Please help me feel better about my plot To Do list...

[1Bee]

I'm in need of some Vine positivity and common sense. :-/

So... it happened. The plot got away from me! For good reasons I couldn't get on it much these last few weeks and now I've got leeks drowning in weeds, potatoes rotting in the ground and onions rotting on the ground. My runner and French beans have cropped and gone past their best. The first likely chance I'll have to get on there is next Friday, so it's going to get worse before it gets better.

I've always enjoyed the plot but now I just feel deflated and fed up with circumstances that have kept me away. Of course, one of the things that always steadies my mood is plottering. .. *eyeroll*

It's not all bad: I've had a proper glut of courgettes, two smart pumpkins (one for each of my boys ), some lovely marrows, lovely French beans from the backyard and my brassicas and parsnips are looking okay.

I just need a pat on the back and a firm talking to to get some perspective.

*looks humbly hopeful*

[Jay-ell]

I'm in need of some Vine positivity and common sense. :-/

So... it happened. The plot got away from me! For good reasons I couldn't get on it much these last few weeks and now I've got leeks drowning in weeds, potatoes rotting in the ground and onions rotting on the ground. My runner and French beans have cropped and gone past their best. The first likely chance I'll have to get on there is next Friday, so it's going to get worse before it gets better.

I've always enjoyed the plot but now I just feel deflated and fed up with circumstances that have kept me away. Of course, one of the things that always steadies my mood is plottering. .. *eyeroll*

It's not all bad: I've had a proper glut of courgettes, two smart pumpkins (one for each of my boys ), some lovely marrows, lovely French beans from the backyard and my brassicas and parsnips are looking okay.

I just need a pat on the back and a firm talking to to get some perspective.

*looks humbly hopeful*

Your French and runner beans haven't passed their best - let them mature and dry an you will have dried beans for the rest of the year (I now preffer dry runners beans for soups, stews, hummas, beanburgers, etc than the pods freshly harvested when young. Frenchies are wither very young when thin and sweet or full blown beans).

I had white rot on most my onions - OK, less onions this year, save and frozen what I can, remember not to plant onions there for a LONG TIME, GET TO TRY THE GARLIC WATER THINGY TO GET RID OF WHITE ROT. If it's not white rot at least you'll get to compost them - making compost is good.

[lottie dolly]

First thing is breath,beans can be left till dry then shell,nice in dinners,or on toast with added tomato,weeds will soon die back,i have heard on here that you can cut the leeks off at ground level,to use or freeze,then they grow back,perhaps a body can confirm this,you have good possitives with what you have ALREADY grown,so here is your pat on the back for whats been done,and a flea in the ear for letting it get you down ,so now pick yourself up,dust yourself off,and start all over again,and show us some pics,bet it's not that bad eh

[Bigmallly]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to have a Barbie Plot Clearing Party.............you provide the beer & burgers if they provide the labour.........................Sorry, just thinking outside the box.

[Penellype]

Sometimes life intervenes and other things have to take a back seat. The good thing about gardening, particularly veg, is that there is always next year.

Most plants are remarkably resilient and you will probably find that most things will still grow even if they are competing with weeds. You may not get the biggest possible crop, but you should get something from the leeks. Plenty of compost to be made from the weeds too

[Jay-ell]

Sounds like the perfect opportunity to have a Barbie Plot Clearing Party.............you provide the beer & burgers if they provide the labour.........................Sorry, just thinking outside the box.

Thats a mad idea - do you really expect Ken to manage a hoe and be able to get rid of weeds.

[Bigmallly]

The mad ones are usually the best Jay................

[1Bee]

I have this fabulous image in my head of Barbie tottering round the plot in stilettos, a leotard and leg warmers....

You're all lovely. I should just stop getting so knarly and morose when life intervenes. I'm a grower, so I should remember that everything grows and dies and grows again. And if I've lost a chunk of my potatoes, well I loved buying and planting and growing them, and that was a harvest, too.

As I'm sure Barbie would remind me....

[1Bee]

And so far I've pressed courgettes on morris dancers, two joiners, an interior designer and a random delivery driver. Result.

[lottie dolly]

I have this fabulous image in my head of Barbie tottering round the plot in stilettos, a leotard and leg warmers...

As I'm sure Barbie would remind me....

Now you know why ken cannot hoe the weeds,best leave em long,

[1Bee]

Aaaahaahahaaha! !!

[lottie dolly]

by dingo's,thats a bit of a rough patch,but she is smiling

[KevinM67]

I have this fabulous image in my head of Big Mallly tottering round the plot in stilettos, a leotard and leg warmers....

Don't focus too much on that image - it'll ruin you for life.

Anyway, we start with a 'virtual' group hug - we're all in this together.

Then we look for the small 'mini-wins' - get/harvest what you can, regardless of perceived quality.

With work, family, life in general, etc- time on the plot is always an issue. Autumn/Winter is also a depressing time, with the early nights and that.

Anyway, have a bit of a 'plan of action' - but ensure your targets are manageable, flexible - and not too disheartening if you don't reach them straight away.

So we turn the depressive months into positive ones. Some of the most 'productive' times I've spent at my plot have been during the most harshest weather. Get wrapped up well, do a bit of work, get back to the warmth of home - and the feeling of 'I bl00dy did something' keeps me sane over the shortened light months.

I'm rambling now.

[veggiechicken]

Pep talk from Aunty VC coming up
You can't do everything - family takes priority - so stop beating yourself up because you're not a miracle worker
You've done really well with most things. Potatoes and onions have been a problem for many this year - blight and wet rot - so you can't blame yourself for that - and its that time of year when the beans are running out of steam too. As others have said, let them dry on the plants and tell everyone that was always your intention. You love dried beans!!
So come on, give yourself a big pat on the back. I'd give you a pat but I only have little arms and can't reach you. Its not long to your next plot visit and everything will seem a lot brighter then.

[Guest]

Big hug I have nothing else to add. Sometimes we need or are forced to take a break from veg growing, unfortunately Mother Nature doesn't. You win some you lose some, don't be hard on ya'self