What Problems Do You Have Growing **********

[Bigmallly]

I know this is all subjective & down to personal experience but thought if we can highlight the problems we face GYO then hopefully we may be able to combat them. So what problems do you have growing certain crops, hopefully someone may come up with an answer.

I'll kick it of with:

Sweetcorn

I always have problems growing Sweetcorn as the husks attract Earwigs.

[bario1]

What about putting double sided sticky tape around the stems?

[Bigmallly]

Good idea Bario.

[Small pumpkin]

Cauliflower. Can never get anything resembling a descent head. Lots of leaves tiny head, often starting to rot.

[noviceveggrower]

I have major problems with the whole brassica family. They if they germinate, please note if, then they grow a little bit then die. Plug plants, tried them, they die.
So mine is

Brassica family

[Snoop Puss]

Wow! Where to start...? The current pressing issue is parsnips. Do I don't I sow them now? Do I don't I sow them direct?

On the sweetcorn front, I think it was Cadalot who mentioned covering his sweetcorn once pollinated with old socks. I think his idea was to deter badgers (I didn't enquire whether the socks were newly washed or not). Might pop socks or old ends of tights work against earwigs?

But I too have difficulty with brassicas. I think part of my problem is it's very windy round here and they all suffer from wind rock. That said, broccoli/calabrese (I never know what to call it) seems far more forgiving. Just as well we like it. Why not try that, noviceveggrower.

[noviceveggrower]

Tried them all Snoop Puss. They just wont grow or live.

[bario1]

Maybe you have very acidic soil nvg?

[Bigmallly]

Tried them all Snoop Puss. They just wont grow or live.

Do you heel them well in NVG?...........also maybe try a bit of lime.

[noviceveggrower]

I planted them, heeled them as I saw what the kids did with the onions but nothing Might do a Ph test at new site and see what that comes out at

[Lumpy]

Tomatoes - this year I started with 45 plants of different varieties and all but 8 have croaked it.

I seem to either under or over water them, re pot too soon or just don't have a tom growing gene!

I have decided that if this year goes like the last few I am going to throw in the towel and get what I want from the garden centre (runs off to wash mouth out with soap again).

[Bigmallly]

Isn't it strange how folk have difficulty growing different things. You would think between us we could crack this.

[muddled]

Snips...parsnips and me just don't get along.

Celeriac...never managed to get it past the seed leaf stage.

and by the way....those are my two favourite winter veggies right there

[sparrow100]

Exactly what muddled says. I've tried for 4 years to grow both - universal failure.

[snakeshack]

pak choi for me so many ways to die/get eaten