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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: alipally on October 23, 2008, 05:39:57

Title: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: alipally on October 23, 2008, 05:39:57: Hi, just wondered if anyone had great success stories this year or failures that weren't worth the bother growing.

I am going to try to be really selective with my choice of seeds next year. I am definitely going to grow Franchi CLIMBING FRENCH BEAN ANELLINO GIALLO and COURGETTE RUGOSA FRIULANA. Both looked a bit strange but we have a freezer full of beans that have a great flavour and are not a bit stringy and the courgettes keep well and don't go mushy when you cook them. I am not going to bother with primo cabbages as they seem to get eaten by everything, I didn't have much success with khol rabi or cauliflowers either this year either.

Ali
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: nilly71 on October 23, 2008, 08:03:30: I have only had my plot for a couple of months, next year will be my first year so i will try and grow everything.

I have some veg in at the moment that was bought as plug plants and they are doing really well. I bought some fruit bushes and getting fruit trees.

I plan to grow lots of small amounts of everything, i might call my plot the Ark and grow two of each ;D
Then the year after i will probably have loads of other stuff to try after all the seed swaps on here :)

Neil
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: kt. on October 23, 2008, 11:15:30: New stuff I currently have overwintering for a first time include "Winter density"lettuce, Deakin F1 Caulis that should hopefully produce in December, spring cabbages and winter-hardy spring onions in the ground as a first. I have had great success with carrots after planting them in containers. My Carmen cucumbers also produced huge fruit in abundance. My Rasberry canes have all produced loads. Some of my list below will just be a change of varieties. Others will be new veggie additions to my plot.

Pront baby beetroot
Trafalgar F1 - as a late brussels sprout
Parthenon F1 calabrese - early
Sampson F1 calabrese - late
Garlic
Herbs - Rocket, Basil Siam Queen, Marigold mexican, Lemon Balm, Hyssopus Tricolour, Parsley
Leek - Bandit
Butternut Squash - Harrier F1
Pea - Alderman - mid-late
Pea - Feltham first - early
Sprouting seeds - loads
Tomato - Stoners Exhibition
Cherry tomato - Bambini F1
Green manures
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: manicscousers on October 23, 2008, 11:23:05: we're trying a few new varieties next year, won't be growing yellow climbing beans, all we got were huge, flat pods with no beans, maybe we did something wrong, I lost the packet so don't know what ;D
we're getting seeds for fillbasket sprout, after them being reccommended on here
carrot berlicum mid seson
squash golden nuggett, bush variety
picasso and yellow moon shallots
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: kt. on October 23, 2008, 11:33:33: Quote from: manicscousers on October 23, 2008, 11:23:05
we're getting seeds for fillbasket sprout, after them being reccommended on here
I grow these and get loads of huge sprouts per plant, at least 50 or so. They grow tall so will need staking.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: manicscousers on October 23, 2008, 11:37:51: thanks, kt..no problem, Ray stakes all the sprouts with 2x2 stakes, like the rock of gibraltar, ours ;D
he knocked the top off one of the red ones at the weekend ;D
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: 1066 on October 23, 2008, 13:26:31: hi alipally - I will definitely be growing more pak choi - the one I tried was Sementi, really tasty, and definitely need to sort out the successional sowing. I won't bother (unless I have loads of spare room) with a dwarf bean Sungold, it was pretty tasteless, although it seemed quite a good cropper. I'm also planning on Pink fir Apples again - so yummy ;D ;D
1066
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: newbies on October 23, 2008, 14:09:03: I'm trying over wintering onions this year, and next year I will have more raspberries. I'll also do more peas, and parsnips. My veg list isn't great, but I'm still learning.
I'm not sure about potatoes next year, they all seem to get blight and I end up with teenies. Maybe invest in some stuff to prevent it.
I'll also probably grow slugs as well, shame to spoil a good thing!
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Deb P on October 23, 2008, 15:15:24: Loads more shallots, got a really good crop of Jermor this year with far fewer going soft and they are so strong they make your eyes water!

Marathon Calabrese...super large plants.

Paramor yellow courgettes, compact bushy plants and much better then 'Jemmer'.

'Witchhill' potatoes and 'Charlotte'..both excellent crops this year. I'll try and get some varieties at the Potato day at Ryton that I haven't tried before, now I have a bit more room on my other plot!

