[Babstreefern]

I came onto the allotment this aftenoon, and passed one of my allotmenteers and honest to goodness, there was enough growing to feed the Southern Hemisphere.  It looked absolutely fantasic .  I then passed on to my plot (same amount of space), and looked at my attempt, and hung my head in shame .  I put in double the amount of peas as last year (I got a few pound), and just managed one pan ful this year.  My tomatoes look, well, ill - one or two plants haven't even got toms on, whilst others are going red.  So I picked them, a yellow corgette and a couple of onions, with my new potatoes and had them for tea with the pork chop that I buy from the local farm.  I spoke to Conrad (the one with a lot of stuff ) and what he does is that at the end of the growing season, he sprays watered down Jeys Fluid (when his crops comes through the following summer, he has no slugs and no cabbage whites landing -  it works, as he has no holes at all in his cabbages, etc); he then covers everything over with chicken pellets, bf&b, etc, and then covers everything over with lime for the winter.  The following Spring, he rotavates it all in, and starts again.  I asked him about manure - he doesn't use it.  He said it just brings in more problems.  He comes from Trinidad, and he said that's what they do there, so I will definitely do what he does - he did say that its probably the "black magic" he performs - I asked him to do whatever he does on mine.

[Yorkie]

Sorry to hear you're down, I can empathise with how a comparison with others can make you feel

At least you have courgettes, mine are sulking 

'Fraid Jeyes Fluid can't legally be used as a soil sterilisant any more  (whatever Conrad may choose to do)

[peapod]

I wouldnt fancy eating stuff that has been grown in soil doused with Jeyes 

I use manure, and have noticed a massive difference this year, so thats the way Ill carry on

Dont be too down, everyone has bad times at the lotty..but other stuff will be great too

[beansticks]

Dont be down Babs,just remember how long you have had your plot,and how long he has had his.Every year your plot will get better,and produce more.Also does he work?the best plot on our site is kept by a retired chap who spends hours there every day.

[Norfolk James]

it's like sport innit; the main thing is taking part!

you don't seem to be doing so bad tho...don't worry about what others are getting, just enjoy yourself.

[DavidT]

Babs, Conrad DOES use manure, what do you think his chicken pellets are? You concentrate on improving your soil. Don`t use Jeyes, use plenty of well rotted manure. Only use F,B&B about a fortnight before planting. Don`t lime all your plot, only where your Brassicas are going. To keep the Cabbage Whites off your veg, use a fine mesh netting. Most importantly, ENJOY the plot and don`t turn it into hard work.

[Babstreefern]

Thanks for your encouragement guys, I really appreciate it .  Conrad works shifts.  

My flowers are doing wonderful at least.  I bought a packet of Bumble Bee Mix seeds, they've now grown into, well, interesting flowers, and it really works, there are loads of bees - albiet they are only landing on this mix, and not on my other flowers

I've had mesh over my brassicas.  Also, I forgot to mention, that the reason I'll be putting lime on is because my soil is acid - in fact, its way over into the red.  So I think this may be a problem.  Its my first growing season on this plot (I swapped plots at the end of last year).  My other plot was brilliant for growing things, except spuds, as the ground was pretty wet, and they would rot if you didn't get them out fast enough

[peapod]

Its all just a part of the never ending learning curve Babe 

[DavidT]

Babs, you say your soil is into the red, what do you mean? What`s the reading?

[fekq]

Thanks for your encouragement guys, I really appreciate it .  Conrad works shifts.  

My flowers are doing wonderful at least.  I bought a packet of Bumble Bee Mix seeds, they've now grown into, well, interesting flowers, and it really works, there are loads of bees - albiet they are only landing on this mix, and not on my other flowers


I'm very jealous. we are overwhelmed with courgettes and tatties --  but 3 sowings of wild flower/bumble bee seeds have produced two (just two) fried egg plants... so there's always something that you'll do well, that someone else won't. keep your chin up!!

[Kabby]

Babs - I can sympathise.  I have to pass 4 plots on the way to mine that have been held by their owners for 47 years!!!!!!!!  Honestly I look at them and just despair that mine will ever be as neat and productive and pretty!!!  But their owners are always very encouraging, and given I've only had mine for 3 years (and I had a year off to sprout babies) I feel I'm doing ok - yep not many peas here, despite sowing twice as many, my sweet peas took a look at the lovingly built cane and pea netting structure I'd built and died, my sunflowers got snaffled and my dwarf french beans are just hanging in there but my potatoes look great and my butternut squash are growing apace - each year I learn something new.

Hang in there!

[SG6]

Seems strange that the soil can be so very different, but if it is I guess that the plants you used previously may simply not suit the new soil.

Guess you need a plan

Assuming that at last one section of the plot is presently doing little that is productive I would dig a third of the plot over and add manure or chicken poo. Use this for late sowing crops and some overwintering crops.

Sowing options are: Turnips, overwintering cabbage, leaf lettuce, radish, spring onions also give celeraic a try. Suspect that leeks are a bit late now but if you have a packet of seed go for it. I would say try a row of carrot as they grow quick and they may get to an edible size, again not a lot to lose. There will be others but I have no idea what.

When Sept/Oct comes round throw in a couple of rows of overwintering onions and garlic.

All the above are inexpensive, 50p at Wilkinsons, except the overwintering onions. That would get something growing and may make the plot producing even at the end of the year.

Keep a record of what is and is not successful.

Not sure if you would have these on a plot but I have 4 half standard bushes of goosberry and redcurrent. They are about 4ft high and make picking fruit easy. 4 in a line at the plot end would give fruit and act as a minor wind break. I happend to find mine in a nursery one day and have found them ideal for me.

[Debz]

Embrace your acid soil and grow some Blueberries!  My garden is not as good this year and it is partly due to my lack of organisation and partly because it is hungry.  I have no good excuse for that because my sister has a couple of ponies and I can have as much manure as I want.  She even lets me make the coffee when I go to collect it!  Note to self - must do better/differently next year.

[strangerachael]

I can also sympathise - one of my neighbours has had his plot since 1966, and everything looks perfect and huge and green. His is also a full plot while mine is only a half. Makes mine look so pale and puny in comparison, even though I know I'm doing fine (3rd year this year). What's more, the neighbours on the other half of mine, who took theirs on at the same time as me, theirs always looks much healthier too, but they have dug LOADS of manure into theirs. I can't really do this because there is nowhere on my plot for a trailer-load of manure to be deposited - they have the end with tractor access.
However, I am concentrating on producing lots of compost, and growing green manure, and things have definitely improved since year 1.
One day, I'll be the one with the perfect plot, looking smug, while all the new people gaze at mine with envy!