Topic: State of Play

[Tee Gee]

How are you all doing this year?

It has turned out as a bit of a disaster for me!

I have lost over 50% of my plants mainly through sun scorch!

Now I can hear you all saying "you should have shaded them" and you would be right, and I did do where I could!

But this crazy  mixed up weather beat me!


When I started up around 50 years ago my plants were of poor quality because they were not warm enough or didn't get enough light, so I set about rectifying that and set up my greenhouse to alleviate these problems.

Little did I know that 'Climate Change' would come about and that the Leylandii hedge (from Hell)that created the poor light would be cut down by new neighbours!

Now I have all the light I need, and we have had temperatures  that would have befitted decent Summer weather!

So instead of my set up keeping my plants warm and in good light as before, this past couple of months have gone overboard and I have had to .....wait for it.....try to keep  my plants 'cool' and in the 'shade'

Sadly I did not make a very good job of it and as a consequence lost a lot of plants!


Based on recent weather I think the seasons are moving backwards! Last week it seemed like the height of Summer, overnight we got the April showers followed by March Winds, I am just wondering if I will need my snow shoes in June?


Got a bit of planting out done this morning, which gives me space to plant out my Tomatoes & Peppers tomorrow.


Talking of space! Now that I have re-arranged my garden for flowers, fruit & Veg then losing so many plants I think I am going to have lots of bare areas.

But if there is a will there is a way so will have to get the thinking cap on and work something out!

Because of the weather patterns lately I have been feeling that it is the middle of summer and that I am well behind with my planting out, then I realize  it is only mid May,  which is always my planting out time.


So I guess there is still time to cover my losses!

I think I will make a start by looking through my seed box and see if I can find some stuff to fill the gaps!


Stay safe! Tg

[Paulh]

Quite, TG, I've not got any brassicas which aren't usually a problem - they fried in the greenhouse. My sweetcorn and cucumbers are germinating nicely - in the garage!

Yet we had a frost last week, the latest for some years and I'd not realised quite how windy it was going to be this weekend when I planted out my runner beans on Friday.

[Beersmith]

Be of good cheer, my friend.

Every season has its own issues, and like you this has been one of my worst seasons for many years. But I'm trying to stay upbeat by concentrating on the good bits. My apples have set well, my fruit bushes and strawbs are all looking good and the asparagus did well.

Look for the silver lining!

[pumkinlover]

Due to a family of mice who ate lots of my early sown plants I am now using plants froma friend and self sown tomatoes to fill the gaps!

[Obelixx]

Tomato varieties here are different so for the last 3 years I have bought all mie as babies from a specialist in heritage toms at a local plant fair.   Tried sowing old seeds from my stock and had very poor and slow results but have ended up with 4 Green Zebra, 4 Rosella, 1 cocktail which may be red or black and 4 self sown yellow pear.   Then they allowed GCs to open to sell veggie plot plants and goodies and I picked up a dozen assorted beefsteak and plum types and 2 cucs.

Chillies failed too but cavolo nero and PSB have germinated well.  Now, of course, I realise I've sown them too early and they aren't going to like all the heat between now and mid September and they'd still have had time to get big enough to cope with winter.   They are all now in small individual pots on the terrace and facing north so no direct sun and easier watering and monitoring.

Broad beans did well, sown last November and cropped well but then suddenly dropped all their foliage and flopped before all the pods were fully grown.   No idea why but we had a fun evening podding, weighing portions, bagging and freezing them.

Onions, leeks and garlic are doing well and so are most of the brassicas that have been out there since November under butterfly netting for a bit of protection from wind and cold as much as beasties.   However, the broccoli has all bolted.

Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are all fine too, so far, but we've discovered that globe artichokes are better as architectural plants than tasty veg so will be moved to the gravel and stone are behind the house and I'll plant my nectarines and apricot in there instead and build a fruit cage round them.

Still waiting for asparagus plants to mature enough to produce an edible portion.   I really don't like the white stuff favoured by the French, Belgians and Germans.

The big fig tree is covered with hundreds of fruits this year after having none at all last year.   Got very excited till I tried one that felt soft enough to be ripening.   Cotton wool.    The birds are welcome to them.   

This is our 4th spring here and we're gradually learning the pros and cons of gardening with heatwaves, droughts, biblical downpours, gales and everything in between.   Huge range of soils and drainage in this plot and also levels of sun and shade so plenty of potential and opportunities to play around.   Just have to remember the line about dead plants being another planting opportunity.

[small]

It's the lack of rain that's doing for me, though I am watering little plants for a while as I put them out. My potatoes got frosted although they were covered, not dead but not very lively either. My plot was a quagmire over winter and now is baked hard and cracked between the rows. Are we ever happy?

[BarriedaleNick]

Always have a backup plan!  My wife always laughs at me and asks why I am planting yet more tomatoes (insert veg of choice) when we have 50 in the poly. I tell her they are my back up toms!  If all goes well I just give them away.
Of course it is impossible to do in reality for everything but I do try to make sure that if one batch fails then I have another on the go for the important stuff.
It has been a tough year with late frosts and early heat, that and no rain to speak of...
Total failure on parsnips so I am hoping the second sowing will start to show.  Last years corn seed failed to germinate but I went early so I have just got another lot spouting.  Carrots look thin on the ground too..  Two sowings of sugar snaps also went south..
On the other hand my overwintered broadies are fabulous and I have tons of mint, coriander and lettuce to eat...

[saddad]

Don't give up on that fig Obelix...  they often take a couple of weeks after softening to ripen.. this far north at least...
I'm with you Tee Gee having been brought up in the Pennines in the 60's and 70's with proper Winters planting times are best taken with a pinch of salt... or a whole bagful!