Next year's veg plan

This year wasn't so great. The brussells sprouts bolted. The chard/leaf beet also bolted despite all the books assuring me it doesn't do that, and the runner beans mostly got devoured by slugs and snails, and the few surviving plants aren't exactly making us sick of the sight of runner beans. Courgettes didn't really do much, and the young calabrese plants I bought at a nursery about 2 months ago are still about the same size as when I planted them.

The onions did ok though, as did the spuds (two crops).

Next year, I reckon I'll make some adjustments. Some 'more of's' and some 'less of's'.

I reckon:

A lot more beans. Not just runners. Going to go for Broadies, french and Runners, in the hope of producing loads of beans for all summer and hopefully well into autumn.

More courgettes. For this, I intend to grow at least two different vareities, as each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, I figure that diversifying a bit gives a better chance of a respectable crop.

Probably the same or a few more onions.

I also want to have a go at carrots. The lad grew some, in the sense that I gave him a packet of seeds that I found in the bottom of the draw and he chucked them in the garden, then to everybody's surprise, we ended up with a few carrots.

I think I'm going to bin off all brassicas except calabrese, and the leaf beet can go too. It didn't impress.

Other than, I'm always looking for ideas and inspiration if anyone wants to throw some ideas into the mix

 

Same for me Clueless Spuds, Onions, Shallots and Garlic did really well this year, most other things failed although we had some small crop of them. BUT if we only grew what was successful from one year to the next we would soon be left with plots full of...........weeds!!

Dont give up on the leaf beet, its deliciuos, likewise with the rest of the brassicas, sow and plant some next year, it could be a good year for them.

Now, most of the plots at our allotment site did much the same as mine due to the lack of sunshine and/or cold winds..all except one who by chance hit on a great idea. Billy mostly fills his plot with potatoes, then a few rows of courgettes, onions and brassicas, beetroots etc. Billys plot is right next to mine and all the brassicas and courgettes he grew where from plants that I gave him and planted myself

After that he sows peas where he can get them in which is generally around the edge of the beds, making a temporary windbreak hedge that then makes a micro climate inside.

He has grown some fantastic brassicas and courgettes this year inside there, so this is what I will be doing next year. I'll either plant peas as a hedge or stake out some scaffolders debris netting to also make a micro climate.

I'll be growing more beans too next year, I'm keen to try the "Shiney Frame" with both runners and climbing french, but I'm giving up on the borlotti beans as the space to crop ratio is very poor..its more broadies for me, spring sown ones though.

I'll grow much more than all of this though...nearly everything in fact.

Steve...

 

Me too, so mostly we can both blame the weather.

Surprised about that as they don't normally bolt. Any "causes" that you can think of?

Mine tend to do that too. I ignore it, cut the tops off and they come from the bottom again. Suggest if it happens next year that you don't pull them up immedaitely. Supposedly the Ruby ones are more prone to bolting, but I reckon all types that I have grown are about the same. It helps if you pick them regularly (I do, but we have "gaps" when we are away / harvesting other things, and then they tend to run to seed - so I cut them back, and let them come-again.

I'm sceptical that there are not bolting varieties

Not hot enough this year. Maybe provide more shelter in future? Dunno if your garden is exposed, if you are in town then I expect its sheltered by surrounding housing etc.

I think they should have been planted out in June, and that garden centres should not be selling them past mid July at the latest. But they do ...

We like Climbing French. Back breaking picking Dwarf French!!, and I think they crop for less time. French don't need insects to pollinate, so can fertilize in early spring if weather is not right for Bees to be buzzing. They tend to crop shorter than Runners though (finishing some weeks before First Frost - although this year mine have carried on, with the wetter + cooler summer) so you might want to sow-a-seed with each plant when you plant-out so that they come on later to extend your crop. (You can do that with Runners too, but mine have always gone on until First Frost, so I've never thought it worthwhile - it would give you a "second crop" a bit lower down the supports though)

I grow 6 plants. Some years we chuck them away by the barrow load. This year we had "just enough"

What Winter crops do you have in mind then?

Worth another go I reckon, if you tame it as it bolts. However, I don't see it as a mid-Summer crop. THere's plenty else in the veg patch then. We grow it for Autumn, and some plants (sown in August) in the greenhouse for the Spring (until they get pulled out to make way for Tomatoes)

I wouldn't be without:

Summer crops:
Sweetcorn
Beetroot & Kohl Rabi (we put the two together into a salad; otherwise just grow Beetroot)
Carrots
Onions & Garlic
Courgettes, Runners, Climbing French

Greenhouse:
Toms, Peppers, Aubergines, Cues, Melons
Early Sweetcorn

For Autumn:
Some Pak Choi or Chinese Cabbage
Greenhouse:
Dwarf French beans (sow August)
For the Winter:
Celeriac (but they are very small this year)
Leeks
Butternut Squash (no crop at all this year, and last year I only got a couple)
Parsnips

For Spring:
Sprouting Brocolli
Greenhouse:
Leaf Beet. Have grown Dwarf French, but not had time for the last few years

 

For this winter, as there's still much work to be done in my garden, I was going to leave the ground empty until spring. That allows me to finish sorting the layout, and also get more structure back into the soil.

