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Gardening successes/failures
9 November 2015, 09:49,
#1
Gardening successes/failures
Following NR's comment about having successes with his onions & carrots after previous failures in a different thread, what successes/failures have you had this year?

Me personally it's been a mixed year. My greenhouse (24x6 feet) was an absolute failure. The main problem was I bought a sweet pepper plant from a diy store which turned out to be infested with whitefly. By the time I realised, it was too late & all of my plants were infested. Despite my best efforts at killing them (fly papers, plant soap wash, parasitic wasps), the flies combined with the numerous big black slugs that kept coming in won. I got the grand total of 1 cucumber & 3 tomatoes from my greenhouse before I killed off my plants & burnt them to stop any fly surviving.

I was also hit by carrot fly for the 1st time ever. My lad was most disappointed when his carrots suddenly started buggering up & being awful when they were pulled up.

On a positive note, my potatoes, courgettes, sweetcorn, peas & brussel sprouts have grown amazing this year.

For the failed crops, I intend on spending all winter looking at ways to combat the issues I faced & in some cases take preventative measures to try & stop a repeat. I'll also be looking to plant my garlic out soon to expose them to the winter frosts (apparently it's good for it).

How's your growing season gone?
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9 November 2015, 10:22, (This post was last modified: 9 November 2015, 10:24 by NorthernRaider.)
#2
RE: Gardening successes/failures
This year I learned to (A) Not over water (B) ensure adequate drainage for my veg, I got a superb crop of Onions, carrots and Tomatoes, I was told and read online that its OK to just leave your carrots in the ground as long as you want until needed, they did not point out that doing so provide the slug population an all you can eat buffet, A rough guess from my small garden is I lost about 4 kilios of carrots that got their heads eaten away by sabre tooth slugs.

I did not try peppers or chillis this year but last year I grew about 20 nice large red ones, but the green ones died ( overwatering)

I used my dilapidated old conservatory as a defacto greenhouse, it is secure but really should be better ventilated.

I think by coupling two or three IBCs together and with some insulation ( more for stability than for heating or cooling) I could grow edible sized carp in the Conservatory.

FYI Urban types I've just seen pictures of a balcony on a tower block with mesh and netting up the side walls, across the windows and across the edge of the balcony with peas, big beans ( I think) toms growing very well, and spuds growing in rolled down part filled black plastic bags.

FYI on the radio last week there is a guy in Gateshead T & W who has turned an old five berth caravan into a greenhouse.

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9 November 2015, 20:15,
#3
RE: Gardening successes/failures
I've had a bumper year for soft fruit and also apples and cherries. I don't know why - perhaps the weather, pollinators etc gelled at the right time. Tomatoes haven't been brilliant this year, and everyone said the same. Potatoes have been good - still digging them - and winter brassicas are doing o.k. - I always aim for our own sprouts over Yule. Always room for improvement though.

I may go back to raised beds next year for the sole reason that I hate walking through the big ground level beds and impacting the soil. So, probably raised beds and bark chip paths. Hope it works.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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9 November 2015, 20:22,
#4
RE: Gardening successes/failures
On impulse I bought a twig marked as BLUEBERRY in spring, planted it in a tub and forgot about it, by mid Sept I have managed to harvest just under a kilo of beautiful blue berries which I fed to the kids in a milk shake along with Devon cream and bananas.

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9 November 2015, 22:15,
#5
RE: Gardening successes/failures
Mary I have raised beds at my allotment with lawn paths between. It's a lot easier for walking, wheelbarrow access etc.. Plus lawn is easier on the knees when tending the beds than bark or gravel.

I had forgotten about our soft fruit. We also had a good year for these.
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16 November 2015, 21:26,
#6
RE: Gardening successes/failures
Rob can I ask a stupid question, a 24 by 6 greenhouse how much grub can it produce in a week??

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16 November 2015, 21:29,
#7
RE: Gardening successes/failures
In a week, not much. But over the summer it should hopefully produce loads of peppers, chillies, tomatoes, cucumbers etc.. I had it full before I got the whitefly infestation. This along with a few other issues wiped out pretty much everything I had.
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16 November 2015, 21:32,
#8
RE: Gardening successes/failures
I could really use some advice on using greenhouses this far north and what would be fairly easy edibles to grow for a cack handed novice like me. What are the simplest easiest plants to grow in a greenhouse, and how do you preserve your crops?

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16 November 2015, 21:47,
#9
RE: Gardening successes/failures
NR, you could probably use a greenhouse heater or two up that far North. I keep seeing greenhouse heaters for sale in country auctions - they are not cheap to buy new. I doubt very much if you will be able to grow much over winter up there unless you have a very good heating/lighting system, both of which will cost you. However, a greenhouse will get you ahead of things in the ~Sporing when you can sow seeds under glass and in warmth. As GR says, lots of nice peppers, toms, cukes and so on. You could also grow early or winter lettuces in growbags.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
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16 November 2015, 21:53,
#10
RE: Gardening successes/failures
All I've done over the years is "have a go". I started out with a £30 tent type greenhouse years ago & bought some plant pots, compost, tomato seeds & a watering can. Same with peppers, cucumbers etc..

My advice for greenhouse growing is

1) grow your own from seed rather than buying plants. Sure some might not grow, but it isn't as demoralising as destroying your entire crop after spending a fortune in money & effort trying to save them from an imported disease.

2) ensure you water daily. You can maybe miss the odd day here or there during spring before it gets too hot. But June onwards I found daily is a must.

3) ensure good ventilation. This was another big problem I had this year. Such a big greenhouse needs extra ventilation compared your typical 8x6. I'm planning on incorporating removable air vents (to cover in cooler months) & install a bigger timed solar fan linked to a tumble dryer hose running outside so it sucks cooler air in (like a diy swamp cooler found on instructables etc..).

4) don't be afraid to try something. The worst that can happen is a plant will die. You can always try again next year.

5) you can use heaters to extend the start & end of the season. But unless you are loaded or can get parrafin very cheap (try allotment associations, it's 55p per litre here currently) then all they'll do is make your veg very expensive & most likely not worth it. The glass itself will give you a couple of weeks head start & around a month or so extra at the end of the year. My dad still has reddening toms in his unheated greenhouse now.

As for preserving, I had planned on buying a dehydrator from amazon or attempt to build a diy one myself. Since I didnt get much of a crop this year though it wasn't needed. We ate what we did get straight away.
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