:-\
Ok, time to confess. Spuds looking ropey, even fireproof Desiree. A rogue tomato plant has popped up in the middle of my tray of leeks in the frame, no idea how cos i sowed them at separate times. While I have been away weeds have overwhelmed my celeriac, and the slugs have used weeds as a stairway to get to them.
It's all looking a bit dodgy. Is it just me?
???
Katy
It's not just you - it's me too! and I don't even have the excuse of having been on hols :'(
It took me about a week to dig out the bed for the toms (well there are 16 of them) and get them planted in the bottomless Morrisons pots and in that time the Horsetail went into overdrive.
I now have a potato bed where the horsetail is taller, it completely overran the carrots and beetroots and is providing additional support for the peas............
The summer cabbages have been a disaster, so they went into the compost bin closely followed by the Pak Choi but it's all a learning curve. I have some cauli's and Broc's under fleece that are fabby - so next year my plot will be a sea of fleece & enviromesh...
I am slowly regaining control - really sharp hoe ;D
Choose a patch and weed, weed, weed and before you know where you are it'll all be neat and tidy again..............
Happy weeding ;) and if it all gets too much just picture me slashing away at the evil horsetail >:(
We all have disasters; my asparagus mostly disappeared, my hedge is so overgrown I can hardly use the path (which is a concrete one built far too close in), most of the brassicas fell prey to the pigeons last winter, and my squashes are miserable little things. But that's lottying for you.
Katie, most of my peas were munched before they got big enough to do anything and two of my potato plants have alarmingly wilted and gone yellow. The final third of the plot still to be dug looks like its auditioning to become part of the rain forest - there were raspberries and rhubarb down there (I know cos I took a photo in April) but goodness knows where they are now. The aubergine that is at home in the mini greenhouse had its stem munched in two by some rogue snail / slug and I found another snail nestled into the courgette stem feeding itself by intraveneous drip >:( >:(
But my pumpkins all have flowers and my sweet peas are keeping my office and living room in colour and scent :) :)
:(
Also...only one of my runners is showing any sign of climbing, brassicas are looking a bit dodgy and sweet peas are lying down and sulking! Now I read the comments I feel a bit better and there really IS next year!
;D
All adds to the excitement of visiting the plot, ooh the thrill of it all ...
Tomatoes sat still for 4 weeks and curled up, growing again, but no sign of fruit
No sign of asparagus crowns lovingly planted in November
Runners sat still (see tomatoes)
No carrots AGAIN, am thinking of using seed for mulch
Having sown beet twice as thick, they all germinated and I daren't thin them
Kale (which it turns out no-one will eat :-\) bustin' out of its net
Love it, love it , love it ;D
Am I glad to read this! Perhaps it is my style of gardening or just rotten luck. My beans, too, wont climb and this is the 3rd sowing,the carrots are as pathetic as the peas and spring onions-but the sweetcorn is looking really promising, so are the broccoli,sprouts etc.
BUT like you, Katie, I am planning on next year being sooooo much better. ;D and looking forward to it. (Optimism is a wonderful thing ;))
I dug up my peas a couple of weeks ago as they were in a state of suspended animation - most were only about 2" high after geminating in April!. Replaced the row with some french beans, which are growing OK.
Loads of my first earlies failed to come up (Rockets) - and the ones that did look a bit sick. The same thing happened to my dad last year, think i might give Charlton park a miss next year...
But what goes around comes around as they say - i'm still picking 2lb + of strawberries every other night!
My runners took some persuading, but there going really well now.
Here goes from THE NOVICE OF THE YEAR!! Having only grown runner beans, toms and cues a couple of times, all others are new to me. I only have a very small area in my garden. Toms in g/house GD's) seem to be OK but later than most members, about 25 little toms so far. Cues in G/house looks like I will get one or two. Pumpkin my very first ever, took a pic of it :) Have been eating radish, lettuce and spring onions (all a first to me) Squashes coming along seem to be OK but don't know what stage they should be at. Just sown beetroot. Carrots, one small row but definitely something wrong, they seem to be growing almost on top of the earth, very stumpy. Did I sow them too shallow??(I do love raw carrots)
I have had great fun and no doubt my knowledge will improve by next year..
Also many non edibles which I have never grown and these came in the main from members of A4A who have kindly sent me seeds.
Lorna
everything seems a bit late this year - i have just done another sowing of french beans and courgettes - also just transplanted tiny squashes and cucumbers!! last year, i did that kind of thing a month earlier, at least!
anyways.
i had lots of spuds, earlier than i thought they would be ready! and the onions did well - pulled them up today for space.
My first year farming the whole plot, weeds everywhere. Expecting to see lions and tigers down there in the long grass. Would be great if they could catch and eat the pigeons.
Think it was at Banhams zoo - tiger (I think) belly flopped from the platform into the pond frightening the life out of a duck, which became its dinner.
