DS has just 'harvested' all of my parsnips

[Kveta]

I actually cried. :(

I planted parsnip seeds out 4 times this year, 3 times were followed by frost and thus nothing germinating. 4th time, I got 5 parsnip plants growing, and was quietly pleased, thinking they will do nicely for a roast meal in the autumn!

whole veg bed is netted against toddler and local shitting cats, so all was going well.

then today, I was distracted for a second and the little sod got into the netting and pulled up all 5 of them for no reason. he could have gone for the carrots or the beetroot which are going to seed, or the sage bush that's taking over, but no, it was my precious parsnips. all about 1cm long and growing beautifully!

what with the broccoli (gone to seed in the rain), courgettes (lost every plant but 2 to frost, then lost one to slugs, and the remaining one is only sending out male flowers, the cabbages (kicked over by DS when I was hardening them off) and the beetroot which have all gone to seed, I am wondering why I bothered going into the garden this season :(

next year I'm electrifying the netting

[peeriebear]

Put them back in?
I feel your disappointment, the only thing I have successfully raised this year is sugar snap peas. Everything else has been a washout.

[Grumpla]

Oh you poor thing. It is so discouraging when all your hard work comes to nought.

Comfort yourself with the fact that NEXT year he will be big enough to terrify with muttered threats about what will happen reason with.

I haven't really bothered with veg this year, was too sore / stiff whilst pregnant and now have tiny DS2 to juggle, but the rain does seem to be good for the blackberry bushes round my way though. Hopefully even if what you've planted don't work out you still have a chance to forage! You can focus on getting the soil all ready for next season.

Failing that, a toddler-height fence / raised beds / old playpen around your plants?

[Grumpla]

I wouldn't bother transplanting btw IME thy fork if disturbed.

Maybe tiny weeny parsnip canapés?

[Kveta]

would they survive if replanted? will try it but doubt they'll come to anything.

Grumpla I didn't put much energy into the garden due to very vomity pregnancy, but have a large raised bed which I planted up -it's this he got at.

and next summer I'll have a 1 year old to contend with too!

not cut out to be a parent really...

[UnChartered]

i feel your pain

i managed to germinate and start off a whole row of parsnips at the allotment last year

DH pulled them up as he said (and i quote) 'they were all leaves'

we don't have the allotment anymore

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Oh no! I feel your pain, our strawberries have been rubbish this year and the other week, DS picked any that we did have while they were still green

We scaled back this year due to having 2 under 2.5 as I couldn't cope with it all, and am so glad we did as what we do have hasn't done very well The only thing that is flourishing is the blackberry bush we planted last year... I can see us having a lot of crumbles this autumn

[Kveta]

oh god, I forgot the strawberries, they were harvested as soon as they went pink. I'm just waiting on him attacking the plum tree, as we have about 8 plums on it, all very green, just inviting little hands to pluck them.

there's always next year I suppose

[fengirl1]

'Heel' them back in. They will develop fine hairy roots all over but will be absolutely fine. You can do this with carrots too. (Heeling in means dig straight down with a spade and open up a slit wide enough for them in the soil. Put them in and then firm the soil with your heel!)

[Kveta]

thanks fen will try that if DD ever stops feeding today :o

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Last night on Gardeners' World, lovely Monty was listing those things that can still be sown/planted now, so get onto iPlayer and then fill the gaps with something else.

quite liking the electrified fence idea

[PurplePidjin]

I went bonkers last year at next door but one's 3 and 2yo for picking all my green strawberries (open plan balcony arrangement, but clearly on my "bit" and tbh it was the smug self-entitlement of the twat of a dad letting them do it that most outraged me)

This year they rotted on their stalks, mostly. And my peas all drowned because stupid poundstretcher don't put stupid holes in their stupid pits and we had all that stupid rain a couple of months ago

We got seed potatoes today, should be ready about October/November if you want something substantial. I also get good results with trays of cut-and-come-again salad on the window sill. Takes 2-3 weeks, nice instant results :o

[PurplePidjin]

PS if the dc had picked and eaten ripe strawberries I'd have been thrilled. The amount of McDonalds cartons that family left blowing around was disgraceful

[WhispersOfWickedness]

Oh, potatoes! That is the other thing that is doing monumentally well in our garden. The only trouble is that we didn't plant them. They are growing in the place we dumped the compost after harvesting potatoes last year