Poor crops this year :-(

polb · July 2020

Hi,

I'm really disappointed with the majority of the veg I've grown this year. Onions and potatoes seem to all be doing great. However summer salad (lettuce/rocket/chard) has been really slow and the leaves don't look healthy and lush as in previous years. My carrots keep getting eaten by something, although I have managed to finally get some to grow beyond the vulnerable seedlings! I grow carrots next to chives to protect them from carrot fly. I had a great row of radishes and the leaves of those have now all been consumed. My spinach seedlings seem slow to develop and it looks like they are now being eaten. The beetroot is finally coming through after a second sowing but the leaves don't look healthy. I've netted my kale, sprouts and cabbage as they were being eaten too - the netting has helped the sprouts but the cabbage and Kale don't look healthy.

I grow veg in raised beds and this is the third year. The first year was the most successful so I'm guessing there are bugs etc now in the soil. I went out last night when it was dark and found an enormous slug working its way to my spinach so I removed that!

I have rotated crops and I've looked into whats best to grow next to each other etc. I also water when its dry.

I just wanted to ask if anyone had any tips to help out. I guess its a little late for this year but any tips for next year. I've added in well rotted manure and home compost this year as last years harvest wasn't as great as the year before. This doesn't seem to have helped.

Feeling very disappointed

GemmaJF · July 2020

I had exactly the same experience with raised beds. Over a 4 year period yields steadily dropped, in the last year the whole season was very disappointing, in fact hardly anything made it to harvest. I was topping up each year with fresh bought in compost but something wasn't working.

In the end I took them out and went for a traditional plot. For the past 10 years it has kept good 'heart' and I have a regular supply of veg, this year has been one of the best, with more salad than we can eat. It gets plenty of organics each year in the form of well rotted horse muck dug in each autumn, one bed each year is double dug on rotation ahead of potatoes.

I've found researching a lot of commercial growers have abandoned raised beds reporting similar problems.

The new approach to organic no-dig is not to construct raised beds, but rather lay compost direct on the ground around 15 cm deep, put in wood chip paths and plant into this. Over time it heals the underlying soil and productivity has to be seen to be believed.

So that is where I am with it all. Abandoned raised beds, have had a good run with a traditional plot, but it is hard work, now considering the new approach as it promises the healing of soil ecosystems, disturbed by digging.

Great introduction to the modern approach to no dig here from Richard Perkins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u79tiVcj8bY

polb · July 2020

Thanks, I'll watch the clip.

I really want to see if I can make the raised beds work as I've heard so many good things and advantages for having raised beds.

Has anyone else had success using raised beds through the years? If so any advice?

GemmaJF · July 2020

The advantage for me of not having them, is having a decent crop every year

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/6030279/uploads/editor/43/gxrtyg04gotb.jpg

Will be interested in what others say. I see the advantage of raised beds in some circumstances for sure.

Though as a long-term solution to veg production, the problems seem to be that the majority of the contents of them can become 'spent' the better drainage they often provide causes leaching of nutrients. The permanent paths around them are unproductive and just store nutrients for grass.

Any advantage of a raised bed can be replicated by soil improvement, fleece and not a lot else on a traditional plot.

I've a feeling if you want them productive again, it is going to mean removing all the contents, that seem to have a build up of pathogens and pests from what you are saying, replacing it all with new medium. Perhaps to be in the same place in 3 years.

polb · July 2020

Thanks looking good

We have nine raised beds with gravel paths around. The beds sit onto soil. We thought it would be much easier as we have about an acre of land and so having sectioned off beds makes it easier psychologically as well as having some practical benefits for us. We'd be happy to rotate beds and have some not in use for some years if there were benefits to that. As we have so much garden a main priority of ours is having things easy to manage.

Has anyone had any success with long term growing in raised beds?

GemmaJF · July 2020

Can you put up pictures of the beds and the disappointing veg? I think it might help people to see if it is the growing medium, or pests or a combination. From what you say flea beetle sounds like part of the problem, though most plots have them, the healthier the plants the less impact they tend to have, annoying rather than crop destroying. I think it will help you get more directed advice, rather than my, tried that gave up experience.

