Author Topic: beginners, what do you wish... (Read 10009 times)

sarah · « **on:** July 13, 2006, 14:59:22 »

you had grown this year but didnt?

for me its definately strawberries. i thought they wouldnt be worth the space, but all my neighbours grow them and i have been given many yummy punnets, each one a delight. i will never buy shop bought strwbs again.

what about you?

Squashfan · « **Reply #1 on:** July 13, 2006, 15:03:13 »

I wish my gooseberry plant had thrived instead of turning into a spiky stick at the back of the garden. :'( I'd love to grow aubergines but they don't do well on our plot. Strawberries are a must-have, IMHO. :)

MattyJC · « **Reply #2 on:** July 13, 2006, 15:03:52 »

I would have grown sweetcorn, was going to but didnt have room. Will not bother with so much garic and shallots next year as they have been a waste of space and time.

Matt

bennettsleg · « **Reply #3 on:** July 13, 2006, 15:33:21 »

chard
swede
leeks
shed & a greenhouse (still time on those)

greater numbers of:
sweetcorn, broad beans, peas, beans, brassicas, roots, garlic, beetroot, onions & spring onions.

dead proud of:
jerusalem artchokes (given by Cleo), inherited desiree pots, or is that cheating?

MrsKP · « **Reply #4 on:** July 13, 2006, 19:54:05 »

i wish i had more space and hadn't overdone things to be honest with you.

i really have gone mad without having done my research first and hoping for the best. i think i'm going to be quite happy by the end of the season with what i've produced but if i'd have paid a bit more attention to spacing and learning the ropes first, i'd be a bit happier.

i'd love to have some raspberries and goosberries though, so will be a definite for next year and a friend at work is giving me a rhubarb crown when the time is right, so i'm looking forward to that.

oh and be a bit braver with the toms. two varieties just ain't enough and some peas. would just love to munch on them raw while wandering around doing other things in the garden.

see already i'm overcrowding again.

;D

valmarg · « **Reply #5 on:** July 13, 2006, 21:36:51 »

The absolute must-grows are runner beans/climbing french beans (round varieties) and tomatoes. OH is on strict instructions to get good crops of these!!

We 'have a go' with sweetcorn, courgettes, broad beans, peas, aubergines, chillies, cucumbers, carrots and potatoes in large containers. (I think that's all veg wise). We usually get a reasonable crop from most of them.

Fruit-wise we have strawberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants victoria plums, cherries, cooking and eating apples and blueberries. I bought some Jose J raspberies this year. They are autumn fruiting, so am looking forward to them.

With regard to the cherries and redcurrants, since OH made a 'purpose built' frame for netting them we are certain to get a better crop this year. The blackbirds can't get at them!!!

To have all this growing would seem to be on an enormous plot of land, but it isn't. If you want to see overcrowding MrsKP just come round here. It's not entirely a 'jungle out ther', but at this time of year it comes very close!!

valmarg

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #6 on:** July 13, 2006, 22:01:29 »

Wish I could grow cauliflowers! :-[

Roy Bham UK · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2006, 22:28:24 »

Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on July 13, 2006, 22:01:29

Wish I could grow cauliflowers! :-[

I can ;D but wished I'd seen your post much earlier EJ about those Allderman Peas was it? they sound like excellent value :o ;D

Biscombe · « **Reply #8 on:** July 13, 2006, 22:36:51 »

Boo Hoo :( Runner Bean Disaster Great plants no blinking beans!!!! Fab aubergines & Toms though!!!!

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #9 on:** July 14, 2006, 07:35:11 »

Be patient with the runners. Are they flowering?

emma h · « **Reply #10 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:14:34 »

I just wish I#d grown more of everything. Most things have done so well but I'm far from having a glut :(

My aubergine plants haven't made much progress at all, no flowers as yet :(

Emma

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #11 on:** July 14, 2006, 08:51:24 »

None of mine either; the mistake I made was to put them in the mini-greenhouse too early; they sulked for ages when they could have been growing merrily on a windowsill. I picked two outdoor cucumbers yesterday though, so it's not all gloom by any means.

Money_Bunny · « **Reply #12 on:** July 14, 2006, 09:21:35 »

I wish we'd taken up an allotment years ago!

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #13 on:** July 14, 2006, 09:23:44 »

I had more cucumbers this year, as it spoils our collection of salad crops. Have tons of lettuce, and tomatoes are just starting to redden, also have radishes, but the only thing missing are cucumbers, which I have had to buy. So I must make a better effort next year. busy_lizzie

Biscombe · « **Reply #14 on:** July 14, 2006, 10:02:20 »

HI Robert! the runner beans have been flowering for about a month!! I keep spraying them with water its hot here in Spain! very sad we've only had 5 beans off about 15 plants!! :( too hot here I suppose! I'm going to plant some french beans and hope for the best!!!

Tora · « **Reply #15 on:** July 14, 2006, 10:09:53 »

It's my first year at the allotment. I planted garlics, onions, shallots, potatoes, mooli radishes, courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet corns etc.
I really wish I could grow more of everything. Half of my plot is still uncultivated. Can't wait for next year!
Will definitely plant lots of strawberries and broad beans this autumn.
Next year I want to be self sufficient with vegetables during the summer.

amanda21 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 14, 2006, 11:11:03 »

I'm fairly happy with my choices for first year but would like broad beans next year and different first early potatoes.

Main lesson I've learnt is not to sow too early and have plants outgrowing their pots pressuring me to plant out too early....although I have to say it wasn't THAT early just me choosing the very worst week re the weather going cold to do it!! ::)

Other than that I wish I had just dug over rather than attempting beds. Lots of wasted space and ground for weeds to grow! Will start again once ground soft enough to dig. Also wish I had got the shed right at the beginning as I might have managed to collect more than an inch of water in my butt!!

SMP1704 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 14, 2006, 12:15:38 »

Ditto Amanda

Next year I'm going to double the size of the strawberry patch and plant with varieties that will go all through the session.

I'm going to dig over as much of the plot as I can manage and I'm going to use a spade rather than a fork. That way I get out far more Horsetail roots and next year I will know what I am looking for.

A third of the plot is going to be turned over to early and salad spuds.

and finally, in the ongoing battle with the evil Horsetail, I am going to cover vast swathes of the plot in weed suppressing fabric/plastic and plant through - life is too short for all this weeding and hoeing.

Will print this out as my 'to do list and pin it up in the shed ;D

newbies · « **Reply #18 on:** July 14, 2006, 13:12:27 »

Hi all,
I wish that I had not shared with somebody else. I want my own now, and not sure how to do this without breaking friends. Need my own space etc.
Any suggestions?
I wish we had grown less spuds, and more fruit.

trojanrabbit · « **Reply #19 on:** July 14, 2006, 13:23:08 »

1) Wish I'd braved the weather and transplanted ALL those bleedin' saplings to the front boundary before it got too late in the year. Weather in Rivelin seemed to go from cold/wet/windy late end of winter straight to early summer, omitting the whole spring business.... :(

2) Wish I'd found out and acted 6 weeks earlier on the fact that my seed potato order had been lost, and I had to get them from somewhere else >:( Again, weather wasn't really encouraging me to get out and plant them.

Ho hum.

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Author Topic: beginners, what do you wish... (Read 10009 times)