That said, I have got a chunk sitting empty now where my tatties have just come out. Its out the way down the back of the garden, so if I could get something into there now I might go for that. Possibly garlic or onions? I think there are ones you can plant in Autumn ready for spring?

 

You could put Garlic in, and Japanese Onions.

If there will be ground "uncropped" over winter it is well worth considering growing a Green Manure crop (not sure if it is getting a bit late though). Make sure you buy the seed from a bulk supplier, as a piddly little packet you would get from a garden centre won't cover much area.

 

It was my first year growing veg this year. I have one raised bed 5ft x 5ft and pots that I have used this year. This year I grew the following:

Radish - Scarlet Globe and French Breakfast both done well in raised bed, but no good in pots.
Beetroot - Boltardy had some nice beets.
Carrot - Ideal and Flyaway F1 both grown in pots , only had 4 Carrots.
Cabbage Hispi - In raised bed Had a couple of good crops about 15 cabbages.
Letuce Tom Thumb and Little gem - In raised bed did well until the slugs got them when we were away.
Peas - Delekett, Sugar Bon, Peawee 65 - Delekett and Sugar Bon gave a lot of really nice peas. Peawee 65 never germinated.
Dwarf bean - Roma 2 the slugs had them early on.
Salad Onions - Red Apache and Shimonita did ok grown in pots.
Mixed salad leaves - First batch bolted and 2nd the slugs got.
Courgette - Midnight F1 grown in pots did well had about 2 a week off each plant.
I have Spinach, Cabbage Durham Early and Cristo Garlic in the raised bed at the moment.

2013 plan is to put 2 more raised beds in 6ft x 4ft

I am planing to grow all the above except the Tom Thumb Lettuce, but all in the raised beds with the exception of the courgettes which i will grow in pots again and also grow, Leeks, Rhubarb Chard, Parsnips,Swede and possibly Sprouting Brocolli. and I am going to grow Dwarf Runner Beans in Pots.

Rusty

 

Only having a tidgey veg patch of 3 raised beds next years plan is....
This years salad bed .....next years Giant Onion bed.....this years roots....next years Pumpkin and sweetcorn,this years blighted potato ...next years peas ,beans and salad...the roots and spuds will have to be in containers and bags....got to find space to sneak in some Celeriac too ......

 

Not the best year for me - weather & excessive slugs have caused many problems.

Broadbeans & Peas were mostly eaten by slugs but the few I got were nice. Will grow more next year, maybe starting some plants early in the greenhouse to try to get them established better.

Onions & beetroot were a complete loss, will try again next year + have some overwinter red onions to try.

Toms were a disaster after a good start - blight & no sun - I have the proper greenhouse up now so hopefully next year will be different. Outdoor bush type (garden perl) seemed to be doing ok, but far too late in the year to crop well. Havent decided what to grow yet.

Getting a few peppers (hot & not), Ive moved these into the greenhouse to see if they will continue to produce as there are more to come. Planning to try hot peppers in a ChilliGrow ( in the greenhouse) next year. Basket of fire chilli on the windowsill has done really well & has lots of small hot red fruit.

Rhubarb has done well, although Im worried that its got too wet recently & rotted. Hopefully it will reappear next year if I give it a good helping of compost.

First planting of sweetcorn was a complete loss, I did put some more in which have done better but Im just getting tassels so I doubt that there will be anything to eat before the frost. Will try again next year.

Courgettes were OK once the plants got going (three attempts I think) - grew a yellow one (Golden ?) which was quite prolific & looked nice, but the slugs liked them & they lacked flavour. The round one (Tondo di Piacenza ?) had less fruit but drew less attention from the slugs.. will grow them again next year + go back to a standard green "tasty" one.

Garlic was OK, could have done with a couple more months in the ground but got flattened on one of the stormy days. Growing proper Isle of Wight garlic + Elephant garlic + big garlic that my local butcher grows & sells for next year.

French climbing beans (blue lake) and runner beans have done OK after a slow start, still getting beans from both. Had 3 or 4 different types of runner to try but completely lost track of which is which as the slugs were eating the small plants faster than I could replace them. Will stick to blue lake + one type of runner + maybe try borlotti if I can find the space.

Pumpkins were lost to slugs & in one case being dug up by next doors cat. Squash & gourds seemed to attract the snails, who climbed all the way up the wigwam to eat the tasty new growth. Will try both again next year. Somebody gave me some achocha seeds to try - they started slowly, but put on a huge amount of growth around August, to the point where they have overgrown everything around them. Lots of strange rubbery fruit, best eaten when small but I have to say I dont really like them - I cant really recommend growing it, but if anyone wants to try it looks like I will have lots and lots of seed ! Wont bother again, but will probably be suckered into trying something else strange next year.

Think thats about it - actually writing it down its been quite a busy year !

 

"will probably be suckered into trying something else strange next year."

How about pea beans,(Phaseolus aegypticus) like mini runnerbeans if you pick them young and you're supposed to be able to boil the beans like peas later, haven't tried that as I didn't plant enough this year(1st year of growing veg) I bought them from a heritage veg stand at the amateur gardening show..