Hi again, some thoughts on the plants you posted pictures of. I think it has been said or you have sussed it yourself but these sudden changes in the weather really have not helped. I know us gardeners often moan about the weather but really the plants are as confused as we are this year. The broccoli running to seed like that is probably due to the alternate warm cold/ dry then cold wet we had from Feb through to May this year, when plants are stressed they often run to seed as a response, it's almost as if the plant thinks I can't cope with this so I will set seed and let the next generation deal with it! You say in your first post that you are aiming to feed yourselves as much as possible, it's hard to advise without knowing a bit more about your situation. If you are aiming for self sufficiency I am afraid its much harder to achieve than just trying to grow as much as you can to improve the family diet. As you might guess I am a lifelong allotmenteer so I can only give that perspective. Although there are variations around the country, most standard plots are 10 poles (250 sqM in modern money). The original aim of these was to be able to provide enough veg and fruit for a family of 4 for between 6 and 9 months of the year depending on the crops grown and how much you were able to store over the winter months. This assumes the standard type of open ground cultivation, that is still widely practiced , but there are many alternatives now. Deep beds and no dig methods are said to provide a bigger harvest in a more limited space, starting crops under protection can help extend the season. In your case with challenging conditions, if you have the space, I would seriously think about a large poly tunnel, this has the potential to extend your growing season by 2 -3 months. I would also consider deep beds, the pros are they concentrate your resources, compost, manure etc, they drain better, warm up faster in spring (especially if covered) the drawback of them here is they dry out in summer, but if you have high rainfall then this will not be an issue. You may find you have to grow intensively in a shorter season, and store more, for the off season. You will learn a lot as you go and people on here are very helpful . There is an Allotment gardening thread, and any others that may be a help, but ask away we were all beginners once, and as Jim from Beechgrove always said " when your a gardener every day is a school day".
Hi again, some thoughts on the plants you posted pictures of. I think it has been said or you have sussed it yourself but these sudden changes in the weather really have not helped. I know us gardeners often moan about the weather but really the plants are as confused as we are this year. The broccoli running to seed like that is probably due to the alternate warm cold/ dry then cold wet we had from Feb through to May this year, when plants are stressed they often run to seed as a response, it's almost as if the plant thinks I can't cope with this so I will set seed and let the next generation deal with it! You say in your first post that you are aiming to feed yourselves as much as possible, it's hard to advise without knowing a bit more about your situation. If you are aiming for self sufficiency I am afraid its much harder to achieve than just trying to grow as much as you can to improve the family diet. As you might guess I am a lifelong allotmenteer so I can only give that perspective. Although there are variations around the country, most standard plots are 10 poles (250 sqM in modern money). The original aim of these was to be able to provide enough veg and fruit for a family of 4 for between 6 and 9 months of the year depending on the crops grown and how much you were able to store over the winter months. This assumes the standard type of open ground cultivation, that is still widely practiced , but there are many alternatives now. Deep beds and no dig methods are said to provide a bigger harvest in a more limited space, starting crops under protection can help extend the season. In your case with challenging conditions, if you have the space, I would seriously think about a large poly tunnel, this has the potential to extend your growing season by 2 -3 months. I would also consider deep beds, the pros are they concentrate your resources, compost, manure etc, they drain better, warm up faster in spring (especially if covered) the drawback of them here is they dry out in summer, but if you have high rainfall then this will not be an issue. You may find you have to grow intensively in a shorter season, and store more, for the off season. You will learn a lot as you go and people on here are very helpful . There is an Allotment gardening thread, and any others that may be a help, but ask away we were all beginners once, and as Jim from Beechgrove always said " when your a gardener every day is a school day".
Thanks @Allotment Boy this is all really important to know Btw, do peas 'bolt' or go to seed before producing peas? And I love that I'm learning something else every day - I've potted on the french beans and already they look better. I don't know whether to put them in the ground with the peas or keep them in pots now though, they've been growing in the conservatory till the greenhouse is finished.
It definitely makes sense that the plants have been stressed and therefore gone to seed - when the weather improved here it was an overnight shift from cold dull and wet to sunny hot and dry. Weirdly when it's dry here, it's really dry, no rain, and then when it rains it pours, many months of the year.
