Allotments 4 All
Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: flowergirl on August 02, 2009, 15:02:17
-
Well I've been down to my allotment today to find I've lost all my toms, and pots to blight. this is the second year i have had an allotment. The first year i had tons of produce even though the plot wasn't exactly perfect. I had grand ideas this year but nothing has been successful
Last year I had beans beans and more beans, courgettes seem to grow as quickly too. Pumpkin, toms, potatoes cabbages the lot the only thing that didn't do well was my caulis.
This year:
decent potatoes I suppose that's it...I feel defeated! cabages seem to be coming and fingers crossed for the other brassicas but my broccoli bolted beans won't grow carrots wont germinate.
The question is, is this normal? do we have terrible years like this? Is this a one off? Is it all really worth it? Oh and top it all off I've killed a hedgehog :'(
-
Poor hedgehog, how did it meet its demise?
-
First off {{{HUG}}} :-*
I don't have an allotment but a large vege patch in my backgarden which did me exceptionally proud last year.
this year partly due to me really it has let me down in some respects and so this year's harvest will be a lot less in amts and variety.
to answer your question yes the plot does have bad years and good, like life actually so don't lose heart plan for next year and you'll see it will be better, don't beat yourself up too much.
i killed a hedgehog last week too :-\.
-
i am not certain I would like to think it died of old age but i suspect it may have been from the not so nice slug pellets given to me as a gift from an experienced allotmenter :-\
-
First off {{{HUG}}} :-*
I don't have an allotment but a large vege patch in my backgarden which did me exceptionally proud last year.
this year partly due to me really it has let me down in some respects and so this year's harvest will be a lot less in amts and variety.
to answer your question yes the plot does have bad years and good, like life actually so don't lose heart plan for next year and you'll see it will be better, don't beat yourself up too much.
i killed a hedgehog last week too :-\.
Thanks for that I really need a hug x
-
The first year is often good as the soil has been fallow... building up nutrients. We still have good years and bad and we've been at it 17 years on this site. ::)
Keep smiling, there's still time for the beans to catch up...
-
First off {{{HUG}}} :-*
I don't have an allotment but a large vege patch in my backgarden which did me exceptionally proud last year.
this year partly due to me really it has let me down in some respects and so this year's harvest will be a lot less in amts and variety.
to answer your question yes the plot does have bad years and good, like life actually so don't lose heart plan for next year and you'll see it will be better, don't beat yourself up too much.
i killed a hedgehog last week too :-\.
Thanks for that I really need a hug x
glad to oblige :)
-
You have to have some bad times to appreciate the good times......Its my second year too and last year all my tomatoes got the dreaded blight! Just think how boring it would be if every year was perfect. This year my purple haze carrots bolted and sent up some flower heads >:(~~ my redcurrant that I have been nuturing in a container awaiting my fruit cage has died :( ~~and the clock in my shed fell off its nail and broke into many pieces!! :( ~~my rocket also bolted :(~~my white onion sets only produced four onions out of 20 :( Next year will be a better year ;D
Keep at it !
Duke:)
-
I can understand how you feel because I've been looking at some photos from 2005 and feel quite sad. It must have been a lovely summer, everything did so well. These photos were taken in the second week of August 05
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/IMG_1012a.jpg)
This year my Sungold tomatoes are still green and have just got blight.
Runner beans have plenty of flowers but not many beans to pick.
Courgettes are slow.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/IMG_1050a.jpg)
All these were grown outside in 05, I couldn't keep up with the amount of tomatoes in 05, this year none of the outdoor ones are looking as if they will ripen.....
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c333/Aragona/IMG_1069a.jpg)
This aubergine was growing in the greenhouse but the one I have this year has had most of its leaves eaten by something and only just set one fruit.
So you are not alone, we all get good years and bad years.
-
I`m not religous as such but didn`t Joseph talk of fat years and lean years??
We all dream-and sometimes they come true so have a cyber hug and keep going
-
The only thing that has been better than last year for me is my onions and carrots (in bins),and I think that's down to the variety.
My sweetcorn is only a foot high,beans are turning into lace, courgettes are slow and brassicas got eaten.
I've had less time this year too and am seriously thinking about giving up the plot and growing at home next year.
I think you need to ask whether your plot brings you more pleasure than frustration and then decide whether you want to carry on.
