This Season's Progress Reports

[Silverleaf]

Thank you ancellsfarmer, that's really helpful. :)

I planted Stuttgarter, Sturon and Red Baron on the 1st of April, 6" apart (I grow in blocks rather than rows) in a raised bed. Maybe I'm leaving it too late?

The best I have is a Stuttgarter which is about 2" in diameter maybe. Everything else has hardly grown at all, split into two bulbs and started flowering, or just grown a little and then bolted. Complete waste of time, very discouraging. :/

[Silverleaf]

[johhnyco15]

as we are around half way through  this season thought id share how im fairing in this strange year ill post a couple of pics today and some tomorrow as the file size is too big ill have post twice sorry about that here goes

[johhnyco15]

and

[johhnyco15]

and this one it really has been a strange year i have a battle on my hands this summer if you can call it that

[johhnyco15]

ok today was a little showery so i took these in a hurry 

[johhnyco15]

and

[johhnyco15]

the recent rain brought things on at a pace        and the weeds

[johhnyco15]

first smooth cucumbers today  and started my fight back against bellbind its gone crazy this year while ive been plotting away on my new plot the fence where my roses are is a sea of green so this week its death to bellbind week here on the sunshine coast (i wouldnt put any money on me winning the battle)  let the battle comence

[cudsey]

Feeling disheartened carrots in a 3 foot raised bed all been eaten by ants (I think) also the strawberries, there is plenty of healthy top growth on the beetroot but nothing underneath  and worse of all slugs or snails have eaten the top out of nearly all my runner beans also the radishes but on the good side the leeks are doing fine also the parsnips and all the onions are nearly ready for digging up and the potatoes have been excellent so I should look on the positive side and hope things will be better next year   

[johhnyco15]

i got a donation of a new to me trough for the front of the shed        shed is deffo finished now

[Borlotti]

More sweet peas today, about 12 real peas, don't know what happened to the rest of the seeds I planted.  A bit of spinach, 6 raspberries, maybe they will be late this year.  Only one courgette so far (dont believe it).  But maybe all the wild blackberries will pay for my plot. The pear tree seems OK and the Bramley apple tree has recovered and got loads of apples, and the small Cox apple looks OK.  Counted 6 plums on the plum tree.  Oh well, good exercise and some lovely people to talk too.  Tomatoes looking OK so who knows, maybe a late harvest.

[sunloving]

Hi cudsey it's always the way that some things do great and other struggle, it has been a chilly June. I've had to use lots of organic slug pellets to stop my slow growing crops that were struggling from getting demolished by slugs. Thing is there comes a day when your plants will romp away , you've just got to help them out until it comes! Good luck. Sunloving

Feeling disheartened carrots in a 3 foot raised bed all been eaten by ants (I think) also the strawberries, there is plenty of healthy top growth on the beetroot but nothing underneath  and worse of all slugs or snails have eaten the top out of nearly all my runner beans also the radishes but on the good side the leeks are doing fine also the parsnips and all the onions are nearly ready for digging up and the potatoes have been excellent so I should look on the positive side and hope things will be better next year   

[johhnyco15]

sunflower teddy bear came out to play today sowed them in march i think they are my fav sunflower

[cudsey]

Thanks for the boost Sunloving I must admit there is an improvement since all the rain stopped, today I picked a cucumber, some lettuce a pepper and some charlotte potatoes also a few radishes which had not been nibbled so maybe everybodys season will end up fairly good 

[johhnyco15]

Thanks for the boost Sunloving I must admit there is an improvement since all the rain stopped, today I picked a cucumber, some lettuce a pepper and some charlotte potatoes also a few radishes which had not been nibbled so maybe everybodys season will end up fairly good 

cudsey all i know about gardening is every year there are successes and terrible failures however you get just enough to keep you interested for next season  ive grown wonderful stuff the next season the same variety same soil conditions same feed and it all comes to nothing this allotmenteering thing is not for the faint hearted question yourself and nature will give you a swift kick up the backside  i your having a bad season bet your bottom dollar thousands of other grows have their head in their hands  too me i think im too thick skinned to worry i just like being in the fresh air and a little me time the crops are a bonus hope this helps and good luck im sure things will surprise you over the next few weeks and you like me will forget about the terrible spring late summer we have had

[galina]

As this season progressed, it hasn't been as benign as last year regarding blight.  Without a recent warning (although we had blight warnings in June!) blight has really struck and I had to cut down potato foliage and destroy several outdoor tomato plants without a single ripe fruit on them.  Tidying up blighted plants has got to be the worst job in the garden calendar 

[johhnyco15]

As this season progressed, it hasn't been as benign as last year regarding blight.  Without a recent warning (although we had blight warnings in June!) blight has really struck and I had to cut down potato foliage and destroy several outdoor tomato plants without a single ripe fruit on them.  Tidying up blighted plants has got to be the worst job in the garden calendar 

i agree with that  galina i lost two plants however the other 118 are fine and really putting on the trusess

[cudsey]

Yes you are right Johhnyco15  I have had an allotment for the last 10 years and like you I like to be outside if I can, so I have told myself that next year will be good

[sunloving]

As this season progressed, it hasn't been as benign as last year regarding blight.  Without a recent warning (although we had blight warnings in June!) blight has really struck and I had to cut down potato foliage and destroy several outdoor tomato plants without a single ripe fruit on them.  Tidying up blighted plants has got to be the worst job in the garden calendar 

It's so frustrating as tomatoes really make your summer plate  big hugs.

[sunloving]

I'm feeling pleased with my progress. I moved to Ireland in jan and have been working hard to turn a pasture into a plot. After lots of wet muddy days things are finally looking good. There's a short lull to smell the roses before stage two begins!
These are a before and after photo. X sunloving