Today I Are Mostly.... Buying from the Shops

[SarzWix]

Can't believe the amount of stuff I'm still having to buy. What a disaster this season has been

My shopping bills yesterday came to over £200, and included the purchase of:

Lettuce
Cucumber
Celery
Onions
Carrots
French beans
Tomatoes
Calabrese
Cherries
Peas
Melon

All of which I would usually be harvesting from the plot by now. Next week I'll have to start buying potatoes again too, until the maincrops are ready

[VirginVegGrower]

Hi Sarz, yes we have been having to purchase more than we normally would although lettuce and cukes are two I can keep us in at the moment, so we have been having tomato less salads forever and a day. I have pretty much used up our new potatoes, save a few and we are about to take up our mains (they got blighted foliage), but the three sack loads I had last year will not be the case this year...sigh. Everything has fared poorly this year apart from my broad beans and my polytunnel crops. I could weep, but who knows, next year could be a corker again.
Incidentally we went to Kent at the weekend and I was able to buy three punnets each strawberries and cherries for a fiver. Fish in Whitstable was dirt cheap. If the housing was less pricey, I'd be moving.

[scarey55]

I think it has been a bad year for everyone well, that's what I'm telling myself anyway I have had a bumper crop or broad beans and the best garlic I have ever grown but that's about it. As you say VVG, here's to next year!

[Tripmeup]

I am fine for Lettuce (have loads of it!!), Cucumber, Onions, Carrots & Peas from your list....

Having to buy French beans (damn slugs), Tomatoes (have a few so far but very slow...) and Calabrese

Rarely buy Melon or cherries so don't grow them (yet!)

[Alison]

I've only been buying lettuce, toms and apples. We're fine for spuds, broad beans have been good (but are running out now), cucs OK but no sign of beans, ripe toms etc and the courgettes are a couple of weeks off yet. Was thinking the other day that I might have to buy some bits but remembered I had some cooked red cabbage in the freezer to help along. Normally eating peas and beans by now but even the former have been at half strength. The over wintered onions are a good size but the spring ones look teeny and too many of the red ones bolted the other week so not good for the winter

[Potstubsdustbins]

Its been a bad year for us all, but from reading your list I would say that container growing as been the better option this year.

Colin

[Andromeda]

I'm over run with calabrese - 20 heads harvested so far - but peas have been disappointing this year.

Most things are behind schedule but a few nice days have really given everything a boost.

[Thelma Sanders]

My Lady Christl spuds were lovely and quite a good harvest, and are all gone! The 2nds were Charlottes and the crop is dire this year! Mains are nowhere near ready so I'm buying spuds *shakes head*

I have courgettes, cukes and toms but the snugs ate the lettuce
I have some cabbage about ready to pick, and the peas are safely in the freezer, but wish the beans would get a move on.

so buying spuds, lettuce, beans and broccoli...oh nearly forgot the carrots!

[Florence Fennel]

So far this has for me been the Year of the Snug. Very disappointing, but there's some year left so let's hope it'll dry the darn things out.

[lottie dolly]

2012 is a very bad year,the seasons seem to be all mixed up,however,we have,sensui onion,B beans,a few peas,and some fruit in the freezer,and some more to pick,plus 3 large B squash from last year,just hope i not get a supprise when i cut em,spudz mmmm,are eating them a week or 2 now,first and second early's,the salads were tasty not many per root,estima and ulster???,were a good size,but going rotten,have had to give some away for asp use,have no idea about mains yet,although a try at 1 or 2 roots of rooster a few weeks ago was rubbish,hardly a spud in sight,am hoping for bigger things from cara lol,toms little and green,cuce's well,still in the pipeline,as is climbing beans,although some floweres were spotted this morning
REF spuds,have heard that a well known leicester crisp place,is traveling way down south for the spuds,and 1 in five lorrys are no good,on the face of things,we either cut down on the variety of veggis,or pay more in the shop,have bought the odd salad ingredients,and carrots,i also apretiate it's a hell of a lot tougher for familis,there are only 2 of us,seems like the biggest victims have been the squash family,be nice to have a thread later on in the year to see the outcome as a simlpe whole of the year,

[SarzWix]

Just been down the plot and discovered blighty splotches on my Sarpo spuds, the peas have been attacked by thrips and the onions are all falling over despite only being about golf ball size. *sigh*. On the plus side, I've pulled the garlic and it looks fab

[cardiffsteve]

If you "semi professional" growers are having trouble this year spare a thought for us newbies.
When you cant even grow CACA what chance have you got!

[bearded bloke]

I've pulled the garlic and it looks fab

Take the plus Sarz if we spend too much time on the not-so-good & utter carp we would just give up,
Peas .. waste of time
Beans . ditto
Spuds . so,so
Tom's .. dire
And so it goes on,but heyho we will all be trying again next season

[veggiechicken]

Since my fruit and veg have been so abysmal this year I'm buying from local growers and farmers markets as they need all the support we can give them in this difficult year. Its their livelihood but my hobby.

[SarzWix]

It's my livelihood as well - I don't earn anything, so my veg is my contribution to the family economy.

Heigh ho. I need to get sowing now for stuff to fill the tunnel with once the toms are over. Hopefully we'll get a nice long autumn...