My first year planting

[witch-1]

Well the season for my veggies is nearly over (bar the brussel sprouts).

My runner beans won over the harvesting contest - still going strong.
Carrots were few but ok.
Parsnips were very amusing - we had 3 about the size of a pencil.

My brussel sprouts look holey - no sign of any 'fruit' either but the colour is pretty (purple variety).

I have some late corn which is starting to look like corn now. Only just over a foot tall though.

My broad beans have had it - but they produced 3 pods and I just ate the beans raw

Tomatoes were ok - for the amount of plants we didn't produce that many ripe fruits and alot had black bits on the skin - I can only presume blight. Will repeat them next year but not so many - don't like the smell of the plants either

Cucumber - we had one but that was over ripe so was dry.

Oh forgot we did have new potatoes too they were good (think I may still have a few in sacks in the shed).

So we will be planting again next year.

My beetroot/spring onions/swede didn't come to anything.

Jan

[HeyWayne]

Well done Jan

I'd say that's a pretty successful first year! I like you am completely new to all this having only ever grown hanging baskets bought ready made....

This year I have managed to grow:

Potatoes - second earlies (Maris Peers) went down a storm, and the main crops (King Edwards) are still coming up - and I think, blight-free!
Sugarsnap peas - they've given me plenty, and I planted some more several weeks after the first lot, and they are now starting to fruit (albeit with mildew it seems).
Courgettes are doing what courgettes do best even though I thought it was a lost cause earlier in the year
Butternut squashes - they are fruiting well, but they appear to be being eaten, or rotting as soon as they get about the size of a ping-pong ball?
Runner beans - now in full flow.
French dwarf beans - ditto
Onions - pulled up the other day and are currently laying on the ground drying out
Cauliflowers - plants are just a bit bigger than footballs at the moment, so we'll see.
Cabbages - they are about twice the size of the cauliflowers - so again, we'll see.
Brussel sprouts - the plants are about 2ft high now, and I think I may have planted them too close together, even though I put them in about 18inches-2ft apart...
I've just planted some carrots - but I fear I may be too late to get anything from them - they went in the ground in loo rolls, some of them were about the size of cotton bud heads.
Tomatoes in grow bags, one set (one of each beef, cherry & plum in a grow bag) on the plot, one set in the mini greenhouses in the garden. Plot set are currently blackening up from blight, garden set all have fruit, but all seem reluctant to turn red! I love the smell of tomato plants, I just like running my hands through them to get the smell on my hands! I know, I know, sectioned!

Everything pretty much grew that I planted this year, with the exception of parsnips and the first lot of carrots earlier in the year.

I'm pretty confident that I've got the bug, and have a mass of seeds ready for next year already.

Well done all us first timers, collective pat on the back, and a big cheers to all the helpful advice I've recieved on here - keep up the good work people!

Oh, I forgot to mention my apples! I've had 3 from my tree, and it looks like there are three more yet!

[Sue]

Jan
That sounds just like my first year.
I muddled along getting a bit here and a bit there, lots of things didn't grow, got eaten by something other than myself, or succumbed to drought (not a problem this year) or committed suicide rather than submitting to my less than tender care.
but you learn and have another go and this year have even had gluts, of which I'm very proud.
Do keep a record of your harvest, it's fun to see how you progress
Having grown lots more in my second year am now trying to do the succession thing to have stuff growing all year. More work and effort and have duffed it up a few times, but getting better at it.
Never having grown a vegetable in my life before my biggest mistakes have been in spacing, you learn just how big a cabbage can get...
oh well, 2008 will be another chance to do better
best wishes
Sue

[Snadger]

If every year was perfect I'd soon lose interest!

It's the setbacks that keep me going and I try to improve things the next year.........and the next...........and the next!

[JennieAtkinson]

Well done Jan - its not been a good year for starting out given the weather conditions.

Like Snadger - over the last four years that I have been growing veg, its a steep learning curve every year. And what worked last year, doesn't necessarily work this year either! It is good to keep a small diary of your successes and failures and compare each year. That way you really know you are achieving.

[Sebbster]

I've had a very good year for first time. So far have had :

Broad Beans (Giant Longpod Enhibition)
Carrots (Nantes and Autumn King)
Calabrese
Sprouts (earlies)
Potatoes (early Annabelle)
Potatoes (main Cara), although I dug all these up yesterday and I only had 10, yes 10 of about 200 that were not riddled with slug holes. Very dissapointed.
Onions (main)
Cucumbers
Runner Beans, lots of em
Spinach
Beetroot

Not ready yet :

Tomatos - still ripening
Chili's - lots of green but I want red

Currently growing in the plot for Winter :

Savoy Caggage
Curly Kale
Turnips
Swedes
Sprouts (all early variety but not picked too many yet)
More Autumn King carrots, sowed 2-3 weeks ago
Beetroot (speedy seeds)
Annabelle pots (Trying for christmas spuds)

Ready to plant out :

Chard - Bright Yellow
Spring Cabbage

My main aim over the winter is to prepare the ground better with manure for those crops that need it. I also have 2 projects. One to properly level and path around the plot and the other to dig a large area which I had no time to cultivate this year. This area will be manured and be my potato plot next season.

[chrissie the chippy]

you all sound like you have done well!!

I've done half a year so far.......

all my toms were riddled with blight.....

My parsnips are fantastic after being told not to bother, they wont grow, no one else has managed!! (on our site) They are perfect and straight and taste amazing roasted I'm so proud!!

My carrots are rather wierdly shaped!! And a bit green in the middle, but what we can eat of them is nice!

Still waiting on the beetroot....

The sweetcorn is coming on great!! Have normal and small.

The runner beans are still going mad.

What few peas we have, Gwen eats while at the lottie, which is great and she loves it!

And I have broccolli heads!!!!!! Real broccolli heads!!! (how sad do I sound, lol) I've got well over 20 plants! Looking forwward to making a soup from some.

Also have 2 sprout plants, that's all that managed to grow from about 20 seedlings..... no idea what they are doing, they are kind of crammed between the broc and sweetcorn!

Pumpkins look like they are doing well too!


Quite happy with my first produce, going to concentrate on the ground now and get it sorted for next year...

Must admit, I asked a million questions on here to do as well as I have
!! Thank you

[chrissie the chippy]

Forgot to add that my gran bought over some rasberry plants for me off hers They've taken well and fingers crossed will fruit next year

Cut back the blackberries a bit, but they have been there for years and spread everywhere!! Wondering if they have run out of steam? They were chopped right back before I took the plot on, and never fruited this year. Was told it might be best to get rid and start again?

[Waffler]

Forgot to add that my gran bought over some rasberry plants for me off hers They've taken well and fingers crossed will fruit next year

Cut back the blackberries a bit, but they have been there for years and spread everywhere!! Wondering if they have run out of steam? They were chopped right back before I took the plot on, and never fruited this year. Was told it might be best to get rid and start again?

On the subject of blackcurrants, I've just been pruning mine (not sure if I did it right, but hey ho!) and noticed a few seedlings/small plants underneath. Would there be any point in digging them up and sticking them in a pot to propogate, or is it best to buy fresh and certified? (not that I really need more of them, but it's always nice to get something for free, and I'm sure if I don't use them, I'll find someone who can.)

[chrissie the chippy]

have no idea, but would be interested in knowing myself. Will ask my gran tomorrow and will tell you what she said, unless someone can answer in the mean time I've got them poping up all over, would be a shame not to use them.