[Paul Plots]

Runner Beans - will grow climbing French Beans instead.

I've decided to do both of these next year..... and reduce the number of runners.

[veggirl]

I thought I'd try soya beans next year, with borlotti, french and runner. Also chickpeas... I'd like NOT to grow quite so many stones and slugs.

[Libby]

Rainbow chard - didn't realise it tasted just the same as beetroot! Should read up on things a bit more!

[bexy]

mangtout peas

If you don't pick them straight away they are tough and stringy

 

[Paul Plots]

mangtout peas

If you don't pick them straight away they are tough and stringy

 

I grew some sort of "eat the pod" pea.... may have been mangetout....  1st time I had tried them. My family liked them but they also liked the small tender peas that developed in the pods....consequently I had requests to let them grow and we enjoyed the peas!

[Kristen]

"I've decided to do both of these next year..... and reduce the number of runners."

We did that this year. I'm pleased we didn't ditch the Runners altogether (we don't have time during the week for the work preparing them compared to French Beans) they have been handy when we have had folk staying to provide "extra", and they are carrying on now our Climbing French have turned yellow ... although I could probably fix that by making a second sowing of French Beans a bit later ... but the Runners and Climbing French were sown at the same time, so the Runners definitely have the edge on harvest period (both sown 1st week of May)

"Rainbow chard - didn't realise it tasted just the same as beetroot!"

You mean the Chard tastes like Beetroot leaves?

If it tastes like the Beetroot's root I definitely am missing a trick!

[Paul Plots]

"I've decided to do both of these next year..... and reduce the number of runners."

We did that this year. I'm pleased we didn't ditch the Runners altogether (we don't have time during the week for the work preparing them compared to French Beans) they have been handy when we have had folk staying to provide "extra", and they are carrying on now our Climbing French have turned yellow ... although I could probably fix that by making a second sowing of French Beans a bit later ... but the Runners and Climbing French were sown at the same time, so the Runners definitely have the edge on harvest period (both sown 1st week of May)

"Rainbow chard - didn't realise it tasted just the same as beetroot!"

You mean the Chard tastes like Beetroot leaves?

If it tastes like the Beetroot's root I definitely am missing a trick!

I ditched rainbow chard in favour of Swiss Chard - leaves make good spinach stand in and the white stems a "cheap" version of asparagus 

[noshed]

I don't think I'll bother with onions next year - take up space and don't taste any different to the shop ones.

[Kristen]

"I ditched rainbow chard in favour of Swiss Chard - leaves make good spinach stand in and the white stems a "cheap" version of asparagus"

Interesting!

I grew Rhubarb Chard, Rainbow and White this year (bit of an experiment; my gardening book said Rhubarb was prone to running to seed, so I sowed it successionally. I've still got all four successional blocks in production!)

The pigeons completely ate the White, whereas they left the coloured stuff completely alone.

I'm growing a few of all three in the greenhouse for an Autumn / Winter crop, so I'll be interested to see how the white tastes as haven't had the chance yet - you've whetted my appetite!

[Sue32]

Sugar Snap peas - not enough of them, hated picking them, distorted pods then mildew.  Just not worth the effort and space
Fancy lettuce leaves - was either flabby, tasteless or ran to seed or sometimes all 3!.  I'll stick to Little Gem and Rocket
Pink Fir Apple potatoes -
.. and just 2 courgette plants are enough!

[kermit]

I don't think I'll bother with onions next year - take up space and don't taste any different to the shop ones.

I've been thinking this for a while - whats the point growing onions, garlic etc (apart from maybe slight cost saving).  Decent market / shop ones seem fine to me.  This year I decided what I liked eating, what would grow and crop well in our small patch and what would really benefit from being eaten straight out of the ground.  So, no onions, garlic or cabbage for me next year...

[dolby]

whats the point growing onions, garlic etc (apart from maybe slight cost saving).
[/quote]
I take your point but there's something very satisfying about having a shed draped in a full harvest of onions and garlic and knowing you've got enough to last you right through to next year. Plus they're so easy to grow it seems daft not to if you have the space.
As for me I have definately called time on tomatoes outside (blight) and chard - after several years of growing it I have eventually come to the conclusion that none of us actually like eating it!!

[Paul Plots]

"I ditched rainbow chard in favour of Swiss Chard - leaves make good spinach stand in and the white stems a "cheap" version of asparagus"

Interesting!

I grew Rhubarb Chard, Rainbow and White this year (bit of an experiment; my gardening book said Rhubarb was prone to running to seed, so I sowed it successionally. I've still got all four successional blocks in production!)

The pigeons completely ate the White, whereas they left the coloured stuff completely alone.

I'm growing a few of all three in the greenhouse for an Autumn / Winter crop, so I'll be interested to see how the white tastes as haven't had the chance yet - you've whetted my appetite!

Plant Swiss chard out now or sow direct and it will stand outside throughout the winter unharmed by frost or snow....then grow away again in early spring. It is a stand-by when nothing much else is around. 

[Wombat18]

Cucumbers.  This year I've come to realise that I hate the pointless things 

I'll also give mangetout and suger snap peas a miss, since all I really wanted to eat were proper peas from pods and I barely got any of those.

[Stoatus]

When asked by novices what is the easiest vegetable to grow, most experts reply "radishes". So how come I can't grow them? French Breakfasts seem to be the slug's favourite breakfast and flea beatles gorge on the leaves. The resulting radishes, if any survive, are thin and woody. I have had success with mooli and black spanish varieties but the red ones are a dead loss.

Also spinach (straight to seed, chard much better), pak choi (ditto), calabrese (low yields, v. cheap to buy), cauliflower (difficult, takes lots of space).

This year I got a crop of carrots by growing them in a bath, but I was about to chuck in the towel on them too.