GYO's editorial assistant with another growing question for you to answer!

[Rose C]

Morning growers, I hope you're all well and had a lovely weekend!

I've got another growing question that I'd love for you all to answer. It is... what tasks/sowings are you most looking forward to in 2020? Do let me know if you're planning on growing something new next year, or if there's something you're especially excited about!

A selection of answers will be featured in the magazine

[rary]

I want to try and get a good crop of peppers, after growing several plants again this year I only got a decent crop from one plant, so must try harder I will also try growing large pumpkins which I haven't tried growing before

[Greenleaves]

Every new growing year brings excitement and expectations. If it all goes wrong, there's always the following year, thats the beauty of gardening

[nickdub]

TBH honest there aren't any tasks as most people would define the term, which I enjoy doing. I'd say my approach to my garden is more of a Zen state of being, as opposed to the Protestant work ethic - or as some might characterise it "bloody lazy old so-and-so who never cuts the grass on his lawn and spends most of his time mooching around doing nothing"

I do look forward to the apple blossom bursting with joy, watching where the birds build their nests and the miracle of tiny seeds growing in to brand new plants - but tasks, no, that sounds like work to me :-)

[MyWifesBrassicas]

I'm really looking forward to building an intriguing permaculture design called a hugelkultur bed, which I intent to grow fruit bushes and I think I'll utilise it for growing squash as well next year
Essentially, it's growing in decomposing wood, sounds a little yucky but you never need to fertilise or water it. The plants roots reach down into the rotting wood, which is holding onto nutrients and water and as the wood rots, it slowly releases the nutrients and water to support the growth of whatever you plant.
I've decided to dig a large trench, approx 4ft x 10ft and 1ft deep, although you may choose to make it smaller or larger. Layer with logs and soil in a lasagne style effect. Starting with the larger diameter logs at the bottom and the thinner stuff at the top, with a layer of soil at the very top, the more rotten the logs are, the better hugelkultur mound will be. The mounds can become quite large, the more rotten wood you can find, the more sustainable the mound will be with the larger mounds supporting plants for up to 20 years or more.

[Babru]

I've had my garden for two years now. It was mostly paved, but I now have a greenhouse and some flower beds, and it's a work in progress. Next year we will create a fruit bed, as I figure fruit costs most to buy and fresh picked is so good to eat. I'll be spending the winter dreaming.....raspberries, strawberries, apples, hybrid berries.....

[Small pumpkin]

Task I�m most looking forward to is build our new house.


( please do not print my comment in the magazine. Not that I think you would for a second, as it�s not gardening related )

[Jungle Jane]

I�m growing catmint next year. Our cats been nibbling at some tiny leaves between the crazy paving,I worked out it was catnip I�d sprinkled there,there must�ve been a seed or two in the packet. There�s a photo here of it growing in the crack with nibbled edges. ~

[Teds Mum]

I will be trying new ways to grow old favourites - carrots in tall pots instead of direct in the ground, Oca in raised beds, spring onions multi sown in modules and planted out as clusters.

[Mark_Riga]

I hope to grow quinoa next year. I grew it a couple of years ago and it did very well - looks very much like fat hen. I sowed some of the last of the crop this spring but it failed to germinate so I'll have to buy some more seeds. It's a bit boring to harvest, rubbing seed heads between the palms but OK listening to music or a radio program.
Also, I've a self seeded mint that seems to be quite strongly flavoured but the leaves seem very small, a bit like thyme. I'll see how that develops in the spring.