Kay wrote in
:

there are two reasons to stop cropping. One is to allow the plant to use
its leaves to provide food for it to store to give a big crop the
following year. So I'm wondering if the thin stems are nothing to do
with the storm and more to do with too much cutting last year



That was my guess, specially if it hasn't been fed at all this year.

I tend to pull and compost weedy thin stems, but I also take them as a
warning that the plant is hungry and apply loads of compost & chicken poo.
Haven't seen any for a couple of years now, even in my thin stony soil!

Victoria
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gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
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