Successes and failures

[porshiepoo]

Well, it's August already and I'm taking stock of my successes and failures so far this year. Unfortunately the failures far outweigh the successes.
I lost all my courgette plants to mould, all but 1 of my cucumber plants to the same, my potatoes (earlies) succumbed to blight, dog ate a lot of Brassica plants and the Caterpillars have decimated my Brussel plants, Broccoli and stripped my swedes of all foliage - I am now actively defending the one last Brussel plant that I have.
Next year lessons will be learnt. ALL Brassicas will be protected by net cages, potatoes will be as Blight resistand as humanly possible, cucumbers and courgettes ......... hmmmmm I'll have to think about that one and the dog will have all his teeth removed. ;)

Successes? Actually just 2. I planted some Mountain Ash seed last year after freezing it for a month then warming it for a month and then planting in seed compost and leaving it exposed out side all Winter. I really never thought I'd get anything but so far I have 5 mini trees. Yay!!!
My other success is Sweetcorn. I grew just 6 in a long deep tub and even though they got left outside during a deluge and completely waterlogged, they are now back in the greenhouse, well over 6ft tall and each plant is growing 2 cobs.
Next year I'm going to grow even more.

[Mother Bear]

Umm very interesting p.p.......Now its just about September and I just don't know where the summer months have gone...just far to quickly for my liking. What a shame about all your veg stuff getting ruined, so disheartening after all the time and effort you spend on them, especially if you grow them from seed. Congrats on the sweet corn tho and the rowan trees.
Unfortunately i seem to have more failures than successes........just due to the weather and the rabbits bascially...or maybe it is my lack of gardening skills after all! Must say I am proud of my hanging baskets this year, best I have ever done, all with trailing begonias. Mind you I think begonias are def in this year cos every town has them in their tubs and baskets! Fuschias used to be my favourites but I think begonias have overtaken them, especialy the really big flower heads..they are abs beautiful. I have some stunning ones in the greenhouse. I also put begonias and pansies [separately] in the hanging pouches which look good too..thanks to my idea of putting a length of hose in amongst the plants so that the water can get right to the bottom.
Tomatoes in the greenhouse need a bit more warmth to go red, but the 100's and 1000's plants are certainly living up to their name! I took some seeds from crocosmia which are now growing well. I know you can divide the clumps, but its just fun to try different things out. Also got about a dozen lupin plants doing very nicley from seeds collected.
Harvested my first potatoes this week, grown in a bag......first time I've growns spuds, so very proud of them too! Going to grow different varieties next year.
I keep meaning to put a pic of my Desfontania on here, but just haven't got round to it. Its something different, looks like a holly bush but with red trumpet flowers on it. I have a couple of small cuttings if anyone is interested?
I often dream of living 'down South ' and being able to grow what ever I wanted, in warmer climes, but maybe that would be too easy...gardening in Caithness is certainly a challenge!.....but a most enjoyable one. Happy Gardening fellow gardeners!

[porshiepoo]

Ah MB, it seems we both wish for the warmer climes of the southern regions!
However, having lived there, I can honestly say that I can pretty much grow similar stuff up here - even though we're very exposed and smack nest to the sea. I just have to do it differently here. I have to be more aware of shelter and wind breaks but once those are established pretty much anything grows.
My hanging baskets are looking amazing this year too - perhaps it's because it's the first time I've ever really put some thought into them. I've filled many hangers with Fuchsia (my fave), some trailer I forget the name of and Petunias. They all look great and have even survived this blast of rain and wind we've just had. :)
As for my remaining veg, they seem OK. I lost my last Cucumber plant to the dreaded mould so I need to really re-think things before next year.
My Parsnips are huge and v tasty, the Leeks are getting there and the Carrots we've had have been massive.
My last Cabbage was cut and chopped but thrown away when I discovered tiny worms in it - Erghhh!
And I have a feeling that the wind has rocked my Brussel plants too much and is producing blown sprouts.

Still, it's just my second year of veg growing so it's all a learning curve and next year will be much better - hopefully!

I too have tried my hand at cuttings and seeds. I have a fair few Leycesteria ready for next year, Tree Lupins grown from seed (with more seed collected this year), Holly cuttings, Fuchsia cuttings (can never get it right), climber cuttings and Olearia Cuttings.

I love gardening!!!!!!!!!!!

[changilass]

I grew tatties in IKEA bags, because they are free draining and raised abouve ground they didn't get blight, the few that were in the ground were just rotten with the blight. I have tomatoes that were left outside (I thought they were dead so left them) got fruit on them.

As you say PP owt remotely cabbage like needs protection from yon pesky caterpillers - jeez they are greedy sods.

The Wee man brought peas home from school but the poor things drowned in all the bliddy rain.

Building raised beds and putting plenty of sand in with the mix for drainage so hopefully will have more luck next year.

[Anne x]

Grew my tomatoes in gro bags have a good crop especially Sun Gold & Sweet Million my Ailsa Craig need a little bit more sun to ripen

Cucumbers were a disaster succumbed to mould had 1 crop and lots of flowers on my Courgettes but succumbed to mould

Red and Green peppers were both good and thrived I got a few nice ones

planted 3 crowns of Rhubarb so hoping for results next year also my first season of Blueberry quite a lot of berries on it

Strawberry plants were fine , Herbs and lettuce thrived

forgot Beetroot great success

really have enjoyed it this year my plastic house was worth it

[KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN]

firsy year of growing veg and everything a success despite our haphazard planting and not very good weeding and thinning......

hauled out ground tonight - sorry posted this couple of times already this pic tonight - just soo excited...haha

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/MAFGERS/0_12.jpg

[KEEP_ON_TRUCKIN]

actually did have a failure because the horse ate the strawberry plants haha

[skinnydog]

I forgot we had strawberries too, they were good but only a few were ripening at a time so not enough for the 3 of us to all sit down to a bowlful. They were so tasty, 100 times better than shop ones.

Any ideas on how to protect plants from the dreaded caterpillars??