Not trying melons! Carrots only in containers as well.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Squash63 on October 23, 2008, 15:30:21: Quote from: alipally on October 23, 2008, 05:39:57
Franchi CLIMBING FRENCH BEAN ANELLINO GIALLO and COURGETTE RUGOSA FRIULANA. Ali

I also grew Rugosa Friulana courgettes and was very impressed with them, will definitely grow them again next year. Havn't tried anellino giallo beans but they sound lovely so will give them a try too.
I grew Anya potatoes and got a good crop of very tasty potatoes, Armstrong runner beans were good too. I grew many different varieties of tomatoes but for me, nothing is better than Sungold.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Looby Loo on October 23, 2008, 17:08:51: One thing I won't bother with again is Asapargus Peas. They grew well, and were heavy croppers, but I just don't like them! (Fortunately they were free)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Barnowl on October 23, 2008, 18:04:12: Having grown melons for the first time (Minnesota Midget, & Magenta F1-but only two small ones) I've got the bug and am even reducing the number of chilli plants' to make room for Sweetheart F1 (under glass) and Collective Farm Woman (outdoor) as well.

Also very pleased with first cucumber plant: the half size, all female cucumber Petita F1 - apparently now replaced by Passandra, but there are a lot of similar ones to choose from.

Will try some outdoor varieties as well next year, including something called a Cucumber Melon (Mira F1) ???

Blauhilde - purple climbing bean was a prolific cropper over a very long season.

Decided the return for borlotti (half a bowl of dried beans) doesn't justify the space on our small plot. Ditto pea beans and canellini. (Seeds will be offered in due course, although we'll probably eat the canellini since they came in quite a large box!)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on October 23, 2008, 19:52:41: More pea varieties. I've just acquired a massive cold frame - no glass unfortunately - and I'm not sure what I'll be growing in that. I'll certainly be able to do a bit more with tender veg.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: miusty on October 23, 2008, 20:35:30: As i've said before I am limited to space so I am going to grow less runner beans next year. I don't really like them, but I grow them for my partner and the kids. I realised this year though, they just like growing them and aren't so keen to eat them LOL what a waste of bed that was! Will definately do more peas next year. None of them actually made it to the kitchen though, all got eaten as they were being picked ;)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: jonny211 on October 24, 2008, 14:28:33: On my list of things to try is hamburg parsley if space allows, just for roasting the roots.

I'm not going to bother with peas so much (did 5 varities this year) as they really suffered from pea moth catterpillars and some of the aerly peas were very floury when mature and when picked small you'd need 1000 to make a mouthfull, I think next year I'll only do Meteor as an early and Telephone as a main. Otherwise in the legumes patch it'll be climbing french beans and maybe a couple of courgette plants to fill the patch.

One other change will be a taller sweetcorn variey, my variety this year was organic bicolour but the plants were quite short and mice/magpies got the lot!

Less carrots next year - four rows this year, and the two rows picked have filled a freezer drawer.

Also going to manure the calabrese bed as non headed up this year.

Going to ditch King Edwards and plant more Cara.

Ummm.... think that's it for now.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: electric landlady on October 24, 2008, 17:49:29: Definitely growing more:
sweetcorn
beetroot
carrots
peas
As I never seem to grow enough of these.

Going to try:
Sweet dumpling and acorn squashes, and hopefully get more than 1 tiny butternut squash next year too.

Not going to grow Marmande toms - they were lovely but took ages to ripen and were the first to succumb to blight. Going to try another beefsteak variety, if possible a more blight-resistant one.

Also not going to grow dwarf peas again as they just didn't really grow - going to stick with Alderman which doesn't seem to have a problem.

Perhaps my approach is wrong though and I should be planning to grow a huge crop of ferns, mushrooms and watercress...this would ensure that there is hot sun all summer... ;)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: KittyKatt on October 24, 2008, 21:50:12: Definitely growing more strawberries. They're planted already. Don't know variety as they're from my neighbour, but they are delicious! Also raspberries, and tayberry. Potatoes - growing King Edward, rocket and Wilja again. Going to try golden wonder and Catriona and Valor. Not growing Picasso as I lost so many to slugs, despite using nematodes and every single type of pellet I could try! Also going to try butterhead lettuce, climbing peas and purple beans, leeks, garlic, shallots and onions. Not bothering with aubergines, as they have been hopeless for the past 2 years. My aim is to succeed with carrots next year. This years were still rather too small - probably my fault as the soil still wasn't good enough and I grew them too thickly. The one small patch where the soil is a good deep tilth they grew beautifully! Sweetcorn - I tried both the full size and mini pop this year. The mini ones were more successful so i'll be growing those again. Cabbages - January King and Ormskirk (not very original, I know, but we like the taste!) I'm also going to try another savoy (not sure which yet) and a pointed type cabbage. Courgettes were a disaster this year, but I've grown them in the past, so I'll try again next year. Cucumbers were another disaster, but I'm trying again next year. Tomatoes did ok, thanks to declaring chemical warfare against the blight - it was very bad in the SW! I think I'll probably concentrate on the cherry tomatoes though as they seemed tastier. I'm sure I'll think of other things later!
Kitty Katt
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: STEVEB on October 25, 2008, 22:11:33: less space taken over by cukes,allthough none was wasted.
more carrots,my favoutite
try peas again not tried for 4 years after my first losses and disapointment im use to losses and gluts now so im not scared of those pesky mices,bring it on tom........
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Sinbad7 on October 25, 2008, 22:45:22: Hopefully I wont get tempted to grow celery again :)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: sawfish on October 26, 2008, 10:44:27: Apart from the usual stuff, I'm delighted with my filderkraut cabbage and celeriac.

