"For serious vegetable growers."

[Palustris]

This line was pointed out to me just in the titles on the fron t page. It struck us that this implies that people who do not have an allotment are not serious about growing vegetables. Well, we have never had an allotment, having always been fortunate enough to have had large enough gardens not to need one. We are very serious about vegetable growing. Unlike many people (even those who have allotments), we cannot nip down to the Supermarket/market/greengrocers etc. to buy extra food. They are too far away and cost money!!! Generally speaking, if we don't grow it, we don't eat it. Is that serious enough?
We do buy those things which we cannot grow, like carrots (don't ask, very frustrating) or exotics like sweet potatoes, but as far as possible we live on what we grow.
This was merely a passing thought and not intended as an attack on what is a fascinating site and a very useful magazine.

[Lesley Jay]

Palustris I am sorry but I cannot agree with your interpretation about serious vegetable growers. Anyone who takes the time and cares enough to grow their own vegetables is in my opinion a serious vegetable grower. It doesn't matter where you grow them whether you have an allotment or grow in pots outside your back door. It is the passion to want to grow your own that is important. On the front cover of the magazine it says 'Best for Kitchen Gardeners'. That is what we all are.

[burnie]

Never mind your strop,why can't you grow carrots?The vast array of varieties and all the experts both in the magazine and on here will sort out the "root cause" of your discontent.You don't post what region you live in,lets us know and who knows sweet potatoes could be on your diet more frequently as well.

[nick the grief]

I wouldn't worry about the carrot problems Palustris, my friend can't grow Carrots at his home (his dad before him had the same problems) he had a bit of my lottie to grow some tatties & parsnips on this year & sowed a row of carrots & had some belters, they were treated harsher then they would have been at his house so you tell me!

I guess these "sound bites" are all subjective anyway, if they had " Telling tossers how to grow" I don't think they wouldn't have such a good circulation

If you buy the mag & find it interesting then I would say you are serious but not fanatical like some folks I know

[Palustris]

I don't worry about the carrot problem. We can buy very cheaply organic. dirty carrots for store at a nearby farm shop. We are definitely too cold for sweet potatoes even in the tunnel (Frost every month except August). That was not my point, nor was it a "strop" (?A piece of leather for sharpening razors?). I was merely pointing out what the title in question made me think.
I agree that what it says on the front of the magazine is an acccurate representation of the contents and editorial intention.

[Alison]

I simply read the lottie section as being for people who grow quite a bit (whether it be in a lottie or a decent back garden) rather than people who dabble with a pot of herbs and a couple of strawberries in a hanging basket. In other words, doesn't matter if you actually have a lottie or not so wouldn't worry about it. Anyway, regardless of the intention, there's some really good advice there!

[Snadger]

Maybe 'for the serious growers' sends a subliminal message to the punter 'not for numpties'?

Whereas I can see through these subliminal messages! Lol

[NEWTO THE PLOT]

aaaa snadger who you calling a numptie anyway? and if its me what is a numptie or did i just answer my onw question

[Alice]

Hello Palustrus, Try growing your carrots in containers. I don't have ground suitable for carrots but grow Early Nante in deep pots with great results. Take time to plant them, spacing the seeds 1" apart, so no thinning needed. I'm sure you'll get a great crop of carrots and they freeze wonderfully. I don't have an allotment but I'm serious about what I grow. I didn't read that title the way you read it.

[Palustris]

Carrots in containers need watering and with a water meter we tend to be very conscious of the cost. We actually did try it, they were not really that successful and took far more time than we were prepared to give to them when there is so much more that needs doing.
Words are very powerful tools. They do indeed have 'overtones' and subliminal messages and so on. It is like the half full/half empty glass thing is it not.

[Alice]

Hello Palustris, I'm not sure what subliminal message you read into "for serious growers only" I only read for people who are prepared to do some work, spend some money and make every effort to bring their growing plans to fruition. I don't think it matters whether you use an allotment, a garden or a bucket. Whichever, happy gardening and hope all your crops are great.

[rustylady]

How many carrots are you wanting to grow? A few large pots don't take that much water, and home grown carrots taste superb.

As for the water meter, do you have any water butts collecting rainwater from the roof? You don't say where you are, but even here in Suffolk we have had enough rain to keep the butts filled most of the time (apart from July/early August.

[Palustris]

Our ten 45 gallon water butts just about keep us in water, but even in the wettest of years over the last 12 they are emptied very quickly on things we consider important. This year again, the 12 foot by 8 feet, 3 foot deep pond dried up in summer. We only get about half the national average of rain, being in the rain shadow of hills in most directions. We are also on the same isotherm as the place with the lowest recorded temp in England. Why waste water on a veg we do not need to grow anyway?
Looking at the wording, it could also be taken to mean vegetable growers with no sense of humour, or perhaps vegetables with attitude problems. It all depends on how you look at it.
It is all down to the English language where the adjective does not have to be placed immediately behind the noun to which it refers. Wish there was an emoticon for waggling of eyebrows!

[Waffler]

I figure carrots are cheap enough to buy anyway. I know that's not necessarily the point, but mine failed dismally this year, and though I will try again, I'm not going to get too worried about it - except for the fact that the guy we bought the house (and ready made veg patch) from used to grow fantastic carrots that were the envy of the neighbours.

[Birdie Wife]

What a fascinating thread! On one hand there's a very interesting and in-depth debate about semantics and then on the other hand we've got good advice on growing carrots!

Personally I have no advice on carrots as I sowed my Early Nantes four or five times this summer and not a thing germinated. As for semantics, well, as the daughter of an English teacher (that's a teacher of English, but also a teacher who is English... ) it's easy to misinterpret the written word but I think in general people understand what you're trying to say. I read the Allotment thread 'for serious gardeners' even though I neither have an allotment or am a serious person, but I read it because the advice in it is what I'm looking for. The title doesn't put me off, I look on it as a guide to what's inside rather than a strict criterion.