Thursday 4 July 2019

The Highs and Lows.



Most activities have their ups and downs, and Fruit and Veg' growing is no exception.

At the very beginning of the season, all looked well; and a bumper crop seemed inevitable. However, things can change very quickly depending on weather, etc.

One of the crops to which I was really looking forward was my recently planted Black Hamburg grape; it was covered in wonderful flowering tresses, that have now turned into shriveled musty twigs. Only a few bunches have grapes on them, all the others have suffered from some nasty disease. Frankly, I'm pissed off. All my other rubbish grapes are fine.

Over the past two years my maincrop Tomatoes have died-off prematurely, and I've already noticed my current crop of plants are showing signs of disease; the lower leaves are beginning to curl and turn yellow. I took extra care of my plants this year, giving them a dose of copper sulphate and a really thick mulch of organic compost. I'm suspecting that the disease is well entrenched in the soil.

The major problem is with my large salad Tomatoes. I planted a variety simply called 'Beefsteak'. My other varieties, 'Roma', and various Cherry Toms, are all looking OK, and seem disease resistant. The 'Portuguese' variety that I planted in pots, up at the barn, are also looking OK.

Otherwise, half my Mangetout Peas died early, my Broad Beans were nowhere near as productive as I'd hoped, and my two Butternuts are refusing to grow. My French Beans are very slow.

On the plus side my Courgettes are really producing well, the Aubergines are looking spectacular, and all my leafy 'greens' are looking very luxurient. My Pepper plants remain small, but are covered in flowers and a few early fruits. The Beetroot plants are looking healthy, but I have yet to dig any. Red Onions are ready to harvest. Tayberries have been going crazy; I've made jam every day for the past week or more.


In the orchard, many small peaches have dropped from their trees, as have many Pears. The Apples are looking very good, and we have plenty of Plums and Greengages. My Yellow Cherry is almost ready, and I have placed the ladder against the tree in anticipation.

I suppose it's the same every year, but one forgets.

Golf is a game where before you hit the ball you know exactly where it's going; once hit it has a mind of its own. Veg' gardening is quite similar. When you plant, or sow, you instantly imagine healthy highly productive plants, but in reality they often fail. The successes are uplifting; the failures depressing.


42 comments:

  1. Well hello Cro! So sorry about your Black Hamburg grapes, I'd be pissed as well. Our grape crop looks great here so far in Illinois but as you said things can change in a flash, but if they don't I'll be making our first batch of jams for the Poor Farm this summer. Can't wait!

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    1. I have loads of grapes here that mostly go on the compost. They are OK for juice but not for eating. Of course it's my good grapes that get the disease. It would be!

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  2. Our grapes got ruined by hail. They were at a crucial stage. Fewer bunches and rather shrivelled. I hope the local wine growers haven't suffered the same damage. Vaso hasn't been complaining so hers must be ok
    Darned annoying when you're anticipating a good harvest and you get a dud.
    Our zucchinis, cherry tomatoes and peppers are doing well. NZ pumpkins are growing but I don't see any flowers dammit

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    1. I was so looking forward to growing some really impressive bunches of delicious eating grapes, but it looks as if I'll have to wait another year.

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  3. I think tomatoes are supposed to be planted in a different area each year. The trouble is finding an area where there weren't any the previous year.

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    1. I do follow a strict rotation on the four small plots, but maybe they're still too close to where they were last year. I may simply grow all my Toms somewhere else next year.

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  4. Gardening: the triumph of optimism over experience.

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    1. Not too much optimism here this year, but we'll be OK.

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  5. Always disappointments somewhere. Our peppers dropped their flowers when the temperature in the greenhouse dropped too low. Still cropping lovely broad beans though.

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    1. My Broad Bean had one pod each, then died.

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  6. All I can say Cro is that in spite of the ups and downs garden-wise you have a very nice life over there.

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    1. Yes, it's very pleasant. Hot again today.

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  7. Sounds like everything that's not doing well vegetable wise needs a feed. Don't know about the grapes.

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    1. More than anything it needs a good over-night downpour. I don't like using the sprinkler, for various reasons.

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    2. On the farm anything that went yellow, like the sugar beet, heaven forbid, was given a dose of magnesium. It would always do the trick.

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    3. I'll have a look tomorrow to see if I can find something.

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  8. Oh no ..... and after all of that hard work. ..... but, I guess that’s gardening for you .... you win some, you lose some. But, it doesn’t sound like you and Lady M will go hungry ..... you’ve always got the jam ! XXXX

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    1. Yes, let them eat jam. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for our Toms, they're probably our most important crop.

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  9. Cro, are your beefsteaks looking reasonable at the top?
    They require a lot of water and always look as though they are dying... we've become used to this over the years... all large varieties seem to do it...
    Your yellowing bottom leaves is another matter... they are hungry!! They cannot get their food from the soil in our strange weather conditions, so start to reuse nutrients from the oldest leaves. Try watering them with Epsom Salts in the water... the magnesium helps the plant intake nutrients.
    You'll only need to do it monthly... about twice in the season.... one teaspoon per large watering can [measurement isn't critical] and we now feed with powdered nettles - "poudre d'ortie"... banned in the UK, but the French Government paid for all the old remedies to be tested and approved... the UK Govt listened to the chemical giants' lobbyists and carefully avoided doing the same!!
    And, when the leaves at the bottom have gone completely yellow, remove them.... and add to the compost.


