Talking of the 2017 harvest, I am a bit down about some of this year's efforts (in my raised beds).
Have tried a climbing courgette this year - two healthy plants climbing, climbing....and lots of courgettes, so very pleased. Tumbling Tom tomatoes (in a hanging basket) are wonderful, and I'm picking lots every day. Brassicas are also doing well and we had a fabulous crop of cherries from our little tree.
But my runner beans have come to nothing.The beans have grown very well, and are very lush, with lots of flowers, but practically none have set, although I watered religiously and misted the flowers during the hot spells we have had. Could it be a lack of bees/pollinators? My French climbing beans growing alongside the runners are doing well (and I think they're self-pollinating)
I've also had a really bad year with slugs and snails. Grew some celtuce for the first time - big mistake! In spite of careful beer traps and nightly slug raids, the beasties had them all.
Lastly, my potato plants are absolutely enormous - I'm a bit uneasy in case they're just all leafy growth and small tubers.
Would be interested to know if anyone else has had any similar problems.
Haven't grown cherry Tom's this year but picked over 100 regular size fruits. Stopped growing green beans in favour of French beans this year as they do crop better. Red onions and broccoli were right offs either bolting or failing to grow. 10 strawberry plants kept us in fruit for the season and now picking raspberries. Courgettes finished early too. Plums never flowered so no fruit and new apple tree has one apple only two years old.?
This really is the best year for runner beans ever in this garden ... I'm picking at least three pounds in weight every other day, sometimes more ... now more than £30 worth at the local farm shop prices ... just from half a packet of var. Butler seeds.
I'm running out of space in the freezer
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
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Harvested purple potatoes, carrots and tomatoes recently. Every couple of days i get a bowl full of alpine strawberries too
Talking of the 2017 harvest, I am a bit down about some of this year's efforts (in my raised beds).
Have tried a climbing courgette this year - two healthy plants climbing, climbing....and lots of courgettes, so very pleased. Tumbling Tom tomatoes (in a hanging basket) are wonderful, and I'm picking lots every day. Brassicas are also doing well and we had a fabulous crop of cherries from our little tree.
But my runner beans have come to nothing.The beans have grown very well, and are very lush, with lots of flowers, but practically none have set, although I watered religiously and misted the flowers during the hot spells we have had. Could it be a lack of bees/pollinators? My French climbing beans growing alongside the runners are doing well (and I think they're self-pollinating)
I've also had a really bad year with slugs and snails. Grew some celtuce for the first time - big mistake! In spite of careful beer traps and nightly slug raids, the beasties had them all.
Lastly, my potato plants are absolutely enormous - I'm a bit uneasy in case they're just all leafy growth and small tubers.
Would be interested to know if anyone else has had any similar problems.
Last edited: 10 August 2017 16:16:48
Haven't grown cherry Tom's this year but picked over 100 regular size fruits. Stopped growing green beans in favour of French beans this year as they do crop better. Red onions and broccoli were right offs either bolting or failing to grow. 10 strawberry plants kept us in fruit for the season and now picking raspberries. Courgettes finished early too. Plums never flowered so no fruit and new apple tree has one apple only two years old.?
I feel great about this potato harvest and last night they tasted great, the rest will store for a while.
I will have to work on getting rid of the scab next year, I have read sulphate of potash or superphosphate should do it... any ideas?
This really is the best year for runner beans ever in this garden ... I'm picking at least three pounds in weight every other day, sometimes more ... now more than £30 worth at the local farm shop prices ... just from half a packet of var. Butler seeds.
I'm running out of space in the freezer
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Onion harvest drying in the sun:
I haven't done much veg this year, but my niece sowed some taster pots with me so I could show her about growing from seeds.
Chantenay carrots did ok - few comedy shapes but that's half the fun!
Runners were slow to get started, Dove but sure are making up for it! This is just 1 plant grown up a spare pole at the edge of the potato bed:
At this rate I'm going to need a bigger freezer Bob
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.