Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: grasshoppergardenservices on October 22, 2013, 22:05
-
I have a small section in my garden me and my son use to grow veggies(hes 6) . I keep it basic, just some runner beans, radishes, courgettes etc. Just something to get him involved in gardening but this year we didnt have much luck. beans didnt grow much, lots of flowers but hardly any beans and the courgettes were disappointing. last year we were giving them away but this season i think we had about 10 at the most. Did any one else struggle this year.
-
I had a great year for most things, especially fruits and veg that produce their fruits above ground, beans squashes, tomatoes. Not so good for things that tend to bolt, turnip, onions, fennel, pak choi. But even then it was 100% better than last year :)
-
I had a good year except for beans. Sorry that you are a bit disappointed with your harvest.
-
I had a good year.. I posted this on another thread - Daily Harvest 2013
No brag - just fact..
After seeing the price of runner beans in town I decided to do a harvest record just to see how much I have grown and priced at supermarket prices.. Some estimates are on the lower side!!
Strawberries 40kg = 88punnet @ £2.50 = £225
Broadbeans 6kg @ £1.80 per kg = £11
Peas 6kg @ £2 = £12
Potatoes 90kg @ £1 = £90
Gemsquash 120 @ 50p = £60
Runner beans 30kg @ 6.67 = £200
Courgettes 18kg @ £1.60 = £29
Squashes loads +/- 12 @ £1 = £12
Hubbard squash 4 large @ £4 = £16
Acorn squash 14 @ £1 + £14
Beetroot +/- 25 kg @ £3.3 = £83
Garlic 80 large bulbs @ 50p = £40
Onions 450 @ 20p = £90
Tomatoes loads! 100kg++ @ £2.50 = £250
Sweet corn 180 @ £1 = £180
Damson plums 10kg @ £3 = £30
Leeks 100 = 25 kg @£2.75 = £ 69
Soft fruits/berries 5 kg @ £11 = £55
A few cabbages @£4
Total £1470 Unbelievable!!
Total weight is about 560kg!!!
-
We had a fantastic season. Only disappointment was the mange tout peas
-
I wonder if perhaps things were a bit too hot and dry in your garden. I too had a good year, as I think most people did, although the start was slow. I would say that there is something about the micro climate of your garden. Especially as you say that this was a worse year for you than last. Most folks on here had one of their worst years last year, generally because of the cool, very wet weather. Another reason I wonder if your garden is very dry, or your soil very free draining?
Another possibility if you got flowers but not fruit, has something changed so that you are not getting as many pollinators in your garden, did you see lots of bees around?
One other thought, are you growing in the same space year after year? And if so have you added anything to improve the soil?
I am sure you will find that it is just one of those things that happen occasionally and next year could just as well turn out to be the best ever! :)
-
It's a shame your season hasn't been very productive grasshoppergardenservices because I think most folk were the opposite. I planted a lot of the few veggies I mostly use and they all did really well and I'm still digging up the fine tatties which i feared were ruined with disease. Like ann said, you possibly need to improve your soil quality? I'm not experienced enough to suggest what nutrients beans will need but I would suggest a thick layer of manure covering your area over winter wouldn't do any harm. Good luck with next season and let us know how you get on.
-
I've had a mixed bag but generally not bad - as already mentioned, cool start followed by hot dry ... some crops that needed rain at the critical moment were affected but on the whole salvageable. I planted a lot of winter squash and butternut and although I've got some cracking good fruits, I did notice that despite loads of flowers throughout summer, each plant only produced one fruit from the first batch of flowers (which probably explains the good sizes LOL), and even the courgettes were not as productive as I would have expected. They were all in good health, fertile soil, watered, plenty of flowers and pollinating insects too. I did notice a lot of wasps seem to be hiding inside the squash flowers and attacked the bumble bees that went in - I even found a couple of dead bees inside the flowers so that might have had an impact on fruit production :(
-
Did any one else struggle this year.
Yes! Like you, I feel this year has not been so good. I think I had a much more productive year last year unlike most people on this thread/forum/in the UK!
However, I did manage to get my tomatoes through the season without blight which I haven't been able to say for a long time and I haven't had as much free time this year which might be a factor.
-
Please note, if you are addressing grasshoppergardenservices, that he has left the building.
We don't know why, he just has.
-
First 'year' (Moved into a new house in July and deturfed for my veg patch)......
Although its my first year I would say I had a great yield......
x2 courgette plants (still producing courgettes every 4th day),
x2 Butternut squash plants x6 ripe fruits and x2 green
a draw stuffed full of broadbeans and beans
tomatoes galore,
Chilli plant now indoors and still fruiting,
Peppers a touch disappointing,
x2 15 foot rows of potatos,
15 lettuce,
10 bunches of spring onions,
chard still producing,
leeks in the ground fattening up,
carrots loads still in the ground,
several rows of beetroot........
The only disappointment this year was Sweetcorn (Was only planted from seed in July wasn't muturing anyway and got stripped by something) and peppers were a bit small.......
Can't have everything though!
-
Everything so far has been excellent this year. the only thing we are not to happy with is the potato's, a fair bit of slug damage ( little black ones ).
RF
-
I think you've all made him feel inferior ;)
-
LOL Aunt Sally. :lol: