another failed patch :(

[Costanza]

I'm a disaster when it come to gardening. For the second year running I'ce cocked up my veggie patch.

I would really love to be able to have a steady supply of veg next year - can anyone help me?! We have loads of space.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

What do you mean you cocked it up? What did you do? Have you got a photo?

[ShoeWhore]

What happened Constanza ?

Tell us a bit more about the plot - which direction does it face? How much sun does it get? What did you try to grow?

[Costanza]

Well, I guess it's not completly ruined. It's just all ready at the same time (gem lettuce), or all too bunched together so not very big (beetroot/radishes). The aubergines have stopped growing. The potatoes are green and the tomatoes non existent! I need a plan of action, I think. I want to write out exactly what I should be doind and when so I can follow it ibstwad of just winging it - I've no gardening talent!

[Costanza]

It gets sun from about 11 - 6 at the moment. Obviously longer in June/July/August.

[Costanza]

Can anyone recommend a step by step book? I would love to beself veg-sufficient next year.

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

Hessayon- the vegetable expert is very good.

My veg was awful this year. I was ill and so were the children around the time I normally plant out and it all went to pot from there. Even my courgettes which I am normally inundated with decided not to try this year.

[TheWomanTheyCallJayne]

www.amazon.co.uk/The-Vegetable-Herb-Expert-best-selling/dp/0903505460?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[dreamingofsun]

i second hessayon. i also use the rhs website and one that i find by googling 'growing vegetables on a leeds allotment plot'.

sounds like you should have thinned your beetroot out when they were seedlings. are you watering? Are you giving them some compost? did you earth up your pots?

i've just got a plot and i've noticed that even the seasoned experts have failures and just put it down to nature - they expect it each year.

the rhs one has a monthly section on things to do thats useful.

[FunkyBoldRibena]

Lettuce - sow little and often. If you really need 30 lettuces in one week then sow 30 on one day - most of us don't.

I put a succession sowing seed pack together, includes lettuce, spring onions, beetroot, radishes, pak chio, Kohl rabi and other short season veg together and sow a small row every fortnight. Give you a longer season. Beets and radishes, take the larger ones, and leave the smaller ones to keep growing. Radishes that go to seed, pick the pods and have them in stir fries etc.

Aubreys - greenhouse or poly only I am afraid.

Potatoes - should all be out now but they go green if not out of sunlight so work on more mulching next time.

tomatoes - indoors are best but my outdoor ones have only just started colouring.

Planning what to grow, mixing up your varieties, sowing little and often will help.

Grow some perennials, strawbs, rasps and other fruits can make a huge dent in your diet. Also, look at french beans that can be eaten green, shelled or dried - and grow up so take up little room. Bunching onions can be left in the ground, just taking some when you need it.

Try looking at a detailed planner, such as the schools ones on Garden Orgnaic's website www.gardenorganic.org.uk/schools A35 gives you a good breakdown of what you can grow and when you need to do stuff.

For now - you can sow winter crops as we still have time, or go to a garden centre and see what veg is being sold; if you can't find any then sow some green manures and do more planning for next season.

Overwintering onions, garlics, leeks, brassicas eg kales, winter lettuces, pak choi etc can all go in now if you get hold of the seedlings/cloves/bulbs.

[ididyeah]

I'm a total beginner but to me it sounds like you have some promising stuff in there! I got brown potatoes by earthing them up - apparently that stops the greening - and planted five courgette plants so obviously now I have millions of them.

My best source of info is my mum, who has grown stuff for donkey's years and knows how clueless I am. Is there an allotment with handy veg growers you could find, or a neighbour you could ask for advice in exchange for cake or something - it would work on me (if I had the knowledge to help you)!

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

It's all a learning curve though isn't it.

As per Funky's comment, I stick to the perennial stuff; strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, artichokes, asparagus, loads of herbs. Some years I scatter seed for some cut and come again leaves. Beans are easy too; just freeze your glut. And onions can be all harvested at once and strung for storage.