Feeling fed up

[annie8]

Starting to feel like it’s just not going to be a good year for my garden. Don’t blame the veg the weather is so changeable I’m not surprised they are unhappy. Yesterday was at times scorching then lashing rain. I’ve had almost no courgettes, outside tomatoes are struggling, very small and some are splitting and I’m seeing loads of blossom end rot on the black icicles in my greenhouse. Not had one ripe tomato from the gh yet. Only plus so far has been the peas that have cropped well and am enjoying the mixed seed chilli growing although no results yet. Sorry to moan just feeling that I have invested so much time and effort in - even starting my tomatoes really early and am getting very little in return.

[veggiechicken]

Its been a strange year for growing and I could make a similar list of failures as you - Annie. No climbing beans, all soft fruit pinched by birds, very few strawberries and plums, but it happens - there are good years and bad years. Next year is always better.

[Thelma Sanders]

Chatting on the plots yesterday, we were saying much the same - it's been a funny old year, and harvests are not up to much
Too dry for potatoes, too hot for the beans to set, nights still too cold in May and June for courgettes/squash to grow etc etc. Many people here have started clearing and covering plots ready for winter, effectively writing off the rest of the year. Sad to see - but can't say I blame them.

[Babru]

I'm in Edinburgh too annie8, and the Sungolds in my greenhouse have been edible for the past couple of weeks. Nothing yet from larger varieties, though Red Alert and Gardener's Delight are nearly there. This is my first year of greenhouse growing, so I didn't know when to expect things to ripen. I chose mostly cherry toms as I thought they'd have the best chance up here, with our variable weather.

[Jimny14]

Hi Annie, don't worry, I lost half our new potatoes as they didn't grow on and do anything productive, the Charlotte's performed better hut worse than usual. I've planted 12courgettes this year, all bar one have failed or being slugged to death, kale has all been slugged and given up the ghost, winter squash have all failed. Soft fruit was OK, got approx 1/2 gooseberries as last year, all red currants went to the birds this year but blackberries have been OK. Its just one of those years I'm afraid.
I've planted out a load of old seeds in to my spare ground which should have been full of squash to use em up, old packs of salad, rocket, radish etc to get something to crop at least. Also planted swede. Now planning overwinter broad beans and garlic n shallots to keep me occupied.

[bikermike]

Sorry to hear that Annie.

If it's across your whole plot, how is your soil fertility? I have had good year (sorry), but it's noticeable the best beds have been the ones where I've gone full Charles Dowding.
(even so my leeks, parsnips and carrots have been a total failure).

[Snoop Puss]

Annie, really sorry to hear you're feeling low. As everyone says, it happens some years. Every year about this time I look at all the failures and things I could have done better. There's always next year. Don't let a few failures put you off.

I was talking to some experienced veg growers the other day and we were all commiserating about our tomatoes of all things in Spain. Mine are just sitting there, small, green, not done anything for weeks. But at least mine are green, these other guys were saying theirs were cooked on the plant by the heat and sun. That's a first for them. They don't expect to pick a single one and a lot of them will have 40+ plants.

Have you got a source of calcium you can give your black icicles? Some hard wood ash, for example. The ones that have already got BER won't improve, but it might help any burgeoning ones.

Is there anything you can put in the ground for autumn and winter? Some kohl rabi, lettuce, radishes, turnips? Winter brassicas?

Big virtual hug from me.

[Scarlet]

I’m seeing loads of blossom end rot on the black icicles in my greenhouse.

Are you growing in pots or in the ground?
Generally blossom end rot is due to irregular watering. How often do you water?
I water every day in the green house.

[1Bee]

Big hug, annie, there's no worse feeling that seeing your hard work go to waste. Try and focus on the positives, though - I've struggled with peas this year, but others around my are swimming in them!

I think it's been so variable geographically, too - it's a pretty good year so far here, but very late and I'll be lucky to get any runner beans at all.

[mcdood]

It's easy to get down about issues but each year some things work and some don't. Lessons this year: some blossom end rot on Orange Banana - need to sort out my watering. Calabrese left it too long and most had started to go to seed - harvest earlier. Cauliflower - some started to rot - harvest earlier when smaller. Peas - went yellow early - need to water each day when dry. Potatoes - had some scab - check crop rotation and don't follow brassicas. Strawberries - much less than last year - no idea on this one, maybe weather or maybe time for new stock. Cosmos zero germination, likewise Tithonia - maybe sowing too deep or too wet. Try to focus on your successes though and learn from the rest.

[1Bee]

Oh, I've not been able to raise a beetroot for love nor money this year....

BTW, whenever I've felt like you do, and I often do, I've always found that posting here made me feel much better.

[veggiechicken]

As a general comment about Blossom End Rot - its less of a problem with "normal" size tomatoes. The bigger they are, the more difficult it is to keep the fruits hydrated. I grow very few "big" toms now although I do dabble with the Icicle shapes most years.

[Penellype]

I think this time of year is about the worst when it comes to growing food. The excitement and anticipation of the spring sowing and planting is over and reality starts to bite. The pests are in full flow and the weather is just right for all sorts of diseases, particularly when its warm and humid. Everyone will have their stories of disasters - here are mine:
Whole crop of lovely big onions hit by white rot.
A lot of the main crop peas got pea moth.
Most of the early flowers on the runner beans (french bean cross Stardust) didn't set, presumably because the weather was too hot as they are now starting to produce beans.
Some of the bigger potatoes have hollow heart due to drought.
Tomatoes have greenback due to heat and a few have blossom end rot, even on self watering trays.
The apricot blossom was all killed by frost.
Beautiful crop of raspberries attacked by birds then beetles, flies and wasps making them inedible and almost impossible to pick.
Blueberries produced very little fruit (never happened before).
Apples have bitter pit and I'll be lucky to get any to eat at all.
Most of the strawberries and framberries were attacked by tortrix moth grubs, slugs or both.

I think all you can do is learn from what happens each year (every year is different) and try to take appropriate measures the following year. Concentrate on the things that have gone well - for me these are spinach, beetroot, cauliflowers, carrots, leeks (so far), a fair amount of the peas, courgettes, cucumbers, early raspberries.

Measures I intend to take next year:
Line raised bed with plastic compost sacks or cardboard (I may try half and half) and fill with soil-free compost from hotbed to try to avoid onion white rot.
Grow peas in the tunnel to avoid pea moth.
Try to water the potatoes more (difficult in a drought at the allotment)
Attempt to cover the apricot tree if frost is forecast.
Try to think of a method of protecting the raspberries (difficult) and strawberries (impossible)
Remember to water the apple tree if dry.

However, next year's problems are likely to be different - last year I had no trouble with pea moth, birds or white rot, but I did have problems with aphids and whitefly.

[happyhumph]

We all have bad years - I'm having one at the moment for various reasons, work busy so most of veg plot overgrown, didn't get seeds sown in time so no chillies or French beans or runners, dry weather causing courgettes to rot (fixed now with some rain) etc.

I'm going to order some bare root brassicas and then pretty much write off this year and concentrating on getting plot ready for next year, learning from this year's mistakes. I'm a professional gardener and it happens to me if that makes you feel any better!

It's depressing when it happens, but life and weird weather get in the way sometimes....

[happyhumph]

Oh, and 4 apple cordons have no fruit as all the blossom was blown off by strong winds earlier in the year! Lesson there is that next time it happens the big landy is going to be parked on the grass in front of them as a wind break