Tuesday 29 January 2008

Looking back

I just thought I'd recap with a list of what we grew last year, what worked, and what didn't, for the record. Here goes...

ONIONS - from sets, a good crop.
RED ONIONS - from seeds- did not work; very low germination rate and lost the seedlings among the weeds!
SPRING ONIONS - zero germination. What did I do wrong?!
CARROTS - got lost among the weeds too and did not grow well at all - too small to bother eating.
PARSNIPS - very low germination but a few grew well. Lost them because I forgot to mark the row, but I may find them yet!
ASPARAGUS - no harvest first year, eagerly awaiting this spring!
STRAWBERRIES - a mediocre but delicious harvest, quite a lot of slug damage.
POTATOES - did very well; more potatoes than we can eat! A little scab, but nothing to worry about.
RUNNER BEANS - did very well, couldn't eat them fast enough!
BORLOTTO BEANS - couldn't compete with the weeds (I've got a climbing variety this year which might do better) - only ended up with three pods!
FRENCH BEANS - ('Delinel') struggled against the weeds a bit too but did well - very productive.
DRYING BEANS - ('Canadian Wonder') mediocre crop, all infested with bean weevils!
SUGARSNAP PEAS - needed better support; mediocre crop but delicious!
MANGETOUT PEAS - needed better support; mediocre crop and some pea moth caterpillar damage.
SWEETCORN - one mini cob on a six-inch high plant! Couldn't have expected much better though considering how late I planted them!
SALAD GREENS - little gems and 'mixed lettuce' did well despite being rather crowded. Rocket went straight to flower before I could pick any. Chard and perpetual spinach did ok, though also too crowded. Watercress, landcress, corn salad, iceberg lettuce and lollo rossa did almost nothing. Perhaps I shouldn't have sown them all directly outside, but all that transplanting can be such a faff... Will try watercress in a washing-up bowl this year to keep it wetter. Nasturtiums were fabulous!
BEETROOTS - got some leaf for salads but the roots were rather small.
TOMATOES - blighted from the moment I planted them out. No crop.
CUCUMBERS - planted late and grew VERY slowly - one gherkin-sized cucumber!
RADISHES - could have had a good crop if I'd had the guts to taste them! Slightly slug-nibbled.
COURGETTES - (yellow and green) really good crop.
PUMPKIN - only got one pumpkin for our efforts but still well worth it!
CABBAGE - slugs ate the lot.
BROCCOLI and CALABRESE - slugs ate the lot!
KALE - greedy slugs!!
SWEDES - didn't really grow; we got plenty of leaf but the roots are tiny. I've heard everyone has that problem on our site - I wonder why...
TURNIPS - slug-damaged but a fairly good crop.
LEEKS - slow to grow, but doing well. Only a few 'cause the cats kept digging in the seedlings...

Biggest successes: onions, potatoes, courgettes, french beans and runner beans, sugarsnap peas, salads.
Biggest failures: Tomatoes and cucumbers, all the cabbage family, carrots, sweetcorn.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Nome

That's quite a success in what was a dreadful year. I'm ashamed to say that almost none of the seed I bought even made it into the the allotment. Here's to a good allotmenting year.

Simon

Nome said...

And you too Simon! Thanks for the comment :)

Roger Distill said...

Well, as a consumer of a number of your veg, I can vouch for their excellent taste! NomeGrown-ness makes all the difference, and I loved your unusual varieties. I'm sad that you lost so much, but it looks like you've learned some useful lessons, and you start the year wiser and more experienced. I look forward to following your progress in the coming months!

Dad

PS I love the new look blog!

Unknown said...

Learn NOTHING from last year, good or bad - and pray we never see another like it. Mind you, if the doomsayers are right and we see more years like this, that list could be worth its weight in gold. Excellent blog Nome - I shall certainly link to you!

Gordon Mason said...

Parsnips are always poor germinators. Sow five, get one is about the rule. And I've never had any luck with spring onions either - should be easy but somehow they aren't. You might want to try climbing French Beans - they're daed good and none of the competition from low-level weeds.

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