Think it is always the same. This is the time when with one shower of rain, over night, the plot can be covered in weeds when the day before it was clear. My disasters have been my parsnips this year, when for the past two years they have been great. Only three germinated out of 20. Funnily enough I had tomato plants growing all over the parsnip bed which gave me false hope until I realised what they were, think the seed must have been in my homemade compost.
Our dwarf french beans have been eaten, so keep sowing more without much luck so far. Haven't had time to sow my carrots at the lottie, though have some in a tub at home. Haven't yet managed to thin my two rows of beetroot - there is just never enough time to do everything I am supposed to do. However, my brassicas are all looking great, cabbages, brussel sprouts, PSB and Autumn Calabraise all looking brilliant and not even a sign of white fly this year. I think the prolonged cold weather kept them at bay. Have brilliant lettuces this year too.
Squash and courgettes doing well, and our sweet corn better than last years. Peas okay, soft fruit good, with gooseberries busy ripening, though lost our redcurrants to the birds again. I didn't net them in time. Japanese, red and main crop Onions great and have just dug up my shallots which are drying. Like everyone I comfort myself with the words, "it will be better next year", and hopefully I will have learned a few more lessons from this years mistakes. :) busy_lizzie
There will always be something to be proud of.
i am with supersprout - no carrots again. the little round ones i did in window boxes are going strong, but from two sowings on the plot, a grand total of 3!! have made an appearance. those were nantes and i wont be trying those again in a hurry. still, it gives me space for more beetroot and that.
Are the toms cordon or bush? If they're bush, they're meant to fork. Mine are mostly bush, and are rapidly forming a jungle.
I gues it all comes down to experience - this is my first plot, which I have had since April....
Some things failed (carrots = 2 x packets sown, only about 8 are doing anything, Beetroot bolted, Broccoli is caterpiller sanctuary), some things worked (lettuec, rocket, early spuds, sweetcorn, herbs) and somethings are getting there (plums, apples, celery, toms, runners)...
...with what I am learning this year I hope to improve everything for next year....
...and if I find out how to do it, I'd post some photos....
Quote from: Svea on June 29, 2006, 11:50:56
no carrots again. the little round ones i did in window boxes are going strong, but from two sowings on the plot, a grand total of 3!!
I sowed salsify today instead, 100 off, that will show those fickle carrots ;)
the 1st row of pea's are all nibbled and never got going :'(was going to scrap them
Cu's it's very embarrassing but wait what do I see a few are trying to flower and them only 3inches high, while theres life theres hope ;D
A most interesting thread.
Failure is not only in the domain of the novices as has been said by quite a few experinced gardeners on these forums.
My claim to fame or should that be failure is; Sprouts & Carrots.
The sprouts I think I will put down to old seed I know I have had them at least five years but the carrots were new seed.
The bit that intrigues me is I have been on my plots for over twenty years and I have always been able to grow some decent carrots but not for last few years.
I notice there are a number here having the same problem, and I know from speaking to some of my local gardening friends that they are having similar problems.
Not being one for blaming my tools could it be.............the seed?
I think I might let this thread run its course and see the response then I might drop the RHS a line to see if they know why.
Hmmm....the seeds....
On most packets, there is a gemination rate - how acturate is that?
Should we (as the consumer) complain to the manufacturers of the seeds if they fail tomeet the germination rates?...and if so, what outcome would there be (you can bet you'd be outside of your 14 days Statetory Rights) - would they blame "storage & shipment to whoever sold the seeds" or maybe "how they were handled when sown" or "soil ph & conditions")
Does anyone have any information regarding cpomplaining to seeds producers and outcomes from the complaints?
Quote; Does anyone have any information regarding cpomplaining to seeds producers and outcomes from the complaints?
From my experience most seed merchants will not question what you have to say.
They will probably just send you a voucher to more than the value of the seeds in question and a letter of apology.
I guess this is the cheapest way out, as many of the main seed merchants buy their seed in from abroad already packaged in their livery.
For them to take it up with their suppliers might be too much hassle so as I said........they take the easy way out!
Hi everybody. this is my first year as an allotmenteer, Ive never grown anything from seed till now and Ive never grown veg apart from a runner bean in a jar at primary school and a blackcurrant bush that was left behind by a previous tenant.
My list of disasters so far:
Seed sowing, out of each packet of seeds planted-
Sweetcorn 8 (looks like couch grass)
marrow 5
Runner beans 0
Giant pumpkin 1 ( That will make Lorna giggle, I did say my fingers are not that green ;D
Not much chance of me winning the pumpkin competition this year) :'(
3 goose Gog's devoured by sawfly :'(
Things can only get better ;D ;D ;D
My disaster is Parsnips this year - I made holes and filled them with compost and put a few seeds in each - used 300 seeds. THREE germinated. Have resown holes with another packet of 300 - NONE germinated! Have watered well and the soil is warm. I think I shall give up now and plant something else in there. I have seen others comment on the parsnips not being good this year. I tried so hard and spent so much time on the preparation. Never mind, the soil will be really good for whatever else I put in there now.
