Disheartened

I feel exactly the same at the moment. Its been lashing it down for weeks here in Lancashire, with a few frosts thrown in for good measure. I spent ages growing stuff from seed and planted them out when we had the lovely weather in March. My cabbages, Caulis, Brocolli, Onions and Brussels seem to be doing ok but the Swedes, Turnips and Beetroot look decidedly unhappy. The weeds are doing well though ! My spuds finally came up only to be hit by frosts. I have a lot of stuff growing in the greenhouse but cant get them out - Celeriac, Runner Beans, Leeks, Courgettes, Carrots and so on.

I'm off work for a few days and prepared my bags to plant out the carrots but I'm sat here looking out of the window watching in coming down in stair rods. I want to get the leeks out as well.

This is my first year and I'm a bit disheartened myself but it really can only get better. I hope.

 

I know that a lot of people feel just the same as us Craig, it feels like one step forward two steps back especially at this time of year when the weather is unsettled and the weeds keep growing!!

At the weekend we have made the decision 60/40 to keep it! and have decided to buy some roundup, I was trying to be totally organic but it's not possible and put some black weed surpressant down onto the parts not worked or used at the moment.

Trouble is the ground looks fab when freshly dug over but then it's a haven for weeds so I think the answer is weed and plant something immediatly into that space..

 

Roundup breaks down once its done its job, i'm not too worried about using it.

 

..or weed and cover the ground for when your ready to use it. Or you could sow a winter/summer green manure (whichever applies), at least then it can be dug in and will do some good.

Glad to hear your keeping the plot Stingo!

Steve...

 

Enjoy all your GYO produce this season Stingo. There is NOTHING to beat it is there?

 

Stingo - I just weed once a week now. Its hard work but the beds do look good when they are freshly weeded. I have a bit of a Knotweed problem so I have to keep on top of it. I'm almost at the first Turnip stage, which will probably spur me on. Nothing like a fresh baby Neep !

Keep at it, take it slowly and you'll get there in the end. have a look at my 'First Allotment' thread on this board and see what I inherited, to how it looks now.

Any advice, let me know.

 

Definately more focused and done more work over there today.
A beautiful sunny day to boot..

 

I think you will be amazed at the difference by the weekend Stingo. Hope there are fellow allotmenteers down there with you to chat with. Enjoy the tranquility and hear the birdsong. Give yourself time to sit there and gaze too. Automatic right to that on your patch,
Jenny

 

Its still raining like mad up here in Lancashire. We've had a few decent days but the torrential rain over the last week has been the last straw to be honest. Everything is flooded.

I'm starting to lose onions now because they are so waterlogged. My Cabbages and Caulis are very unhappy. My Swede's are splitting, so I've pulled a couple of the bigger ones up. I've had a good crop of turnips although a couple I dug up yesterday had rotted in the centre. I cut the first few heads of Broccoli yesterday. I've also had some cracking courgettes, both grown in the greenhouse and outside. However, some of them, including my greenhouse Marrows, are getting black rot at the flower end, and I must have lost a good dozen or so set fruits over the last couple of weeks. I believe the rot is due to over dampness, and I've been trying to ventilate the greenhouse more and water the plants slightly less. Marrows and Courgettes are thirsty though !

All in all, the horrible damp weather is causing a few problems. I think the only things that like this weather are Celeriac and Runner Beans !

Here's hoping the weather picks up soon.

 

Ahh now, weeds. Because I work I can only get up to the plot for any decent length of time at weekends, I usually nip up for 10 minutes every night during the week to water the greenhouse crops, and try to turn a blind eye to the weeds ! I spend a good hour every Saturday just pulling up weeds and throwing them on the compost heap.

 

Good morning Craig,
we are all a bit down over this season's weather aren't we. We can only do as much as we can to provide good growing conditions but when it comes to the big yellow ball..... . Maybe a late Indian Summer is in the grand plan ,
hang on in there