Poor veg so far

[carly]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone else is experiencing these issues and is it the hot weather,
Courgettes not so good this year, kind of swelling and going yellow and wrinkly/shrivelled at one end
Moneymaker tomato, some are going a light green and not shiny and when you press them they feel like your pressing water but then firm up after a few mm.
Sungolds doing great!
Chillis, jalapeño and peppers and cucumbers all doing great.
Aubergine flowering but not setting, I have hand pollinated
French beans seem to be taking forever to take off.... they were so profilic last year.

Any explanation?
Pretty much everything is in the greenhouse, I have 6 tomato plants outside and 2 courgette plants. Being watered everyday.... just once but getting a fair bit in that one watering.

[Earthgirl Jen]

I think it's mostly the unusual weather carly, well that's the conclusion I'm coming to. I have flowers in the garden that the bees and insects go mad for, usually when I go out first thing there is an audible 'hum' coming from them, but not this year. Is it to hot for even for them? I don't know.

My runner beans are only setting approx half what they were last year. My courgettes were in 10 lit pots, they were upped to 30 lit pots 2wks ago and I'm now watering twice a day and I'm still getting the odd one or 2 that don't set.

The tomatoes are being really strange this year, they are ripening before they are fully ripe! The bottom half of the tomato feels ripe and soft yet the top half looks like it still has a few days to go...

I could go on and on... x

[Baldy]

Most chillies now pulled out of the greenhouses - even putting them on the floor wasn't really helping them enough - bear in mind that they have to look after themselves for 5 days every other week - but even so.. saying that my 'Pot Black' seem to be loving it. Toms are beginning to suggest fruit - might even beat the bllight this year... we shall see.
Defoo weird weather this year...

[Bluenowhere]

Yes would agree that it’s the weather. Courgettes were triffids last year, this year same varieties, same ground treatment growing very slowly and very sorry for themselves despite watering every day. Beans very poor growth.

[nickdub]

I think it's mostly the unusual weather carly, well that's the conclusion I'm coming to. I have flowers in the garden that the bees and insects go mad for, usually when I go out first thing there is an audible 'hum' coming from them, but not this year. Is it to hot for even for them? I don't know.

Not too hot, but related - too dry = no nectar = no bees

[Penellype]

The tomatoes are being really strange this year, they are ripening before they are fully ripe! The bottom half of the tomato feels ripe and soft yet the top half looks like it still has a few days to go...

This is called greenback and is caused by the fruit getting too hot. I'm having the same problem with the plants on my windowsill.

[Chestnut]

Hi Carly,
I completely agree - it's been a strange old year
We're a bit further north and on clay soil near a stream, so a few degrees cooler, and relatively water retentive soil.
Carrots/parsnips all failed to germinate, spuds small/less per plant, cauliflowers have leaves but no heads, calabrese bolted before they were 6 inches tall. Courgettes are doing OK(can of water daily per plant, outdoors), outdoor tomatoes look a bit less yellow now I've realised they need lots of watering too…
At least it keeps me fit carting 20 cans of water a day up the plot (the equivalent of a flight of stairs)!

[veggiechicken]

I'm going to buck the trend here. I've had the best ever courgettes this year - they're outdoors and haven't been watered since planting.
Tomatoes and cucumbers are doing well in the GH (watered twice daily).
Don't grow runner beans but Climbing French beans have just started.
Don't grow peppers or aubergines.

[Jay-ell]

Virtually nothing direct sown has managed to grow - which is a problem as this year I wanted to see how it would go if I only direct sowed. Obviously not well. Believe it or not but the dandelions I sowed failed to grow. DANDELIONS.

If I can't get the weeds to grow what chance does the veg have.

[Ani]

I have happy courgettes. Last year was all about battling powdery mildew, this year it's only on one courgette and on some cucumbers (lower leaves only), this dry weather makes it manageable.
Tomatoes look good but even with my self-watering system they sometimes look like they would like more water.
Cucumbers are growing like triffids and fruiting a lot, last year I had two cucumbers only from one plant, this year looks much better.
And I have one jackpot aubergine set and one thai green (kermit) aubergine set.
Bad things:
Climbing french beans - devastated by Hector and then dried when I was on vacation.
Dwarf runner beans (hestia, red flowering) - not setting.
Oriental veg, mustards, etc. - all bolted.
Nasturtium - stunted.

[Small pumpkin]

I'm going to buck the trend here. I've had the best ever courgettes this year - they're outdoors and haven't been watered since planting.
Tomatoes and cucumbers are doing well in the GH (watered twice daily).
Don't grow runner beans but Climbing French beans have just started.
Don't grow peppers or aubergines.

I have to agree with VC. Best year ever for every thing.
I'm incredibly greatful for the beautiful summer we are having. It doesn't happen often.

[chris_m]

Virtually nothing direct sown has managed to grow - which is a problem as this year I wanted to see how it would go if I only direct sowed. Obviously not well. Believe it or not but the dandelions I sowed failed to grow. DANDELIONS.

If I can't get the weeds to grow what chance does the veg have.

Ah well, there's your problem - dandelions that have been sown, rather than have self-sown, are not, by definition, weeds

[chris_m]

I have to agree with VC. Best year ever for every thing.

Same here, although I need to qualify it by saying that it's only my third year at growing anything.

Everything has done better than the last two years although I put that down to my improvement project last summer/autumn, rather than the weather. I converted my patch from a ex-lawn consisting of poor, sandy soil with a bit of compost added to semi-raised beds with loads of manure and decent topsoil added - all topped off with well-fitted, appropriate protective netting.

Also, last year was mostly bought plants because my attempts at growing from seed didn't work very well - some of the bought plants being either sown at the wrong time (which is why my swedes bolted) or things that shouldn't be transplanted (which is why many of my "parsnips" came out like cats cradles)

This year I've grown everything from seed, sowing at more suitable times and raised under a growlight, followed by a spell in a cold frame and finally the greenhouse before finally going outside.
It's still not perfect but I've learned a few more lessons and made yet more copious notes so, hopefully, it'll be even better next year when I put those lessons into practice.

[bramble]

My tomatoes, chillies and peppers in the greenhouse are doing great,
My crops in the ground outdoors I had to pull up.
The ground was far too dry and I wasn't here to water it.
Binned broccoli, beetroot lettuce, scallions and caili's
Potatoes still in the ground but not a great harvest this year,

[Jimmy]

Re French beans seem to be taking forever to take off

I always think mine have forgotten how to climb.
But I suspect they spend a while getting their roots in order.
Once sorted off they go !

Jimmy