Will also..

Try EVEN HARDER to get a huge crop of big juicy beetroot,
Lots of tomato varieties
Mega swedes.
Brussel sprouts that dont flop over

I like overwintering stuff best really.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 26, 2008, 15:36:20: I will ONLY plant brussel sprouts if I can build cages for them.
Same for any other in the cabbage family- too many nasty beetles and caterpillars.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: izzywizz on October 26, 2008, 16:39:45: won't be growing chard next year
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Froglegs on October 26, 2008, 17:57:41: Swede is out it just will not grow for me,but I'm going to have a bash at Asparagus.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Rhubarb Thrasher on October 26, 2008, 18:05:06: i WILL grow Lima Beans again next year. Some ripened fully this year, and when we have a proper summer next year they'll be fine 8)

Pretty plant too. The pods are as tough as old boots, but with the sun behind them you can see the beans growing inside

Those enormous white runner beans are a must too
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Flighty on October 26, 2008, 18:11:36: I'll be growing lots of runner beans'Painted Lady' and sweet peas.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: posie on October 26, 2008, 18:12:13: Quote from: GrannieAnnie on October 26, 2008, 15:36:20
I will ONLY plant brussel sprouts if I can build cages for them.
Same for any other in the cabbage family- too many nasty beetles and caterpillars.

I managed to build a pretty good cage for mine this year (after the caterpillars unfortunately) out of bamboo poles, netting and twisty twine. It's survived one gale so far, so fingers crossed. It cost about £8 roughly because I used the bamboo poles I'd just pulled down from the beans.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: betula on October 26, 2008, 18:24:28: I have decided no more potatoes.We do not eat enough of them.

More cut flowers.

More herbs.

More toms. :)
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: RSJK on October 26, 2008, 18:28:55: I am going to grow as much as I can next year, stock the freezer up well. Think times may be hard next year with the recession taking hold.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: KathrynH on October 26, 2008, 18:57:37: I'm going to try to stick to the things we eat a lot of. The overwintering onions are already in, so is the garlic and the broad beans are sown in pots. Grown far too many potatoes for the last few years so I must try to restrict how many I plant next year (difficult when going through the catalogues though as I always get a bit carried away. More French beans I think as I used up all of the ones I froze today (bad planning) and no matter how many peas I grow there never seems to be enough.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: hopalong on October 26, 2008, 19:07:21: More aquadulce broad beans, peas, french beans (various varieties), carrots, parsnip, beetroot, cabbage, leeks and caulis; fewer runner beans (i.e. none) and outdoor tomatoes (too frustrating). Same amount of everything else.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Tin Shed on October 26, 2008, 19:15:27: Giving up with caulis.
More borlotti beans, chard and different chillies and pumpkins.
The new veg to try will be russian red kale - tried some from a farmers market and it was wonderful.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: kt. on October 26, 2008, 22:34:02: Quote from: froglegs on October 26, 2008, 17:57:41
Swede is out it just will not grow for me

My swede growing was temperamental until 2 years ago. I was given some swede started off as plug plants that were about to be thrown away, and all grew to a reasonable size. This year I sowed 50 seeds in cell trays in my greenhouse and everyone germinated. I now have about 44 left (due to the ones we have already eaten), decent size swede in the ground, some bigger than what you can buy in the shops. Once transplanted I have not fed them, just left them to do their own thing. Variety is "Marion".

