[hubballi]

I see what you mean Aunt Sally but those other problems are totally different from cabbage root fly which affect only brasicas. It is a pain to get photos because my PC doesn't seem to read my CF card without messing around for ages. I need a new PC (As well as a garden)

[fibilou]

IIRC you posted about your new pond having some maggoty things in it recently. Could these and your veggie woes be linked ?

[hubballi]

No. I looked it up and it wasn't anything to do with that. Someone posted a picture up and it was identified. My pond hasn't had anything like that since.

[fibilou]

Overall it does seem that the bugs just love your garden. Is there anything about its position/soil/anything at all that could be attracting them ?

[Aunt Sally]

IIRC you posted about your new pond

So obviously you can post pictures.

Please do so in the future as there can be many reasons for a lot of the problems you say you have.

[hubballi]

Ok, I will do when I get the chance. Thanks 

[Endymion]

Out of interest, what have you added to your soil?

Do you use blood, fish and bone and/or manure to help feed shallower rooting plants?

[scott40k]

Do you get any birds or other friendly bugs? Try encouraging these with seeds and peanuts and bright/ smelly flowers for the bugs - I understand marigolds are supposed to be good.

Not a cure all, but could certainly help :-)

This is my third year growing in the garden after we gave up with the sheer enormity of an allotment and this is really the first year I'm having success.

Just a thought, but if your garden is walled, the soil could be quite rubbly/ sandy - we have a similar problem with the house being on a new estate so raised beds is the way to go for us :-)

[Yorkie]

Out of interest, what have you added to your soil?

Do you use blood, fish and bone and/or manure to help feed shallower rooting plants?

Manure is a soil conditioner and should not be considered as a specific fertiliser.

[Jamie Butterworth]

Just a quick thought, but you do seem to have a lot of veg problems, i have had a look through your posts to try and find a common denominator, and came accross your very first post:

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=31680.msg379500#msg379500

Did you apply the engine oil to your riased beds, this could have potentially leaked into your veg beds and caused some of the problems you have encountered?

Just a thought

[Marisette]

My other half and I have had an allotment for six years now,and I am convinced that nature goes in cycles.One year we were overloaded with runner beans,this year they are a poor show.Broad beans,on the other hand,are doing really well.Carrots have fallen prey to the carrot fly,although we have planted them next to onions as recommended.

I think you just have to go with the flow and be glad of what you get.It is easy to get discouraged,we have seen newcomers stay one year and because of a poor harvest,but we gardeners are in the main great optimists.Next year will be better!

[savbo]

not trying to belittle your depressing experiences Hubbali, but on a lighter note I can't help thinking about the character in Hitchhiker's Guide who was a rain god but didn't know it, and wondered why it always rained wherever he went. Perhaps you're actually some sort of Vegetable Destroying Angel?



Hang on in there....

[Aunt Sally]

It does seem like that savbo 

We have organised for one of our experienced gardeners to pay hubballi a visit in a couple of weeks time to advise him as to what he's doing wrong.

[brokenglass]

It will be interesting to see how one plot/garden can suffer from every disease/pest/condition for years without any improvement.