Fed up and feeling like giving up

[veggiewomble]

I feel like giving up. The only crops I seem to be able to grow effectively on my balcony terrace are chillies in the summer! Chillies, as well as herbs such as peppermint, rosemary, oregano and parsley seem to thrive quite well. I have mostly flowers growing in large containers on my balcony. It gets quite a lot of morning and early afternoon sunshine, but is a little overcrowded, and so it can get a little damp.

Last year, I grew lots of tomatoes and aubergines. NONE of the aubergines produced a single fruit although I had lots of flowers. The tomatoes were coming along promisingly, until they all suffered blight. I lost 100's of tomatoes from just two plants!

This year, I am trying salad leaves, beetroot and courgettes in my containers. Courgettes are supposedly easy. I had a few flushes of flowers, looking promising, in May and June, but 3 large-ish courgettes later, I've got two plants with mildewed and yellowing leaves, and they don't look like they are going to muster another courgette!

I don't know when to harvest my beetroot, since it is the first year I'm planting them. I sowed the seeds in late May and 2 weeks ago, I dug around the base of one plant, with tall leaves, and there was nothing to be found underneath. Now, I can see some plants have a sort of 'bark-like trunk' that is pushing slightly above the ground, but I don't know if it's ready for harvest. It's a sorry sight anyway.

I'm wondering if I should just give up on this veg growing business and stick with herbs and chillies??!!

vw

[sewer rat]

Don't give up veggiewomble !
Blight on tomatoes happens to loads of people - and last year was especially bad for blight - I spent 14 hours denuding the leaves from 240 tomato plants, so you are not alone.
Your courgettes sound as if they need a feed - they are a very very hungry crop, and feeding is very important if you are growing in containers - try a tomato feed or chicken pellets - that should give them a boost.
Leave your beetroot - it sounds fine - you will know when it is ready as you will see the round top of the beet above the level of the compost.
Good luck - let us know how your plants get on.

[Rhona]

Aw...I'm sorry you feel blue. If it's any consolation, I can never grow chillies! They always seem to die on me. I'm the same as you with aubergines - lots of flowers but nothing else. I think I managed to grow one about four years ago, but that was tiny. I garden in containers too, as we have a tiny garden. It does have it's advantages, but you do need to keep on top of the feeding and watering. It sounds as though you're doing really well though and producing lots of stuff in a small space. Don't focus on the things that don't work out, and just think about how you'll do it differently next year. x

[Two_Sheds]

Don't give up.
But do realise that it isn't as easy as plant a seed, eat the veg. There's a lot to do in between! All veg suffer from pests & diseases ... we all have to combat these, you're not alone.

Mildew: you should be picking off the bad leaves, don't leave them on the courgette.
Blight: I'd be surprised that you got blight on a balcony ... if you're high up. Perhaps it was wind burn instead?

Aubergines: not an easy crop to start off with.

I used to grow lettuce, radish, toms, carrots (they love containers) on my 5th floor balcony

[Winged one]

Veggiewomble, don't give up. You are getting stuff - herbs are a great addition to the kitchen and one of the most expensive bits to buy (and the flavour is so much better when freshly picked).

Next year, why not try a hanging basket of cherry tomatoes, rather than a container on the balcony as this may give you some more space to play with. And lots of people were very badly blighted last summer - at least you had toms on the plants so that is a good thing (I mean - you can grow them). If there is blight threatened, you could always try bringing in the container with toms for the day or two which most of us can't.

Fresh salad leaves are also great to have. If you try having not too many things, but start small and work up to what you know the balcony will hold, maybe having a tub of salad leaves and spring onions, your herbs, a pot of carrots (I am growing mine in a pot on the patio this year and they are lovely as babies) and your herbs, and a hanging basket or two (could have tumbling toms of various varieties, and another maybe of salad or herbs) - and every year have one or two experiments. Maybe have some pots higher than others to help with air circulation, keeping damp down etc and letting them all have good sunshine.

Make sure that you are watering and feeding well - tomato food is your friend!! Cos I found the plants in pots need a lot more care and food than those in the ground.

[trebellangeminired]

I agree, don't give up. Focus on the things you succeed with and treat everything else as a work in progress.

I found growing most seeds relatively easy, I had a few failures but it was the scale of the battle with pests and diseases threatened to overwhelm me last year. So this year, I showed no mercy from the first sign. OH bought me a copy of the expert guide to pests and diseases which is great for identifying the problem but it focuses on chemical rather than natural controls. With a bit more research, especially the kind help from members of the vine, I am finding alternative solutions.

As for aubergines, last year, in my innocence, I planted a whole packet of aubergine seeds and ended up with 56 plants! However, after giving away most of them and composting the rest, I planted four and....they all died This year I planted six seeds and got two plants neither of which look like producing flowers, never mind fruit.

Hey ho, my OH was great, in my darkest despair he encouraged me not to give up and when we cleared the greenhouse after harvesting the last of the tomatoes and cucumbers, I finally got it. There it was all pristine and clean, ready to be planted again. It's a bit like that joke about doctors burying their mistakes, gardeners just compost them I learnt so much even in one year. I finally understood that everybodys planting space is different and to adapt things to suit ours. And not plant enough seeds to feed the third world without the facilities to grow them on

Good luck

TGR

P.S. Tumbling toms and strawberries in hanging baskets work really well. Carrots, parsnips, potatoes, peppers, salad leaves, strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes work well in tubs. As the others have said, feeding and watering is important and tempting as it is, make sure they aren't TOO overcrowded. I think I may have to move some of my peppers as they are too close, I digress...and it sounds like you've got herbs sorted though, well done!!!

