What have you learned this year ?

[lottie dolly]

Hope i have learned,not to sow to many seeds at once,then not have time to deal with them all,spread my timings out .

[BUFFS]

I learned to totally ignore weather forecasts as for all their predictions of fine weather (heatwave, I might find out what that is in a dictionary) as I could have done better just by saying "usual wet and wind", and that was the whole summer..

[Guest]

Another vote here for liming - first time I done it this year and huge improvement in my brassicas.
Parsnips do not need to be sown early - I can't remember when I sowed but I knew I was late doing it this year and I have a good crop.
Wait until after last frost to 'sow' sweetcorn. I had a decent crop and I also harvested popping corn from a later sowing.
Grow more plants of fewer varieties of peppers
My best crop of carrots still comes from a June sowing
I will still never beat Mother Nature
If I don't do, I don't get. Late or not. A little is better than nothing.

[BUFFS]

I learned to totally ignore weather forecasts as for all their predictions of fine weather (heatwave, I might find out what that is in a dictionary) as I could have done better just by saying "usual wet and wind", and that was the whole summer..

But.... There's always next year, I think...

[Mark_Riga]

I learned that you need to regularly check stored stuff - just thrown out a couple of small butternut and 2 big blue banana squash (very similar taste to butternut but much bigger and quicker to ripen) they were next to each other and a pumpkin as well (not too bothered about that one as only used to pad out potatoes and got plenty of them). Onions and garlic seem ok and apples just 1 bad one in one box - but that's all you need if you don't check them.

[KevinM67]

I learned that you need to regularly check stored stuff

Yep, I had to chuck a few red onions and one white yesterday as they had went squishy.

I might bring them in from the shed.

[Penellype]

Onions are not storing well this year, probably because it was very wet when they were harvested. I've had quite a few go mouldy, particularly the ones at my friend's which were in general bigger and later to ripen.

[Greenleaves]

I never harvested many for storing this year as most bolted, I don't think the weather was right all seasons for onions...what have I learnt...red onions are a waste of time on my plots

[Jimny14]

That even though I've got stony clay soil I can grow decent carrots. It might mean a lot of sharp sand and compost mixed with my soil (stones removed) and all of it in a potato planter sack but I grew proper decent carrots enough that I'm allowed more potato planters next year just for carrots as long as I don't do potatoes in sacks (which is fair as they didn't really come on much quicker than those in the ground).

[Broccoli]

Do not grow tomatoes on the allotment again (binned fifteen really healthy plants due to blight last summer) and return to growing fewer tom plants in growbags in the sheltered back yard instead.

Next year with spuds, I'm growing Charlottes to harvest before blight takes hold (fingers crossed - they've been fine for the last few years) and Sarpo Mira to see whether they are really as resistant to blight as everyone says.

Some of the moles who traverse our plot seem to have sensitive hearing and have gone elsewhere but one is as deaf as a post when it comes to the solar sonic deterrant and I need to rethink for him/her.

The solar charger for the above stops working when you let big weeds grow over it.

[Billy's lad]

having not really got involved in gardening previously how much I have enjoyed it

[chris_m]

having not really got involved in gardening previously how much I have enjoyed it

Yep, I can second that sentiment.

[bikermike]

patience... (well a bit anyway) after two seemingly thankless years, it came together nicely this year. But now I've taken on a bigger plot, and I am not going to rush into it, or be disappointed if it takes a while.

Re blight and pots above - Pink fir seemed much more blight-resistant than anything else on my plot.

Small people can hoover up raspberries faster than most pests. But it's great to watch them do it. And look for "wiggly worms"