My pathetically dire season

[Marb67]

Well, even by my poor standards this year is absolutely abysmal. Despite feeding, using high quality pro veg growing compost

Patheticly thin, whispy tomato plants. About 5 ripe toms from 23 plants ( greenhouse and outside)
Pathetic red onion sets that never grew a mm. Harvested to dry in shed plant out again next year.
Patheic radish, sown in cool deep soil that ended up thin, whispy and bolted to flowers. Not a single swelled root despite high quality compost in a deep container on sunny, not too hot site.
Chard eaten
Pathetic spindly nero
Pathetic spinach
Pathetic spring onions.
Pathetic charlotte spuds
Pathetic rocket
spindly, flowering rhubarb, despite being in deep container in well fed soil
Pathetic peas, hardly a pod.
Pathetic gooseberry harvest.
No beetroot swelling, just leaves.

The usual curse of the “‘#*@ thrips, aphids and other pests.

Basicly, I do all the right things as best I can and stil get failure because the garden is too small, I will never afford to move to a property with a bigger space and no chance of getting an allotmentas the waiting list is years.

The only good harvest was runner beans.






.

[SimpleSimon]

Sure that compost was ok? If you had tomato plants in the GH then that doesn't sound right at all. I have lots of tomatoe plants and quite a few got very sick this year. Twisted, curled and spindly. They still produced loads of ripe tomatoes. It has been an odd season temperature wise tho and my chillis are way behind.

[bikermike]

sorry to hear that. Are you maybe trying to grow too much in a small space? That's as many crops as I've got at the plot.

But it has been an odd season for weather

If the onions didn't go well, is it worth saving? maybe try some different sets next year?

If everything was tall and spindly, two thoughts occur:
1) light - is everything blowing it's reserves trying to get to the light? planting less and planting a bit later may help there
2) are you in fact feeding too much? although it's tempting to jack up your plants on every nutrient going, if you do it too early it doesn't help

If it's any consolation, my peas were poor, beans turned up their toes early (and had sprouted in the pods so couldn't even dry and save) and my spuds are well down on yield

p.s. - when I went to my plot, I was told a three year waiting list, and then got phoned back with a choice of three that autumn, so don't give up hope. A polite quick call to the letting secretary just saying you are still interested can't hurt.

[burnie]

I tend to grow what I'm good at and that my garden can grow well, so with sandy soil I don't grow brassicas, rhubarb and tall plants like runner beans or broad beans. I grow stump rooted carrots and they all do well. Onion sets don't seem to like the soil either, seed usually does better, though this years are small compared to last year. Growing in compost in containers is always going to be less successful than growing in the ground as the compost nutrients are used up very quickly and there's less room for the roots for plants to really thrive, container growing which I do a lot is a bit of a compromise.

[greenishfing]

If you are not on the waiting list for an allotment put yourself on it and then follow up. You may just drop lucky. Also put the word around that you want growing space. There may be somebody out there with an unkempt jungle.
If you really like growing things don't give up, be proactive. Your main problem seems to be lack of space.

[Marb67]

The problem is the runner bean plants have grown so tall, as well as the hawthorn that they blocked a lot of light from the toms etc. Too late now as the sun is almost over and my garden doesn't get any sun during Winter. Coupled with a damp shady corner that harbours all sorts of problems it's very hard to get success as only half the garden gets the sun most of the day, as lovely aesthetically as it is to sit in.

[Jungle Jane]

Could you reduce the height of some shrubs to let more light in? My onions were small this year,I think it’s because runner beans popped up next to them from the previous years roots,they don’t grow well together.

[Plot70]

I grew tomato seed from supermarket fruit in Derbyshire clay mixed with horse manure. I have lots of fruit with one or two ripening.
Some of the plants have grown aggressively.
Runner beans were slow starting due to late frost putting them back. They are now cropping.
Kohlrabi has done well on clay with manure added a week or so before harvesting to fatten them.
They were all planted at the same time. Kale could have done with the manure going on from the start.
About half of my spinach bolted. I think it should have had more manure from the start too.
Rhubarb does very well in Derbyshire clay and some of my plot neighbors use it to make some kind of wine.

[Nicos]

Are there houses with fairly large gardens nearby...or a farm which might be prepared for you to grow some veg in?

I know that a lot of elderly people are trying to stay in their 'family' homes rather than downsizing and maybe someone nearby might be glad to have someone pop in regiularly to tend to grow fruit and veg in part of their garden, maybe in exchange for mowing their lawns .

No harm in asking around Marb. You have worked so hard in your garden but it clearly doesn't seem to want to cooperate with you.
You might make someone else happy by taking away their worry of not being able to maintain their garden.
Just a thought. In the mean time, get your name on an allotment list and keep popping down to the plots to get your face known...someone might be up for sharing their plot if you ask around ( and it's allowed by the committee)

As an aside...mine's been a rubbish year too and I have masses of open land
Dont give up!!!!!!

[Snadger]

There is one consolation Marb, as the song lyrics go "Things can only get better......."

Without knowing many details about your your garden I can't really offer any help.

Sorry to be Jobes comforter, surprisingly because of the weather, but it's been my best year I have ever had for veg and the majority successes were achieved with no-dig principals.

[Marb67]

Oh and I forgot to add, pathetic courgettes too. One small fruit off 2 plants.

I have been growing some stuff in my mum's large garden but the last year has been awful seeing her rapidly go downhill until her death this June at only 74. Its been a very stressful and upsetting 12 months. Just about to put her house on the market after a mammoth time clearing it etc as she was a hoarder I think my attention has been patchy as most time (mentally and physically) has been spent in the next village at mum's. It hasn't hit me yet fully either but as the days get shorter, the nights draw in I am starting to feel it.

Sorry about that as it's veered off topic slightly but I like to be honest..

[bikermike]

under those circumstances, is it not more a case of doing well under trying times?

[Nicos]

So śorry to hear your sad news Marb.
I agree with bikermike...you have done well in trying times.
Lets hope 2021 is a much better year for you xx

[Shortie]

Sorry it's been a difficult year away from home and that probably won't help how you feel about the garden either.

Lots of good advice above about trying to get light in and definitely get your name on the list for the allotment - you need to be on the list to ever get to the front, and maybe it will move quicker than first thought?

I also like the suggestion of seeing if anyone has local gardsn space you can use

Also here, my year has been abysmal. My rhubarb did fanstatically but everything else has been poor. It's my first year growing in my garden instead of an allotment so part of it is learning which beds places have the right amount of light, but my runners in good sun did awfully, and my squashes finally set 2 fruit late last month

It's definately been a weird year