and it may just be my imagination but I feel we are all a lot more honest about our crop growing failures compared to few years ago.
I find this information useful as it has made me realise that many people have had the same problems as I have had and it aint just me ;D
What do you think??
Ooooh, peeps actually told porkies about how good their crops were? Could they eat them with all the pimples on their tongues?
;D ;D ;D
well I suppose what I am trying to say is that with some people who clearly have wonderful results some of us lesser mortals may have been a bit reluctant to show our failings. ??? ??? ???
Well, I know I haven't posted a picture of my brussel sprout that has been eaten down to half its size
by cabbage worms! I couldn't stand the daily squishing required :(
maybe we should show photos on here of our failures ;D
I managed to pull out the roots of my best cucumber plant, only planted 2 as last year, we were swamped, the other one is still only about 8" tall and it was planted out in april:o
we have had onions with rot, not as many as last year but still, I think it would depress me to list any more failures ;D
The Egyptians only recorded their victories Betula. ;D ;D ;D
I think we should advertise our failures wide and far :D
It takes skill, graft and experience to crop a full range of vegetables throughout the year and I think most people believe it's just a question of having a bit of land and chucking seeds on it. That seems to be the media message on 'grow your own' these days. Whenever I say I've got an allotment, people say 'ahhh, how lovely and relaxing and money saving' - no idea! I think they picture me as Marie-Antoinette, whereas I'm turning into Bob the Builder.
LOL Marie Antoinette and Bob The Builder :D :D :D Now there's a couple made in heaven :P
I wonder if you have a point there Betula. Originally I joined this site (a couple of years ago) to learn more about growing your own etc. Originally it did seem like folks were experts, but I have gradually got to know a bit more, learnt loads and howled with laughter. And I think the one thing about this forum that stands out is that no question can ever really be too dumb and so to admit to some failures runs alongside this. Folks on here are genuinely helpful, want to share their knowledge, and part of that sharing of knowledge involves fessing up and describing problems and failures. I'm all for it. But then I would say that - not a competitive person - and want to keep learning.
So I like the non-competive / non-macho element of this site. I used to post a fair bit on a travel forum, but got fed up with the competitive nature of posts on there, so pretty much gave up.
be interetsing to see what some of the long term posters on here think?!
1066 :)
Well, as a newbie to growing veg, I think I've learned that calabrese do better if sown later outdoors- my indoor sown ones have gone to seed. Ive also learned that I need to plant potatoes further in from the edges of the beds!
This year is the last year I am going to try to grow onions. They just don't like the soil and I also have white rot so - this is it as far as onions and also garlic has been pretty much a disaster getting white rot and stay tiny and everyone round me has magnificent HUGE bulbs!
I will still try and stick a few shallots in as they are so expensive to buy and seem to fare a little better.
Others round me have grown peas and they are 4 - 5 ft high and a full row. I have managed 9 plants total out of 4 sowings - maybe I should leave them out too!
So far that is my list of disasters - bound to be more - but as a starter thats it!
O B
:D
perhaps people are still being not very honest about this years crops - when they say this year - not very good, they actually mean ******* disaster.....
Quote from: Old bird on July 07, 2010, 12:47:26
This year is the last year I am going to try to grow onions. They just don't like the soil and I also have white rot so - this is it as far as onions and also garlic has been pretty much a disaster getting white rot and stay tiny and everyone round me has magnificent HUGE bulbs!
I will still try and stick a few shallots in as they are so expensive to buy and seem to fare a little better.
Others round me have grown peas and they are 4 - 5 ft high and a full row. I have managed 9 plants total out of 4 sowings - maybe I should leave them out too!
So far that is my list of disasters - bound to be more - but as a starter thats it!
O B
:D
I've about concluded the same with the cabbage family- though I'd really like homegrown broccoli and Brussel Sprouts, I can't deal with the cabbage whites worms and unless some decent cages could be built with screening, I may as well not bother. The heat builds up too much under fleece.
My Summer onions have not done well at all, golf ball size with the greenery withered away already, with some white rot.
Parsnips have not germinated very well at all.
Celeriac have not germinated very well, even after several sowings.
Cabbages were mullered over Winter and went to seed when they recovered, although about 10 survived.
:'( :'( :'(
i'll be honest....
this year........load of old *insert appropriate profanity* lol!
i can post pics of the crud if required lol!
yep,it has been a bad start this year.i cant even get a decent crop of beetroot.and as for my early spuds I had to dig up 44 plants to get enough for 1 meal.
This has been my best year ever - I think more because I've retired so have more time than because of any inherent skills!
After years of rubbish carrots I have finally got a great crop - mokum and fucino - thanks Jeannine and Saddad!
The rabbits have eaten anything left uncovered - but I think I've got them blocked out now. Pigeons ate the cabbage when the wind blew the enviromesh off. New strawberries have most died - I clearly didn't water enough!
Quote from: Le-y on July 07, 2010, 17:06:17
i can post pics of the crud if required lol!
Maybe we should start another thread in the Gallery section ;) :) - A kind of House of Horrors :P
Good idea :)
I am like Grawrc this year apart from a few peppers and sweet peas.
My plot is quite small now but my carrots are growing more than a stubble,my Beetroot are sublime,beans and peas coming on a treat.....er.....it just don't feel right somehow ;D
I enthusiastically made over 60 paper plant pots and put a pea in each one. Great germination and nice little plants. But when I planted them outside they slowly turned yellow and I have had only a dozen pods from the lot. Maybe it was the wrong kind of newspaper?
So that was a flop.
Did I mention my cauliflowers - no bigger than a ping pong ball :(
Quote from: cornykev on July 07, 2010, 16:40:45
My Summer onions have not done well at all, golf ball size with the greenery withered away already, with some white rot.
I'd be please with that - I pulled a shallot yesterday to see what was up and it was literally 4mm in diameter. It made me chuckle actually, perfectly formed but only suitable for a dolls house. My Bulbous rooted chervil was similar in dimensions and I'd been really excited about that. It's supposed to be difficult to germinate. It did that fine but then withered away.
The rest of my onions are barely pickling size. Anyway, it's my first year of growing them from seed - too late and earth too poor. Next year I'll know better.
Normally I grow great carrots, but I'm bolting all over....
Just to balance things out, strangely my potatoes are the best ever but I've been watering them like a crazy thing because last year my first earlies were all scab.