Hapahazardly extending the cropping season

[nickdub]

I suppose most gardeners are familiar with the old feast/famine cycle in the garden :- you sow some seeds, some of the plants grow on successfully and then suddenly you go from having none at all, to so many you have to give them away and finally back to none left.

This year I grew 6 courgette plants - not my favourite, but my wife likes them. Anyway in my haphazard style they were started quite early in March and grown on in pots in the poly-tunnel until the weather warmed up. By then I had enough space outside for 2 of them which I put out under a bit of poly-carbonate sheeting. Randomly I cleared a bit more space in my wilderness (aka garden) and 3 more got planted there. Finally with the last plant looking at me accusingly, I stuck it in a not v good shady location which was the only clear bit left a few weeks later.

Now the plants in the best location which cropped first are finished - the ones in the middle are still growing and may produce more if they don't get caught by the frost first, and the last one provided a large courgette for soup this weekend.

moral of the story :- sometimes being disorganised to an extent can have unexpected benefits, in providing crops over a longer period.

[Nicos]

I go down the route of 'survival of the fittest' too as I have 3different potagers on my land. Some more exposed to frost, rain, extreme heat....
Every year the weather is different so I can't ever say 'this is the best area/growing time' for any particular veg.
It's an adventure isn't it?

[Bren In Pots]

I found that with my courgettes the healthiest were planted in full sun with the spares in a partial shade area at the end of the roots bed. It seems to have given me a steady supply.