I had wonderful parsnips last year just bunging them in a row!
And my pumpkin seeds didn't germinate - tried two lots and neither came to anything. I have lots of courgette and squash plants so never mind.
All were new seeds.
Feel better now I have let out all my frustration! Thank you.
P.S. I have lots of other things growing so can't complain really...
I had an excellent germination rate from my White Gem parsnips bought from http://www.homegardenseeds.co.uk/ (http://www.homegardenseeds.co.uk/). Sowed three per station and had to thin at least one from every station. So heartbreaking that I will pregerminate next year so I don't have to kill any of the them. The plants are now going great guns.
My disasters have been cucs, courgettes, runners, brussels and I am blaming slugs and snails and that run of really wet weather we had.
RC I have saved that site to my favourites for next year! Both packets were Tender and True, grew White Gem and Tender and True last year as an experiment and had similar results from both, but obviously chose the wrong one this year. Better luck next year...
T
Another carrot failure here, sown twice and ended up with nothing, cabbages sown every week but always being eaten by the rabbits grrr >:(
Rhubarb not doing much, blackcurrant and gooseberry bush both died :(
First lot of leeks were eaten for tea today mmmm, strawberries never even make it home and are eaten as soon as picked lol
Broccolli slowly coming on as is the beetroot, parsnips germinated and in the polytunnel still along with some other seedlings. Chilli's and peppers got mixed up but both are growing. Butternut squash, marrow and/or courgette (forgot which is which) and cucumber all making a bid to take over the world!!!
Tomato's doing ok, onions fine, potatos fighting their way through the weeds (poor things) herbs (apart from Basil which got eaten by slugs) doing brilliantly.
Peas eaten by Bill the goat :-X but broad beans going great, lettuce and asparagus peas seem to be doing well (fingers crossed)
Seems like an ok first year for us, wish I'd planted more stuff but it took so long to clear up the lottie and build the polytunnel. Then again I'm sure I can find a few more things to plant in the next week ;D
i am the only person on my allotment site that can grow carrots easily. never had any problems. i attribute the success to growing under fleece.
however my big disaster this year is (don't laugh): lettuce. in fact all salad leaves and spinach. putting it down to the weather being too cold and then too hot. i think i will have more success under my beloved fleece!
my runner beans must have done a runner. i planted a nice double row and one came up!!! i think it showed its face so i couldn't think i didn't actually plant some.
the mice ate a load of strawberries >:( my own fault for being late with the netting.
red hot pokers didn't germinate....not even one
tumbling tom tomatoes didn't show face either.... but the ones i gratefully received on this site are away like a house on fire and bursting with flowers. thank you.x
today i spotted two apples on my wee £4 apple tree from Aldis. :D i only planted it in the spring. me and my boys were jumping for joy and then .......guess what...... one was half chewed!!
Disasters pending... Haven't sown for succession, haven't been able to work properly on allotment for several days and now have to work away from home for just over a week, followed by inundation of visitors and a wedding 300 miles away, and the courgettes and squashes are already productive.
I just know that by mid-July the allotments will be a mass of shoulder high weeds and immense courgettes and stringy mange-touts. Husband won't go near the place or eat courgettes and peas, but at least I am leaving him boxes of potatoes, onions and shallots (but I know he lives on pizzas and sausage rolls and pasties when I am away).
One thing I am enjoying is leading the trailing squashes up a ladder of old trellis into the apple tree and over a bean archway. If it works this year, I plan a more serious "vertical growing" arrangement next year.
;D
"Disasters Pending" Oh yes, have a list of those I expect!
;)
I sowed two varieties of parsnip, White Gem and Gladiator under enviromesh. Unfortunately I was ill for a few weeks and didn't get round to weeding them so they were amongst foot high milk thistles and shaggy soldiers to name but a few. :(
Yesterday I got round to weeding the bed and half the parsnips had survived. However, there was a marked difference between the two varieties, the Gladiator was taller and much stronger than the White Gem and had held its own amongst the weeds. Only time will tell if they taste is the same.
My biggest disaster was when I saw my baby aubergine fruit which was my pride and joy. A fat orange slug had made a hole in this inch long fruit and was curled up inside. :'( Last night I went on slug and snail patrol and killed almost 100 beasts. ;D ;D .........I did enjoy that!!! ;D
I too have had a disaster with carrots. :( Those sown early in the greenhouse were a great success and we are still eating them, but the three varieties that I sowed outside are extremely sparse.
