I've made a decision.......

[Nicos]

we've been thinking along the same lines bins.
We grew red onions this year- and just a handful of white ones. As you say- 'cheap as chips' for a sackful at our local market. Not organic though of course

[ladylottie]

I decided not to bother with runner beans again... we really just don't like them enough!

It seems to be sacrilege not to have runners growing on the lottie but I'm sticking to broad beans and French beans this year... oh and trying borlotti beans!

I'm not very keen on Runners either and only grow a few, but instead I've been growing Climbing French Beans (which I prefer) for the last few years. I like the variety Cosse Violette as the pods are purple (easy to see but sadly turn green once cooked!). The flavour is good too. Why not give them a go?

Next year I won't be growing potatoes as they take up too much room especially as I'm now back to just a half-plot. I never do well with onions either but I probably will keep trying! I never grow carrots at the lottie as the root fly is too bad up there - I grow a few in pots at home.

[Aberdeenplotter]

I do understand folks thinking about not growing certain crops if they don't perform well in the veggie plot but I guess I'm a stubborn cuss and will persevere until I succeed. - No canary jokes please . Onions in the supermarkets are presently retailing at around 80p per kilo or approx 40p per pound which is up from around 18p per pound just a couple of years ago. I too am normally self sufficient in onions from june till end March although I will be in some difficulty this time around because my yields are weigh(pun guys, pun) down on normal but after the season we've had not unexpected. If everyone is as short in supply as I am then prices will certainly increase further in the springtime and we all know that once prices go up, they rarely drop again.

2012 has been a bad season for spuds as well and returns are down with prices on the up. It's not anything we have done, it's all down to the weather. A bit of sunshine next year and the despondency will disappear and that takes me down to my mantra. There is always next year. Grow to it guys(n gals).

[Alison]

I only stop growing things if we decide we really don't like them. I've found that it's a different thing that does badly each year, for example, last year the onions were fab, this year rubbish, fingers crossed for next year. To be honest most of the crops were down this year but I've still managed to lay some down for the winter and my different spacing trial on potatoes had some interesting results which I'm going to roll out next year across all three spud beds. Even if I only get a low harvest of some things I really do appreciate them and having a full sized plot to feed the two of us allows us plenty of space to try things and I love the fact that I'm chemical and mileage free.

[kathyd]

Last time I looked at red onions in our local supermarket they were over 10 euros a kilo.. ouchies!! They're always over 4 euros a kilo, even when the yellow ones are cheap. So I'm going to grow red ones, and shallots. Not sure about potatoes - not worked well so far, but I don't think we've given them enough chances yet, just a few early ones maybe?? And I'm not growing runner beans either, I liked the french ones much better. Ah well I might just grow some of the pretty runner ones I bought from that seed website because they were cheap, shame to waste them ... *sigh * - it's just so hard to say NO isn't it

we've been thinking along the same lines bins.
We grew red onions this year- and just a handful of white ones. As you say- 'cheap as chips' for a sackful at our local market. Not organic though of course

[BUFFS]

no more broad beans will be grown here,it turns out that i thought the mrs loved them,she thought i loved them,turned out that neither of us were very fond of them,must try to talk more.....

[Samurailord]

As this will be my first full year on the plot I am still in the 'how can I fill all this space' mode - and that's with half the plot still effectively useless due to waterlogging.

I have one and a half beds (9'6" x 4'6" each) full of onions and garlic which should cover some of our needs for next year, assuming they all come up ok.

I have a couple of beds full of brassicas and other bits and pieces, but with over 25,000 seeds in my box I think that I may soon run out of space and regret having a bed tied up.

For now I am just happy to be growing something.

Andy

[WendyC]

I'm only going to grow tomatoes in the greenhouse. It is a very small greenhouse (proper one not blowaway) but my outdoor ones have got blight / not ripened for last three years. Also not going to do peppers to give more room for tomatoes.

[horticultural_hobbit]

No Aubergines. Silly experiment. All that foliage and no fruit.

Going to try not to go grow so many slugs and snails. Though that is up Mother Earth and the universe. Everything else I'm going to try again and hope the clay doesn't eat it.

[Glutton4...]

There's nothing wrong with clay, HH - just add dung - and/or ash/grass mowings/leaves/compost...

[binley100]

Onions are one of the mainstay on my plot.

Usually grow enough to last me through until about March so may grow a few more this year to last me until the Japs are harvestable.

I know where you're coming from Binners if the onion fly etc are a problem but not so sure about the "can buy a bag cheaply," argument? Is that not the case with any veg at certain times of the year?
Both carrots and sprouts are 4p a pound in the shops when mine mature, but I still grow my own.

Don'rt think there's any veg I deffo won't grow?

As it says at he bottom of my posts...........diversify and prosper!

I do understand folks thinking about not growing certain crops if they don't perform well in the veggie plot but I guess I'm a stubborn cuss and will persevere until I succeed. - No canary jokes please . Onions in the supermarkets are presently retailing at around 80p per kilo or approx 40p per pound which is up from around 18p per pound just a couple of years ago. I too am normally self sufficient in onions from june till end March although I will be in some difficulty this time around because my yields are weigh(pun guys, pun) down on normal but after the season we've had not unexpected. If everyone is as short in supply as I am then prices will certainly increase further in the springtime and we all know that once prices go up, they rarely drop again.

2012 has been a bad season for spuds as well and returns are down with prices on the up. It's not anything we have done, it's all down to the weather. A bit of sunshine next year and the despondency will disappear and that takes me down to my mantra. There is always next year. Grow to it guys(n gals).

A sack of red onions on our market or up the foleshill rd can be bought for av 1.50(did get a sackful for 80p earlier ) for about 5 kilos...
I use a tremendous amount of onions and even on a good year can't grow enough .....there's so much else that we grow which is more expensive in the shops so I'd rather dedicate the space to other things. Shallots , never had a problem storing but I do pickle a lot of them as I prefer them to pickled onions.
I'm not a quitter its just that I've looked at the logistics and they don't work for our needs

[PyreneesPlot]

Every day spuds as they take up too much space, yield is low and they are cheap to buy. We'll grow some salad varieties. Maybe. Ditto onions which have always been rubbish but better than the carrots!
More beetroot, turnips & saladings.

[Bren In Pots]

I'm giving up on Aubergines last couple of years I've only had a 2 fruit from 4 plants. I know the flowers are pretty but its still a disappointment and waste of greenhouse space.

[Piggle]

giving up on carrots - they take too long and I never get any decent ones - same goes for onions, I just haven't got the sun on my plot!

[frogga]

I'm giving up on pumpkins, loads of room taken up for 3 pumpkins! Much better use of space next year, although we have 2 new rows of raspberry canes, all strawberries are in containers so hoping for a productive 2013!