Learning points

[monkeyboy]

I'll update the SFG thread but I thought I'd post some stuff here and request for some advice



Onions and garlic:


Some of the onions were no smaller than the sets I'd originally sown. I sowed 9 per square. My first thought was overcrowding, so next year I'll so 4 per square but is there anything else I could have done?

Carrots:


Pitifully small. My own fault in not reducing seedlings when I planted them.

Potatoes:




Again, potatoes not as large as I wanted. Mostly larger than last year when I placed 3-4 seed potatoes per bucket. I watered as much as I could but I don't know if it was enough, or if I should reduce from two seed potatoes to one.

A little disappointed this year.

[burnie]

Onions need feed and water more than space I've found, if you have enough food and don't let them dry out and go to seed, they will push each other out of the way. I had two beds this year, one with homemade compost and overwintered sets that were a bit too sheltered from getting a good wet from the rain. The second bed had farmyard manure in it and was more open, I put seed grown plants in here, some we are eating and some are still growing, the ones I lifted are just shy of 2 pounds each in weight, the others are still growing and I had 9 in a metre square, just lots of water and good feed seemed to work.
My carrots are in a raised beds and are broadcast sown in a block, not in rows, they have had no thinning at all and are of a good size for the kitchen. I added a big bag of MPC into the bed when sowing, the previous year it had been manured and grew peas and beans in it.
My tatties have been ok, not fantastic weights, but I grow Pink Fir Apples which are not that prolific and the Red Duke of York are also adequate with out being amazing. These were grown in the soil, I found growing them in containers disappointing, with homemade compost added as a mulch once they sprouted through. I have broken no records, but I am happy that I have done quite well.

[veggiechicken]

The carrots look like a stump rooted variety. That may be as big as they get!

[Jungle Jane]

If you add a little bit of compost around the carrot tops when they’re so big,then the tops don’t go green. Could you have more than two buckets of potatoes next year? They don’t grow that large in a container,they need to feel like they’ve got space around them to grow bigger which they would have in the ground. Size doesn’t matter though,just have more than one or make tiny meals like in a posh restaurant.

[Can the Man]

For the potatoes I would recommend digging in some peat if you can get it from the bog, it has no nutritional value but it helps keep the soil loose and retain moisture. Potatoes need moisture to grow. I don’t like big potatoes as I find they are more susceptible to scab, and insect or slug attack, I much prefer a nice round shaped spud like Nicola, which is a 2nd early so not a Hugh cropper.
This is what I got today from 12 plants.


BY the way these potatoes were grown in raised beds in a poly tunnel

[burnie]

I am finding with most of the veg and fruit I now grow, flavour is far more important than volume, though I do get a kick out of growing big onions for some weird reason...…………………….

[monkeyboy]

The carrots look like a stump rooted variety. That may be as big as they get!

If you add a little bit of compost around the carrot tops when they’re so big,then the tops don’t go green.

I'll remember to that next year. I think some of the overcrowding may have pushed the carrots upwards as well.

Could you have more than two buckets of potatoes next year?

Space is my biggest issue. Small garden. I used two buckets for maincrop and two for first earlies.

For the potatoes I would recommend digging in some peat if you can get it from the bog

Isn't peat moss supposed to be harmful to bogs and wildlife as they are destroyed? Can I add an alternative like perculite/vermiculite or Coco Coir (something I've been thinking about)?

BY the way these potatoes were grown in raised beds in a poly tunnel

Look amazing. Sadly I don't have space for a polytunnel.

I am finding with most of the veg and fruit I now grow, flavour is far more important than volume

I agree with that. Especially as more flavour is supposed to indicate more nutrients.

[claytongsimpson]

Wow

I'm a newbie here but those vegetables look OK for me. As a dissertation writer I usually can't spend a lot of time on my garden stuff. I hope to get a vacation soon and probably change my job. I'm really tired of my job and want to change my lifestyle completely.

[mcdood]

. I hope to get a vacation soon and probably change my job. I'm really tired of my job and want to change my lifestyle completely.

Maybe advertising?

[Babru]

What's a dissertation writer.....someone who writes other people's dissertations?

[veggiechicken]

If you have to write multiple dissertations does it mean you keep failing to get your degree?
If so, you definitely need to change your job!

[Snoop Puss]

Having a dissertation writer write your thesis must surely be cheating?

I've just looked up dissertation writer in Google. The standard of writing is appalling if this is anything to go by:

"Students at higher levels of studies are in need of assistance from writing companies or writers that keep the eligibility and expertise of writing dissertations on all kinds of dissertation topics. Writing a dissertation needs enough endeavour and attempt from the academic dissertation writer whether he/she is a student or some experienced dissertation writer. In terms of students' eligibility of writing, it is obvious that they do not keep the capability of writing flawless and error free because of their level of studies."

[Babru]

That's abysmal! It's as if they've used Google Translate

[Snoop Puss]

^Yes, that's possible. But the original language version must have been pretty dire too.

Garbage in, garbage out.