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Looking back on last year has prompted me to think about how I will approach this year.
My first mistake was being insanely optimistic, I have been growing veg for years off and on but seem to have gathered less experience than I thought. I became the proud owner of my first ever greenhouse and it inspired me to look deeper into being more self sufficient.
I told the manager of our local green grocers the bad news that he might as well realise his sales are going to take a hit as I will be supplying local people with tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots etc. Funnily enough he didn't look too worried.
I think I was well into July before I actually produced anything worth eating apart from radishes of which I became utterly sick, cucumbers were a great success but we eat (well I do) so many that I kept my production for myself and friends not wishing to rock the market. The Tomatoes just sort of stayed green offering the odd red one in compensation. I went big on potatoes but furtling inside the bags only revealed tiny marble sized insults.
The tomatoes then got ravaged by tomato moth grubs and all that caterpillar poo rather put me off them to be honest. The potatoes finally offered me 7 lbs from one bag but then the rest all got blight and were mostly scrap. Carrots and parsnips seemed to take their time and no matter how hard I thinned them out always seemed overcrowded, my celery was brilliant, or at least the first few were but then they became woody and it was a bit like eating hay. brassicas remained stunted stumps all year.
Three things shone out above all else, sweet corn, leeks and lettuce, none seemed prone to any disease and were no trouble whatsoever but leeks are very slow growing and I was almost into this year before eating one. The lettuce were iceberg which I love and they grew like cabbages, crisp and delightful, I still have 4 in the greenhouse that have gone through winter but probably will taste bitter.
What experience have I gained? Not a lot I suspect. I think I started far too late, I didnt get the greenhouse and its accompanying entheusiasm until May so most of my failures were due to late planting. I have gone big on onions and garlic this year, planting sets in November and they are doing well, I have sown leeks and will sow sweet corn of course. The spuds I am concentrating on earlies and a few blight resistant Sarpo Mira for lates. I avoid the green grocers because I can't stand the humiliation. But this year will be different.
My first mistake was being insanely optimistic, I have been growing veg for years off and on but seem to have gathered less experience than I thought. I became the proud owner of my first ever greenhouse and it inspired me to look deeper into being more self sufficient.
I told the manager of our local green grocers the bad news that he might as well realise his sales are going to take a hit as I will be supplying local people with tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots etc. Funnily enough he didn't look too worried.
I think I was well into July before I actually produced anything worth eating apart from radishes of which I became utterly sick, cucumbers were a great success but we eat (well I do) so many that I kept my production for myself and friends not wishing to rock the market. The Tomatoes just sort of stayed green offering the odd red one in compensation. I went big on potatoes but furtling inside the bags only revealed tiny marble sized insults.
The tomatoes then got ravaged by tomato moth grubs and all that caterpillar poo rather put me off them to be honest. The potatoes finally offered me 7 lbs from one bag but then the rest all got blight and were mostly scrap. Carrots and parsnips seemed to take their time and no matter how hard I thinned them out always seemed overcrowded, my celery was brilliant, or at least the first few were but then they became woody and it was a bit like eating hay. brassicas remained stunted stumps all year.
Three things shone out above all else, sweet corn, leeks and lettuce, none seemed prone to any disease and were no trouble whatsoever but leeks are very slow growing and I was almost into this year before eating one. The lettuce were iceberg which I love and they grew like cabbages, crisp and delightful, I still have 4 in the greenhouse that have gone through winter but probably will taste bitter.
What experience have I gained? Not a lot I suspect. I think I started far too late, I didnt get the greenhouse and its accompanying entheusiasm until May so most of my failures were due to late planting. I have gone big on onions and garlic this year, planting sets in November and they are doing well, I have sown leeks and will sow sweet corn of course. The spuds I am concentrating on earlies and a few blight resistant Sarpo Mira for lates. I avoid the green grocers because I can't stand the humiliation. But this year will be different.
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