    I have now purchased a water-pipe that has drip-holes every 25cm and plant everything... and I mean everything except the tomatoes... at that spacing, right by the holes. The tomatoes are planted in grow-rings that allow earthing up in the centre ring and therefore more feeding roots per plant... the outer ring is for watering, you feed via the centre part of the pot... that is where the nettle powder goes.
    Additionally, we are now only starting to plant!! The seasons are slipping towards December... we were getting cherry tomatoes in December last year, had the last two trusses for part of the Christmas meal... and they are grown outdoors!!

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    1. Thanks for all that. Yes, the tops seem all OK, and I do remove the lower ones when they start to turn yellow. I'll give them a really good watering this morning. I've always heard that they need lots, but not too often. I'll also try to get hold of some Tom food; powdered nettles sounds excellent. The Cherry Toms are already looking amazing.

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  10. I always have memories of my very young childhood and the fresh vegetables from Dad's allotment which, in the era of rationing after the war, were very important. Sadly I've had little success and haven't tried for several years although I was given some seed King Edward's this spring and they seem to be doing well.

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    1. They do say that Scotland grows some of the very best potatoes (and soft fruits). It does seem a very good year for both of them.

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  11. I am pleased to report that my previously stunted Night-Scented Stock seedlings are now growing up and promising flowers, so all's well in the window box.

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    1. Life in Bath wouldn't be the same without them; questions would be asked in The House!

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  12. certainly at the highrise, more failures than success with anything else but very wind and hot sun tolerant plants, and really cold weather plants.

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    1. My daughter used to have wonderful Mangoes on her trees, then the bloody Parrots would come in and eat them all.

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  13. It's mixed here in South East England too. We had lots of rain throughout June with warm temps then a hot (for us) July. Our maris peer potatoes got blight which we have never had before. The red fir apple potatoes are fine. I googled and it said that it's wet and warm conditions that cause the blight and you need to dig up the potatoes before it gets to them. I did this and we had lovely small new potatoes (like Sue's)but the whole row only gave four meals. We always seem to get blight on our tomatoes at the end of summer but like you they have it now and one plant has died completely and the rest are not growing. courgettes which usually flourish are very slow this year. Broad beans are good but also not so many. I think in your case maybe the heat wave is responsible for a lot if the failings. As you say it's always very up and down.

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    1. It's very annoying when some things flourish, and right next-door to them something else looks like it's on its last legs.

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  14. Oh dear, a sorry state of affairs. It's always the most anticipated of the fruits and veg, the ones that in the seed catalogues seemed the most tantalising, that bring forth the tears when the inevitable happens. Solace must then be sought in the endless supplies of zucchini and radish, the two vegetables that never fail in either hemisphere or any crazy weather, according to my defunct green thumb.

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    1. The things that NEVER fail here, include Quinces Courgettes and Figs. If only one could live entirely on them.

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  15. What is pictured in that first image you have on this post? I've been looking at it and trying to figure it out. Is it cherry tomatoes? Disappointing about your grapes. I've been wanting grapes for a long time, just haven't created a structure for them. -Jenn

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    1. They are small Plums. I make Plum Sauce from them. Their main advantage is that they never contain bugs.

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  16. Because of all the rain and damaging storms we have had, my veg/herb gardens are not doing well, especially the tomatoes. Yellow leaves and stems, black spot, and bugs are causing me a lot of frustration, but I have been treating it from the beginning and do have lots of fruit and flowers. I am glad that I planted early growing toms because I don’t think the plants will last the summer. Peppers are doing better.

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    1. Sounds a bit like here. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

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  17. You certainly do your bit, to grow lots and lots of food!!!!! Sorry that some, do not fully cooperate.

    Do you keep a record of how things grow, from year to year? I've seen others, who do this.

    Gorgeous photos, especially that first one! I do love red. :-)

    Btw, we are having our Real Summer here, now!!!! Even had to turn on the A/C for a few hours, last night. But I got up in a while, and turned it off, and opened windows. Do not like to use it, more than is necessary!!!!!!!

    Hate it all closed up, for A/C. And why use unnecessary energy?

    ✨✨✨✨

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    1. No, I've never kept records of my crops, it might prove quite depressing. As long as my store cupboard is filled before winter, I'm happy. 32 C here this afternoon, but it feels hotter. I must go swim!

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  18. Tell me about it - last year's success can often be this year's failure! I have a regular battle with various bugs, in the pears, plums and asparagus fronds to name a few. Last year the squash were huge, this year so far they are not shaping up well.

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    1. I used to bring home my Butternut Squashes by the wheelbarrow-load, but for the past 3 years; nothing!

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  19. Do you need to rotate? Just saying; I know nothing.

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    1. Yes. My garden is split into four sections and I rotate annually. I think my problem is more deep rooted; unless there is a secret vegetable hater who comes at night to poison things.

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