Our situation is lucky in that we are rural, have more space than many, but because of the hard ground I've made four raised beds, and a fruit garden for rhubarb, raspberries and potted blueberry. The only thing I seem to have success with so far is the potatoes which are clearly growing - I've not covered them or banked them up as I have other crops of spinach and lettuces growing between. So I really hope that hasn't harmed them and let them go bad.
The raised beds are roughly 18inch deep and all filled with topsoil I had to buy as I couldn't dig the ground (its rocky here), and manure I got from a local farmer - the couple of ground level beds for the fruit garden are in already there soil but I still excavated enough stone to build several stone planters for climbers and roses, with stone to spare lol.
I'll need to dig further beds which I think will possibly be behind the greenhouse, there is a bank behind the house on which we are building a greenhouse (8x18 feet, thank goodness for second hands!) and a lot will be grown in that - it's also going to have integral beds along one length, and then slabs the other side for pot growing.
The aim, in a few years as I know it will take several to become more skilled, is certainly to be able to feed a family of up to four fairly seasonally. It's a big aim but I'm hoping with learning and perseverance I'll get there. I've built all the raised beds and fruit garden in the last six months, it was tough going given the terrain. I'm certainly noticing the need to water the raised beds more often as they are definitely drying out quicker.
I'm definitely checking out Beechgrove, and I also just got Carol Klein's grow your own veg and fruit, hopefully this helps!
... do peas 'bolt' or go to seed before producing peas?
The peas ARE the seeds . They need to flower before the peas will be produced, so they don't "bolt" in the same way as things like lettuce, which you don't want flowers/seeds on (unless you're saving your own seed).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Sorry yes as @JennyJ says its things like lettuce, root crops like carrots etc that can bolt or run to seed rather than give you a harvest. You have to remember the plants are either making stores for next year ( spuds, carrots etc.) or seeds to reproduce, beans etc. We are coming in and taking them early, and eating them.
BTW a point of protocol on the site, there is no need to re quote complete previous posts, if you want to acknowledge someone just put @ and their forum name, usually once you type the first few letters their name will come up. You can edit a section of a quote as @raisingirl has done with yours.
@Allotment Boy thank you for the protocol headsup, I am not used to forums! Thanks @raisingirl and @JennyJ that makes total sense about the peas, and mine have definitely 'sulked' for the last few weeks, though yesterday they looked a bit perkier, finger crossed!
I've learned so much from this thread, furiously making notes, thanks so much everyone for the help I've a great few things to try out now and see how it all goes.
I haven't read every post here, but I think if you want to grow a lot of your own produce, you'll need to look at it differently because of your location. Perhaps a polytunnel is worth investing in so that you can have some consistency with various crops. Wind/rain and general exposure, even apart from temperatures, all make a huge impact, and without good protection from the elements, you're always going to struggle, especially in those years where the weather is hit and miss. Even here [at a fairly low elevation of 400 feet] I'd need several greenhouses if I wanted food through a longer season, and possibly heated as well depending on the type of crop.
In an average garden, where you're just growing for a bit of extra fruit and veg, it's easier to cope with climate and conditions, but on a bigger scale, that's not so easy, and you may need a different approach to have consistent success. Good luck with it anyway
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You mentioned about digging out some more beds. You might want to look up Charles Dowding. He is well known for his no-dig approach to growing veg and fruit. Lots of really good advice and videos available from his website, but bear in mind he is gardening in southern England so add a few weeks to any planting dates he gives.
You may like to have a look at Charles Dowdings videos on you tube if you want to grow enough to feed a family. His is done on a big scale as it’s his business but you can scale it down to your needs. https://youtu.be/pJaix5PaamI
If I wasn’t the age I am, I would probably invest in one, but too late now. because of our weather conditions and being 960’ above , coupled with acid soil, I now only grow runners, French, leeks, onions, raspberries and sage. I have tomatoes in the GH although I’ve put some spares outside, they probably won’t come to much.
Ah, I see as I write that Bee has also recommended Charles.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Posts
deal with it!
