Gardening challenges

[Bren In Pots]

Another one who voted 'weather' there's either to much snow, frost, wind, rain or its baking hot.

[planetologist]

Well, to be on the safe/conservative side I also voted weather, but really what I think is the main challenge is climate chaos. Two years of chaos don't make climate, I know, but still I fear this is just the beginning of the real chaos to come. Unlike weather, we do have influence over that, most of you currently don't use that influence, however. Please do.

[Mikey]

The challenge to gardening is finding solutions to what mother nature throws at us, so far this year the weather has been unseasonably cold, so all the plants I started in propagators are clogging up my greenhouse. I've tried to combat this by creating mini polytunnels over seedlings in the ground, allowing me to get some things out. After previous wet winters I've suffered with slugs devouring my beans 5ft off the ground come the summer. All gardening is reactive, you can plan as much as you want but the elements will throw you at least one curve ball every year, how successful you determine your year depends on how well you react.

[cheops]

I voted other as my main gripe is greenfly. Already [yesterday] despite our recent appalling un-springlike cold weather to date I have already found greenfly covering my roses. And soon given a chance to develop leaves the plum trees will be covered with them as will the currant bushes etc etc. I have seen in the past my plants covered with ladybirds but still unable to cope with the greenfly and on occasion I have sprayed it's not long till they are back. They are a destructive pest which are practically unmanageable.

[SarzWix]

Unlike weather, we do have influence over that, most of you currently don't use that influence, however. Please do.

I'm hoping that 'you' isn't directed at forum members

[Normans Mum]

I voted slugs. I suppose I should have voted weather but..... there's absolutely NOTHING that will stop me going to the allotment, as there's always something you can do even in the sanctuary of the shed or greenhouse. Slugs caused so much damage on our plot last year and ate everything in sight-- even the haulms on the potatoes ! So... I still vote Slugs, unfortunately !

[Lisamcflisa]

I voted for weather, I've only been growing my own a few years and last year was so bad i was tempted to give up! it not only affects the plants, disease and everything else, but also affects the gardeners themselves in mood, enthusiasm and desire to get out there. we can but hope for a better 2013

[planetologist]

Children and fools, SarzWix. I was talking about the average person. If a British household has more than £12,500/y to spend (that is the average household income £33k * a sustainable ecological footprint of 1.78 gha / the average UK footprint 4.71 gha), statistically, the expectation would be that they consume more resources than the Earth can produce in a year. If you do it by carbon footprint it's worse: currently the average British person emits 17 t CO2 eq./y (Carbon Footprints of Nations. A Global, Trade-linked Analysis | Environmental Footprint of Nations) and there isn't a single sustainable carbon footprint, but it might be something like 2 t/y at present and decrease over time for a climate stabilisation scenario.

[SarzWix]

Yes, I know, I'm studying Environmental Science at the OU at the moment.

[mothhawk]

I was going to vote "weather", but that isn't really the challenge. It's water that's the challenge - too much or too little. You can warm things up with cloches or fleece, cool things down by putting in the shade, but if there's too much water there is nothing you can do except watch things rot, and if there's not enough, they just don't grow at all.

[rob39]

Carrots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! enough said

[spanish_gardener]

I voted weather for the same reasons mentioned above, weather as we can not control it, change it.

[sammy_roser]

Weather as I can't change it and has a massive effect on what I can grow. Second to that would be slugs and snails as even though I can fight my way through them there are always more of them then there are of me

[green fingered]

Weather is what I voted for. It can help diseases spread, effect numbers in slugs and snails and weed germination. It can cause crop failure too. It also effects on what varieties of crops and fruit you can grow where you live in the UK.

[bearded bloke]

Enthusiam,or rather summoning it up in large enough quantities to keep fighting all the other elements in your list,fortunately very few things are totally insurmountable some just require more thought/effort than others