What will you do differently next season?

[skeggijon]

Next year I will be doing much more mulching around my crops to cut down on weeds and reduce the amount of watering needed if it's (fingers crossed) a hot dry summer.
I'm also going to be growing a lot more flowers around the edge of the plot to attract pollinaters - plus it just looks nice. As I get older, I find I'm appreciating growing flowers more.

[SusieG]

Lots of assorted chilli plants, but not too many of the same variety.
Lots of different tomatoes (inGH, and again only a couple of plants of the same variety)

Get my raised beds made ..... Was hoping I'd have them ready this year but can't realistically see that happening now ...
Looking forward to seeing how my old apple tree fairs now it's been drastically pruned back ...
Make better use of my massive GH ...

[Bill HH]

Next year: Sit more, dig less.

[cheapskate chaz]

hopefully get to organise my two plots better, it`s getting to look like Steptoee & son with what I`ve been collecting from work, actually organise a cold frame, I carried a double metal wardrobe onto the plot for this purpose, but as of yet , not used it!
Start things off earlier that can be, and.....label and date things! I planted in two varieties of spuds but didn`t label them ,so don`t know which ones were the better.
Roast more veggies, not just spuds and onions, I had my dinner with my neighbours today and the carrots especially tasted great!

[Sarico]

With the new plot geting there for the next year I want to grow more food then before. My older plot was a bit small and I only had my usual veg planted. Now the new plot Being 3time bigger I want to plant some fruit trees and bush, growing winter squash, and winter vegetables if I can put a nice polytunnel (I can but need money for it)

[Florence Fennel]

I'm going to concentrate on quality and not quantity. In the past I have "grown to give away" but not anymore - next year I'm growing only the stuff I like!

[Lisasbolt]

Each year i say i will give more space and i do but not enough. So i am going to cut the spacing in half next year and instead of a row of 4/5 Tomato plants i will do 2/3.
I am also going to start off some of my chilli´s and pepper in November and some Tomatoes in December, normally wait till January but i can plant out end of March beginning of April. So why am i waiting. I will do another sowing then end of January February time and then another in May this is to hopefully get them cropping at different times as the cold does´t come till late here so why not. I am pulling up my aubergine, pepper plants now as the plants really do not have much left to give but the ones i bought as baby plants in August are producing wonderful fruit in the pt, i am hoping they will last through till xmas.

[Tatties Galore]

Square Foot Gardening

After a poor year I'm looking into having a go at square foot gardening, only thing is that the different vegetables I intend to grow have variations on soil types, I find that carrots grow better in poor soil mixed with sand where as beetroot is better with chicken manure. I have read up on the internet and downloaded a guide on the setting up and how to place the plants so they all get enough sun to grow but nothing about how to prepare the soil in each section. Any tips would be appreciated.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I'm going to make sure I plant my overwintering onions before I forget where they are. I'm blaming a general anaesthetic for the effect on my memory. I've got garlic as well. Think they are going into trays when I find them and will plant out in a mild spell in spring

[bearded bloke]

After a poor year I'm looking into having a go at square foot gardening, only thing is that the different vegetables I intend to grow have variations on soil types, I find that carrots grow better in poor soil mixed with sand where as beetroot is better with chicken manure. I have read up on the internet and downloaded a guide on the setting up and how to place the plants so they all get enough sun to grow but nothing about how to prepare the soil in each section. Any tips would be appreciated.

Make a pot of tea & have a read of this thread..... http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_44388.html

[Clayman]

With it being the first year on the allotment it means more planting, more choice and more fun compared to just a few pots that I've been able to do in the past.

[marchogaeth]

I will plant all my pumpkins, squash etc in Morrison's buckets (holed in the bottom and perforated round the side) and let them get much bigger and stronger before they go outside and so have the option of bringing them in if the weather is as cold overnight as it was this year after the were planted. Even though they had been hardened off they were absolutely hammered! When it come to planting I'll just tear along the perforations and sink the whole thing and I can still bring them in if it snows in June!

Not grow sweetcorn (or mini prop - what a waste of a plot space) who am I kidding? North facing slope and 600' up, exposed site - there are better green manures if I don't need the soil.

Sow things later - carrots especially. Grow more oniony things.

Give my leeks a better chance - they are always squeezed in too late after another crop - and still do me proud - small but perfectly formed.

Possibly grow more things in the tunnel that just like being sheltered rather than fancy stuff - cabbages, peas etc.

Last chance saloon for aubergines - just to use seed.

Grow more winter cabbage - they have done very well on no love.

Have more things in buckets that can grow outside until the autumn then come in to the tunnel - always done it with PSB but I thing other things - even kale - will do well on that.

I'm sure there are lots more. It's been a rubbish growing season for me but it has made me really think about what I'm doing with my garden and tunnel and getting the most out of it whatever the weather. It's nice to harvest an aubergine I've grown myself but unless I can do it 4 years out of 5 - it's just as satisfying to buy a nice one and cook it in a really interesting way with my own tomatoes, garlic etc etc.

[hamamelis]

More succession sowing- which I say every year then promptly forget; more focus on the things I actually like to eat, better planning so's I'm not just picking in summer, and more cutting flowers, because I got far more pleasure out of bringing bunches home than I thought I would.

More specifically, fewer spuds (still going to grow earlies and pink fir apple, as they've been pretty reliable for me, and they taste better than any shop bought spuds), more brassicas (and more nets to keep off the dratted wing-rats) more salad and more strawberries.

And maybe a greenhouse...

[Bigmallly]

After clearing out the Squash Triffid from the greenhouse today, I thought how can I grow these differently? I had a plan to grow them outside using pallets @ 45 degrees for them to scramble up then by chance I came across this, what do you reckon? The pallet is positioned so the Squash are planted on the North side of the pallet & will climb up to the South, the South side is then underplanted with Marigolds to keep Aphids etc at bay.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I had spaghetti squash in my greenhouse and boy they are tryphid like. I thought next year I might try to have the roots inside and the growth out. I may have a look for a pallet