Author Topic: A fairly disasterous year (Read 4303 times)

cate · « **on:** August 16, 2006, 22:22:08 »

Well, I began with gusto at the beginning of the year and planted up the allotment in the spring with the usuals. However, family illness which diverted my attention for a bit, and the drought have caused me to neglect the patch. Most stuff came to nothing - probably through lack of water, although I am left with toms, and the brassicas I planted out.

I am ready to give it another go though and have two questions.

1. Why did I get barely 5 lbs of pots from 27 tubers. They never flowered by the way, the leaves drooped so I dug them up around the end of June (first earlies).

2. Why did I sow four packets of carrots and never see more than one or two seedlings come up per packet. (All sewn in different areas of the allotment, and each packet of seed bought at different times from different suppliers and different producers).

Oh, and another thing, what are you planting now?

Cate

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2006, 23:05:36 »

I have the same problem with carrots, and so have other people. It's been a funny year for potatoes; my Duke of York were so late I'd given up on them, my Cara died back so early I can't believe there's anything there, and the Charlotte appear to be thriving. Yours were probably affected by the drought.

Tulipa · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2006, 23:11:13 »

Cate, I was very dissapointed with the yield from the Swift potatoes I grew this year, and have not done at all well with the carrots - it is just the weather this year I think. Parsnips also have not done well for a lot of people on here - I have sown 600 seeds and have 4 parsnips growing! Last year it was Butternut squashes that didn't do well - I take great comfort in coming on here and seeing that it is not just me! Glad you are still keen... T.

Svea · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2006, 23:20:24 »

no luck with carrots here, either. i think everyone had a bad year with them? dont know how the commercial growers are doing - else we might face a carrot shortage!

i had good results with my potatoes - earlies were nicola (lovely flavour) and i have just started on desiree and stemster - and my late ones are arran victory. i will be 'in potatoes' for a good while yet.
two plants yesterday yielded about 5 kg of pots.

no great success with broccoli though this year - oddly enough. i am a little disappointed, i love broccoli and it was very easy to grow and had a long harvest season last summer.

cucumbers are coming on all at once :( but tomatoes, peppers and aubs are doing very well, in fact most tings are.

wont bother with celery again, it just wont grow to a useful size for me.

saddad · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2006, 00:04:43 »

Don't worry Cate, I have 6 parsnips out of four rows and about the same for carrots. Sowing now, 4 rows of carrots under fleece and they have come through... spanish round Winter Radish, some beetroot, chichory, chinese veg... pod radish, probably too late, Claytonia.. if you visit Marshalls online they have a special offer on plug plants veg... about 100 plants for 14£... I've sent for some... Oh and don't forget green manures like Vetch and Rye grass..

My potato yields so far have been pathetic, I thinke the Foremost seed pots I put in weighed more than the crop!!!
::)

MrsKP · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2006, 07:05:05 »

move to the west of scotland, fab parsnips and carrots. :P

my three spuds in a sack haven't flowered either and i suspect have been blighted but the looks of the leaves which i keep cutting off. may well cut open the sack at the weekend and see what's in there anyway.

question, if it is blight, can i use the compost in the front bulb garden ?

???

supersprout · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2006, 08:16:24 »

hrrumph@kaypee :-*
everyone on our plot has been grumbling about carrots too - just a bad year, one of those things. I still have hopes for Parmex!
cate, some ideas for planting/sowing now here:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,72/topic,23369.0
:)

Curryandchips · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2006, 08:46:49 »

I would say that my carrots this year are nothing to rave about, but then again, I had an amazing crop last year, and we are still eating carrots out of the freezer !!! My biggest problem there, is that I lost six rows due to weeds overrunning the small plants.
My most impressive crop this year is probably tomatoes, although I have done well on onions again.

calendula · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2006, 08:53:09 »

for some reason I've had a problem with carrots for a couple of years and I am wondering if the seed merchants are harvesting non viable seed - to have nothing from a few packets seems very odd to me, regardless of the weather :(

parsnips all went to australia but that was probably the heat and spuds have been great but I have watered copiously

for KP - if it is blight then chuck away but many think of blight when all it is is the normal dying off of the haulm which will be happening about now for some varieties (and not all spuds flower)

every year something fails but every year there is so much that flourishes :)

plot51A · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2006, 08:54:20 »

Sorry folks but I'm having a fabbo carrot year ;D ;D ;D
Had a good crop of first earlies - but suspect my maincrop Romano will be pathetic and as for the Pink Fir Apples - who knows?

glow777 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2006, 09:03:59 »

