Allotments 4 All

This is the first year I've grown them and they seem to be dying.

I've read that they turn yellow/ die back in October but mine are turning brown and the leaves shrivelling up. About 2 of the plants are completely brown and it's starting on others. I can't see any evidence of nibbling around the base of the stem. They've not flowered, which I was actually looking forward to.

Is it normal or has something got to them?

Got the same as you. I have been watering during the really hot period. The tops look healthy but are only standing 4ft tall abnd no flowers. 1st time for me too.

3 of mine are 7-8ft - no flowers yet, but plenty of growth, looking very healthy, staked last weekend against the wind.

The other four are about 5 ft, still no flowers, but looking equally as healthy

Mine were giving up the ghost like that last week when it was very hot... two or three cool days with some rain and they have perked up... probably just a lack of water..
;D

Mine were blown sideways by the winds in June, so I docked them to 4 ft. And staked/tied them. And mulched them heavily with leaves. They have bushed up and are looking healthy. I did plant them deep, having had them blow over on other windy plots, and they took ages to come up, so they may be benefitting from moisture from waaaay down there somewhere ???

My first year too. Currently 7ft plus, no flowers but looking very verdant. A couple have toppled over.

sorry to disappoint but I would be very surprised if they do flower - I have been growing mine for several years now and never any flowers - they are generally tough as old boots, I never watered mine at all through the drought and they are still upright but they tend to fall over in October, then I cut them down leaving a stalk to know more or less where they are (they 'travel' quite a long way) and wait to harvest throughout the winter

I grow a white and a red variety and I prefer the red (boston red??) as it has a stronger flavour and is a bit less windy  ;D

1st time grower of these things.. and I'm surprised at how well they're doing... rather well!

I'd eaten but never grown them before so I had a bagful in the kitchen which I was cooking with... I read (here, on A4A I think) that they were a no-hassle crop that you just chucked in the ground and left to do their own thing. So, I had a go!

Using some permaculture thinking I stuck them in the run-off of a stable roof so they've had no watering at all... all I did was plant them and left them to it. They grew quickly enough to suppres weeds themselves and the tallest are are now all about 2M and the rest are catching up quickly.

They're end-on to any prevailing winds (and also sheltered by the stable) and none have been blown over... which is good as we'd lost a couple of trees in our orchards this year.

..it's not a glamourous photo... I took it from a the track that adjoins our paddock but you can see how well they're coming along.


There are two varieties.. a pink knobbly one and a whiter less knobbly one! I have no idea what they are. I just bought big looking ones that looked like they'd peel easily and when I planted them.. any large ones where chopped into 4/5 egg sized pieces and chucked in the ground to a depth of about 12cm.

I have about 40 plants.. not sure how big a crop to expect from them.. I'll report back later in the year on the yield of each variety.

I've got two weaners on order (delivery 15th August!) so I'm kind of regretting not planting up a much larger area with these things and letting the pigs at them for foraging fun.

Last years extras went intyo the ground to create a beautiful "living" hedge on one side of my Lottie. they're now about 7ft tall and looking superb. I've tied them in to stop them drooping and it's looking like the buds are forming so I'll get a lovely yellow harvest of blooms for free....Lots of fartichoke soup for the Winter.. ;D

Mine look OK but a bit wilted and shorter than usual.

Dwarf Sunray  offered by T+M for years flowers quite regularly.. I prefer Fuseau white/spindles as they are much easier to prepare... Can I borrow the pigs as I have a patch I've been trying to dig out for three years!
;D

I haven't got a clue what variety mine are, but they flowered last year.



It's not a good pic becasue the runners are taking over !

Mine are looking good at the moment although they are not enjoying this wind, they were planted there to hide my neighbours ugly tin shed but he has since moved it and taken away their wind break !

Helen