[crowndale]

I know it's really early in the year but I am already thinking about next years crops, admittedly I am also thinking about having a new allotment so most of this could just be pipe dreams!  But with all the ghastly weather there's precious little other garden related work to do so I have drawn up a mental list of what I want to grow next year.  How early do you normally do yours?  Usually I do things very last minute and haven't really planned anything before this year!

[richyrich7]

I usually start oct/nov time.

[Sally A]

I'm planning all the time, I go to bed with Mr Fothergill  :shock: and choose what I want next year.  I missed out on a lot this year, as it's my first attempt, but have realised that the harvesting times make more sense than the planting times.  I'm planning on copying next door's planting, as he's been doing it for years, and will throw in a couple of extra sowings that I'm keen or curious about.  Am definitely going for more outdoor tomato types next year.

[Beanzie]

Plan now whilst your current crops are in the ground. This way you won't find later on for example that your early potatoes are waiting for the last of your parsnips or leeks to be harvested. Instead grow next years corn or courgettes so that you have plenty of time to harvest the last of your over wintered veg. These are simply examples I could quote more.

[mushroom]

How early do you normally do yours?  Usually I do things very last minute and haven't really planned anything before this year!

I plan all the time. I'm planning right now for stuff that will be ready in 2 months. next month I'll be planning for the stuff i want to harvest next Spring. Although what passes for 'planning' is what occurs to me at the time and what seeds are available

I think the 'planning' thing is overblown really. I think it has more significance in places where the climate has more defined seasons and is more generally predictable. We don't get really hard frosts here in the south anymore like we did in the 80s and early 90s. Seems our rain is very variable from one year to the next. So is sunshine. You can only plan loosely in this climate. Well, we don't have 'climate', we have 'weather'.

What I'm 'planning' now is the herb garden (mint, thyme, basil, rocket and oregano, for starters), planting the purple sprouting broccoli, and making and planting the comfrey bed. I'd like to plant some seed potatoes but can't find any at the moment.

[Trillium]

Although my seasons in Canada are more defined (that's an understatement!) I'm already thinking about what and where I will plant next year. As a crop finishes, I'll manure it according to next year's crop needs, and also decide where I can plant something like toms and potatoes because they've spent 3 years in the same places and must change next year. One bed I'm thinking about for garlic isn't quite big enough as is, so I'm going to adjust it a bit to accomodate and have minimal work next spring. We don't get Barlotti beans here but they sound interesting according to a recipe Jamie Oliver made, so I'm hoping to get some but can't think yet where they'll go. I've already put in my garlic order for fall planting as end Sept. is our deadline here. Munty's runner bean frame will also go in but still puzzling where. My mail seed catalogues have started coming in but I find heirloom seeds give me better quantities and flavour so I keep checking those websites as I missed out on wanted seeds due to crop shortages.  Have been thinking all summer whether to simply till in the tired strawberry bed and buy new plants, or save younger plants.  

[Aidy]

Already started preparing one of next years beds, it is now clear of crops and I want to leave that way, I am digging in manure (fresh) and shredded paper, by next spring it will be just nice for the beans.

[crowndale]

Glad I'm not the only one planning early then!  Just a thought from trilliums comment about lack of seeds due to crop shortages.  Do you suppose this will present problems for vege growers next year here too with all the rain?

[Aidy]

I am guessing not, me thinks that most seed produced would be more suffolk way which hasnt had flooding (as far as I am aware). I have all or most of my seeds from this year left over so I should be ok for next.

[Trillium]

A lot of primary seed sellers' seeds come from abroad in bulk and are repackaged in the country of sale, so that shouldn't be a worry. My seed sources are heirloom sellers who grow their own seeds for resale so it doesn't take much to have a shortage one year. For things like garlic, and its huge popularity, I put my order in 2 months ago before the good varieties sell out.

[yummy]

This is our first year and our plot is a mess to be honest. We have barely been on it the past 2 months because it has been tipping it down most evenings after work. I did 5 hours weeding this morning so I'm feeling a bit better about it now than I was.

Given the poor growing conditions this year I'm thinking of abandonning growing anything for the rest of this year and spending all my time tidying it up, building beds, green manure etc so that I will hopefully have a much nicer plot to start growing on next Spring.

[Jim T]

I'd like to plant some seed potatoes but can't find any at the moment.

 :idea: I have just turned any plans upside down because of the weather.
I spent last Autumn building the allotment by day and learning (mainly from this forum) by night - eg about crop rotation needs etc.
So I was all ready to get the old pea bed ready for the next brassicas.
Until OH said :"This weather :!: There's going to be a potato famine."

Right said Fred! and I spent the few hours of decent weather today preparing it for spuds instead. THis meant lowering the soil pH and protecting against potato scab by adding ferrous sulphate and flowers of sulpher - etc etc. Then I went home and left it to tonight's rain to take all this in.
Next I'm going to get some straw from the stables to use as I read on the forum last night.
Now about what to use for seed: I just was going to use some of my harvested spuds!
That will be OK won't it :?:

[Salkeela]

I've hit on a good idea to help me plan next year.

I found a "Week to View" Diary for 10p in Feb. and I started using it to make comments about each week.  I'm only filling in Monday's slot this year, to make notes on the week no. concerned.

Tuesdays will be 2008, Wed 2009 etc.  This way I will easily see  what was happening in each week over a period of years.  I hope it will build up to a useful resource.

Provided I can read my handwriting that is.  I've gotten so used to typing everything recently that my writing is a bit  :?