Sucesses and Failures

[Inky]

Well Im well underway now with my first year at the allotment. So far its all been very mixed.
All my fruit plants are doing great, with exception of the summer fruiting raspberries which havent been doing much so far. Potatoes are doing great, as are garlic, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweetcorn etc.
I learnt the hard way about slugs and did nothing initially and they took out all my beans and courgets, so I have now slug pelleted and sown a load more seeds of each today.

I also had a slight hicup with my leeks and spring onions, and that is that I droped the tray with them all in so now I have no idea which is which. I was thinking about planting them all together and will find out when they are mature but then I realised that means not planting the leeks in the open holes, will it matter if I dont do it like that?

Also all my cabbage, cauliflour and brocolli didnt make it, and I had this happen when I tried to grow them at home a few years ago, once they get the first true leaves, and the old leaves does off, they just do nothing for a few weeks and then just wilt and die. Now it looks after surviving for about 2 months my brussels are going to do the same. They always just seem to stop growing. Any ideas why this is happening? Im thinking about buying the plug plant ones and seeing if I have better sucess.

Also the carrot seeds I planted 2/3weeks ago do not seem to be appearing yet. Should they be? I just planted a load more in just a seed tray at home to transplant later to see if that better.

Anyway Were finally geting ontop of the weeds, today I was very happy to find that after a weeks absence the beds wert full of couch grass for once, so it looks like we are finally beating it!

Will get some pictures posted soon to update you all.

[Inky]

[saddad]

Well done..., carrots and parsnips are my problem this year, if they haven't come up in three weeks they ain't coming. Reading about your slugs they may have emerged and been razored off rapidly. Transplanting carrots doesn't really work. Try some in deep tubs. The onions have round (tubular) leaves and the leeks flat ones so you could seperate them out....
:)

[pippy]

Well done Inky.  Good that you are getting some successes.

I struggle with Cabbages etc. in the early part of the year too.  They seem to need to be outside in cool air (not in a hot greenhouse/conservatory), but then then don't like being too wet either (you have to stand them in a tray with water in rather than water from the top).  This year I have bought  seedlings to plant out in early May, then started my own batch for winter production now from seed.  It's a case then of sticking the modules outside when it's fine and bringing them in in the rain (whilst sticking everything else out!).  Last year I did succeed with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Kale so it is possible.

Best of luck  :)

[Deb P]

I also struggled with carrots, first year I sowed too early under cloches, and got very little germination because they were too dry.

Next tried a bit later under fleece, slugs got the lot!

Grew some in one of the raised beds last year, using old soil from growbags to get a nice fine topsoil: carrot root fly hit then, but I did get a crop.

This year, I've germinated four rows without any cover but sowed in mid April, and they are now covered with an enviomesh mini tunnel....but I've also sown some in buckets as an insurance policy. We shall see, every season is a learning curve. ;D

[thifasmom]

last year i couldn't get my calabrese to germinate and it appears its the same this year don't know why as all my other brassicus seeds germinate with no problems :-\

[Deb P]

last year i couldn't get my calabrese to germinate and it appears its the same this year don't know why as all my other brassicus seeds germinate with no problems :-\

I've had good results since I've grown F1 calbrese, one of the few I do grow, but I stagger the sowings or they all mature at the same time...Marathon & Pathenon this year, first batch all now transplanted and growing on well.

[Bjerreby]

Carrots have been a complete disaster for me, although this is my first year trying to grow them. I've sown several batches to find out what works best, and the answer is NOWT.

Last year I had good results with spinach. It lasted right through the winter, and we froze the last of it in April. This spring, I have 6 plants grown in modules doing very well, but the sowing I made in situ on 27th April has failed I think.

Lettuce: mixed results. My cos lettuce and salad bowl sown 27th March is looking very good and soon ready to pluck from. The sowings I have made since have not done well, and I think it is because April was so hot here in Denmark that the seeds became dormant.

My aquadulce claudia broad beans sown November all died, and those sown in January are disappointing. I shan't bother with aquadulce claudia again.

Otherwise, 2 kinds of onion, shallots, lots of parsnips, 3 kinds of leeks, beetroot, peas and Jubilee Hysor broad beans are all doing well.

