bad year in the lottie

[Joolieeee]

I'm afraid to say I'm losing interest in the lottie this year - so depressing after having such good intentions, planted lots of stuff in the greenhouse which didn't get planted out in time.  No parsnips (favourite), sweetcorn, brussels and beans went in late - now all doing pathetic.  v fed up!  own fault, started new job at great place - but it's taken up all my time.  V frustrating - working at an organic organisaiton, but it's stopping me doing my own organic lottie.  I need inspiration chaps!

[Joolieeee]

[Doris_Pinks]

If it helps, today was the first day I had a pick big enough to feed us, with extras! Have found this year very frustrating, mostly due to the weather n slugs!!! I must have sowed at least 10 lots of carrots, and radish, and not a one has survived. Everything else is struggling, and not looking as heallthy as in previous years, despite loads of manure shovelling etc! But on the bright side, it may all catch  up, and there is always NEXT year! ;D Hard to keep your motivation up tho sometimes, so I can emphathise with you!  Dottie P

[Mrs Ava]

Don't feel down Joolieeee, we all have things happening, life carrys on regardless of what needs to be sown on the allotment.  I will have trouble getting down to the plot now to do any serious work with the kids at home, but I shall make time when Ava is around the look after them to get down there.  Can you not set asside some time to get to your plot, even if it is only for a short while to potter, tend to a small area.  At least then, you will get something to harvest and you will feel better and more inspired to do a bit more.  If you really don't have time, then don't give up totally, as Doris said, there is next year, but in the meantime, maybe you could cover the ground with something to hold the weeds back.  Just a thought.

[Sarah-b]

the others have given some good advice. I'd add: have a look at what is going wrong and see if you can find solutions. For example, the whole sowing seeds indoors, then pricking out, then transplanting thing, is really hard to manage if you haven't got much space or time. I find it quite a nightmare. And although I'm getting carried away looking at next years seed catalogues, I know I have to restrict myself and not do too many different/difficult/high maintenance things.
My parsnips completely failed too, and all but about 4 carrots, but next year, I think I might try warming up the soil a bit first. Maybe there is some stuff you could buy that could help with some of your probs - like fleece?
In the meantime, cover up the weeds and think about what could go better next year.

[tim]

I live on-site - & fail every day. But would I give it up......? = Tim

[ina]

Every year when august rolls around I get the feeling I can't keep up. I work almost full-time and the lottie needs attention. Today for example, a day off from work but got up early. Spend a while weeding while the bean plants dried so I could pick. Spend a long time harvesting different things, lugged it home on the bike at 3 pm. Just finished making jam from the blueberries that took a long time to harvest, also managed to weed around the bushes since the netting was off. Now, I'm going to sit down and clean the beans but first I had to take a peek here and have a quick cup of tea. After preparing, eating and cleaning up supper I'm going to blanch, pack and freeze the kilo's of beans and then it will be bed time and another workday. There is so much weeding that needs doing, some places look like I could use a lawnmower on the grass I never sowed in the paths and around the compost.

A lottie takes a lot of time, it does. I'm not complaining about a busy day off, I love being at the lottie but things are not done after a visit and harvesting. So, even if you did manage to get everything going in time in the spring, it still takes a lot of time, maybe even more. Our social life goes on the back burner every spring untill winter.

I'm afraid I'm not giving you inspiriration but it's the reality. A lot of things can interfere with lottie work and some years are worse than others but I would hold on for another year, growing low maintenance crops and doing only the basic up-keep work and see if you can combine it with your working life. Having a lottie is a hobby, if it gets you down it's no good. You love your new job, not everybody can say that so you are very lucky in that respect. I have a pretty good job but would love to work less or stop all together and devote more time to gardening. Sometimes we have to set priorities but don't let it get you down.

[Derekthefox]

This time of year, I have to conceed that the weeds have won, but then later, they will be harvested as compost, so that keeps my motivation going.
It is so easy to set unrealistic targets, when you can see your neighbours turning out fantastic crops, but at the end of the day, you can only do WHAT YOU CAN. My neighbour was off for seven weeks earlier this year due to a bad virus, and that has completely upset his plans for this year, but he just keeps trying . . .
My first tomatoes have confirmed that I cannot imagine an alternative to having a lottie, so you must concentrate on what you you have growing, rather than what you have missed.
Good luck for your next season!

[Mrs Ava]

Been reading this, and you lot are packed with nuggets of gread advice!  Things that you think.....'yeah, that is right!'  like the sowing seeds in trays, tansplanting etc..... very time consuming, so sow direct if possible, or grow lower maintenance crops, and enjoy what you have got, not what you haven't.  Ooo I am getting all 'right on'.  ;D

[Wicker]

They are all soo right, Jool, don't judge yourself by other people either.  Last autumn right thru this spring for various reasons we couldn't give our usual time to the lottie, didn't get it dug over, didn't get weeds cleared, were later sowing everything and to tell the truth I was a bit embarrassed about the state of it all compared to normal but here we are on top of most things (well not all the weeds but some you just have to ignore and not be too precious about it all) and what's not been done will just have to wait...........

[Joolieeee]

thanks to you all - what a bunch of stars!

ventured down the lottie today, it is sooo depressing as all the pathways are couch grass and they are knee deep, but I picked a couple of toms which tasted lovely, and brought the onions up to the house which made me feel better to see that harvest.  Then I picked enough beans for tea, so that was good too.

I think it's easy to overlook the good for the bad, so thanks all for reminding me - I needed it

I'm going to harvest what I can, and just plan to keep the place looking tidy.  I'm also going to get rid of all the things that look really bad like a sick cucumber plant and tom plants which never made it to a grow bag - that way I'm not looking at something all the time which instantly brings me down.

Thanks again all, I feel ready to go again

Love Joolieeeeeeeeeeeeeee
:-*