Vegetables.

Hi

A strange year here.

Loads of leaf growth, but poor vegetables.

Courgette and squash plants are rampant, but very few edibles.

Leafy veg are getting eaten to death.

Leeks are rubbish, but very good onions.

Anyone else having problems?

Re: Vegetables.

Yep, I pulled most of mine out!
Only carrots, pumpkins and parsnips remain, not looking great either. Bean and pea plants went in the bin!
Pumpkin leaves are covered in mould.
Tomatoes struggling too.

I won't bother again.

Re: Vegetables.

Don't grow vedge,but it must have been difficult this year with it being so dry early then June and July cooler and on the wet side.

Re: Vegetables.

You are not alone Swimmy, I've had loads of problems too, from poor germination to drought to aphid infestation both on my fruit and veg, in fact I dumped my entire bean row yesterday because they were just overwhelmed by the blackfly.

One thing that also surprised me was how few strawberries we got this year, from all new two year old plants, but it appears that I over fertilised with a nitrogen based granules, so that the plants were quite happy just to make foliage rather than fruit. Also a couple of successes though too, my brassicas and carrots are pest free, although I did build netted cages for then to keep the pests out...

Re: Vegetables.

After a bad start with the late frost I now have a good crop of runner beans.
No leeks this year due to the allium leaf miner invading my soil.

I have a fantastic crop of Belvedere tender stem broccoli which I have just started eating. You remove the middle then the side shoots come ideal for a small household . I hesitated to buy expensive butterfly netting and aluminum poles from these excellent people to protect my crop
https://www.gardening-naturally.com/
....but I think it will prove its worth. There are dozens of cabbage white butterflies trying to gain entry to my cage without sucess
I also used nematodes and home made brassica collars to make sure I got a crop of broccoli this year after last years was devastated by pests and wood pigeons.

I have also had a good continuous supply of mixed salad leaves, land cress, spring onions (grown in tubs) herbs , perpetual strawberries and raspberries.

Re: Vegetables.

Sounds really good Meg. I remember your concern a while back about the runner beans. Glad you got results after all your hard work and dedication.

I bought some on that Enviromesh this year, as I was getting leaf miners on seedlings, plus those tiny beetles that go for runner bean flowerswere eating my salad leaves. Your Gardening Naturally people call it Veggie-mesh, but it's the same stuff. It's really good, isn't it.
I've had some lovely carrots this year too. Just sown some more today for winter. Wee bit late, but I think they'll be alright.
Made another sowing of salad leaves from Sarah Raven today as well, plus some winter Pansies.

Re: Vegetables.

I had a bumper crop of chilli, nasturtiums and kumquots but lemons not so good. They're the only edible plants I grow apart from Rosemary (which is consistent year to year)

Re: Vegetables.

Hi Mups well done.
I haven't tried veggie mesh just butterfly netting so I can use it on the raspberries too and let the little pollinators in.

I can't seem to grow carrots, I might try again next year.
Salad leaves are wonderful aren't they if you only want a small amount of lettuce at a time. I have them in large tubs by the back door and they seem to have been pest free . I have a packet of 'Winter Mix' to sow and hope to have salad through to the first frost.

Re: Vegetables.

We had good and bad as well

Good

Mange tout
Cabbages
Beets
Spuds

Bad
All salad leaves
Runners
Courgettes

Jury still out on the carrots, onions and cauliflowers

Re: Vegetables.

Having same problem with courgettes, but there are more forming. I will keep the plant and hope for the best.

Kohl rabies got eaten, even those up on the table, with the courgette and strawberry plants. But the latter doing okay-ish.

In the bin went peas and onions. Carrots started to germinate but then refused to grow any more. Three tomato plants are okay, and I have spuds in a grow bag. Remains to be seen how they are.

So yes, agree, a bit of a bad year overall. And all this in my first garden.