What nuggets have we learnt this year?

[stella]

Only grow what you actually like to eat, if you get a glut of turnips no one is ever going to eat them however proud you are of having grown them

[leicestershirelass]

Despite having 4 healthy looking Aubergine plants, only 1 very small aubergine produced between them.

Need to make more Compost as had to buy quite a lot this year.

Don't be tempted to buy cheap Cucumber seeds, had to dump my crop as they tasted awful. Usually have a really good crop of cucumbers, so was very disappointed this year.

Don't keep all self seeded Tomatoes - I did dump weaker looking specimens, but let quite a lot grow. Now have lots of tomato chutney, tomato sauce, tomato relish and tomato puree. Stripped remaining plants yesterday and have 2 buckets of red and green tomatoes to deal with today!

There is a limit to how many runner beans a person can eat + running out of freezer space, despite planting less runners this year.

Invested in a long handled fruit picker - this was very worthwhile as most of the best fruit seems to be at the top of trees.

Don't know what the secret is for growing Parsnips, this is the second year of trying without success.

Buy garden equipment at end of or out of season when on offer.

Don't plant Leeks out the day before a heatwave - I lost quite a lot of them as I didn't realise it was going to be so hot at that time.

Don't know what went wrong with Sweetcorn this year as only had 3 successful plants out of 12. Usually have a good crop.

Need to be patient when growing Asparagus - looks like being a really good crop for picking next year.

Good yields from cauliflower and cabbages grown in polytunnel and calabrese/broccoli grown in veg plot, although I'll do more succession planting for calabrese next year.


I thought I was more organised this year as I didn't plant out as many plants as the year before and like others opted for succession planting. Generally had a successful year with lessons learnt from the above for next year.

[womble]

13 or 14 tomato plants is about perfect for us.

I had 4 cucumber plants, 1 produced 15 cucs, the other 3 produced 5 between them. Conclusion, plant number 1 had manure and protection. ie cucumbers need manure and protection.

7 courgette plants is too many, 6 is about right but you need to eat alot of courgettes!

Cucurbits can be planted out very early and covered over on cold nights with buckets, they will survive and it allowed me to have courgettes very very early.


Sweetcorn needs more space than 10 inches.

Mangetout is just absolutely brilliant.

Pea moths have made my pea growing a bloody misery.

[Nicos]

Peacocks...forget worrying about pigeons,bunnies and butterflies!

[Glutton4...]

It is impossible to grow enough Peas. Unless you have a whole field!

[Rabidbun]

That even if you label diligently you can still be caught out as your french beans jump across your supports and wind themselves together beyond identification. :O

And that planting double what you need (just incase) doesn't always lead to too many plants (like it did last year) if the weather is really awful.

Oh, and that there's always room for one more nasty fungal disease or pest in the vegetable garden.

[annacruachan]

That it's no good bothering with garlic or onions as neither have made a reasonable size for two years in fishboxes.

That I need to stagger sowings of 100s and 1000s tomatoes so that they last beyond August. They have such a wonderful taste that I shan't bother growing any other variety next year.

Not to sow half a packet of lettuce at a time!

That we really enjoy winter squash, despite the problems of getting through the skin, so they will have five dedicated fishboxes in 2011.

That beans of any kind are not worth the effort in pots.

That using biological controls really works and is well worth the expense.

That we really don't need 14 different varieties of chillies!

[Croila]

That beans of any kind are not worth the effort in pots.

Oh no, really?? I grew two wigwams in pots here as you can see, three plants in each pot, and they were absolutely great! Perhaps your growing season over in the west is shorter than here in Edinburgh?

[northmaid]

That I NEED to grow more peas to stand a chance of getting some home from the allotment.
That I can't grow squash or sweet potatoes. Plants looked fine but no actual fruits.
That I don't really like cabbage.
That I really, really hate bindweed.
That I need a greenhouse at least twice the size of the one I've got.
That I like making jam and chutney.

[snakeshack]

horsetail can't be killed just live with it and keep pulling
jerusalem artichokes crop like crazy taste like snot and give you wind (good definition of a weed)
decide how many runners to grow then halve it
courgettes turn to baseball bats as soon as you look away
you will always miss one gherkin when picking
and finally you should never judge another gardeners methods until you have walked a mile in their shoes...............that way when you judge them you're a mile away and you have their shoes =no pursuit

[Parsleythelion]

1) Growing veg is fun
2) Growing veg is rewarding
3) Growing veg has failures
4) Growing veg is hard work
5) Growing veg is good for you
6) Growing veg is sociable
7) Growing veg is an education
8) Growing veg is a religion
9) Everyone should grow veg.

[annacruachan]

Oh no, really?? I grew two wigwams in pots here as you can see, three plants in each pot, and they were absolutely great! Perhaps your growing season over in the west is shorter than here in Edinburgh?

Lucky you, Croila! I've grown runners for 2 years and hestias this year with absolutely dismal results despite giving them lovely well-manured soil to grow in. We do have a lot more rain here, though our growing season is the same as yours as we're on the same latitude near enough, and they do seem to rot on the plant fairly quickly.

[wssla00]

1. That the only reason I will grow runners this year is for the hover flies that eat the nectar from them and ruin their chance of fruiting

2. That you can never have enough green things to eat

3. That just when you think something is not doing anything, it surprises you

4. To only bother with stuff you eat and like

[Two_Sheds]

hover flies that eat the nectar from them and ruin their chance of fruiting

nectar doesn't cause beans, pollen does. Runner beans are bee pollinated, so the hoverflies may will be AIDING pollination by their buzzing (which triggers pollination)

Pods not forming is more likely caused by heat or drought

[SlugLobber]

I have learnt that leeks will not grow in my garden. After two years worth of effort, I harvested my unusual 'Spring Onions' and gave up.

Brassicas are not for me. Have tried different species, different methods and I think I'm too lazy/busy for the effort required!

Something out there LOVES gooseberry leaves.

You do not need gooseberry leaves to produce gooseberries!! :P

Cat poo rots away if you leave it long enough...

Yellow Scallops are a waste of time!

Potatoes will grow anywhere at any time. In the bean pot, with the grapes (how???), in the compost bin, in the squash pot, and the usual culprit in with the onions!

I should always grow parsnips. I didn't this year and have really regretted it!

Ground ivy is evil itself.