Topic: feel like packing it all in!!

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As everyone says, there are good and bad times. This year, I've had white rot on onions for the first time, dreadful blackfly on the broad beans and for some reason my peppers are dire. But after 30 years at it I know next year will be different, I dare bet by November you'll be looking through those seed catalogues......once you've got the growing bug I don't think you can ever lose it.  Chin up and keep going!

[sheilan]

Don't get too disheartened flowergirl, some years do go that way. Even farmers get their bad years when the weather behaves badly for paticular crops.
Last year the whole site got blight for the 2nd year running and we asked a local potato farmer to come and give advice. This year blight has struck again, but this time I had already lost all my potatoes to contaminated manure.

Other are losing lots due to rats burrowing and gnawing tubers whilst they are still underground.
Pigeons have become destructive vandals and are decimating the brassicas, but I was one step ahead this year and got mine under netting.
Slugs are in abundance due to the 3rd wet summer in a row. Each year something seems to suffer from some pest, disease or the weather, it's not always under our control.

So I am winging some of my Raspberry vodka, with some healing hugs,  over the super highway which I am sure will help you to feel so much better about it all.
... Next year is another blank canvas to work on ..... sheila

[RobinOfTheHood]

I'll save you some Sarpo spuds for next year if you want some, they seem bombproof and I'm only a couple of miles away from you..  :)

[non-stick]

Our broad beans were rubbish due to blackfly infestation, spring onions came to nowt and piddling (but tasty) crop of early potatoes. On the flip side have had a cracking crop of garlic, runners are going well as are cabbages and caulis.  Constant battle with rabbits and pigeons.

Try and take the rough with the smooth and chalk the failures up to experience. Last year by brussels and broccoli didn't come to much - hoping for better this year.

[carosanto]

Hi Flowergirl

Of course you're not going to give up.  It's my first year on this allotment, from brand new (it was meadow this time last year) and I have worked so hard on it. Tho soil wonderfully rich, being ex-Tamar strawberry fields, I can only grow and crop what the wet Cornish weather will allow (barbecue summer = lol!).  This means courgettes and pumpkins are slug-ridden, sweetcorn is only as high as a puppy dogs eye, beans - where are they?  Tomatoes, outdoor,  have just got the blight as have my pots.  Garlic wot a laugh. Chillies, RIP, too wet and cold to grow them outdoors.. and the summer held such promise. 

But peas, carrots, beetroots, spring onions, broccoli, broad beans and strawberries were fantastic, and my early new pots a joy....and I've grown some wonderful weeds!!

Next year just HAS to be better. Gardening = the triumph of hope over adversity...keep at it and good luck!

[flowergirl]

Thanks for all your kind words...your brilliant  :-*

FG

Ps the Vodka was lovely...just hit the spot hick  :P ;)

thanks for the potato offer too x

[h1ghway1]

I had a similiar result with my toms.. all looking good then one by one blighted..thats for the 2nd year running.

This year I planted International Kidney pots, 2 rows about 40 tubers I think...just dug them all up and beautiful creamy coulered skins and when I weighed them I had 56lbs !

My overwinter broad beans were rubbish, the blackfly got them, but I planted a packet from b&Q about 6 weeks ago and took our first few today..

I'm only in my 3rd year, I take advice and watch what people around me are growing, the other thing is to use plenty of compost over winter (imho)..

I prefer you to the blond !!!

[TommyTomato]

Awww don't give up......


Isn't everyone on  here nice....... :-*

[Robert_Brenchley]

I feel like giving up at times myself. Just don't give up; there's always something better round the corner. If things haven't worked out this year, plan to allow for somilar problems next year, and see where you end up.

[midnightvelvet]

I`m not religous as such but didn`t Joseph talk of fat  years and lean years??

We all dream-and sometimes they come true so have a cyber hug and keep going

Yes but he'd been to Weight Watchers again!  ;D ;D

Seriously though, I lost all my toms to blight and the potatoes didn't last long once harvested and I suspect that it was because the blight had got to them.  I harvested early to try and avoid that coz of the toms  but I think I was a bit too late.

I've had some good salad leaves this year, my first of trying, the beans are starting to show promise and the celeriac looks healthy so far.  The red cabbages look as though their starting to develop hearts and as I've never done sprouts before, I'm not sure if these are looking OK or not but no fruits as yet!!  I thought I'd planted some green broccolli as well but as I don't know what this looks like prior to developing florets, I'm wondering if I planted some more cabbages instead!!!  :-\ :-\

Courgettes are very poor this year and I'm getting soggy ends as the flowers die off  :-[ :-[
Keep at it...I'm new as well but won't give up   (hugs)

[shirlton]

We are usually over run with beetroot but not this year. Sown them exactly the same as other years but no go. They do germinate but then just sit there doing nowt. (or if they are theyre doing it very slowly)  ;D. Make the most of what is doing well like my courgettes. I really do love them you know in spite of all my moaning

[powerspade]

My problem isn't blight, bugs or slugs etc. In fact I`m having the best results for years My problem is the thieving little sods who are pinching my veggies, if only they would ask I would give stuff to them.

[franklynn]

Well Flowergirl! I live just around the corner from you and I have hadthe same. Firsy year last year and stuff in abundance. we learnd a lot and made better planns (we thought). This year has been rubbish, pots have blight. Toms also the first we have tried. everything is wet and miserable.

So we go on and drag ourselves down to salvage what we can and look forward to better thingd and more knowlege for next year, its a steep learning curve and we keep falling off.

Keep smiling and the sun might come out. x

[flowergirl]

Well Flowergirl! I live just around the corner from you and I have hadthe same. Firsy year last year and stuff in abundance. we learnd a lot and made better planns (we thought). This year has been rubbish, pots have blight. Toms also the first we have tried. everything is wet and miserable.

So we go on and drag ourselves down to salvage what we can and look forward to better thingd and more knowlege for next year, its a steep learning curve and we keep falling off.

Keep smiling and the sun might come out. x

Hiya Frank how are you?
things no better then? well at least I know its not something I have done..or havent done.

[electric landlady]

Don't give up whatever you do!!

You definitely get good years and bad years. This year I've had virtually no peas, and out of about 100 dwarf beans sowed, only 1 germinated! My chillies died, spinach bolted and my spuds/toms have now got blight (sob).   

On the other hand my carrots got eaten last year but are tremendous this year, and my onions and beetroot have attained proper onion/beetroot size for the first time ever.

The best thing is when after several years of woe and heartbreak you finally manage to grow something successfully that previously had always failed to grow for some reason. It'll happen!

Keep going!  :D :D