Growing goals 2018

[Greenleaves]

Every year I try to set myself a growing challenge and 2018 is no exception.

I struggle year on year with sprouts, not that they don't grow but I end up providing a buffet for white fly. I read an article that says crop protection can make the situation worse if it provides too much shelter from the wind, apparently debris netting is one of the worst culprits in the south.

So for 2018 I am setting myself a challenge, to trial three different methods of protecting sprouts

1. Debris netting/net curtain
2. Bird and butterfly netting
3. Chicken wire

I have avoided environment as that will be my fall back for 2019

Have you set yourself any challenges for 2018?

[Snoop Puss]

^^ I feel for you on the white fly. I went away for a week and came back to a massive infestation of grey mealy aphids that I've never managed to get rid of ever since. Very frustrating. The sprouts look a decent size, but by the time I've cleaned them to edible standard, they're like marbles.

I'm going to be focusing on growing decent cabbages, carrots and winter squash this year.

I grew the best cabbages I've ever grown the first year I had my plot. No idea what I did right, but I've never managed to repeat the success. That said, I thought the first lot were cauliflowers and I'd read you have to feed caulis to get a head, so I was quite generous with the feed. Maybe that's the answer...

Carrots - I had great success two years ago but didn't manage to grow a single one last year (just four of the first lot germinated, so I abandoned the bed and later sowings never happened because of a lack of water).

Winter squash - last year's were a bit of a disaster because I planted them out too late. A few managed to grow, but they're all very small.

I'm going to set up a drip irrigation system with mulch this year as well to reduce the amount of effort watering it all, especially in the summer.

Plus, my other non-gardening but associated goal is: fill my new (to me) freezer with home-grown goodies.

[Small pumpkin]

Not to grow as many tomato varieties failed
Not to get roped into any of VC's crazy challenges failed

Try to be more organised in terms of consecutive sowing.
Produce more chillies
Take better care of my tomatoes

[veggiechicken]

2018 challenges?? Just a few.
Overall, I want to bring all my 30+ beds into productivity but keep it looking like a natural woodland garden.
I want to plant an orchard for height impaired people.
Keep sowing the Roots, Shoots, Fruits and Leaves rotation even though I'm sowing the "wrong" seeds at the "wrong" times and people make fun of me.

There are more...................

[Thelma Sanders]

Mine are very simple (like me?) - who said that?

To grow some fruit and veg and just enjoy doing it

Repeat to myself - it really doesn't matter if things go wrong and you have to buy veg from the shops

[Newt]

I've got a nice, simple set of 2018 goals as my allotment space is so new.

1. Clear out the old compost heap and move the mini shed and water butts to its location
2. Replace the fence
3. Get lots of good fertile soil built up
4. Grow and harvest some food successfully
5. Visit the allotment every weekend at minimum (more once the sun is up later in the day)

[lottie dolly]

MY challenges are,to plant out what i sow seeds off,get something to grow,and keep the weeds down,chill out,lunch down the lottie,and enjoy what i do get done,seeing all the little faces of new seed grow up to be nice strong plants,then harvesting.

[Lumpy]

Yep I have just one goal - grow anything......everything if the chaos here allows me to.

By a new tin opener if the above fails.

[Small pumpkin]

Just remembered I need to add to my growing goals.
Harvest and store ( dry or/and freeze ) more herbs. I always forget about them till it's to late.

[Small pumpkin]

And another one I've just remembered. Save more seeds.

[veggiechicken]

2018 challenges?? Just a few.
Overall, I want to bring all my 30+ beds into productivity but keep it looking like a natural woodland garden.
I want to plant an orchard for height impaired people.
Keep sowing the Roots, Shoots, Fruits and Leaves rotation even though I'm sowing the "wrong" seeds at the "wrong" times and people make fun of me.

There are more...................

Just adding a few things I've remembered -
Grow a Foraging Garden (growing edibles in all the vacant areas to use up old seeds)
Grow some scrubbers (loofahs)
Grow some of the Alphabet of Oddments seeds I've bought on a whim.
Dream up more Challenges for SP.

[Guest]

Just tweaking this year in the patch.

Net fruit properly (lost all my red goosegogs last year due to gaps at the bottom)
Grow shoo fly as a companion to my brassicas.
Give more attention to my brassicas (actually got some this year - lime is definitely the answer)
Grow out and reduce my P+B seed stash
Grow more herbs
Don't lose my mojo for a couple of months in summer

Then I have the whole flower thing going on.
Plant up fence lines (must remind self 'if plants are established weeds will struggle')

Then my usual 2 tasks that never happen

Turn scruffy gravel drive bit into a lawn area
Plant up and train fruit lattice fence

[Small pumpkin]

Just adding a few things I've remembered -
Grow a Foraging Garden (growing edibles in all the vacant areas to use up old seeds)
Grow some scrubbers (loofahs)
Grow some of the Alphabet of Oddments seeds I've bought on a whim.
Dream up more Challenges for SP.

There's no need VC..........really You've got more than enough to keep you busy

[veggiechicken]

I have 2 little Challenges in mind. Just need to do a bit of research first then I'll see if I can tempt you to join in

[bramble]

Remember to sow little and often with the salad leaves.
Grow more herbs.
Try to grow radishes. ( I fail every year)
Try growing from fruit stones and pips.
Make better use of the space that I have.
And to remember, there are only 24 hours in a day,
And, Rome wasn't built in a day either.