Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: sarah-king on June 03, 2010, 09:37

Title: Am I really behind?
Post by: sarah-king on June 03, 2010, 09:37
Reading through lots of posts I seem to be behind with a lot of things, planted stuff similair times to everyone else the only stuff seems ok is greenhouse bits..
My strawberries only just flowering, rasberry not very big looks to need lots more growth no flowers yet, carrots, beets & lettuce all still small, broadbeans have flowers, mangetout no flowers yet, onions seem ok as do brassacas, sweetcorn I've given up with ... Potatos have flower buds on some of them... 

Does this sound normal? Most in raised beds or planters, watered etc, lots of well rotted manure mixed in beds as well as home made compost...
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: tosca100 on June 03, 2010, 09:41
We only need a spell of warm, damp weather and everything will spurt and most will catch up. I think most people without a greenhouse will be wondering if things will ever catch up. :)
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: paintedlady on June 03, 2010, 10:54
Don't forget you might be further up north than those who are well ahead of you, so probably only a 2 week difference.  As tosca says, a spell of warm, damp weather at this time of year and you'll be amazed at how quickly they catch up.

PS:  at least your potatoes have flowers ... mine still look a month behind this time last year but I'm not panicking ... yet :D
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: peapod on June 03, 2010, 11:25
My spuds are still coming up! I feel very behind too, but we had no choice because of the weather.  Only two of my tom plants have flowers on (I ACTUALLY said Hello to them, lock me up now)

Id rather wait and have less/smaller crops than have nowt (as we say oop north). A lot of people planted too early and lost lots of seedlings that shouldn't have gone out in the first place and they are having to replant.
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: Redgoat on June 03, 2010, 11:57
Due to the late spring I didn't plant anything until Mid May. I felt justified when I saw the frost damage to some people's Potatoes. However, I do wish i'd put the broad beans out earlier.

Ah well. Plenty of crops in August though ::)
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: Aidy on June 03, 2010, 11:57
Just starting eating my new spuds  8)
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: Stevens706 on June 03, 2010, 12:40
You seem to be at about the same stage as me - worry not
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: 1st time veg grower on June 03, 2010, 14:07
Yep, snap! Everything you have described is the same as where mine is up to, so that makes me feel better too! :D ::)
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: Dilly Dom on June 03, 2010, 14:17
Your location can make quite a difference to how far on your plants are.

We used to live in Dorset then moved to Hampshire (didn't see much difference between those two counties) but then moved to Essex where we noticed that things were taking much longer to mature.  We then made the move to Lincolnshire and it is a whole new ball game here.  My sister who still lives down South can plant stuff same time as us, yet her plants are always way ahead of ours.  Plus they are able to overwinter stuff far more easily.

Don't worry too much though as things usually catch up but we do find that the season is a lot shorter here so glad we don't live in Scotland :lol: :lol:
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: zazen999 on June 03, 2010, 14:35
Well, after finding out I have a load of aminopralid contaminated manure; I have dug up all my spuds and moved them to clean soil - now that's 'behind'!
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: starry on June 03, 2010, 15:13
 was just going to put a post about my beets until I read this one so its not just me!! they are just beginning to poke through!! and they cant fail my husband would not forgive me!!  :ohmy:
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: fletch on June 03, 2010, 15:21
Things have only really taken off in the last week or so for me, I now have kale, spinach and LOTS of salad leaves all ready to eat.

The problem I've got at the moment is finding the time to plant stuff out. I've literally got dozens of trays of stuff (leeks, more salad leaves, PSB, runner and french beans, sweetcorn, courgettes, squash, Tuscan kale) to plant out and I just don't have the time.

Plus, all the beds need a load more prep as they're infested with weeds  >:(.
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: sarah-king on June 03, 2010, 17:54
I feel lots better now, im glad its not just me :)  i was starting to worry..... hopefully everything will catch up... ive just planted some quick maturing salad leaves (2-3 weeks apparently) so ill see how these go  :D
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: flowerpower on June 03, 2010, 19:50
I am about as behind as all of you! Beetroot only surfacing, lettuces and rocket nowhere to be seen. Potatoes barely in flower. Courgettes look like they've been stuck in a time warp since I planted them out 2 weeks ago... and the sweet peas too, now I come to think of it.
Patience, patience....
Title: Re: Am I really behind?
Post by: purplebean on June 03, 2010, 20:29
This afternoon I planted out sweetcorn, broad beans, swiss chard, lettuce and onions that had been growing in trays. Pretty much everything else is still at the small seedling stage. We are now eating pea shoots and the odd lettuce leaf but that's it so far. I am going to empty the first tub of spuds on Sunday thought as that will be exactly 10 weeks and they are rocket which are supposed to be quick