Crop size: what makes the biggest difference?

[IanP]

Hi All,

recently moved house to sunny Oxfordshire and gained a little space for a veg plot. I've planted up some bits (usual things like runners, broad beans, corgettes) but when I compare the size of my crops with my Dad's he's beating me hands down - clearly this situation can't be allowed to continue!

My plot was totally unprepared, is surrounded by 3m high hedges and I have no water butts, so my veg are under-fed, underwatered and have little sunshine. Actually it's pretty remakable that I have any crops at all!

Which of my three crimes against plant-life will be having the worst effect on crop size?

Cheers,
Ian.

[Gryfon]

Probably underwatering...as I'm having the same problem!

[Shortie]

My personal order woul be under watering, then underfeeding, then little sunshine. Others may debate the last two...

I think of it this way. No amount of sun or chicken pellets will help a wilting plant recover!

Oh, and welcome!

[nick the grief]

......My plot was totally unprepared, is surrounded by 3m high hedges and I have no water butts, so my veg are under-fed, underwatered and have little sunshine. Actually it's pretty remakable that I have any crops at all!

Hi Ian, welcome to the vine.

If your plot was unprepared that will affect things firstly, after all you couldn't run a marathon with no food. So I would dig in loads of Humus this will improve the soil structure & help retain moisture, I assume your dad has been on the same plot for a number of years so has built up the fertility accordingly.

Water is important for obvious reasons the only plants yuo can keep without water are dead ones So giving them enough water is good, but not too much. WHen the soil drys out it draws in air around the roots this is important for good root growth & what do good roots make - Prizewinners (sorry about that) If you don't believe me but a potpalnt in bucket & keep it topped up to the level of the pot. The comost will waterlogg & the roots rot off & the plant will die ... hmm second thought don't d that , take my word intead

If you prepare the plot well this Autumn/winter this will help with the first two problems.

Now then feeding, deaspite the fact that your plants growing in a huge garden, it usually only occupies the space of a bucket in the soil, so after about a month it will have exhausted most of the nutriants & so won't grow so well, so you'll need to feed (try going to work for a week with only a bowl of cornflakes & see how you perform)

What you feed is up to you, but something that is balanced in N:P:K would be OK, you can use chemical fertilisers or organic ones the choice is your.

Comfrey makes a good feed but smells blood .. er rather horrd, Nettles are another & liquid manure is another.

Do this Grasshopper & you'll beat your dad hands down (unles he looks at this forum of course )