[lynda66]

i've got a huge garden ...... and i haven't produced anything edible at all yet, so no don't give up .... i'm not ..... i'm working on the idea that if i don't get anything this year, theres always next year .... my aubergines didn't get past the first 2 leaves sprouting, and my tomatoes are nowhere near getting flowers never mind fruit, sounds like you're doing ok to me i'm still trying things for winter

[SlugLobber]

I would second the hanging basket suggestion for toms. My 'ground' toms aren't doing half as well as the hanging basket one.

I've found the easiest thing to grow is lettuce, as long as you can keep on top of the slug population/plant enough for everyone!

Chin up! You've already had quite a lot of success in such a small space!

[RobintheBobin]

Growing pots can be super frustrating...we were possibly going to move this year so I grew a few extra things in pots just in case and I'd recommend the following as they are all doing splendidly:

Blau Hilde purple climbing french bean - a thug but happy in a bucket a multi purpose compost
Painted Lady runner bean - the red and white flowers look beautiful and it is also happy in a bucket
Tromboncino - climbing courgette, which is doing great in....a bucket, it seems to thrive as long as you give it something to climb up otherwise I'm sure it would just trail
Spaghetti Squash - happy as Larry although I'm not sure it is productive enough to justify the space on a balcony
Gartenperle tomatoes - thriving in a teeny tiny half hanging basket along with a tumbing Nasturtium
Rocquencourt yellow french beans - a dwarf variety but seems to be cropping heavily in it's hanging basket along with a Tumbling Tom tomato and a Patty Pan courgette

So there are a few suggestions; I've never had luck with carrots in tubs...but then again I have found I can buy nice enough carrots from the shops and they are cheap. Aubergines are a funny one really - they should be happy bunnies in my greenhouse but I only have two pathetic flowers and that's it!!


Don't give up x

[armadillo]

Don't give up, it sounds like you've had a fair few successes too - we all have crops that fail.
Some of my courgettes have had yellowing leaves for a while now, but I fed gave them a good manure mulch and they're still producing - they do need a lot of food.
Aubergines are difficullt - last year I got 2 very tiny ones from 2 plants .
My toms aren't as fruitful as I'd like either, but the hanging basket varieties outside are doing better.
Persist, I'm sure you'll get the hang of what you can manage on your balcony. (get the hang of hanging baskets?)

[veggiewomble]

Thanks everyone, for the encouragement. I think I've just grown discouraged, looking at this month's GYO magazine and at all the lovely glossy pictures of thriving veggies... (and comparing my own destitute veg plants...)

I've never thought of growing cherry tomatoes from hanging baskets. Thanks for the idea. And growing carrots in pots? How deep do the pots have to be? I live near a busy main road - is pollution going to be a problem? I know I've read somewhere that if you live near a polluted road, to avoid growing root crops....

My courgettes had trouble being pollenated before they were all mildewed. There were barely any bees around this year, or any other bugs for that matter! I'm fairly high up so thankfully, I haven't any slugs nor snails to contend with. I've always got a brilliant crop from my chilli plants though (once they germinate, that is!). I've still got some of last year's harvest in the freezer.

It's good to see I'm not alone....

vw

[Demeter]

Just adding my voice to the chorus

Remember - the mag is about what your plants might look like in *August* not in July, so the plants are bound to be a bit further along - and they only take pictures of the ones that look amazing - not the scraggly ones that barely seem able to stand...

Give your courgettes a bit of love (take off the crappy leaves, give them plenty to eat and drink) and they might get their second wind. You can always pollinate them by hand if the insects won't oblige!

Meanwhile, if you've figured out how to grow salad leaves that don't taste bitter and bolt the moment you turn your back - I think I might be after you for some tips!

[trebellangeminired]

And growing carrots in pots? How deep do the pots have to be? I live near a busy main road - is pollution going to be a problem? I know I've read somewhere that if you live near a polluted road, to avoid growing root crops...

vw

I grew carrots in a dustbin last year. Have seen Early Nantes grown in cooking oil buckets. The depth depends on the variety. if you grow stump rooted you can use a shallower container. As regards pollution, as I understand it, fast moving traffic ok, standing traffic not ok. Five stories up might also affect your exposure to pollution but I don't know.

TGR

[raine]

Believe it or not, I've grown carrots in big window boxes! I just picked them when they were finger sized (very expensive in shops!) They were a range of speedy seeds and grew in 10 weeks which meant i managed to get two lots of sowing. As to the aubergines, I think they have a secret pact not to grow for anyone but magazine producers- oh and the really annoying bloke at work!

[Flummery]

When life gives you lemons - make lemonade! Just think of all the lovely dishes you can make with your chillies. Get a few tins of tomatoes, some ginger and a few other bits and pieces (can't rememebr off hand but it's in Sarah Raven's book) and make Chilli Jam - a fantastic ingredient and you can sample your successes for the rest of the year.

Don't give up though. Some years are good, some bad. I've had RUBBISH shallots this year - pea-sized - and I've always had great success before. Sometimes it just doesn't happen. Keep on keeping on.