-
i will not be defeated (this year) i plan for chickens next year so that gives me something to look forward to :)
now i have calmed down I have had a thought....perhaps I need to think about varieties. think I might go for bolt resistant broccoli, blight resistant potatoes...etc. Ive been a bit head strong. The old boys down on the allotment are always saying "you don't to use that...plant that...do that"..etc and i haven't listened. You see although I am new to allotment I've grown veg at home for ages. SO perhaps I should take advice... has anyone got good reccommendation for veg seeds?
-
We lost all our tomatoes the last two years, at home and down the lottie even the ones in the greenhouse.but this year (touching every bit of wood available)we've already picked some even outdoors :)The leeks are being ravaged again but last year some recovered enough to eat :)we can't grow onions because of the rot but we've got smashing red cabbage,the beans were slow to start but cropping now.Usually i accost strangers and force them to accept courgettes but this year they're only coming at a trickle ???
So don't give up Flowergirl 'cos I bet you'll put plenty on your plate eventually :)
p.s. i don't think it was the hedgehogs fault :P
-
Well I spose I should be greatful i have a Morrisons.....poor joseph!!
-
I too have lost most of my toms and last night all my Maris piper that were doing really well had hardly got a leaf on and they were perfect on Thurs and I too had the same last year... Even bought blight resistant ones last year and they got it too so chin up and think and prepare for next year,,that's what I'm doing :D
-
SO perhaps I should take advice... has anyone got good reccommendation for veg seeds?
Perhaps speaking to some of the people that have been on the site for a long time could be a good idea. They will know the varieties that suit the conditions.
-
Flowergirl I have just reread your post. Are you saying you can't use your potatoes? Our second earlies were affected by blight & we were told to chop the haulms off & leave them for a couple of weeks & then we could store them after drying them. We could leave them in the soil but need the room for brassicas.
-
the tubers seem fine..i have cut the stalk and leaves away but not sure what to do next...planned to dig em up as and when but not sure if they will survive. As for speaking with the allotment chaps...well.....each one reccommends a different variety...they seem to be in competition with each other. one says don't listen to him he knows nowt!...its a struggle lol
-
Everything has it ups and downs. Last year I lost all my tomatoes to the dreaded blight but I seem to have survived this year.
Most of my potatoes did well not so well this year though and the same for the runner beans so far.
However my courgettes have been so prolific I even made courgette and ginger jam to try and use them up.
My peas would not germinate but I bought some replacement seeds and sowed them in gutters and they have done well.
And a mouse ate my strawberries !! So yes persevere no two seasons are the same luckily.
-
Th good old blight affects most of us on the tommies Flowergirl, last year I lost 90% of my maris pipers to slugs and I was gutted. Strawberrys come to nothing this year and cucumbers just won't grow. The runners are really late this year but have just got going. Best of luck, you know you don't want to give it up. ;D ;D ;D
-
As everyone says, there are good and bad times. This year, I've had white rot on onions for the first time, dreadful blackfly on the broad beans and for some reason my peppers are dire. But after 30 years at it I know next year will be different, I dare bet by November you'll be looking through those seed catalogues......once you've got the growing bug I don't think you can ever lose it. Chin up and keep going!
-
Don't get too disheartened flowergirl, some years do go that way. Even farmers get their bad years when the weather behaves badly for paticular crops.
Last year the whole site got blight for the 2nd year running and we asked a local potato farmer to come and give advice. This year blight has struck again, but this time I had already lost all my potatoes to contaminated manure.
Other are losing lots due to rats burrowing and gnawing tubers whilst they are still underground.
Pigeons have become destructive vandals and are decimating the brassicas, but I was one step ahead this year and got mine under netting.
Slugs are in abundance due to the 3rd wet summer in a row. Each year something seems to suffer from some pest, disease or the weather, it's not always under our control.
So I am winging some of my Raspberry vodka, with some healing hugs, over the super highway which I am sure will help you to feel so much better about it all.
... Next year is another blank canvas to work on ..... sheila
-
I'll save you some Sarpo spuds for next year if you want some, they seem bombproof and I'm only a couple of miles away from you.. :)
-
Our broad beans were rubbish due to blackfly infestation, spring onions came to nowt and piddling (but tasty) crop of early potatoes. On the flip side have had a cracking crop of garlic, runners are going well as are cabbages and caulis. Constant battle with rabbits and pigeons.
Try and take the rough with the smooth and chalk the failures up to experience. Last year by brussels and broccoli didn't come to much - hoping for better this year.