http://www.kingsseeds.com/kolist/1/0/14603.htm
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Emagggie on October 26, 2008, 23:00:00: NOT bothering with cape gooseberries-well maybe one plant- I'm the only one that likes them but they give me guts ache :(
Only one variety of runner bean, no final decision yet,
Only 2 varieties of tomato, Beefsteak and Gardeners Delight,
Swedes are poor, that's Ruby, so I may try Marion,
Celery looked good but was inedible.
More carrots now I seem to have the hang of making them grow here, and I will have another go at peas.
I am short of space (5 rod) so I am going to be very selective next season...I said that last year...hey ho, I'm a pushover for trying something new ;D
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on October 27, 2008, 00:35:33: I'll keep up the search for the perfect
early tomatoes Alaska or Canadian seed; early green peppers; more edible peapods
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: hellohelenhere on October 27, 2008, 01:24:27: I'll probably plant far too much, as it will be my first season and I'll be wildly over-enthusiastic! :D
Also, I don't know what will thrive in my garden, so I thought I'd try as many varieties as I can, then build on the successes the following year. Got a lot of varieties of beans from seed swaps! Also want to grow courgettes and squash, plus all manner of greens, depending on what survives the local pest-fauna. My husband loves spinach and turnip greens, so lots of that kind of thing.
I'm really trying to resist the urge to grow tomatoes, as I'll have my work cut out already, and I find they need a bit of attention with the watering, staking, whitefly, blight etc; but I know even now that I will succumb - such a *tasty* thing to grow at home when it's so hard to buy good ones.
Planning to put some fruit bushes in as well - blackcurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry, for a start.
And then there's all the flowers too... in my mind's eye I can see a lush Geoff-Hamilton-style cottage garden, haha! Still, I can dream...
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Hector on March 29, 2010, 18:15:47: Wont be growing caulis or cabbage as had plague of caterpillers (so bad they were clibing up house walls to bedrooms....truly ( my fault as mesh too large) . Will try psb (one that doesn't need cold snap)

Won't do asparagus peas again as none of us liked them! Same with celeriac...just not my cup of tea.

Will do more courgettes...all were a success...particularly Paradour (yellow one)
squash, red kuri....yum....celebration yum...butternut....bleepy squirels got em
potatoes...will do more but not international kidney/....disappointed with taste, so going for pink fir apple....foremost and another early
Red Orache...great
more salads
Sibilica chard yes

Bean crop was a disaster last year but we planted late
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: Le-y on March 29, 2010, 18:31:25: This year i'm NOT growing Strawberries, Tomatoes or Broccoli they all failed either in the garden last year or i just didnt have enough of them for my family.

maybe next year if this first year on the plot goes ok i'll try again but, in this house they won't be overly missed.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: fi on March 29, 2010, 19:32:25: going to grow beans for drying but don't know which yet. i use black turtle beans a lot for chillies, but i don't know if i can grow these here. my swedes were also unsuccessful so haven't grown for years (read today that they release a chemical which suppresses couch grass, in gardeners weekly ) so they were a no, no but will try again. Not growing main crop potatoes. Not growing red orache as food crop.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: STEVEB on March 29, 2010, 22:02:32: After 2 years of tomato blight ill be giving them a miss this year,may have a few for the back garden
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: antipodes on March 30, 2010, 09:53:49: Yes I too gave up celery as a bad joke, it all went in the compost. I also gave up on broad beans, too fiddly to cook and no one wants to eat them except me.
I am attempting again to grow carrots and I even sowed radish last week, which I have never managed to grow in three years... I just can't give up trying! Also trying spring onions, starting them off in trays, as I have not managed to grow them since I got teh plot, despite sowing packets of them.
Once again, lots of tomatoes and aubergines (my big success on 2009!), more peppers this time and loads of onions and spuds which kept me going for months last year. I just love tasty home grwon spuds and they are perfect low maintenance veg.
More sweetcorn and pumpkin (preparing big pooey manure piles for them in every corner!!)
Brussels didn't work in 2009 but I am trying again. And as usual those lovely Parador yellow courgettes, so tasty and easy to grow.
New strawberries planted this year, and teh old ones are in pots so I will have strawbs coming out of my ears! So irresistible though, I never buy any in the shops, they are just disgusting.
Title: Re: What will you be growing/not growing next year?
Post by: electric landlady on March 30, 2010, 15:55:18: Growing more: beetroot, sweetcorn, squashes, and sweet peas; attempting chillies again
Growing for first time: parsnips!

Not growing any more: more than 2 types of spud, runner beans, sprouts, random broccoli from market stall that was supposed to be PSB but definitely wasn't.