[PhilBarnes]

Hi all, i am quite new to allotments etc, took over an allotment now a while ago, 1st year, no problem things grew, it was great, the second year I planted different veg in each raised bed but unfortunately due to personal reasons was not able to tend to the allotment, so they died.  This year i cleared everything, added compost, but nothing will grow, i have watered it.  Even the potatoes are hiding!!!  I now it has been hot and dry, i have gone to the allotment and watered the raised beds, but it all looks so sad.  i do not know what else to do.

[madcat]

Welcome aboard!  That sounds like a real cry from the heart.  Start with telling us where you are - you can put it in your profile information, see the white banner above.  The problems in Cumbria and Kent are quite a bit different.

Are you on a site with other people?  How are they getting along?  Is it just yours that is a problem, or are others having troubles?  For example this year onions are a real problem on our site - it makes you feel better when everyone has leek rust!

[AnneB]

Unfortunately raised beds will need a good watering every single day unless you get a downpour.  The water drains away very quickly.  Not many plants will be able to grow in dry conditions.   

Can you give more information about your allotment and its set up and location.

I think watering requirements in raised beds depends a lot on your soil type and how deep the beds are.  We have a clay soil which we have improved over the last 5 years.   If I watered my raised beds every day they would be swimming.  In a really dry period in the height of summer I would reckon on twice a week.   Such is my luck I watered on Friday then we had a deluge for most of Saturday.  I will check tomorrow to see if more is needed.

[Salmo]

Your soil may be getting acid and need some lime, especially if it is light and sandy. If the soil is acid the plants will not produce an extensive root system and when it comes dry they will not cope very well.

Buy a soil pH testing kit (powder and small tubes type) Ideally your pH should be about 7 which is neutral. If you search on these pages you will find a section on liming soil. Ask others on your site if they need lime.

Make sure that there is a good supply of nutrients. This also helps to grow healthy roots. A base dressing of either growmore or chicken manure in the Spring keeps the nutrient level up.

[al78]

Have you added any fertilizer? I'm wondering if there is a nutrient deficiency that is affecting all your crops. Normally it is a subset of crops which won't do well, but others will. Compost in itself is good as a soil conditioner but doesn't have that many nutrients. Allotment growers take more out of their soil than nature intended so at some point we have to put something back. Only other thing I can think of is you have a slug epidemic and things are getting grazed down as soon as they poke above ground (overnight so you don't see it). I have that problem trying to grow carrots on my plot, there is either no show or they get an inch long then disappear.

[ilan]

Hi It has been one of those difficult years this year , I am not suprized that you have struggled whilst I am not sure what has happened to you with the very hot weather plants will die within hours when small  they simply germinate and fry  others will go into shock mode bolt or produce minimal crops. whilst you may think you are watering  it would be doutfull if it did any good watering simply brings the roots up to the surface where in the heat the plants wilt , Today despite a couple of days rain I tried to dig the potatoe patch it was rock hard and dry less than an inch down the crop was non existant !

[SnooziSuzi]

Hi PhilBarnes, welcome to the site.  Between us here you'll definitely find out why this year has been such a disaster for you, so please do read all of the posts to see if anything rings true with you.

Madcat is right to ask what part of the country you are in.  Not only does it help us to determine your weather patterning, it might also have a bearing on your soil type.

As others have suggested, your set-up will matter too, as will the conditions on tour plot.

For my two-penneth;  genuinely, how much effort have you put in? Please don't be offended by my question - a lot of newbies genuinely don't know how quickly weeds can grow and out- compete the veg but if you don't visit the plot for at least an hour every week how can you know what's going on?

Secondly, have you dug down to remove the weeds that have (excuse the pun) taken root?  Having taken on four different plots I know that it takes a long time (3 months in the early season ) of committed digging and hoeing to get to a point where the weeds are knocked back enough to get some crops going.  It's tempting to clear the weeds, sow some seeds then not come back for 6 weeks, but as a newbie how can you tell which are weeds and which are plants?  You need to be prepared to keep coming back to check how things are getting on.

Often , only when you have gone through the hardship of failure year after year will you realise what you are doing right and wrong.  Personally, I'd use the winter months to read, read, read the forums and seed catalogues (and John's book, vegetable gardening month by month amongst others) make sure you get stuck in in the spring.  There's an old adage which might help you: never let a weed see a Sunday.  In other words make sure you get down to the allotment to at least hoe off the weeds once a week and then you'll find it so much rewarding.