Author Topic: WORST YEAR EVER IN ALLOTMENT (Read 17127 times)

florence · « **Reply #20 on:** July 02, 2012, 18:21:00 »

It's not been good for me.... The rats/mice had the strawberries, garlic rotted, pigeons found half the peas and lettuce, and the slugs have thrived eating pretty much everything except the bindweed which seems to love the rain - but I still enjoy it and just plan for how much better it will be next year. Broad beans, greenhouse cucumbers, mange tout, potatoes and raspberries are currently fine. If anyone can breed a GM bindweed only eating slug I'd be very happy - I've been manually killing 50+ a day (not pleasant).

Maybe we should all start growing watercress?

Hi_Hoe · « **Reply #21 on:** July 02, 2012, 20:14:19 »

Only had plot for three years, but this year has been incredibly bad ???

First, no rain, now too much?! My bindweed and couch grass is growing beautifully tho! ::)

As for being downhearted? yes of course, but thats gardening! lol

Im certain things will catch up when our ahem, summer (?) finally comes tho, and maybe we'll all get a bumper crop! Fingers crossed!

strawberry1 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 02, 2012, 21:02:27 »

I agree with the op, this really is the worst year ever for me. I have been veggie/fruit gardening for 30+ years and had the allotment for two. I went up there at 5pm and killed 18 slugs just in one bed. I threw scores of strawberries away, picked 6 puny courgettes, saw more and more bindweed taking hold, reflected on my poor kestrel potato haulm. I dug one plant up to see what was what and the ground is absolutely sodden, so I think that the roots cannot `breathe`. My squash are completely static and it will take a miracle this year. This time last year I had so much good produce that I spent day after day de-hydrating, bottling and freezing

My brassicas are actually too big already, too much leaf too quickly. I slipped and slid all over the place today so winter boots will be back on this week as I need the tread to stay safe on my patch

On the positive side, I am getting enough produce every day and am happy to have preserved my radar winter onions when I did and I have to reflect on the fact that I must not put so many brassicas into my beds. I`ll be hedging my bets each spring from now on and sowing squash and celery, as one of those will do well

I have a lot of tomatoes and half are under cover, I had my fourth blight smith period so have my fingers crossed but blight is going to be widespread in a few weeks. I have been following a weather guru who says that we are at the beginning of a mini ice age so this weather is going to be the norm for a long time to come. I won`t give up and will try to go with the flow

the_snail · « **Reply #23 on:** July 02, 2012, 21:11:01 »

When you see a toad SWIMMING past your cabbage and sprout plants you know the weather has been a little poor.

I went down the allotment after those storms last Thursday to check that everything was ok and found my plot completely flooded :o :o :o It has drained now but it is just total MUD!

I have completely lost faith in this year and am looking/planning for next years crops and also thinking about winter onions and garlic etc.

Never known a year like it so far.

kt. · « **Reply #24 on:** July 02, 2012, 22:31:49 »

Things have been mostly dormant than anything else... except the weeds of course, which come in abundance. I have tried to keep the plot weed free when it stops raining and by the time the weeding is done it starts raining again. So not leaving much time to get the actual gardening done. Plus with all the jobs the missus gives when the weather does let up ain't helping too much neither...... 8) 8)

Squash64 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 03, 2012, 04:32:28 »

Yes, it's the worst ever for things like courgettes and squash but it has to be the best ever for globe artichokes :)
We've picked about 40 this week and there are still loads left.

Alex133 · « **Reply #26 on:** July 03, 2012, 07:10:27 »

Certainly is pretty dispiriting this year - potatoes going down heavily with blight even Cara which is supposed to be quite resistant, garlic tiny, beans/leeks/squash way behind, much stuff decimated by slugs and snails. On the plus side fruit is doing well, broad beans were fine and greenhouse plants hanging in there just waiting for the sunshine - it's got to come sometime, surely.

shirlton · « **Reply #27 on:** July 03, 2012, 07:46:21 »

I noticed a flower one one of my squash yesterday. Just hoping theres a bee with a sowester on to pollinate it ;D

goodlife · « **Reply #28 on:** July 03, 2012, 09:03:10 »

Its getting bit too much doom and gloom 'atmosphere' here..so...
-loads of slugs and snails about..which is 'good'..my chickens love they daily 'bucket full' of protein.. ;D
-plenty of rain means I haven't needed to put my new hose in place..it is still wrapped up and I don't have to mess about with it for ages.. ;D
-plenty of rain means I don't have to spend hours with watering can..like last summer... ;D
-weeds..well..my girls have plenty of greens to eat... ;D
-my new gift carnivorous plant is thriving in its new wet home... ;D
-no peaches, plums and cherries this year cuts amount of time for picking and handling the crops and wondering what to do with it all too.. ;D..oh and no trouble with after effects when stuffing myself with too many plums neither.. :-X
- very few stinking bonfires is been burning 'recently'... ;D
- neighbourhood is extremely quiet..no garden parties or youngsters loitering about on street..no allotment breaking's.. ;D

I'm sure I could find more some positive about this wet weather we are having..but I feel better already.. ;D

shirlton · « **Reply #29 on:** July 03, 2012, 09:23:10 »

And I do goodlife ;D

gwynnethmary · « **Reply #30 on:** July 03, 2012, 13:04:11 »

We just weed instead of water.....

