Topic: All over (well nearly)

[Garden Manager]

I have now come to that time when the summer crops are finishing and the plot has to be cleared for winter.

Tomatoes - blighted or just ran out of steam, courgettes over, runners and raspberries all but over too.  I have some cabbage rootstocks trying to grow again, but not holding out much hope for a second crop.  :'(

On the upside i have recently planted some garlic to overwinter, and have just bought and planted out some new strawberry plants to extend a new bed of them.

[aquilegia]

Mine never even really started.

* 40 tomato plants all got blight. Got maybe 20lbs of fruit off them.
* two courgette plants produced one tiny courgette that, on the day of picking, I discovered had been munched by slugs.
* six of my potatoes got diseased or eaten before I could eat them. The other six produced about four meals worth of spuds between them.
* six pepper plants were entirely munched by snails before they had even finished hardening off.
* six aubergine plants produced four tiny fruits that were lovely, but marble sized.
* eight sweetcorn plants did nothing beyond growing 6inches.
* three squash plants were eaten by snails. The other three did nothing.
* 10 fennel bolted.
* two runners got munched. Four got halo blight.
* a whole packet of parsnips failed to germinate.
* and a partridge in a pear tree.

On the bright side:
* several sowings of carrots produced tiny but gorgeous roots.
* 40 odd leeks grew to baby leek size and are yummy.
* my two two-year-old apple trees each produced one apple.
* my olive tree is covered in green olives.
* my garlic was delicious, if small. (I'm going to sow at least three times that amount for next year as it's all gone already!)
* my strawberries were (and still are - they think it's early summer again) delicous.

Must try harder next year.

[Garden Manager]

Sorry to read about all your problems aqui.

Mustve been the summer with the courgettes at least. I had 2 plants but neither seemed to produce many female flowers. they were mostly all male.  >:(

Better luck next year Eh?

[derbex]

I find that the courgettes need a lot of water. The two in my garden produced nothing, despite having planting holes dug and cans of water, I put it down to them being near the hedge. Their brothers on the allotment have been pretty prolific -they where grown in a sea of horse manure.

They've got mildew now though.

Jeremy

[aquilegia]

I may moan, Richard, but I'm not too sad. It's not like we'll starve if I don't harvest anything from the garden. I really enjoyed every minute I spent in the garden (well - maybe not those clearing up fox poo!) and I learnt far more this year than I've done in my previous successful years.

[Mrs Ava]

All over?  Not on my plot!  Still picking runners, peas, spring onions, lettuce, kale, kohl rabi, carrots, parsnips, swedes, turnips, radish, spinach and chard!  I have loads of winter crops like sprouts, leeks, cabbages, caulis, calabrese, french beans and winter hardy lettuce all doing the business.  My witloof is awaiting digging and forcing, and my celery is all wrapped up for winter.  I still have toms ripening in the greenhouse and chilli peppers ripening in the conservatory.  There are apples on my trees, altho the kids will probably pick the last tomorrow and my strawbs also have no idea what time of year it is as they are still fruiting!

[ina]

I find that the courgettes need a lot of water. The two in my garden produced nothing, despite having planting holes dug and cans of water, I put it down to them being near the hedge. Their brothers on the allotment have been pretty prolific -they where grown in a sea of horse manure.

They've got mildew now though.

Jeremy

Mildew on courgettes? Did you see the thread a while back about the 10% milk/water solution? It works. Also for related plants like cucumbers.

[Garden Manager]

Trouble is EJ, winter crops are all very well, but no point if you dont like any of them!  I have only ever tried cabbages over winter, but they werent a patch on the summer ones i grow. Rather tough and lacking flavour.

As I said most of the others you mentioned i wouldnt grow because we dont like them. Shame really, letting most of the plot sit idle for the winter.

[carrot-cruncher]

Over here in Leicestershire:

Runner beans - still picking a few every other day but probably finished by next week
Potatoes - given up digging as slugs have infested the lot (may have to compromise on my organic principles and 'nuke' the patch)
Carrots - late developing but just about to harvest
Tomatoes - loads of green ones, only just started turning
Parsnips - got two out of four rows!!!
Onions - small but still edible
Raspberries - approx three pounds (but the canes were transplanted whilst in flower)

[Ozzy]

I have just the one courgette plant left and 2 smallish courgies and one is gonna be a marrow it is.. gonna cover with flece and see what happens, me courgies have really surprised me this year... so many and they just kept on comming.. and nature being what it is, I have tons of cougette seeds for anyone who wants em.. when I briefly had my allotment, a tip I was given by a peep there for growng sweet corn is not to buy a packet of sweetcorn seeds that are dead dear like, but buy some pigeon corn which is a fraction of the price.. he told me he hadn't brought any seeds for over 20 years.. am babbling

ozzy

 :-* :-* :-*

[Garden Manager]

In spite of the problems with blight and the weather, its ben a good year really. Potatoes onions and salads have been particularly good. I lifted the maincrop spuds weeks ago as the haulms had died (possibly due to blight) and didnt want the slugs to get them. the damp summer helped the runners, though cropping was a bit irratic in spite of this.

The tomatoes were looking good until the blight hit ( :'() though the indoor ones were unaffected and did well. The cabbages we couldnt eat fast enough and the last few went over and got bird damage.

Fruit crops did well, good enough crops from the strawberries, raspberries excellent, though some of my gooseberries were lost to mildew (the ones I DIDNT get time to prune in spring  ::)). The rese were fine though.

I am just debating now whether to take the runners down this weekend or next, as there still might be a few more beans left to pick, though not many.

[Multiveg]

carrot-cruncher : I need to nuke the slugs as well, so will be ordering Nemaslug (for use in April/May onwards..).

[carrot-cruncher]

multiveg

is "nemaslug" organic, if so then i'd give it a go.   failing that one of my work mates suggested saucers of beer in the lottie!!!

CC

[Gardengirl]

Very impressed with all the lovely fruit and veg you have all grown this summer.  Not having an allotment I have only grown runners, toms and rhubarb but I am pleased to say they have all done me proud this year.  I am still picking the runners, just used up the last of the ripened toms and the rhubarb is still going strong. :)

[Multiveg]

Nemaslug is biological warfare to the slugs. It's a nematode thingy that attacks slugs. If you order through the organic gardening catalogue as a member of HDRA, you'll get 10% nemaslug in there. Nemaslug probably won't be dispatched until April.

Could still try saucers of beer as well!