[GodfreyRob]

I also had a slight hicup with my leeks and spring onions, and that is that I droped the tray with them all in so now I have no idea which is which. I was thinking about planting them all together and will find out when they are mature but then I realised that means not planting the leeks in the open holes, will it matter if I dont do it like that?

Leeks grow much slower than spring onions - so you can separate the bigger plants after a few weeks with some confidence that the majority will be onions.

[daileg]

i havent had much success with my beetroot i think the birds loved em though have re sown and thinned out so will be transplanting these soon my biggest problem this year has been Leeks havent come to much have tried again with a different compost mixture to see if it might help .
biggest sucess was my squash had a bumber crop from only a few plants this year got about 20 various plants with a mix will try and let them run this year as last trained them up trellis was limited to space

[thifasmom]

last year i couldn't get my calabrese to germinate and it appears its the same this year don't know why as all my other brassicus seeds germinate with no problems :-\

oh and my first success for the year was harvested yesterday Turnips :D

http://kellasvegeplotandothermusings.blogspot.com/2009/05/its-success.html

[carosanto]

Hi, this is my second year, and my goodness I learn something every day.  Like some others, I can't seem to grow carrots in the ground, last year's were a no show.  But this year I chucked a load of old grow bag compost into a bath and have a fine crop coming up under fleece.  The compost in the bath is always damp, and in the lottie very free draining, is this the problem?  Invested this year in some pre-primed parsnip and carrot seed, just to see if I could have another go in the ground.  Planted 3weeks ago, there is no sign of either!!!  Seems like a waste of dosh to me.

All potatoes looking good, but last year blight hit overnight in my damp Cornwall - am hoping for a better result this year.  Planted 6 different kinds, but Home Guard seems to be doing est, and is recommended for round here.  PSB, Wsb and Calabrese doing well, under net, they were eaten by caterpillar last year.

Am getting excited about a prospective 3-sisters planting, i.e. Sweetcorn, Beans and Squash.  I have grown several kinds of squash, including a pink one, I've got runner, borlotti and Italian climbing beans, and I can't remember the sweetscorn variety but I have grown it to about 8 ins now.  Pit dug, manure in earlier this year, and all young plants hardened off.   Now to see if the Red Indians really did rely on all that Buffalo manure, or can I get away with my '3 sisters' on a windy west country hillside.  Will keep u posted.

Dwarf peas, two kinds, Onward and Sweetie are doing really well, had 'em under net which I won't be removing any time soon.  Garlic thriving, beetroot too.  Radishes in that damp bath have been phenomenal.  Little flower plot dotted over with germinating annuals.

Don't care about the failures, cos I know I am not alone.  We all fight the slugs, snails, weather etc, and we'll all get successes too. I just love my lottie.

Caro

[lightyears]

hi, im first year too. I seem to be having the oposite to you, i sew more seeds because i thought well its my first year i expected 50% loss. now i have the problem of 50% gain, every single thing has come up. i even managed to get 48 celery growing after all my neighbours said nahhhhh you'll never grow that

[Deb P]

I love it when people say that......just makes me want to succeed even more! ;D

[lightyears]

you want to meet my neighbours  ;D ;D ;D    feels great to rub it in.

[shirlton]

We haven't done as well this year with carrots. The second sowing have done much better. Every year has it's goods and bads.

[cornykev]

What is it with carrots,  :'(   and my sweetcorn germination is zilch,   :'(  I'm on my second sowing and still nothing,   :'(   oh yes all my brassicas died indoors but all the ones sown direct are doing OK.  ???      ;D ;D ;D

[Inky]

Well I have 4 verieties of carrot now in seed trays hoping thet will come up there and then transplant, have also planted marigold seeds and will stick the whole load under fine insect netting to deter carrot fly.

I have the day off work friday, I think I will stick a load od brasiccas in seed trays directly outside too.

[Philbasford]

my sweetcorn have been a mixed bag, the ones ive set myself have been ok a little slow but going ok, the ones ive brought from someone are slowly dying (have covered them up in a cloche etc)

Spuds are doing very well:), had some already,

Broad beans are rather slow!

[posie]

Well I'm pleased to report that contrary to last year - I have managed to grow in tubs.............wait for it..........................


CARROTS!!! loads of them!!!  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Chanterey Red - which I believe were given to me very kindly by someone on here.

Can you tell I'm pleased lol

[saddad]

There are some by the fence too direct sown Deb....  :)