Morale boost needed

[mothhawk]

This year, I'm trying something different and hoping!! You learn through mistakes.
Try growing kale, its seems to be quite hardy and versatile and there's still time to sow it.
Good luck - keep smiling

It's also a brassica, so net it!

[ancee]

Get yourself a cheap (£3) veg book, I highly recommend Hessayon, which is dead easy to read & clearly lists the pitfalls of each crop

Just bought it off Am**** for 1p cheers TS!

[samuelsapien]

Chin up! I take the view that making mistakes is the inevitable side effect of trying, just never make the same one twice!

[WendyC]

When I first had my plot I couldn't work out why my peas never grew more than a few centimetres. Wasn't til I read up that pigeons like peas too that I covered them. At least with gardening there's always the next season to plan for.

[Veggielot]

I always struggle with brassicas, still trying to grow a cauliflower after three years of trying but know take it as challenge to have at least one good year. growing a range of veg helps as you will usually have something that will do well.

[Samurailord]

Hi Weemer

I did exactly the same thing last year - worked hard to get a bed ready, planted out the seedlings, scattered slug pellets around but left the netting as it was late and I didnt think there were many cabbage whites around.

Came back to the plot early next morning to find every one devastaed.

One thing I would recommend it to check and see if any of the heart or the growing tip has been left.

I did that with mine and gave those a bit of a chance, if you check my videos from Jan and Feb you will see that not only did they survive they gave me some fantastic veg earlier this year.

Some of the others on my site advised me to compost them after the pigeon attack -I'm so glad that I am a stubborn beggar and ignored their advice

Andy

[weemer78]

Get yourself a cheap (£3) veg book, I highly recommend Hessayon, which is dead easy to read & clearly lists the pitfalls of each crop

Thanks for link I just ordered the herb and veg one I also liked the look of the fruit one so ordered that too £5.62 for both bargain.

I have also aquired some pallets im stripping go make floor gor shed and im also making somesort of netting contraption. Pictures to follow if hou want.

[Bigmallly]

Weemer78, just to confirm the benefits of netting.......it's worth the time & effort.

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[buzzingtalk]

Its so frustrating isn't it I lost a load of stuff this year to the fat sky birds as I just can't afford to buy enough net to cover everything that needs covering. Am having to take damage limitation at the min, problem is with my plot is that its so overrun with weeds that everytime I'm down there I seem to just dig and weed, no time to plant anything!! I still have stuff in trays waiting to go in, not sure if it will now!! Really demoralising when you get the plot looking almost OK then it becomes overrun in a week away. Plus birds ate loads Hard to keep motivated when the fun is taken out if it!!

[buzzingtalk]

ps I don't have rasied beds but a massive plot so can't make cages...I have just drive sticks into the ground and tie netting to it which seems to work but its a right pain to get into as I have to take it all down then re-do it every time I want to get into the veg. Any advice on how people net on 'old style/open plan' allotments rather than raised beds would be good. My plot is divided into 6 large beds, the brassicas are in one this year which is about 14x16ft!!!!which is a lot of net, and a lot of mess

[Sheneval]

Try growing kale, its seems to be quite hardy and versatile and there's still time to sow it. Good luck - keep smiling

Rabbits here eat Kale although ones planted next to French Marigolds have escaped unscathed

[veggiechicken]

I'm afraid to tempt fate but, so far, despite having rabbit burrows in the garden, the brassicas and lettuces have not been touched. I have seen the baby bunnies in next door's potato patch though

[Does the Cooking]

This is the first year that I've had a plot and I guess that I've made every mistake that a novice can do. I'm trying to be philosophical about it. I suspect that I'll learn more from my failures - and there have been many - than from my few successes.

In general, the stuff growing in pots in my back yard are doing better than stuff at the plot!

[weemer78]

I have been to shop called b&m they got 2mx6m nets for 99p and in pound land I got 1.5mx6m nets. Im intending to just net everything and then build frames thats easily dismantled for when not in use. Im forgetting the lost stuff the cabbages are getting taken out but sprouts staying (rabbit feed for neice)

[Bigmallly]

In my experience, I have found the cheap netting does not last long. My suggestion would be to get some of this. At £22 for 50mts, you can't go wrong and it will last a lot longer. Or better still, look for the 2mt or 3mt widths.

Scaffold Debris Garden Pond Insect Netting - 1x 50 Metres - Green 60GSM FREE P&P | eBay