Has anyone else found many of their crops have had a short cropping season this year?
I am finding many of mine have had a burst of cropping anfd now are on the wane, particularly runner beans and tomatoes (notably the indoor ones). I have also been unable sustain cropping of salads through the season as well.
I have got to the stage now where I have very little left in the veg plot, and expect to have little remaining in the way of 'summer' crops by the end of the month, although I will have some autumn/winter crops off and running by then.
On the non edible front many flowering plants have gone over quickly as well, again sweet peas in particular have not lasted and some plants have already died.
Obvously its the weather this year , but what has your experience been?
Certainly a strange year, but different results here GC.
My crops are making up for lost time - had our first runner beans yesterday :o
Toms are cropping well and not slowing down yet - some are just yielding their first fruits too, but they were planted out in June so I can't blame them ;)
Here too we're cropping very late - probably because we had heavy snow in mid march followed by a couple of weeks of heavy rain and everything refused to even think about growing/germinating.
On the flip side, that has meant an extremely heavy crop of fruits (panic/survival instinct I think)
Quote from: supersprout on September 08, 2006, 11:03:47
My crops are making up for lost time - had our first runner beans yesterday :o
Ooo eck we were down to 6 degrees last night - felt like there could be an early frost. Give cold mornings all weekend due to the clear skies. I expect this will finish off the courgettes [thank fully!]
Some of my crops seem to be getting a "second wind" - rather too late for it to be any good I think! Several squashes, including my butternuts, are producing more fruit, cucumbers, having stopped, are flowering again, and some of my strawberries are about to flower again if they get the chance. Odd!
I can't believe how good my runners haved turned out to be - once the weather cooled down from that very hot spell - they just took off and I'm picking daily - and all this from a 3ft trough on my patio. Having initially thought I'd 'never bother again' I've completely changed my mind.
Also, the Gartenperle that I was originally worried about, thinking they were slow - have gone on to produce (& still are) pounds & pounds of gorgeous tasty little tomatoes - will definitely grow them again.
On the down side - not had much luck with beetroot or lettuce :(
None of my onions or garlic grew as big as the previous 2 years tho - lack of water I suppose and I just can't carry heavy watering cans too far or get to my lottie very often (cos of continued back problems :'()
Disasterous year here.
8" of snow in mid April
A month of rain in May
No rain at all until August
A cold and dim August
Theft
Council vandalism
Broken leg
Bindweed craziness
Deer that destroy everything
Early blight
Low yields
Weedkiller destruction of my plot
My home crops have done well though, my toms, peppers and aubergines.
Just in case, why not try growing elderberry to deter witches? They're taken very seriously indeed where Namissa comes from, so I have a large one in the hedge as a precaution.
glad other people think this was a short season too... i just thought i was getting old ... ???
What I have noticed is how some things have definitely struggled due to weather, but others have done surprisingly well, so on balance some crops have won, whereas others have failed completely ... sruff seems to be harvesting early though ...
harvesting early and also the wild stuff going over early i.e blackberries rotting in the bushes from 2 weeks ago.
It has been the strangest year. As others say, things started late then stuff really came on, then that heat didn't suit quite a lot of things so it slowed things up, then lots of rain so a bit of a revival again. Even my garden roses are going hell for leather again, but so I have noticed are the green fly. Couldn't believe the sudden appearance of clumps of them on my roses, not usual for this time of the year, I don't think! busy_lizzie
I am with Periwinkle and the second wind theory. I had a good harvest of runners in June and July, then nothing in August, and now we have had rain, lots of runners again. Same with the courgettes. Yes, my salads - looseleaf and crisphead types bolted very quickly, yet the corn and toms have been AMAZING! For me, I really need to concentrate on some sort of, possibly solar powered, irrigation system for next year so my newly emerged summer seedlings don't frazzle!
Quote from: busy_lizzie on September 09, 2006, 14:03:35
It has been the strangest year. As others say, things started late then stuff really came on, then that heat didn't suit quite a lot of things so it slowed things up, then lots of rain so a bit of a revival again.
Agreed just got a second picking off strawberries today - confused plants?
Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on June 22, 2006, 17:52:22
Never water the allotment apart from seed drills and new transplants. You make your veggies into wooses by pampering them! ;D
Quote from: EJ - Emma Jane on September 09, 2006, 18:21:42
For me, I really need to concentrate on some sort of, possibly solar powered, irrigation system for next year
HA and HA again, insulted my veg 'cos they were well watered in June. The worm has turned, the chicken has landed, etc.
;D ;D ;D
Guess I was right again.
I would agree with the 'second wind' theory too. Whilst what isaid in my first post still holds true, I have seen recent evidence of some things coming on again since its been cooler. However most of these are ornamentals NOT (sadly) edibles. For example i have a clematis tangutica (the yellow late summer one) which a few weeksa go seemed to flowere then peter out and go to seed, has recently had a late spurt of growing and flowering. In fact it has grown so much its trying to escape into next door! I also have a couple of hardy shrub fuschias which apparently got stressed enough to think it was time to shed leaves and have recently started sprouting new growth.
On edible that has come bak for more are my strawberries. Not all the plants but a few have flowered again recently and have even set a few fruit. if they ripen OK then that will be a little autumn treat!
Aha, well Mike, only for my seedlings to get them going. Because I don't water, my later sown lettuce, turnips, radish and what not either never germinated, or frazzled as soon as they cracked the concrete ground. Once they are up and running, they have to sort themselves out. I am picking the sweetest, juiciest, plumpest tomatos ever, and they have not have any water, not even from mother nature as they are grown undercover. BUT, yes, maybe a little pampering just in the summer for those salad leaves. :D ;)
My strawbs are looking great since I tidied them up, and yes, they are in flower again. ROY, I will sort out your rooted runners this coming week - kids permitting. ;D
My willow in the garden shed bucket fulls of leaves in August and looked really really poorly, but now it has had a gooooood long soaking thanks to all the rain, it is in full growth again and looks fab!
My topsy-turvy gardening world continues...I'm now doorstepping peeps with tomatoes - even my big and beautiful and much-cherished beef ones - but have just had to beg a few courgettes from a neighbour. 4 plants and just me eating them? That's an all-time first :o
I've been doing much the same with my toms, but I did get rid of a great load at Harvest Festival today.
;D Robert
I'd always wondered why the local coven never asks to use our back garden for its AGM -- the only bits of it that aren't one BIG elder tree are pyracantha and berberis (the previous owner was clearly a rather prickly type!)
Here in Sarf Champshire it seems like about mid-October. The squashes and grapes are about a month ahead, as are the toms. They have that thick-skinned feel to them: not soft and growing, but brittle and tough.
Very odd year indeed, late to start, quick to finish.
It was a bit strange, what with the rather cold April, wet May, drought in June and July, and wet August.
My report:
- Tomatoes: Blossom end rot during the drought, and cracking during the downpours, but serious harvest of very well flavoured toms, and still they come!
- Potatoes: Rather poor yields, but good quality. Some drowned in May floods.
- Broad beans: Ace (we only planted earlies, and they're long finished)
- Runner beans: First sowing flowers didn't set. Too cold. :( Second lot went leathery before they matured. Too hot. :( Third lot (now): Brilliant! :)
- Peas: Disaster - virtually no crop
- Leeks: Coming on beautifully. Very few losses.
- Cauliflowers: Not very good quality curds, but could have been worse.
- Onions, shallots: Wow! :) Very successful. They ripened well in the hot weather. All gathered in now.
- Garlic: Rather small bulbs, but tasty.
- Courgettes: Fantastic. Huge crop - couldn't give them away in the end!
- Aubergines (cold frame): It looks as if we might get a few. They were a bit of a laugh rather than an attempt at a serious crop. Still ripening.
- Sweet peppers: Not bad. Small fruits, but a heavy crop.
- Chilli peppers: Harvesting now, good crop.
- Artichokes: Nothing worth eating, but it's their first year.
- Cucumbers (cold frame): Really successful. They're almost finished now, but we got more than we could eat.
- Strawberries (2nd year): Not a very large crop (too dry), but disease free
- Raspberries (1st year): Mostly dead. I think they drowned. :( Some autumn rasps have survived.
- Gooseberries (1st year): 2 of the 4 bushes have died, it appears. :(
We've also got brussels sprouts and winter cabbages, but the jury's still out on them.