[beanqueen]

At the risk of sounding smug, I have had no real failures this year.PSB and brocilli a little disappointing but still had enough left over to freeze

everything else fab, lost 20 tom plants to blight but the remaining 30 or so are still producing

Love this time of year, all the plot planning and seed choosing

[mrs bouquet]

I am going to grow 'nuffink', have just come in and I am cold and fed-up with horrid big orange slugs, which can get across my gravel beds, onto my toms 

Five pepper plants in g/house all laden with big coloured fruits, although the yellow ones are still green.

Reduced runners by half this year, and got twice as many 

lbs and lbs of ripe toms, grown outside, especially a small variety called 'Totum', which doesn't need the side shoots pinching out.  (put white pipes into grow-bags, 2 each end at a 45 degree angle, much easier to water)

Garlic, fabulous,   Lettuce from seed, useless - from g/centre babies, excellent.

Radish - rubbish.    Dwarf French Beans 'Purple Teepee' (with kind thanks to a forum gentleman, who provided the beans)  have been fabulous and are still cropping very well.

Lovely, straight and long cucumbers grown in g/house.  Ridge ones - none !

French beans, ok, but not brilliant (won't bother next year)

Potatoes (all sorts) all grown in bags or tubs.  Fabulous.

Apples, all devoured by wasps. (into room 101 with them)

So a mixed year, not sure yet what to do next.     regards, Mrs Bouquet

[JayG]

2007: Four courgette plants; so many that neighbours start to avoid me or smile half pityingly, half embarrassed.

2008: Two courgette plants, one of which picked up a virus and had to be dug up. Neighbours cheery and friendly again, but very few courgettes to eat.

2009: Three courgette plants; courgettes coming out of my ears (painful!). FOR SALE signs going up all around me.

2010?: Dunno, but you can be sure that between me and Mother Nature we will get it wrong again!

[8doubles]

2007: Four courgette plants; so many that neighbours start to avoid me or smile half pityingly, half embarrassed.

2008: Two courgette plants, one of which picked up a virus and had to be dug up. Neighbours cheery and friendly again, but very few courgettes to eat.

2009: Three courgette plants; courgettes coming out of my ears (painful!). FOR SALE signs going up all around me.

2010?: Dunno, but you can be sure that between me and Mother Nature we will get it wrong again!

If you watch Gardeners World it shows that excess courgettes can be swapped for prime fruit and veg with other allotmenteers , as if they wouldn`t have too many as well 

I was lucky and broke one of the two courgette fairly early on but made the mistake of 'bunging in 6 cuc plants. Nobody leaves without two cuc`s and the chooks are force fed  one a day.

Roll on the first frosts 

[Paul Plots]

At the risk of sounding smug, I have had no real failures this year.PSB and brocilli a little disappointing but still had enough left over to freeze

everything else fab, lost 20 tom plants to blight but the remaining 30 or so are still producing

Love this time of year, all the plot planning and seed choosing

I love the positive attitude and agree with you.... it's a good time of year!

"Plough the fields and scatter the good seed on the land.........."  Looking forward to more harvesting and then a rest followed by clearing and planing for next year. 

[sclarke624]

Learner how do you do your beetroot in the micky wave. Please.

[Paul Plots]

Learner how do you do your beetroot in the micky wave. Please.

It's really simple - I've used both my parent's simple micro-wave and our more fussy thing:

• wash dirt from beetroot & place in microwave dish with cover adding an inch or two of water
• depending on size of beetroot & power of micro-wave - cook for around 8 minutes
• check after 5 minutes with sharp pointed knife
• give it another burst if needed - maybe 4 minutes again depending on size & number of beetroot
  
• Keep going until tender but do not overdo it...so keep checking with a knife!
• Finally allow beetroot to cool and skin as usual.

This is quicker than boiling on the hob - you can cook small amount at a time when needed. 

[sclarke624]

Sounds good to me ta

[Paul Plots]

Sounds good to me ta

Let me know how you get on with the microwaved beetroot....... it's better to give short zaps than end up with frizzled leather lumps!  - Sounds painful doesn't it?! 

[sclarke624]

Worked just fine thanks Learner.
The beetroots now have a reprieve, you saved their lives.

[Paul Plots]

I've planted 3 lots of beetroot this year and may consider one more batch of plug-germinated ones at the week-end but......

onions are going to be down-sized... lost several due to white rot - only the best have gone into storage... lots of space used but not the best of returns. 

[Zippy]

I wont be growing weeds next year 

[lucylike]

Runner Beans - will grow climbing French Beans instead.

[waddecar]

Out door Toms - I have the builders in at the moment putting down a base so it will be GH toms next year.

Grew climbing French beans for first time this year wont bother with the dwarf vars again - save my back

Jury is out on butternut squash - its taking over and so far no fruit showing

changed my mind - climbing french have stopped now the weather has come colder - dwarfs still going - they will be back next year. Butternuts have started so they get a reprieve too

base is finished - waiting for GH now

[Kristen]

The Climbing French would probably go longer if you had (another) later sowing.

Perhaps your Dwarf's were planted after the Climbers?