Giving up on old friends...

[Greenleaves]

Hi KevinM67

I know where you were coming from, just adding my two pennies worth....My wife always questions the logic with certain veg.

[Alison]

I find that all the veggies I grow always taste nicer than what I can buy and I know exactly how they have been grown and if any chemicals have been used. I find it strange that people say that peas are a hassle, I find them really easy (although can take a long time to prepare but I do that while watching something on TV) and they're my ready made sweeties on the plant when I'm up the plot and they're cropping. I just love them raw and bought ones aren't anywhere near as tasty and fresh. I suppose the only thing I can think of that I don't grow (but then again never have) apart from the things we don't like, is summer cabbages as we just wouldn't eat them. Love the winter and spring ones but prefer beans, peas, courgettes and salad stuffs in summer.

[Raybon]

I will keep on growing peas......I never have enough to feed everyone at once, but I LOVE chucking them raw into a green salad - so sweet and delish!

Onions are a no-no for me now, so cheap to buy and lots of varieties.

What I Do With a Courgette -
Fry slices in butter and oil until just tender.
Add fresh squeezed orange juice and chopped mint, heat briefly.
Nothing bland about it if cooked this way!

[KevinM67]

I'm feeling a bit guilty about my peas decision now.

Should I relent to peer pressure or uphold my prejudiced stance??

[TrialAndError]

For me one (not the only) key thing about growing our own is that I know how and where they have been grown. If I grow them myself I know no chemical sprays have been used (just read up about what some veg are sprayed with and how frequently), I know they have been grown in my allotment (no air miles) and the pleasure of being partly self-sufficient. For those reasons alone I won't stop growing peas, spuds, carrots and the like. There are so many unknowns when buying supermarket veg that I delight in knowing the history of mine. Illogical maybe, but pleasurable most definitely.

[Doive]

Things I must grow -

Peas, potatoes, carrots, brussels, tree cabbage, kale, tomatoes, courgettes.

Things I've given up on -

Asparagus peas (horrible), broccoli (too much space).

I'll give anything a go once. Last year our brussels were destroyed by caterpillars but still produced a reasonable crop. This year they are all in a brassica frame, so hopefully they will survive better.

[andy_j]

Apart from chillis, I only grow what I eat now. I used to try a bit of everything and gave it all away.

One thing to do if you're fed up growing the same old stuff is to try different varieties or colours of the veg you grow eg purple carrots, golden beetroot, self pollenating runners etc etc....just go for things a little "outside the box" so to speak.

As for peas...far too much messing around for me so ive grown mangetout this year

[chris]

I always wonder why I give up so much space to spuds. In the grand scheme of things we don't eat that many, but I always grow them.

Peas are a faff but with young kids they enjoy podding them. Just have to plant 4 times as many as 3/4 of them end up in their bellies rather than the bowl.

I've grown everything we eat, but never have enough onions. I have tended to phase them out but this year I've 1/4 of my plot planted up with them.

I seem to chop and change really - two things I grow every year though are winter squash and sweetcorn.


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[Shadylane]

When we first got our allotment I was against growing spuds and onions because of previously mentioned reaons. Now I can't imagine not growing them.

There's just something so satisfying about digging up a fork full of fresh spuds, or lifting your onions and leaving them to dry in the sun before hanging them. You can't beat that sense of achievement.

Carrots are the same. Yes they're cheap as chips, but that feeling of pulling your own - that you've grown from a tiny seed - out of the ground, brushing off the muck and adding it to your harvest, is priceless.

It took about 4years for me to nail peas. Never managed to grow enough. Now I chit them, then plant in guttering and slide them into final positions. I grow tall ones, to maximise space. We had enough to freeze last year and I've extended the support this year so hopefully will get even more. Although the rabbits have mown down half so will have to wait for them to catch up.

[sparrow100]

I can't grow decent spinach, so perhaps that's an easy 'give-up'? I don't grow onions cos I buy them cheaper. And aubergines are a huge amount of faff for the end product.

Must grows: chillies, berries - as many as I can squeeze in, rhubarb, sweetcorn, tomatoes, potatoes, beets, winter squashes, courgettes, cukes, broadies, PSB and kale.

I'm only in year 3, so this year is a first for lots of things - parsnips, leeks, peas, achocha, oca etc. I like growing a little of a lot if that makes sense, and I can imagine that over time I will whittle it down to things I really like. At the minute it's all too exciting to try and cut back much on the variety.

[Mr Gardener]

I have so little space I just grow the same things over and over, the things I know I like... it's never been anything to do with whether they're cheap or not as I grow them for the thrill of it.

I'm sure I've said it before but it's like raising a child to me with all the love you put into every pot / plant and also in so much as if they give you disappointing returns you just chop them up and put them in the compost.

[redser]

Giving up on peas, beans and carrots this year. Have had mixed results with carrots and they are so cheap to buy. Pease and beans were very successful but the rest of the clan wouldn't eat them from frozen so I end up dumping lots. Not worth the effort and heartache.

[KevinM67]

Whilst I'm giving up growing peas this year - I'm going to put my time and effort into growing more beans.

Again, because of the cost in the shops, I want to try different varieties than the norm.

Therefore, borlotti and cannellini are being trialled for starters.

I'm not too sure if there will be a big difference in taste to other staple beans we grow, however I'm looking forward to the results.

[bario1]

I'm not growing peas this year either, but I am growing mange tout and sugar snaps - less hassle and quicker to crop.