First attempt not great

[nikkia]

I moved house in march and decided to have a vegetable garden.

i didnt prepare the soil very well i just dug a load of manure and compost through it.

i then planted potatoes, sprouts, cabbage, peas and sweetcorn.

i also had tubs containing lettuce and other salad leaves, spring onions and strawberries and 4 tomatoe plants.

I have a large tub containing herbs too.


The peas did ok they didnt grow very tall but we did get a few meals out of them, but i grew them from seed so i was quite pleased.

the potatoes did ok as well but i think i planted them a bit late as only just getting small potatoes.

the cabbages are still small too

the spring onions look more like chives they are tiny.

my tomatoes had loads of fruit on but most of them stayed green and then gt blight.

the sprout plants seem to be doing ok but no sign of sprouts yet...is it too early?

The swetcorn is doing well i only planted 4 but im lookig forward to trying them.

we only got about half a dozen strawberries from 10 plants which as really disappointing.
Please Can someone give me some tips and advice on what i id wrong an what to do to make next year more productive.

thanks

[vicky]

Hi Nikkia, welcome to obsessive veggie-land!
You don't sound like you've done badly for the first crop at all!
The weather has been badly against us this year - loads of people have green toms which then get blight!
It is still early for sprouts and your cabbages (and spring onions) still have time to bulk up - just keep taking the caterpillars off!
Enjoy your sweetcorn!
Vicky

[Two_Sheds]

You sound like you've had the same rate of success as the rest of us.
Everyone has tomato blight.
Potatoes need to go in the ground in March or thereabouts - and then it's 3 months until your first meal
Strawberries are supposed to crop in their first year. Their 2nd and 3rd years are better. How to grow Strawberry plants.

[jackie j]

My toms got blight as well so dont worry. if you look at other threads on here you will see that most of us did. I also had problems germinating them as well so I didnt get any toms.
I have am allotment and I only started last september so my first year as well although I have grown toms before.
I didnt get many peas but that was cos I didnt plant enough.
Is this the first year of your strawberries as well ? to get more plants take the runners and let them root in a pot dont cut them from the main plant until they have rooted, strawberry plants last about 3 to 4 years so each year take the runners to make new plants and discard old plants after 3 to 4 years.
My spring onions are tiny as well but taste ok.
You have done well for your first attempt so dont give up you will learn from experiance and if you are not sure there is lots of information on this site and other more experienced growers will alway come to your aid.
use the search button at the top as well. good luck and welcome,

[Two_Sheds]

Please Can someone give me some tips and advice on ...what to do to make next year more productive.

pray for sunshine

[Eyren]

pray for sunshine

Amen!

Look at this way, Nikkia - you could have started last year and had two rubbish summers in a row, like the rest of us

It sounds like you're doing OK for a beginner. I find that every year I grow a bit more - it takes time to find out which plants do well in your particular soil and climate, and how best to grow them. Just keep at it and you'll be fine!

[snuffer]

Don't worry about it nikkia. One of the great things about this hobby is that, there is always next year to look forward to. Half of the fun is planning next years crops and deciding what you might do differently. The new seed catalogues should soon be available. Send for two or three, wait for a rainy day (shouldn't be to long a wait), put your feet up and enjoy perusing them.

GYO is a brilliant pass time. Remember to have FUN with it.

[Two_Sheds]

The new seed catalogues should soon be available. Send for two or three, wait for a rainy day (shouldn't be to long a wait), put your feet up and enjoy perusing them.

Then spend some rainy days separating your new seeds up, so you can put some in the Seed Swap parcel when it comes your way