Topic: Was 2012 really that bad?

[Pescador]

I know there was a fair amount of discussion about this last summer, and there will be a huge difference of opinion depending on location , soil type etc.
The reason I'm raising the question again, is that I've just completed my "Balance Sheet" of costs v value of produce harvested.

From a 10 pole plot, the value of produce harvested was £688 and costs of approx £200.

I was pleasantly surprised to see such positive figures, especially as there were some really poor crops, and too much empty space at various times of the year.
If we can get a half sensible growing year in 2013 I should be able to get the value close to £1000 with similar costs!

(Value of excercise, fresh air, socialising, and cost of labour excluded!!)

[darkbrowneggs]

It certainly was for me.  Hardly any potatoes, just a bit of winter veg.  Ground still completely sodden and currently raining.  Last week tried to scrape some of the 6"- 8" deep mud off some of the gravel drive.  Water lying in pools in the fields and a small spring which opening up in the greenhouse floor has been running continually since Sept.   

[BarriedaleNick]

I was just talking about this with my wife and we ended up not having a bad year at all.  I couldn't quantify it but I am still eating spunds, carrots, Mooli, Parsnips, beetroot, squash, chilis, garlic, kale and shallots plus frozen pasata.  I think my location (Lonndon) helps and we are on a slope so we get no surface puddling.  Fruit was a write off  though and onions were a disaster but overall I came out on top..
However even on our plot most people suffered from fungal disease all year and some folks shut up shop early.

[Digeroo]

Like you I think I made a profit last year easily.  I put my costs more like £300 I'm a seedoholic and bought more fruit bushes.  But reckon to have at least £20 of veg most weeks.  (Still got parsnips, cabbage, sprouts and parsley).  Then there are raspberries and I got £200 worth of them.  So I think I easily got £1000 of produce.  Then I gave my daughter veg as well.   She had a large vegi box to take on holiday.  One part of mine is sloped and normally I have to spend a great deal of time watering.  Strawberries, carrots terrible.

But a friend of mine: her site was a wipeout.  Just a soggy mess for weeks on end.  It was heart breaking for her.  It was more like a bog than an allotment.   She still has no idea when it might be workable again.  At the moment it's like a rice paddy field.  The top soil is slowly being washed away.  Her raspberry plants have simply rotten and died.   Water is not draining into the soil it is oozing out.

[Kea]

I listened to everyone moaning last year but on the whole I was happy, I got a great crop of fruit, great onions, cabbages, broad beans, aubergines, chilli's, rhubarb tomatoes. Also won the RHS Banksian Medal at our show so it was a good year for me.

[persecuted unlimited]

you could of been talking about my plot digeroo. went the plot today to get it ready for planting and sunk upto the top of my wellies so its back to the drawing board for us 

[manicscousers]

Still have a bag of desiree spuds, 14 large onions, leeks and winter cabbages, freezer full of runner and french beans, tomato sauce, frozen courgettes, garlic, peas etc. So, 2012 wasn't bad here

[pumkinlover]

I listened to everyone moaning last year but on the whole I was happy, I got a great crop of fruit, great onions, cabbages, broad beans, aubergines, chilli's, rhubarb tomatoes. Also won the RHS Banksian Medal at our show so it was a good year for me.

Congratulations!!

[Jeannine]

It was not a good year for me but it could have been better if I had been more on the ball.

It rained and we were flooded till the start of June by that time I was pretty much wiping out the season in my head so didn't give it my best shot, then we very suddenly had a tremendously warm long summer which would have grown tons of stuff if my mind had not taken a vacation. The interest just wasn't there like it usually is.

Good lesson learned...be ready to replant and not chuck the towel in too soon.

XX Jeannine

[BAK]

It was by some considerable distance the worst season that I have experienced in 30+ years of growing.

This did not mean that it was a write-off. Fruit was generally good, I managed my best ever crop of sprouts, salads were fine while carrots, beetroot, runners and climbing french were ok.

However, I lost all my tomatoes to blight for the the first time while the potato crop was much reduced also due to the blight and most of the celery went to seed. The weight of crops generally was a fair bit down on a typical year.

[pumkinlover]

Having to buy potatoes- hate having to do that, but only just run out of carrots.
Still got bottled tomatoes, sharks fin melon in the bedrooms and freezer full of stuff though.

[cornykev]

I don't do the costings but didn't have too bad a year
Still got plenty of onions, not the biggest this year but plenty of them
Spuds again not the biggest but did OK, still have a few left but have been buying Jacket size
Beans were a plenty but my own fault not picking them regular enough, the same with peas
Cabbages were eaten by flying rats, we did eat a few but again my fault for not covering them
Strawberry's didn't do well
Beetroot were OK
Sweetcorn, carrots and springies were disappointing
Celery did well but again I left it and it got frosted
Not that bad but I don't think we had as much rain as most of you
Just missed the old currant bun.         

[GREGME]

For me yes- had tomato blight for the 1st time, frequent wind damage and low yields because of this and cooler temperatures in summer months. No drought though and need to water was less. If this year is the same I'll have to change my entire approach.

[realfood]

I had reasonable crops of everything, fruit as well as veg, so it was not a bad year. Yes, we had lots of rain, less sun and cooler than usual, but in Glasgow we are used to coping with difficult weather and you adjust and take the required action. Even now, I am still harvesting greens and leeks, as well as watercress and various green herby leaves.
And the new garlic is now up and looking good. Look on the positive!!

[Kea]

Thanks Pumpkinlover. I'm pretty chuffed, my husband thinks he might have to widen the doorways to get my head through though!

[lottie lou]

Right weather for watercress.

[cornykev]

I forgot to mention I've had some good parsnips and still a line left in the ground.   

[kt.]

I didn't do costings but had a fair year,  certainly in profit.  Still got sprouts, leeks, parsnips, swede and cabbages left in the ground and onions in the shed and broad beans in the freezer.  My fruit was a little disappointing though, not much of any except rhubarb, and no apples from my 2 trees.  I do intend to try and make a costings list this year........

[lottie lou]

Don't do costings otherwise would know I'd be well out of pocket due to low prices in Birmingham fruit and veg market.

[bluecar]

Well my onions, brussels, runners, raspberries, blackcurrants were more than okay as surprisingly was my sweetcorn. The biggest disasters were strawberries, leeks and potatoes. Courgettes and cucumber were way down compared to normal, but I normally end up with a surplus - this year it was the neighbours that were disappointed.

Regards

Bluecar