Successes and failures 2020

At the start of lockdown, I commented that whilst we might be able to supply at least some of most veg that we eat, we were not growing any onions... Hubby was doing the weekly lockdown shop that week, and came back with 50 Stuttgart Giant sets, and 10 Red Sun (chalottes). We duly planted them, and they seemed to start well enough, before “disappearing” about a month in...

We harvested yesterday.

embarrassing charlottes? Wait til you see the onions!

Ah-hem.... (no, we didn’t grow the one on the left, a “standard” shop onion, for comparison.)

In contrast, we also grew a number of new varieties of chilli this year. Vampire is a dramatic plant. Quite tall, purple stems, and hue to the leaves, with deep cayenne-shaped chillies (more compact and heavily cropping than Cayenne, but a similar shape of plant)

This is just today’s harvest.

 

I've had quite a few failures mostly weather related .
Wisteria - frost

Red duke York potatoes - frost got the top never really recovered think I'll have a look later see if they have actually produced something.

I've had poor germination seeds / wrong seeds this year from a couple of suppliers. Bought green zinnia seeds got every other colour but green .Grow some wild petunia this year Petunia axillaris , ended up with 90% petunia exserta another wild petunia , I am not over impressed with ethier so I'll stick to the modern hybrids .

Brugmansia maya I've been growing last year into a lollipop shape , planted them out into there summer home ( pots front door ) not even two week in the wind ripped their heads off .

Some allium bulbs I'd bought were wrong supposed to have Bleau regard ending with some that never come up and the ones that did were schubertii ( impressive size not what i wanted though ) , annoying might as well throw 30 quid in the bin .

Strawberries have been poor but I reckon that down to me forgetting to pick them.
Melons I don't know why I bother with them , the cold seems to get them but I've still got two good plants so

It been a poor season for me really .

I can't think of much success this year , my swede and carrots look like they are going to be really good this year. My ensete maurlii looks very happy, and my newly planted grapevine coming on a treat. Rosa lady of shallot was shunning earlier in the year and kniphofia timothy were the best I've ever seen . And I got my first beard Iris flowers I've still got some plants to come hopefully my Nerines decided they want to flower.

 

@ARMANDII I've had similar problems with Foxtail lily I am quite taken by them like most people , it sounds like yours are getting crowded out they don't like to close competition I believe and require full sun, they shouldn't be rotting on your sandy soil. I do have one in the garden its in its second year but no flowers maybe next year.

 

I failed miserably with those 'salad greens' mixed seed - too many little unseen pests making holes in the leaves. I think the only way I could have done it is by keeping them in the greenhouse or frame. My pak choi have swelled nicely, but the outer leaves have also been heavily attacked. I think I need to stick to root veg or beans.

 

Don't worry @Sian in Belgium , help is at hand

 

Pak choi are frustrating! They grow so easily and fast, but every pest in creation attacks as soon as you plant them out.
(i seed mine inside into pods)
My current batch will be netted carefully so fingers crossed.

 

Just the same, my butternut squash plant is huge (it's been in all summer) and all it's produced is one healthy fruit.
I've had plenty of courgettes but powdery mildew is lurking around the leaves.
Our clear winner is the runner beans.. We've got loads in the freezer. I notice that the shops charge a Kings ransom for half a dozen!

 

Cucumbers - the same as last year - started growing nicely and then... powdery and fake powdery mildew outside and in the greenhouse - getting just 1-3 cucumbers occasionally... Garden pees - the same - plants gone very quickly.
Tomatoes started early - picking those from mid July. But later flowers of large fruited varieties dropped, so will finish soon. Just cherries are going well.

 

We've had a great year for Strawberries, Tomatoes , Plums and Pears. Bad year for Grapes, Blackberries ( loads of the wild variety up and down our lane though!) and strangely Apples too..Herbs have all been OK as well.

 

40 sturon onion sets were planted in early April and by mid July they were no bigger and hardly any top growth, they were binned. Tomatoes have been poor, maybe grown on to quickly but they are almost over now, I'll try a different compost next season.
Chillies are doing well but shop saved pepper seed have been a waste of time (unlike previous years.
Stawbwerries were a complete disaster and I will have to start afresh next spring.
All over wintered Begonias, Santa Cruz, Glowing Embers and Gryphon, have done well but the two trailing basket grown ones from plugs now are covered in mildew as they seem to be every year.

Rhubarb threw uo a few stalk and then suffering from drought in spring and soon retreated back to nothing, may have to be moved.