Obelixx · July 2020

My veg plot in my last garden was all raised beds but we did have naturally fertile soil after being cow pasture for centuries and a lot of rain. We also rotated crops and added home-made compost regularly especially after harvesting and before planting new crops. Slugs were a regular problem but nothing else.

Here we are again creating a veg plot on former pasture but with more sun and less rain. I have marked out beds again simply because it's easier for getting about with the barrow and the hosepipe. We pile on home-made compost or horse manure and, after the initial dig, only ever fork the beds to take out deep rooted bindweed.

This is it's 3rd year and all is well so far apart from drought and snails which are worse than the Belgian slugs! Good broad beans, garlic, onions, leeks, brassicas, beetroot, pumpkins and courgettes, strawberries and raspberries. All our tomatoes are in the polytunnel this year because I have a seep hose installed in there for easy watering direct to their roots. Planning to lay another seep hose in a bed this autumn to improve crops of red and blackcurrants and purple gooseberries.

We have asparagus maturing in another bed and should get a crop next year. Giving up on globe artichokes - reward not equal to taste or effort of preparing them - but the insects like them so they'll be moved to an ornamental area.

KeenOnGreen · July 2020

There are 91 plots at my allotment. Roughly speaking, about 50% have raised beds, and many plotholders have been using that system for up to 40 years. There is no evidence that I can see that they become unproductive, as long as sufficient nutrients are added regularly (which on our site is usually the horse manure which is delivered for free). This is supplemented with various other things (Comfrey feeds, bonemeal, wood ash, and of course crop rotation).

We have also had raised beds in our garden for 8 years, and there has been no drop in productivity either, as we use the same soil enrichment approach.

If raised beds fundamentally caused a decline in crops over several years, then I'm sure we wouldn't see so many people using them successfully in the long-term. I'm not saying they are essential, when clearly you can grow quite successfully without them. They are however very convenient for some people, and they can work in the long term given the caveats above.

polb · July 2020

Thanks everyone for your replies and its good to hear others have had success. KeenonGreen - when do you add horse manure and is it fresh or has it rotted down over a year or so? We are keen to add more good stuff to the soil this year but we were concerned about adding horse manure in case it was too rich??

I'll take some photos and upload when i get a chance.

GemmaJF · July 2020

KeenOnGreen said:

There are 91 plots at my allotment. Roughly speaking, about 50% have raised beds, and many plotholders have been using that system for up to 40 years. There is no evidence that I can see that they become unproductive, as long as sufficient nutrients are added regularly (which on our site is usually the horse manure which is delivered for free). This is supplemented with various other things (Comfrey feeds, bonemeal, wood ash, and of course crop rotation).

We have also had raised beds in our garden for 8 years, and there has been no drop in productivity either, as we use the same soil enrichment approach.

If raised beds fundamentally caused a decline in crops over several years, then I'm sure we wouldn't see so many people using them successfully in the long-term. I'm not saying they are essential, when clearly you can grow quite successfully without them. They are however very convenient for some people, and they can work in the long term given the caveats above.

So with respect to your experience, what is the solution for OP?

Why the widespread abandonment by commercial market gardeners?

I really bought into it, spent a lot of money did a lot of research and as many report, productivity steadily dropped after a great first year.

It's not difficult to Google similar experiences and find there are a handful of people who list the same advantages over and over for raised beds, but never address the issues that many actually experience.

polb · July 2020

First photo - sweetcorns looking ok, peas starting to come up slowly..chives thriving and newly planted strawberrys doing OK. Empty bit should have the radishes and spinach but I think slugs have got to them..Mesh areas have struggling brassicas!

Second photo - potatoes looking OK..chard small but ok..managed to get some carrots to come up other smaller seedlings struggling - eaten? Further bed with salad in and onions, not great..I think the photo makes them look better though!

There's another bed hidden from view doing ok with potatoes.

Things just not thriving as much, slow to get going and more have been eaten.

My plan for next year is to be stricter with rotation and have an ongoing plan for that. Add more good stuff to the soil - some guidance on this would be great. Perhaps I could have one or two beds each year which don't have anything just mulch/compost/manure etc added twice a year?? Any help would be much appreciated. I'm not sure I understand why raised beds wouldn't work when they are on soil and nutrients are added each year?

Poor crops this year :-(

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