my two rows of beetroot - there is just never enough time to do everything I am supposed to do. However, my brassicas are all looking great, cabbages, brussel sprouts, PSB and Autumn Calabraise all looking brilliant and not even a sign of white fly this year. I think the prolonged cold weather kept them at bay. Have brilliant lettuces this year too.

Squash and courgettes doing well, and our sweet corn better than last years. Peas okay, soft fruit good, with gooseberries busy ripening, though lost our redcurrants to the birds again. I didn't net them in time. Japanese, red and main crop Onions great and have just dug up my shallots which are drying. Like everyone I comfort myself with the words, "it will be better next year", and hopefully I will have learned a few more lessons from this years mistakes. :) busy_lizzie

tim · « **Reply #13 on:** June 29, 2006, 05:48:24 »

There will always be something to be proud of.

Svea · « **Reply #14 on:** June 29, 2006, 11:50:56 »

i am with supersprout - no carrots again. the little round ones i did in window boxes are going strong, but from two sowings on the plot, a grand total of 3!! have made an appearance. those were nantes and i wont be trying those again in a hurry. still, it gives me space for more beetroot and that.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #15 on:** June 29, 2006, 12:29:47 »

Are the toms cordon or bush? If they're bush, they're meant to fork. Mine are mostly bush, and are rapidly forming a jungle.

Pigface51 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 03, 2006, 14:00:59 »

I gues it all comes down to experience - this is my first plot, which I have had since April....

Some things failed (carrots = 2 x packets sown, only about 8 are doing anything, Beetroot bolted, Broccoli is caterpiller sanctuary), some things worked (lettuec, rocket, early spuds, sweetcorn, herbs) and somethings are getting there (plums, apples, celery, toms, runners)...

...with what I am learning this year I hope to improve everything for next year....

...and if I find out how to do it, I'd post some photos....

supersprout · « **Reply #17 on:** July 03, 2006, 14:14:48 »

Quote from: Svea on June 29, 2006, 11:50:56

no carrots again. the little round ones i did in window boxes are going strong, but from two sowings on the plot, a grand total of 3!!

I sowed salsify today instead, 100 off, that will show those fickle carrots ;)

theothermarg · « **Reply #18 on:** July 03, 2006, 16:37:40 »

the 1st row of pea's are all nibbled and never got going :'(was going to scrap them
Cu's it's very embarrassing but wait what do I see a few are trying to flower and them only 3inches high, while theres life theres hope ;D

Tee Gee · « **Reply #19 on:** July 03, 2006, 17:54:44 »

A most interesting thread.

Failure is not only in the domain of the novices as has been said by quite a few experinced gardeners on these forums.

My claim to fame or should that be failure is; Sprouts & Carrots.

The sprouts I think I will put down to old seed I know I have had them at least five years but the carrots were new seed.

The bit that intrigues me is I have been on my plots for over twenty years and I have always been able to grow some decent carrots but not for last few years.

I notice there are a number here having the same problem, and I know from speaking to some of my local gardening friends that they are having similar problems.

Not being one for blaming my tools could it be.............the seed?

I think I might let this thread run its course and see the response then I might drop the RHS a line to see if they know why.

News:

Author Topic: Disasters (Read 6380 times)