You say in your first post that you are aiming to feed yourselves as much as possible, it's hard to advise without knowing a bit more about your situation. If you are aiming for self sufficiency I am afraid its much harder to achieve than just trying to grow as much as you can to improve the family diet. As you might guess I am a lifelong allotmenteer so I can only give that perspective. Although there are variations around the country, most standard plots are 10 poles (250 sqM in modern money). The original aim of these was to be able to provide enough veg and fruit for a family of 4 for between 6 and 9 months of the year depending on the crops grown and how much you were able to store over the winter months. This assumes the standard type of open ground cultivation, that is still widely practiced , but there are many alternatives now. Deep beds and no dig methods are said to provide a bigger harvest in a more limited space, starting crops under protection can help extend the season. In your case with challenging conditions, if you have the space, I would seriously think about a large poly tunnel, this has the potential to extend your growing season by 2 -3 months. I would also consider deep beds, the pros are they concentrate your resources, compost, manure etc, they drain better, warm up faster in spring (especially if covered) the drawback of them here is they dry out in summer, but if you have high rainfall then this will not be an issue. You may find you have to grow intensively in a shorter season, and store more, for the off season.
You will learn a lot as you go and people on here are very helpful . There is an Allotment gardening thread, and any others that may be a help, but ask away we were all beginners once, and as Jim from Beechgrove always said " when your a gardener every day is a school day".
It definitely makes sense that the plants have been stressed and therefore gone to seed - when the weather improved here it was an overnight shift from cold dull and wet to sunny hot and dry. Weirdly when it's dry here, it's really dry, no rain, and then when it rains it pours, many months of the year.
Our situation is lucky in that we are rural, have more space than many, but because of the hard ground I've made four raised beds, and a fruit garden for rhubarb, raspberries and potted blueberry. The only thing I seem to have success with so far is the potatoes which are clearly growing - I've not covered them or banked them up as I have other crops of spinach and lettuces growing between. So I really hope that hasn't harmed them and let them go bad.
The raised beds are roughly 18inch deep and all filled with topsoil I had to buy as I couldn't dig the ground (its rocky here), and manure I got from a local farmer - the couple of ground level beds for the fruit garden are in already there soil but I still excavated enough stone to build several stone planters for climbers and roses, with stone to spare lol.
I'll need to dig further beds which I think will possibly be behind the greenhouse, there is a bank behind the house on which we are building a greenhouse (8x18 feet, thank goodness for second hands!) and a lot will be grown in that - it's also going to have integral beds along one length, and then slabs the other side for pot growing.
The aim, in a few years as I know it will take several to become more skilled, is certainly to be able to feed a family of up to four fairly seasonally. It's a big aim but I'm hoping with learning and perseverance I'll get there. I've built all the raised beds and fruit garden in the last six months, it was tough going given the terrain. I'm certainly noticing the need to water the raised beds more often as they are definitely drying out quicker.
I'm definitely checking out Beechgrove, and I also just got Carol Klein's grow your own veg and fruit, hopefully this helps!
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
BTW a point of protocol on the site, there is no need to re quote complete previous posts, if you want to acknowledge someone just put @ and their forum name, usually once you type the first few letters their name will come up. You can edit a section of a quote as @raisingirl has done with yours.
Thanks @raisingirl and @JennyJ that makes total sense about the peas, and mine have definitely 'sulked' for the last few weeks, though yesterday they looked a bit perkier, finger crossed!
I've learned so much from this thread, furiously making notes, thanks so much everyone for the help
Perhaps a polytunnel is worth investing in so that you can have some consistency with various crops. Wind/rain and general exposure, even apart from temperatures, all make a huge impact, and without good protection from the elements, you're always going to struggle, especially in those years where the weather is hit and miss. Even here [at a fairly low elevation of 400 feet] I'd need several greenhouses if I wanted food through a longer season, and possibly heated as well depending on the type of crop.
In an average garden, where you're just growing for a bit of extra fruit and veg, it's easier to cope with climate and conditions, but on a bigger scale, that's not so easy, and you may need a different approach to have consistent success.
Good luck with it anyway
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
You mentioned about digging out some more beds.
You might want to look up Charles Dowding. He is well known for his no-dig approach to growing veg and fruit. Lots of really good advice and videos available from his website, but bear in mind he is gardening in southern England so add a few weeks to any planting dates he gives.
https://charlesdowding.co.uk/
Good luck with it all.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
His is done on a big scale as it’s his business but you can scale it down to your needs.
https://youtu.be/pJaix5PaamI
If I wasn’t the age I am, I would probably invest in one, but too late now.
because of our weather conditions and being 960’ above , coupled with acid soil, I now only grow runners, French, leeks, onions, raspberries and sage.
I have tomatoes in the GH although I’ve put some spares outside, they probably won’t come to much.
Ah, I see as I write that Bee has also recommended Charles.