2014 vs 2015.........preliminary thoughts!

[veggiechicken]

Last year, my courgettes and tomatoes were the star performers, but they don't look at all promising for 2015.
Most of the courgettes have disappeared completely. Today, I'm going to sow some more courgettes and squashes and hope its not too late.
The tomatoes are very slow, but may catch up if we have a warm spell.

On the bright side, the onions and garlic are bigger and better than last years and the beans are climbing daily. You win some, you lose some

What do you think of it so far?

[maverick451]

Last year at this time my runner beans were 8 tall and completely bushed out, this year they still working their way up the poles.

Tomatoes have been strange for me, I sowed them early and had my first fruit 1st June and since then nothing, all gone now back into growth mode but not much fruit.

On a positive note Ive been at war with slugs and snails for years in my garden but this year there really isnt that many around

[Nannysally99]

I think spuds and tomatoes are slower, but sweetcorn us romping away.
It was a lovely spring and summer 2014 wasn't it?

[Guest]

Well 2015 for me is great compared to 2014 (veg patch wise) but that would be cos I had my youngest March 2014 so the veg patch just didn't happen

However, it is definitely a funny year. I have done 2-3 sowings of things and nothing. Then thinking the seeds are naff chucked the rest in pots and they are all springing up. Just worried they won't have a good/ long enough season to come to anything. I am also noticing an increase in wildlife in the garden. Lots of smaller birds - normally they flit about but this year they are sticking around and tearing my peas and lettuces to bits. Actually seen two hedgehogs about this last week. The other morning I saw four squirrels, usually just see the odd one. Will be interesting to see how it goes.

[Jay22]

So far, compared to last year, things are not looking good! Garlic is maybe just about ready to pick but I'm not sure! Toms (bush) are dragging their heels and I'm on to my second set of runner beans...this was due to slugs or snails munching the first lot so they are still tiny! Cucs have gone AWOL, carrots decided to stay under their blanket but chillis look not too bad! I would say all in all this year in much worse than last with the cooler and less sunny spring.

[sparrow100]

Last year was great, but this looks like it could be ok too. Particularly if the hot weather kicks in next week. My sweetcorn is already taller than last year's midget efforts.

Am still as behind on my digging as last year though.

[Nicos]

More cherries, less apples and pears, more strawberries.

Lettuce doing really well so far but we're really far behind with the rest of the crops due partially to the weather and partly cos we were in the UK for 4 weeks and couldn't sow things needing watering .

[Thelma Sanders]

I often have an early crop, like peas sown early and picked in June - it didn't work this year as things were at least 3 weeks behind because of low temperatures Even new potatoes are late this year none dug up yet.

Things started in the greenhouse were late being planted out, didn't have enough room to pot everything on so some got potbound - still to find out if this will make things bolt

Sweetcorn and squash are only just beginning to put a spurt on.......
Tomatoes and cukes in the greenhouse finally look a bit happier so I have high hopes of a good crop, eventually.

I don't remember last year being as bad as this - but that may be selective amnesia (or even senile dementia)

[Penellype]

I've really been pushing for early crops, which I have not done quite so much before. I therefore have potatoes much earlier than ever before. However, the tomatoes have bene much much slower than last year, when I had red fruit on and off throughout the winter and spring on overwintered windowsill plants. This year they stubbornly refused to set fruit until about April and the first Shirleys are turning red now. They have been beaten to it by this year's Balconi red and yellow seedlings, also grown on the windowsills. The outdoor tomatoes are about 1/3 the size of last year's plants at this time.

My cucumbers, planted outside today, are about 4 inches tall. Photos from last year show them half way up the supports on the fence. Last year I harvested my first courgette on 29th June. This year male flower buds are starting to appear on the biggest plants, but no sign yet of any females.

The meteor peas were about a week behind last year producing their first pods, but the plants are huge and there are vast numbers of pods. The hurst greenshaft are as tall as the 6ft fence and look as though they may pull the supports over. The strawberries (particularly vibrant, which is supposed to be an early variety) are about 2 weeks behind last year, only just producing more than the odd red fruit. There seem to be a good number of apples, although there is still time for a load to fall off.

[Coopers]

Runner beans are no where near where they were last year.
My courgettes and pumpkins at least are still alive his year, but that doesn't say much...
Potatoes are doing better this year.

[Scarlet]

Hmm, well behind this year I think.
My beans haven't long been planted but they showed their heads quick and have started to climb, just clinging on actually so glad a tried growing dwarf beans in my GH borders.
Toms, I've always had ripe ones in June - not so this year. Chillies have been rubbish
Courgettes and cues have been brilliant but I mollycoddled those.
My garlic had white onion rot
Thankfully my giant garlic is looking promising
Broad beans were smothered in black fly when I got home from hols.
The rest of the stuff seems ok, lettuce, chard, sprouting etc except I didn't have time to make a cover for my kale, left it just overnight uncovered and the bloody pigeons had a feast.
They are eating everything at the moment, stripped my red currants and a couple of my blackcurrants and have flattened my gooseberries. I hate pigeons.

[Martin H]

This year there are loads more blackfly and loads fewer slugs.

Hardy crops have made pretty much the same progress as last year, probably because we've had plenty of sunshine down here. Even the potatoes have made decent progress and avoided late frosts. Most of the tender stuff is well behind last year though, because the cold nights through May and into June have delayed everything.

[Lumpy]

Last years spud where lovely this year horrible - bith 1st earlies and both Charlottes.
My runners are more walkings than last year but the weather today and yeaterday seemed to have perked them up a bit.
Outdoor Q's and pumpkin are very slowly getting bigger but I have already lost more than last year due to the cold nights e.g last Monday killed another one.
Sweetcorn looking good this year - last year they only got to about 3 foot high.

[noviceveggrower]

Hmm just thinking back. Well 1st early spuds are doing well and from what we have dug up so far looks a bigger crop than last year. Will have to wait and see about main crop.
Think I am like a lot of people with toms and runner beans. Toms are just sat there doing nothing and I have done three sowings of runner beans and its only the third lot that have taken and even they are just thinking about it.
I got some autumn onions and put them in tubs this year, well last year, and they seem to be doing ok. Shallots haven't done anything at all.
My beetroot are doing ok. Whilst weeding today I caught a small beetroot and I had to pull it up and believe me it was smaller than a golf ball but it was massive for me to grow.
My broad beans are smothered in blackfly and I've had to treat them a couple of times. No slugs, snails or white cabbage butterflies about at all. In fact I've hardly seen any butterflies or ladybirds.

[Greenleaves]

Brassica's are far better but everything else started very slow, spuds are about the same, root crops are about a month behind I would guess.

Never known a year like it for blackfly