-
Hi Flowergirl
Of course you're not going to give up. It's my first year on this allotment, from brand new (it was meadow this time last year) and I have worked so hard on it. Tho soil wonderfully rich, being ex-Tamar strawberry fields, I can only grow and crop what the wet Cornish weather will allow (barbecue summer = lol!). This means courgettes and pumpkins are slug-ridden, sweetcorn is only as high as a puppy dogs eye, beans - where are they? Tomatoes, outdoor, have just got the blight as have my pots. Garlic wot a laugh. Chillies, RIP, too wet and cold to grow them outdoors.. and the summer held such promise.
But peas, carrots, beetroots, spring onions, broccoli, broad beans and strawberries were fantastic, and my early new pots a joy....and I've grown some wonderful weeds!!
Next year just HAS to be better. Gardening = the triumph of hope over adversity...keep at it and good luck!
-
Thanks for all your kind words...your brilliant :-*
FG
Ps the Vodka was lovely...just hit the spot hick :P ;)
thanks for the potato offer too x
-
I had a similiar result with my toms.. all looking good then one by one blighted..thats for the 2nd year running.
This year I planted International Kidney pots, 2 rows about 40 tubers I think...just dug them all up and beautiful creamy coulered skins and when I weighed them I had 56lbs !
My overwinter broad beans were rubbish, the blackfly got them, but I planted a packet from b&Q about 6 weeks ago and took our first few today..
I'm only in my 3rd year, I take advice and watch what people around me are growing, the other thing is to use plenty of compost over winter (imho)..
I prefer you to the blond !!!
-
Awww don't give up......
Isn't everyone on here nice....... :-*
-
I feel like giving up at times myself. Just don't give up; there's always something better round the corner. If things haven't worked out this year, plan to allow for somilar problems next year, and see where you end up.
-
I`m not religous as such but didn`t Joseph talk of fat years and lean years??
We all dream-and sometimes they come true so have a cyber hug and keep going
Yes but he'd been to Weight Watchers again! ;D ;D
Seriously though, I lost all my toms to blight and the potatoes didn't last long once harvested and I suspect that it was because the blight had got to them. I harvested early to try and avoid that coz of the toms but I think I was a bit too late.
I've had some good salad leaves this year, my first of trying, the beans are starting to show promise and the celeriac looks healthy so far. The red cabbages look as though their starting to develop hearts and as I've never done sprouts before, I'm not sure if these are looking OK or not but no fruits as yet!! I thought I'd planted some green broccolli as well but as I don't know what this looks like prior to developing florets, I'm wondering if I planted some more cabbages instead!!! :-\ :-\
Courgettes are very poor this year and I'm getting soggy ends as the flowers die off :-[ :-[
Keep at it...I'm new as well but won't give up (hugs)
-
We are usually over run with beetroot but not this year. Sown them exactly the same as other years but no go. They do germinate but then just sit there doing nowt. (or if they are theyre doing it very slowly) ;D. Make the most of what is doing well like my courgettes. I really do love them you know in spite of all my moaning
-
My problem isn't blight, bugs or slugs etc. In fact I`m having the best results for years My problem is the thieving little sods who are pinching my veggies, if only they would ask I would give stuff to them.
-
Well Flowergirl! I live just around the corner from you and I have hadthe same. Firsy year last year and stuff in abundance. we learnd a lot and made better planns (we thought). This year has been rubbish, pots have blight. Toms also the first we have tried. everything is wet and miserable.
So we go on and drag ourselves down to salvage what we can and look forward to better thingd and more knowlege for next year, its a steep learning curve and we keep falling off.
Keep smiling and the sun might come out. x
-
Well Flowergirl! I live just around the corner from you and I have hadthe same. Firsy year last year and stuff in abundance. we learnd a lot and made better planns (we thought). This year has been rubbish, pots have blight. Toms also the first we have tried. everything is wet and miserable.
So we go on and drag ourselves down to salvage what we can and look forward to better thingd and more knowlege for next year, its a steep learning curve and we keep falling off.
Keep smiling and the sun might come out. x
Hiya Frank how are you?
things no better then? well at least I know its not something I have done..or havent done.
-
Don't give up whatever you do!!
You definitely get good years and bad years. This year I've had virtually no peas, and out of about 100 dwarf beans sowed, only 1 germinated! My chillies died, spinach bolted and my spuds/toms have now got blight (sob).
On the other hand my carrots got eaten last year but are tremendous this year, and my onions and beetroot have attained proper onion/beetroot size for the first time ever.
The best thing is when after several years of woe and heartbreak you finally manage to grow something successfully that previously had always failed to grow for some reason. It'll happen!
Keep going! :D :D