A good looking harvest @Allotment Boy I set to work extending a veg bed it nearly doubles the area in that bed without taking any usable space, an excellent win. I've filled the bottom with leaves with lots of horse manure mixed in and I'm adding all my veg peelings. It'll be filled up with compost in early spring.
Well I'm certainly on a learning curve, all my cabbages and broccoli have been killed by the frost. I always thought they were winter hardy (they were hardy varieties), I wonder if they exceptionally mild autumn has left them rather tender. Anyway I've pulled them all up as they have turned to a mushy mess
@Wilderbeast , hello , it’s the extreme weather in my opinion
When we went away at the beginning of December , allotment was looking good , unfortunately while we where away temperatures went down to minus 10 , I live in Lincolnshire , if we had of been home I would have covered various items with fleece
When we got back everything was frozen solid , then in less than a week it went up to 14 degrees and a lots of stuff turned to mush
I've never had any luck growing over winter. @GWRS@Wilderbeast My leeks were pencil sized, my broccoli was eaten by caterpillars, and the onions never grew and shrivelled. 🙄 Have given up on winter, just start early in March with carrots and beetroot under a closhe.
I agree, the constant wet also was an issue. Water had penetrated deep into cabbage heads, even into some of the "buttons " on the sprouts, as mentioned the freezing and subsequent rapid thaw, turned things to mush. Every year is different, after nearly 60 years of growing, every year most things work, but some fail. Spread your bets by growing as wide a variety of crops as you have space for. Don't give up on winter crops next year will be different 🙂
The other problem I have with winter crops is they can't go in till October, and need to be out by March, as I have a small area. Plus not fond of leafy greens.
The other problem I have with winter crops is they can't go in till October, and need to be out by March, as I have a small area. Plus not fond of leafy greens.
Fair enough no point in growing things you don't like. Edited to add, I know a number of posters on here grow a few, 1or 2, stems of purple sprouting broccoli as a winter veg. They can be mixed into the border. They do need a very long growing season though.
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I set to work extending a veg bed it nearly doubles the area in that bed without taking any usable space, an excellent win. I've filled the bottom with leaves with lots of horse manure mixed in and I'm adding all my veg peelings. It'll be filled up with compost in early spring.
When we went away at the beginning of December , allotment was looking good , unfortunately while we where away temperatures went down to minus 10 , I live in Lincolnshire , if we had of been home I would have covered various items with fleece
When we got back everything was frozen solid , then in less than a week it went up to 14 degrees and a lots of stuff turned to mush
My leeks were pencil sized, my broccoli was eaten by caterpillars, and the onions never grew and shrivelled. 🙄 Have given up on winter, just start early in March with carrots and beetroot under a closhe.
Every year is different, after nearly 60 years of growing, every year most things work, but some fail. Spread your bets by growing as wide a variety of crops as you have space for. Don't give up on winter crops next year will be different 🙂
Edited to add, I know a number of posters on here grow a few, 1or 2, stems of purple sprouting broccoli as a winter veg. They can be mixed into the border. They do need a very long growing season though.