I sowed some mixed lettuce seeds in the Spring and had four red ones and all the rest were the same light green ones but they have made lovely hearts and when they bolt I feed them to the chickens.
This is my 1st season, in fact only been gardening since March, but twice I've planted carrotts and parsnips, and neither time have any come up. My only other disaster is my Globe Endive, which I bought as small plants, as the name suggests, they are supposed to be large round balls of lettuce, but mine are about 2 feet tall twigs!
I'd post a picture - but I don't know how :-[
My runner beans don't have many flowers (enorma) bit disappointed so far. I do love runner beans.
Still only have the one pumpkin, so chuff I will have to compete with you but as you are growing giant pumpkin don't fancy my chances ;D
Wahoo! have got my first squashes ever, will have to see if I can find label under the leaves to see which variety
One half row radish wasted, gone woody but more ready to thin out.
Have been eating and giving away lettuce, radish and spring onions so my first veg/salad growing year is not complete failure.
Gardeners delight in g/house look reasonably good although bottom leaves on a couple of plants have "discoloured" will keep an eye on them
Well it has all kept me out of mischief :)
my runners aren't setting.
grew 3 cucumbers, all stems split low down, causing 2 to snap completely while young, was worried about number 3 yesterday, turned out to be ok in the end.
with limited veg growing space (2 8'x3' beds and a lot of pots) i have managed to avoid large scale disasters this year. will be a miracle if my carrots work though, never managed to grow a carrot.
Early nantes are virtually no-show. Lots of foliage but no carrots. Bizarely I'm picking maincrop small as babies. 2nd year of early nantes disappointment, so thinking of giving up on them. (maincrop = red somethingorother? can't remember, someone here sent them me).
Then the Belle de Fonteney I was growing in tubs got their foliage sliced off during recent high winds, so what should have been, potentially, a really good crop, wasn't.
Only other 'disaster' has been sowing Lorna's pak choi too late in the season, EJ says, so it bolted immediately.
Other than that, everything's been a success (so far) ::) (know I'll regret those words.....) but superb garlic and red onions are well worth a special note.
Carrots were sown early down the plot - not a sign. Sowed another short row - got 4! In veg boxes built in garden, got luscious carrot tops ;D and I sowed some parsnip - got 1. The parsnip down the plot didn't show either. Heard theories that slugs/snails got to carrot seedlings. Another plotholder on site said 3 packets of carrots yielded nothing.
Yet another aubergine which was being eaten by a big fat orange slug. :'( Will any get to grow to full size I wonder. :-\
After years of attempting to grow in gardens of new houses with no topsoil, I've been reading this thinking how pleased I'd have been to get as many as 4 carrots!
Only half the row of peas at the allotment germinated - thought that was fairly disatrous, until I went down the other day after a 2 week gap. Turns out to be the most successful thing I've ever grown :-[
And I think I managed 5 carrots and 3 parsnips - so pretty good for me.
Can't see anything else as it's all buried in bindweed. Oh well.
Sally
More wind damage :( The garden tomatoes are taking a battering. 2 Ferlines has been snapped just above the 1st truss - there may be more. Shall walk the estate after a restorative g&t (Dutch courage?)
One scary spot - rear of plot 2, acquired in December. Points of note: tangle of metal rubbish left by previous tenant (welded to ground by roots and weeds), undug (and undiggable) ground, fruitless brambles and scorzonera expiring in a builder's bag. Never again :-[ :'(
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e220/supersprout/20060710_0008.jpg)
One bright spot - two squash (labels lost) enjoying their builders bag - even then, no lay-dee flowers yet >:(
We'll have to set up a suash dating agency, SS ;D! I have lots of ladies but no gentlemen.
chuckle - charming idea, ladies in floral dresses and straw hats jumping on trains with large pots 'in season' ;D
Quote from: keef on June 28, 2006, 12:05:40
Loads of my first earlies failed to come up (Rockets) - and the ones that did look a bit sick. The same thing happened to my dad last year, think i might give Charlton park a miss next year...
Snipped quote a bit
Keef:-
I only just registered this comment. Charlton Park? As in the potato day supplier?
I got some Pink Fir Apples from that day which looked darned peculiar and which are now causing some concern (see thread
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,28/topic,21782.0
where there's a piccy).
I also had some Rockets bought from them at the Potato day and one looked awful with odd whitish patches after it had been chitting for a week or three, so I cut it in half and the inside was riddled with dryish rot and tunnels. At the time I assumed it had been eaten and binned them all. But now I read your article - was it a bad batch or something infected the rest or...?
moonbells
edit 12/7 After a conversation at the plots last night, it seems that the Edzell Blues I bought at the same time for a friend are also a bit odd - they've all gone a dark brown *under* the leaves! She is now watching them carefully, but another coincidence? All her other spuds were bought at the HDRA Potato day in Coventry, and are fine.