Bumper crops or not
 

According to today's Telegraph, gardeners have been disappointed with their
veggie crops this year.

Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad beans,
runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and onions (plus
tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been magnificent so we are
having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

We are in South Cheshire so were affected by the hosepipe ban - or not as
the case may be as it seems to have hardly stopped raining since the ban was
introduced.

How have other gardeners in other parts of the UK fared?

Jeanne

Bumper crops or not
 

"Pete" wrote in message
...
According to today's Telegraph, gardeners have been disappointed with
their veggie crops this year.

Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad beans,
runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and onions (plus
tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been magnificent so we are
having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

We are in South Cheshire so were affected by the hosepipe ban - or not as
the case may be as it seems to have hardly stopped raining since the ban
was introduced.

How have other gardeners in other parts of the UK fared?

Very poorly, hardly any potatoes, not a single carrot or peas, the lis goes
on!

Alan



Jeanne

Bumper crops or not
 

On 22/08/2010 14:21, Pete wrote:
According to today's Telegraph, gardeners have been disappointed with
their veggie crops this year.

Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad
beans, runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and
onions (plus tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been
magnificent so we are having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

We are in South Cheshire so were affected by the hosepipe ban - or not
as the case may be as it seems to have hardly stopped raining since the
ban was introduced.

How have other gardeners in other parts of the UK fared?

Jeanne

Same here in Dorset, bumper crops, growing almost identical crops to
you. Beetroot salad crops, mange tout and sugar snaps.The tumbler
tomatoes have been wonderful, grown in baskets out of doors, and even
the greenhouse tomatoes, peppers and cucumber are doing splendidly.
We haven't had the rain that you have had, but neither have we had a
hose pile ban. Fruit trees and soft fruits have been amazing and the
courgettes a glut. Wonderful year.
What do you do with your surplus? Freeze, pass on to friends and
relatives, or do you eat is all yourself?

Bobbie

Bumper crops or not
 

Jeane wrote ..
According to today's Telegraph, gardeners have been disappointed with
their veggie crops this year.

Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad beans,
runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and onions (plus
tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been magnificent so we are
having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

We are in South Cheshire so were affected by the hosepipe ban - or not as
the case may be as it seems to have hardly stopped raining since the ban
was introduced.

How have other gardeners in other parts of the UK fared?

Some good and some disappointing...
Brassicas are excellent except the Kohl Rabi split.
Toms are beginning to crop well.
Shallots (Jermor) were excellent.
Onions half and half, Sturons were good whereas the Stuttgarter Giants were
rubbish, rotting internally, and we threw most away (are Stuttgarter Giants
prone to white rot?) Shall not use those again.
Chillies are superb, even better than usual, just need some to go red (Thai
Dragon, Inferno and Punjabi)
Florence Fennel went to seed almost immediately.
Currants did very well except the white currant which again had no fruit.
Spuds are a mixed bag, Orla (FE) was excellent but Premier (FE) were
rubbish, covered in scab. Mayan Twilight are good, Kestrals, some have a bit
of scab others are fine but the crop looks good. MCs not looked at yet but
the hulms of Victoria and Setanta look superb.
Peas did well but then we did the old gutter trick to avoid the usual mouse
problem. (Early Onward)
Runner Beans have been good provided they are watered, the "new" salmon pink
flowered one Celebration has again proved the best.
Climbing French Beans have done well too so lots in the freezer for green
bean bhajee.
Dwarf French beans, of a row planted only one survived to grow, presumably
the mice again.
Lettuce good.
Carrots small but good with no sign of root fly ATM.
Butternut Squash, we will be overloaded with them come harvest.
Loganberries, Boisenberries, Gooseberries all did well and so did the
Blueberries surprisingly although the mice have eaten all the fruit.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17 miles W.of London. UK. Soil an acid clay/silt.

Bumper crops or not
 

On 22 Aug, 14:21, "Pete" wrote:
According to today's Telegraph, gardeners have been disappointed with their
veggie crops this year.

Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad beans,
runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and onions (plus
tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been magnificent so we are
having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

We are in South Cheshire so were affected by the hosepipe ban - or not as
the case may be as it seems to have hardly stopped raining since the ban was
introduced.

How have other gardeners in other parts of the UK fared?

Jeanne

Pretty good with me. No water meter though.

Bumper crops or not
 

Pete wrote:
Well not me - it has got to be the best year for a long time. Broad beans,
runner beans, carrots, sweetcorn, leeks, celery, shallots and onions (plus
tomatoes in the greenhouse) - they have all been magnificent so we are
having a busy time freezing/pickling/soup making.

OUr sweetcorn have had an odd time - they have as much fruit as normal, but
the plants are much much smaller, and on opening them, they are only half
formed (but not in the patchy 'not fertilised' way, possibly not enough
water).
Beans are doing ok, peas have been ok (apart from us not getting time to
pick them!) and soft fruit other than strawberries have been excellent.
Strawberries came and went too fast. :-(
Courgettes, particularly the round ones, have been excellent, but it seems
to be 50-50 depending on who you ask! A lot of people have said it's been a
terrible year.
Onions and garlic have also done quite well. (from sets)

Bumper crops or not
 

Bob Hobden wrote:
Currants did very well except the white currant which again had no fruit.

The white do appear to be a lot more temperamental than the others. Been a
/really/ good year for redcurrants, though.