Vegetables for current climate

[Frostycottagegarden]

I've been growing veg in raised beds for years, with decent success. This year, due to divorce and impending house move, I moved to an allotment.

Absolutely fantastic place, but very wild (backs onto woods and fields). The weeds are really something else, and we have deer, rabbits and rats. I'm told by everyone there, it's a constant battle against nature.

And then the weather! I've obviously been fighting slugs all year. Lot 50% of my potatoes to them, all my green beans, 75% of my runners, all my cabbages/cauli/ outdoor cucumber. Carrots took 4 goes to germinate. Rats have eaten my courgettes over night.

And, literally overnight, I've lost my entire tomato crop to blight. Fine on Sunday, gone by Tuesday!

So, next year - what can I grow that doesn't mind a cold start, and likes hot wet weather?

Oh, and beer traps, bran etc for slugs - I can only assume I've got some fat, drunk rats, because every trap.was empty, and not a sign of a slug.

The trouble is, next year could be the other way round - we.might have a hot dry spring and cold wet summer. All you can do is grow a mix and hope. Every year will have some failures.

Given the rat problem I'd avoid anything potentially edible as slug control. You could try wool, nematodes, or the various sprays that make plants less palatable to pests.

Nematodes are excellent for slugs - my hostas are almost untouched, and I don't do anything else to protect them, apart from one treatment in April time.

Nematodes and garlic washes help with slugs. After two mild winters and wet springs, everywhere is really suffering with them.

Netting things off (chicken wire for the rats) can help with the pests on an allotment, but there’s only so much you can do.

Tomato blight is a nightmare for outdoor tomatoes everywhere. I have lost them all so often both on allotments and in the garden.

The second you see any blight on a plant, pick all the unripe, unaffected fruit and make green tomato chutney or something similar to avoid a total loss.

This is the worst year I have ever had grown fruit and veg. I can't imagine having to add deer and rabbits on top of everything else! Are you sure this allotment is worth it?

For me raspberries are usually the best performers, whether wet or dry. I had great peas and garlic this year in my polytunnel. The outside ones did less well, but still good.

It's worth it, simply because it's a great place to go to and escape. It got me off antidepressants this year, which was a bonus.

I think you're right - I started with Nematodes, but the cost became too much (did I mention the awful marriage and divorce..) but I think I'll try again next year. Beer straps clearly not going to work.

I have some wired fencing up, after the rabbits ate the first load of pea shoots over night, and I think it's held the rabbits off, but not the rats. They dance around the place. Of I arrive at 7am, they all scamper away - dozens of rabbits, squirrels and rats.

So, keep to a wide mix of veg, and higher security. And nematodes.

Try sinking a bucket in the soil and filling with rain water. with some stones, or wood to allow anything that falls in to climb out. You should then get frogs which will eat the slugs - i have practically none, though do still struggle with snails.

I was thinking of doing this, but would the water make the rat problem worse?

The natural way to do it would be a wildlife pond, to attract slug eating animals, and then a cat, to kill the rats!

Not sure about the rats drinking the water. OUr site was over-run with them and i too struggled to grow anything. The council put poison down in the end, which after a couple of years did get rid of the rats.

Rice?

My raspberries and strawberries have done well. Everlasting onions, chives, broccoli, perennial kale, perennial rocket, oregano. Potatoes and tomatoes are behind but fine. Later potatoes I put in after harvesting first earlies are being attacked by slugs, these were just ones sprouting in the cupboard and sprouting ends cut off and planted though. Nettles have done wonderfully.

Oh, and the garlic did well.

Growing a large variety intermingled and starting everything off at home and only bringing it to the allotment when it's quite sturdy is my strategy. Also lots of perennials as they do best. I also have lots of fleece tunnels for the cold starts and I mulch heavily in spring ready for the dryer summer. Because of all the potato growing tomatoes always get blight on our allotment. I'm trying Crimson Crush this year that is supposed to be resistant, not sure yet. Beans of all kinds seem very resilient if they are started off at home first, artichokes, perpetual spinach, blackcurrants, raspberries, gooseberries etc I grow loads of different kinds of fruit.

Ive found crimson crush to be pretty resilient to blight, for the last couple of years anyway.