It doesn't always go to plan

[TOF]

Bit late to the party, but I think I may have had the same problem GR. I planted out some Sweet Williams a little while ago and for a while they seemed to be thriving. Then within two days they went from nice healthy plants to dead, dry bits of brown paper. I couldn't understand it, they weren't frosted because they'd overwintered outside. I consulted the field oracle Allan, he's had an allotment there for more than 40 years. He said it was wind damage, it doesn't always cause a problem though(aarrgggh!). I have had the same problem with some brassicas I planted out a couple of weeks ago. They were thriving and then over the weekend while I was away I have another good crop of brown paper. I also lost half a row of Peas to the same problem.
I noticed all the old boys on exposed plots plant out bigger plants, but the more sheltered plots were planted up earlier. I have since used some fleece as a wind break on some plants I put out the other day, and that has defo worked.
So next year, I'm either going to put up some sort of wind break, or wait to plant out.
HTH

[Steve]

In a SHTF time, I would be sowing small amounts of seeds over a longer period, to minimize the chances of a freak event killing everything and to prevent the problems of storing a glut of one variety. I also like to mix up the planting so that one type of pest finds it more difficult to find every particular plant, so gooseberries live next to blueberries and raspberries, beetroot are interplanted with lettuce with tomatoes on the north side, etc. I have no scientific basis for this, it just seems right somehow. Radishes can be planted anywhere you can find a bit of soil between another crop.

[Jace]

Living in an apartment, I only have a small garden (less than 1 square meter), but this year managed to grow a couple of huge Chinese cabbages and a few herbs, with some tomato and pepper seedlings just planted. We went away for 3 days over the weekend, only to come home and find that torrential rain has waterlogged everything, with stuff not drowned basically all eaten by caterpillars. Bugger!

I'm now going to see what I can grow indoors; anyone have suggestions for low maintenance veg that can be grown in pots?