What lessons have you learnt from this years growing

[briggsy2011]

good thread. i learnt from it
1. start earlier - ,y first season started 16.04.2011 when i sowed every single seed i had and 99% of them sprout - i gave away over 100 tom plants lol. I intend to start march time.
2. learn to space things out! i planted the cabbages and brocolli to close together!
3. dont count the tomatos every other day as the family will think your odd when you ask them to guess how many!
4. stop gardenening in my pj's at the weekend - get washed and dressed first!

[Creemteez]

Do not, on any account put a rotten pumpkin in the compost bin with the idea that all the seeds will break down. They won't. They will ALL germinate in your runner bean bed and do their darndest to take over the world.
Do not get sentimental over self sown seedlings that appear in your veg beds. They will ALL survive and do their darndest to take over the world.
Do give adequate support to your peas so they don't become an impenetrable tangled mass from which it is nigh on impossible to extract the peas.
Stop wondering "Why?" about the mysterious holes that appear in your nearly ready peppers and get some slug protection in there, for goodness sake, Woman!!!
Potatoes. Earth up. Earth up. Earth up....Then earth up a bit more....
Definately keep an eye out for the "Dung Run" by the local Young Farmers next Spring. Money well spent. Me spuds LOVED it!
Ignore those who laughed at the height of your carrot protection at the start of the year (you know who you are!). The height was spot on and the continued protection meant that I have beautiful, fly-free, clean as a whistle carrots. NB. Plant more!!
Sixteen runner bean plants will provide runner beans sufficient to feed the entire village for several weeks. Try one row of eight runners against a row of eight climbing french beans - cos you know dwarf french beans HATE you and will not grow for you.
Perhaps just ONE cucumber plant next year...
Ditto: Chillies
Aw, who am I kidding? I dare say I'll do it all again in one form or another.......

[Potstubsdustbins]

Come to the vine every day. Quietly read the posts where folks are having problems. Read the replies and learn loads and loads of good info.

Colin

[binley100]

Hide your peas behind fleece so nothing can see them .......

[BroadRipple]

HortHob, dalliances is the perfect word for our curcurbit stud efforts...and what's Nigel's outdoor chilli? I want one, my efforts = pathetic.

[Two_Sheds]

I learned that "nicotiana" isn't enough on a label ~ and so I ended up planting sylvestris in little wee hanging baskets

[BroadRipple]

ok, bracing myself for a stern talking to...Note To Self for 2012:
1. LABEL properly you nitwit...just because you're proud of having nicked coffee stirrers from service stations to make green-ish plant labels doesn't mean you should use them. They're rubbish. Put them down and buy some plastic ones.
2. OK so exciting tomatoes are gorgeous and also your namesake, but YOU GET BLIGHT. GIVE UP. Sorry but it's true.
3. There's only so much kale even you can eat.
4. This seed-buying has got to stop.
5. Seed-saving too. Are you sure it's not an excuse to buy those little brown envelopes from Rymans?
6. Spend less time gazing in love and awe at your compost bin and more time using the contents.
7. Plan a bit, you idiot. How are you going to harvest salad from among netted currant bushes? Or even look after the currant bushes if your wonky and tangly net means you can't get at them? Eh? Eh? Finkabahtit.
8. Seek professional help for this weird habit of planting seeds, watching them grow (sometimes literally) and then losing interest once they need to be planted out.
9. Squshes = a lot of leaf for not much squash.
10. Find out who those Grapes are who get a courgette glut from one or two plants, hunt them down and steal their courgettes. And find out why however many you plant you get nuffin.
11. purple and yeller beans are easier to spot.
12. Set up a curcurbit stud farm with Horticultural Hobbit.
13. Maybe get to grips with that confusing question of which bits are sunny when...am I alone in finding it imposs to remember what 'south-facing' means?
14. And ask someone (hint - Aberdeen, maybe you?) if it's a mistake to have my rasps in my only sunny bed...would they be just as happy with their feet shaded by a wall, giving me more space for other things?
15. Don't be shy to offer seed on the Vine. Or paranoid that everyone seems to know each other except you. Although maybe they DO...

[Newbie]

ok, bracing myself for a stern talking to...Note To Self for 2012:

10. Find out who those Grapes are who get a courgette glut from one or two plants, hunt them down and steal their courgettes. And find out why however many you plant you get nuffin.

15. Don't be shy to offer seed on the Vine. Or paranoid that everyone seems to know each other except you. Although maybe they DO...

I have three courgette plants and am overrun with the darn things, not done a thing to them since planting them out in their bed. You're more than welcome to come steal them!

And no, don't be shy! I've never met anyone on here and don't really know anyone, but after lurking for ages i was brave and popped out of the woodwork and now have lots of " Grape friends" on Facebook & Twitter too, and others who's blogs i follow regularly. Makes me feel like we do know each other and its lovely, everyone is friendly and very helpful.

[Two_Sheds]

ask someone ... if it's a mistake to have my rasps in my only sunny bed...would they be just as happy with their feet shaded by a wall

Raspberries grow very well in Scotland - that should tell you all you need to know

[Piggle]

4. This seed-buying has got to stop.
8. Seek professional help for this weird habit of planting seeds, watching them grow (sometimes literally) and then losing interest once they need to be planted out.
9. Squshes = a lot of leaf for not much squash.
10. Find out who those Grapes are who get a courgette glut from one or two plants, hunt them down and steal their courgettes. And find out why however many you plant you get nuffin.
11. purple and yeller beans are easier to spot.

Oh yes especially 8 - pricking out is my no.1 hate.

[horticultural_hobbit]

HortHob, dalliances is the perfect word for our curcurbit stud efforts...and what's Nigel's outdoor chilli? I want one, my efforts = pathetic.

Nigel's outdoor chilli, is apparently what it is says on the tin. Is available from the Real seed people. Is available January, as it has sold out. Meant to be really good without cover. Is my version of Monty Python's Holy grail in getting things to grow outside without cover.

[maytreefrannie]

Start early, but just early enough to be ready to move plants out when the weather warms up.
Encourage borage - lovely flowers, makes good plant feed and reseeds itself effortlessly.
Have home compost ready for adding in good time.
Pick courgettes before they grow up into marrows.
Enjoy your garden or plot and appreciate everything that comes back to you from it.

[Potstubsdustbins]

If ever you feel down go to the Showcase thread and have a good look at the best failures bit. It will cheer you up no end.

Colin

[Alan G]

A couple of lessons for me:

1) Don't bother with Cabbage - it takes ages, takes up loads of room and it's cheap in the shops.

2) Don't bother with Tomatoes - 3rd year of trying, all green again. They're just too much hassle and its pointless up here unless you have a greenhouse and even those who have GHs have had a bad year this year.

3) Grow more Carrots (and get some in late summer to see me into Autumn/Early Winter)- the taste far outweighs that in the shops.

[RedThorn]

1) it's ok to experiment, just back it up with a few more traditionally sown seeds...
2) you end up with too many plants following point 1 so don't do it
3) If you follow point 2, you have too few plants
4) Just when you think you've started to suss things out... Mother nature changes the rules (typical woman)
5) You learn more from mistakes than you do from luck
6) Little and often is the way forward (Not that I'll ever seem to be able to master this)
7) Like anything in life, there's always something to learn