vegetable plotters

[rich p]

How did your crops grow this year? I had a mixed bag

GOOD - tomatoes, raspberries, garlic, fennel, turnips(!), leeks, french beans

POOR - spuds, onions, sweetcorn, runner beans

Weather was obviously a bit iffy and a factor

 

[wafflycat]

This has been my first attempt at growing anything other than cacti..

Tomatoes - outside, no greenhouse, south-facing wall. Loads and loads of the things. But very few that ripened on the vine. I took a loads off the vine & ripened them indoors and these were delicious.

 

[dan_bo]

good- toms, french beans, runner beans, brassies, leeks, spuds, raspberries, spinach/chard

average- pumpkins, beets, peas, strawbs, onions

poor- asparagus, butternuts, sweetcorn(no sun), carrots(never good)

 

[rich p]

I did a yellow tomato variety, loads of sweet little ones, but the red ones didn't do so well.

First attempt at carrots - a few spindly ones but I'll have another go next year I think

 

[purplemoon]

Excellent/good - tomatoes (several varieties both outdoors/in greenhouse), onions, garlic, mange tout, french beans, carrots (rainbow), strawberries, leeks, rainbow chard, rhubarb

Average - potatoes (cara, rooster), yellow courgettes, sweet peppers

Poor - purple sprouting broccoli, aubergines, carrots (fly resistant variety got carrot fly) sweetcorn, spinach, pak choi, salad leaves, pumpkin (only got one ) raspberries, beetroot, cucumbers

Bad weather and pests have affected many of my crops this year

 

[Keith Oates]

I thought the 'plotters' in the title meant skullduggery, how wrong I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Twenty Inch]

Good: potatoes, onions, beans, peas, parsnips, raspberries, strawberries, leeks, sweetcorn, beetroot, spinach beet, jerusalem artichoke (ok, the last one is a cheat as it's a perennial),

Poor: lettuce, carrots (both due to slug attack), garlic

TBC: butternut and uchiki kuri squash

Toms got stripped and chutney-ed. We've also made damson, and blackberry and apple jam. I've got the preserving bug in a big way and will try and get off this weekend to forage or scrump more goodies to make into jam.

 

[Morrisette]

Well...mine's not a plot so much as pots, and one giant blackberry bush, but:

Good: Blackberries (millions), onions, garlic

Average: Carrots - tiny, beetroot - very tiny, tomatoes - still green mostly, taking them inside to ripen, and one plant's only just got round to doing flowers, not sure what that's about?!

Points for effort: Lettuce (don't say 'slugs' to me)

Fail: Baby leeks, 2 leaves each, no roots. Rubbish!

 

[Maz]

Average - potatoes (cara, rooster), yellow courgettes, sweet peppers

Do you grow your courgettes above ground level? My sister learnt the hard way that although the courgettes grew reasonably well on the ground, slugs munched through them like nobody's business.

 

[Chuffy]

Good - onions (from sets), courgettes (we're sick of them and even the snails can't be bothered) parsnips, radishes, mooli, green beans, cabbage

Poor - carrots (carrot fly), pak-choi, spring onions, various oriental salad leaves, potatoes

Iffy - butternut squash (haven't had many considering how many plants I put in and those which have grown are not as ripe and sweet as they should be) sweetcorn (seedlings were nibbled by a mystery pest and we had very little sun so the yield was low. The ones we got were nice though) beetroots, swede (small, leaves nibbled by cabbage whites) broccoli, broad beans (modest)

It's only my first year, so I'm not too unhappy. I just need to be more organised and on the ball with stuff. My new raised beds (filled them last week) should help. I've got winter turnips, cabbage and radishes in. Hopefully they will do ok.

 

[purplemoon]

Do you grow your courgettes above ground level? My sister learnt the hard way that although the courgettes grew reasonably well, slugs munched through them like nobody's business.

No, they're grown in the ground same as usual. I've been incredibly lucky this year on the slug/snail front but then I do encourage hedgepigs into my garden so they munch them all for me

Two years ago I had more courgettes than I could handle, with several turning into marrows but it's been far too wet this year (and last!) and a lot have rotted away before I could pick them.

 

[Maz]

No, they're grown in the ground same as usual. I've been incredibly lucky this year on the slug/snail front but then I do encourage hedgepigs into my garden so they munch them all for me

Don't the hedgehogs also munch the veg?

 

[palinurus]

Most things we planted in the allotment worked out well this year. Good potatoes, carrots (for the first time ever), onions, courgettes, runner and broad beans. I thought the kale was done for (eaten down to stalks by caterpillars) but it's recovered well.

Don't know about the sweetcorn yet- I'll check one soon, the squash don't look as if they are doing well but that was my fault- I tried moving them because the pumpkin plant had overtaken the bed they were in.

Strawberry plants haven't been very productive but they are just getting established. Similarly the apple trees. Nice crop of cherries. The plum tree has been looking sick for a while and hasn't produced any fruit.

Didn't get much planned for the winter this season, will rest it and get a load of manure in probably. Missing having leeks.

 

[purplemoon]

Don't the hedgehogs also munch the veg?

Not that I've ever noticed, no. They're probably too stuffed with premium cat food, mealworms and slugs/snails to bother with anything else

 

[Cab]

Good: Parsnips, scorzonera, salsify, carrots, sweet corn, peas, raspberries, rhubarb, currants, chard, beetroot, cauliflowers, onions, garlic, broad beans, apples, peaches (first ever YAAAY!), blueberries

Average: Tomatillo, tomatoes, assorted herbs, lettuce, mizuna, mustard, sorrel, welsh onions, spring onions, shallots, courgettes, winter squashes (various types), runner beans, cabbage, leeks

Poor: Cucumbers, French beans, calabrese

Don't know yet 'cos haven't even started harvesting: Jerusalem artichokes, sprouting broccoli, kale (although looking excellent)

Probably missed many things... Oh, yeah, swedes obliterated by caterpillars but excellent turnip harvest, had plenty of rocket but thats not hard, strawberries okay but a new patch this year so not many... There'll be more when I remember.