Opinions on a bad year, please

[Noosner]

Thanks all, am reading with interest.

Mrs Cordial, would really like to know what sort of veg you put under your bacon and eggs or smoked haddock? The idea really appeals.

Oh - on heritage seeds - I have found that some don't do well in my area, but the ones that do grow fantastically. I tend to buy my seeds from the Real Seed Co. I would never be without their Latah tomatoes (strong, sprawling) or Champion of England peas. My C of E got eaten this year by rabbits but I've never had a pea that grew as well, as early, as vigorous and tall with little care and always provided 8 peas to the pod. A heritage lettuce I grow (also from real seeds) is Reine de Glace and it's a stonker in terms of reliability, crispness, growing quickly, growing early and late in the season and not bolting. Oh, and they all taste delicious!

[teakdesk]

I tend to buy my seeds from the Real Seed Co. I would never be without their Champion of England peas. My C of E got eaten this year by rabbits but I've never had a pea that grew as well, as early, as vigorous and tall with little care and always provided 8 peas to the pod.

Thanks for that review.

I grow Serpette Guilloteau from Real Seeds which I adore. With a packet of Serpette giving 240 seeds for £1.99 they seemed better value than Champion of England where you only get 80 seeds for £2.60 but if they are as good as you and Real Seeds describe then I'll get some for next year.

[Alison]

Another vote for Champion of England although I got my seeds from the Heritage Seed Library and have been saving them ever since from an initial sowing of 10 seeds.

[Two_Sheds]

pretty bum year for me in the veg patch.

whereas I've had the best harvest ever with no winter, warm weather all year, plenty of sun and lots of rain in the spring

I bought heritage varieties ...I wonder if they're only for the really dedicated gardener?

No, they aren't any harder than F1s. In fact, F1s could be in one way more troublesome: I'm thinking of a whole bed of lettuce that are ready on the same day, then all bolt two weeks later before you could eat them all

I started things too early ... Plants weren't getting enough light and were leggy

That's the problem, right there.
They were weak to start with, and your cold wet spring just made it worse

[Potstubsdustbins]

It been a better year than usual for me. But I have the advantage of being able to walk out the back door to do my gardening I don't have to journey to the plot every couple of days or so I visit every time I walk out the door. That plus I now only do the office work, the office is at home means I have had far more time than usual to devote to my veggies.

[Noosner]

Thanks for that review.

I grow Serpette Guilloteau from Real Seeds which I adore. With a packet of Serpette giving 240 seeds for £1.99 they seemed better value than Champion of England where you only get 80 seeds for £2.60 but if they are as good as you and Real Seeds describe then I'll get some for next year.

Funnily enough I have just got some Serpette Guilloteau from the Virtual Seed Parcel this year and I chose them because I recognised the name from the Real Seeds website. Great that you like them so much and that they do so well for you! Especially as we are both in Yorkshire and I bet our 'terroir' is similar.

Yes, C of E are a bit pricey! I haven't saved my seeds yet and it is on my 'to do' list.

[teakdesk]

I have sown 4 rows at the allotment about 3 weeks ago for late peas and they are looking very good.

In the garden where I did early sowings they all got eaten.

In the pots I sowed after the slugs did their "business" they are just producing and are wonderful... but they do get starchy if not watered or get old-ish!


Should have added that this is about the fourth season I've grown them, they set seed very well.

[Noosner]

Thanks, teakdesk, that's v interesting. Will definitely be giving SG a try next year. If you want to just dip a toe in the water with the C of E, PM me your address and I'll send you a little sample of seeds over. I haven't got many, as my peas all got eaten this year (feel as if I keep telling people about this, like some sort of Ancient Mariner!) but I could send you 5 seeds so's you can give it a go.

[Two_Sheds]

"water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink"

A level English, 1988. It's stayed with me, though I loathed the poem at the time

[Noosner]

"water water everywhere, nor any drop to drink"

A level English, 1988. It's stayed with me, though I loathed the poem at the time

Amazing how these things stick. 'She writhed until her fingers were wet with sweat - or blood' is one of mine from schooldays.

[teakdesk]

Thanks, teakdesk, that's v interesting. Will definitely be giving SG a try next year. If you want to just dip a toe in the water with the C of E, PM me your address and I'll send you a little sample of seeds over. I haven't got many, as my peas all got eaten this year (feel as if I keep telling people about this, like some sort of Ancient Mariner!) but I could send you 5 seeds so's you can give it a go.

That's very kind of you. I'll be ordering from Real Seeds again soon so I'll get a packet, thanks. It'll mean I might have some plants left after the slugs have had their share!!!

[noviceveggrower]

Hi,
I have had a poor year compared to last year. The things that have done ok are my spuds, I got those from Wilkos, and so far my toms. I do have a load of green toms so nothing even turning the slightest bit red.
I used a variety of suppliers from seeds from the seed forum to well known brands.
My beans and peas have been poor, strawberries about two pudding bowls, no raspberries and my sweetcorn just lost the will and died on me.
I believed I had prepped well enough but a lot of my ground kept getting water logged and I possibly got very itchy feet late April time. But that's the thing about gardening some things work and some things don't. I think you never stop learning when you grow your own.

[MrsCordial]

I've missed all these extra replies - sorry everyone, and thank you.

Noosner, food! I'll use anything to hand. Last year I chopped runner beans finely as I had them, and this year it's courgettes. I'll add in any green veg to hand. I'll use frozen spinach if nothing fresh is available, but I try to keeep celery in the house so that I can chop that finely and fry (it's actually very nice cooked - nicer than raw, I think). I'll add in herbs, kale, fresh peas. As long as it's green, I'll like it. Only exception is peppers as the flavour tends to dominate. I prefer those grilled and filled with cream cheese

So the jury's out on heritage seeds. I have to say, although the tomato plants have been looking peaky with manky leaves (including Latah), the tomatoes themselves are setting well and looking good. Bill HH what you say about early planting, cool nights and buying seedlings makes a lot of sense. I try not to spend too much on the veg patch - I'm a thrifty one, not a kit monster - but if I see decent young plants now I'll buy a few.

Embarrassingly, my veg patch is at the end of my garden and I work from home too, so on the one hand there's no excuse, but on the other the veg patch has to take its turn along with everything else.

[Noosner]

Noosner, food! I'll use anything to hand. Last year I chopped runner beans finely as I had them, and this year it's courgettes. I'll add in any green veg to hand. I'll use frozen spinach if nothing fresh is available, but I try to keeep celery in the house so that I can chop that finely and fry (it's actually very nice cooked - nicer than raw, I think). I'll add in herbs, kale, fresh peas. As long as it's green, I'll like it. Only exception is peppers as the flavour tends to dominate. I prefer those grilled and filled with cream cheese

Mmm... I'm suddenly feeling a bit peckish!

[MrsCordial]

I've just been out getting a bed ready for planting mustard greens tomorrow, and remembered I ate my own body weight in MGs last year. I bought red hot and less lively variety seeds from Real Seeds last year and they've turned out to be a real discovery. The advice is to plant after midsummer, so now that the onions have come out, MGs are going in.