Been my best year so far this year for everything except onions which are a little on the small side (or at least aren't the monsters of previous years) and fennel. 3 sowings 0 germination. I even put some in a pot just to see what the seedlings looked like & got nothing!

busy_lizzie · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2006, 10:27:11 »

Don't worry, I think the general consensus seems to be, that it has been a pretty mixed year this year, what with all the funny weather conditions. My parsnips and carrots have been disappointing, but tomatoes, squashes and courgettes and brassicas have been brilliant though very few cucumbers, and sweetcorn not that good. Mixed year with soft fruit, whereas last year had a real glut of things. My plot is looking much more overgrown than last year, as the heat and a busy summer has been too much to keep me on track with things. Every week I keep planning to dedicate my days to lotty work and then something will crop up to spoil that plan. Talking to a lot of lottie neighbours there is quite a bit of dissatisfaction around about the year. busy_lizzie

moonbells · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2006, 13:41:45 »

I'll add to the consensus. Lousy carrot and 'snip germination (took me three sowings of parsnips and four of carrots plus a new raised bed with new stone-free topsoil and sand) plus terrible beans (on fourth sowing of French dwarf, though this time they're looking very nice).

Brassicas have tried to take over, corn good, courgettes (well...!)

My tomatoes are doing ok, though others on the site are not looking so good. Potatoes small and floury and not much cop. Apples going mad. Plums good. Butternuts are taking on the brassicas for World Domination. (I have six plants and last time I looked there were 9 squashes, when last year I got one from three)

moonbells

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2006, 14:44:42 »

My first lot of carrots came up like cress, but because of the lack of water, they never reached a good size - however, we have had bucket fulls of finger sized carrots, which are perfect for the urchins and lovely whole in soups and stews. Parnsips were okay germinating, but I don't know what the drought will have done to them....just have to wait and see. Spuds have been all great, and thanks to the drought, no slug damage! Valour was a small yeild, but overall, chuffed! Loads of cucumbers and toms which is excellent, but my lettuces all bolted and went icky whilst we were on our hols. Therefore, sowing on Sunday, french beans, brocolli, radish, springonions, lettuce, mooli, black radish, more lettuce, beetroots, carrots and peas. I have just finished planted out my leek plantation which I am going to mulch thickly with leafmould to aid blanching and help water retention and I have a dozen red kale plants ready to go out for winter greens. I blame the drought, but I can't water the plot properly so it just means lots of new challenges and experiments next year. You will always have good and bad things - problem is, you notice the failures. Look at what did well for you and what you have enjoyed, ignore the bad! ;D

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #14 on:** August 17, 2006, 20:29:30 »

My fruit are a mixed bunch; there are problems with the apples and pears, but they're not down to the weather. the Cambridge Gage is covered in fruit, but the Victoria Plum has dropped all its leaves and most of the fruit, and looks almost dead.

cate · « **Reply #15 on:** August 23, 2006, 20:34:55 »

Thanks for all your replies.

I now understand that allottmenting is not foolproof and there are going to be highs and lows every year.

Thanks for the link to Marshalls, I shall nip over there now.

One thing, which I cannot take any credit for at all, is a fabulous crop of apples on the tree that has been standing on the allotment for years. In fact, it has caused quite a bit of comment from other allotmenters. Most concerning is the one "never had a crop like that when I had that patch". How come so many have had my allotment and moved on to another? When I asked, they just shrugged their shoulders and talked about accessibility and size. I am wondering if there is something wrong with my patch, what with the pots and carrots. Could allotment number 100 out of 100 allotments be jinxed?

Curryandchips · « **Reply #16 on:** August 23, 2006, 20:51:16 »

The grass is always greener ... ?

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #17 on:** August 23, 2006, 22:00:00 »

What's the problem with size? Is it a long way from the car park?

vee · « **Reply #18 on:** August 23, 2006, 22:58:00 »

Last year I had several things which did not do well especially carrots, parsnips and lettuces and blamed poor germination.
This year I have been going more often and noticed that a full row of seedlings which have been there on say a Sunday can have completely vanished by Tuesday.
If I only went at the weekend I would think there was no germination at all, but really it's the slugs which just chomp the lot :'(

You don't say where you are in the country but I have only just dug up the last of my 1st earlies(12th August) so perhaps June might have been too soon? It would explain the poor yield if they hadn't had time to bulk up.

Better luck next year is a good motto for allotmenteers!!!

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #19 on:** August 24, 2006, 01:21:01 »

I think you're right about June having been too soon; my Duke of York had done nothing then. I'm lifting them now, and they're fine.

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Author Topic: A fairly disasterous year (Read 4303 times)