Stevens706 · « **Reply #31 on:** July 03, 2012, 13:17:35 »

Goodlife, it makes our forthcoming holiday to Tenerifi more attractive and welcome

antipodes · « **Reply #32 on:** July 03, 2012, 15:00:15 »

nice one goodlife. This is the only year I have had good lettuce, radish etc and the peas are very good too. Usually here it's very dry at this time and as I can't go down every day to water sometimes the result is not great. The squash is slow but as I planted late I am hoping to avoid the mildew :)

Hazelb · « **Reply #33 on:** July 03, 2012, 15:05:01 »

so what plants are doing well for us?

It is useful to know what grows well in these conditions, then next year I can make sure I plant some of that stuff as well as the things that like warm/sunny conditions.

My potatoes and onions are doing well ( as long as blight and neck rot says away!!! )......erm that's about it.

oh and leeks...once I addressed the slug problem ::)

pumkinlover · « **Reply #34 on:** July 03, 2012, 15:12:53 »

Well as usual you are cheering me up on this thread as well.
I do not know why it has got to me so much this year, maybe because it is the fifth bad year, but as I said before I hate hot weather and watering.
MESSAGE TO SELf - stop moaning and get on with it!!!

artichoke · « **Reply #35 on:** July 03, 2012, 15:42:54 »

<< so what plants are doing well for us? >>

Best peas, lettuce, overwintering onions and shallots ever. Broad beans (overwintering and small patch of spring sown) are not bad. Potatoes look all right and have had a few. Garlic rusted but OK underground and am gradually harvesting.

The most tragic failures are all my many courgettes and squashes - have a second wave coming on in pots. Corn static.

I do have "self watering pots" (why????) which are bulging with mixed salad leaves and rocket and ground cress and even watercress (!)

The watercress was a bought bunch with roots, placed in the self watering pots and picked over gently but regularly.

Suzanne · « **Reply #36 on:** July 03, 2012, 16:08:45 »

On the theme of looking on the bright side.
::)
Brassica's (those that survived the unexpected rabbit popn explosion in our village) are doing well. I think the decimation of 48 plants that I had potted into 3" pots ready to get a bit bigger before planting out, has really spurred the rest of them on. Perhaps they now realise how lucky they are.

Rabbit proof fencing is now being erected! I will beat the little tinkers next year.

Strawberries as long as I try and pick them under-ripe before the mould sets in are okay. I gave them a good layer of straw which i think they have appreciated and are trying their best to do well for me. The mice which also seem to be doing their best also appreciate the straw........

Beans going slowly, but the runners are deffo out competing the french and USA pole beans this year. The broad beans did well and now wait hopefully for the pollinators to arrive, or at least to accompany the blackfly which seem to have found a nice bit of shelter under the large top leaves. Pinching out springs to mind...must do that

Squash and courgettes are looking very sorry for themselves. I have tried perking them up by talking nicely to them and sending positive sunny thoughts - but to no avail. Next I will try showing them a picture of the sun and playing carribean music in the background. You never know.

The family of partidge that seem to like my plot found the sweetcorn when it was young - but I have now protected it and it is attempting to go again. You have to admire perseverence where-ever you find it.

So looking forward to planting out some of my oriental veg later on and here's to next year
;D

Digeroo · « **Reply #37 on:** July 03, 2012, 16:20:43 »

Some more positives from me too.

Courgettes just coming into action (only a few weeks late.) Had two delicious ones for lunch. Great broadbeans, and the biggest parsnip plants I have ever seen. Never before had to thin so many out.

Mrs Lewis's beans seem to be going great guns and are starting to produce flowers. Potato plants huge and those I have already dug are producing good crops. Mangetout seem to like it huge plants with thick stems.

Raspberries very large and loads of redcurrants. Rain keeping blackcurrant cuttings nice and green. Autumn raspberries looking very promising.

Compost bin full with weeds, seems to please the grass snakes.

Seem to have attracted a cat, so hope it deals with the voles before so I can save pea seed for next year.

Sun flowers getting ready for action.

The toadlets have arrived.

(Pity about the strawberries, brassicas, carrots.)

strawberry1 · « **Reply #38 on:** July 03, 2012, 16:48:18 »

celery. Never grown it before and each and every plant is doing amazingly well

manicscousers · « **Reply #39 on:** July 03, 2012, 19:55:12 »

Tall peas, best we've ever had, brassicas going mad, we've had 3 slightly slugged cauli already, lots of calabrese, lettuce are amazing. spring onions great, potatoes going great guns, just watching them closely, strawberries, a bit watery but I've been making lots of coulis and freezing it ;D

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Author Topic: WORST YEAR EVER IN ALLOTMENT (Read 17127 times)

pumkinlover