Kitchen Garden Forum

Too hot, too cold, too windy, too dry and now torrential storms over here. I planted out courgettes, pumpkins and climbing beans yesterday, at least ten days later than usual. If they survive this downpour (thunder and sheets of water) I doubt if they'll get through the forecast gales and storms over the weekend.
Am I being pessimistic?
On the plus side, if I give up growing altogether at least I'll have more free time..............

Lol, certainly feels like giving up on the season is the best option at times this year BUT nature always finds a way and it'll all be worth it in the end

VPM
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P.S. And look on the bright side, we're unlikely to experience a year as dire as this again for a while (especially if the the Mayan predictions are correct ).

Don't want to particularly 'rain' on you vegpatchmum, but history does show that a series of bad summers can occur. In the past this would have been disastrous, but we have modern technology to help us out, not to mention greatly improved crops. So plan for the worst and hope for the best. Sorry, bit corny that.

We seem to alwsy think next summer will be better don't we but each one seems to get worse.

One thing we are all in the same boat (just as well with all this rain maybe it ought to be an ark), no doubt vegetable prices will soar next year so anything we get will be worth its weight in gold.

Colin Miles wrote:Don't want to particularly 'rain' on you vegpatchmum, but history does show that a series of bad summers can occur. In the past this would have been disastrous, but we have modern technology to help us out, not to mention greatly improved crops. So plan for the worst and hope for the best. Sorry, bit corny that.

Lol, it's ok Colin but I made a resolution at the start of the year to try and always look on the brightside . It's driving my OH mad , especially as I am making a point of, at the end of each day, finding one positive thing for every single day of the year. So far I've managed it and it seems to be having a positive effect on my family as a whole.

Anyway if you believe the Mayan predictions, 2012 will be the worst year for unsettled and extreme weather conditions but 21st December 2012 will be the turning point, the dawning of a new, calmer age when all things will settle and that includes the weather . In my 'positive for 2012' mode I'm kinda liking this philosophy

Personnaly though, I don't believe the world will end - I believe that is too literall an interpretation.

Next year will be better - have a little faith

VPM
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I'm thinking carry on regardless - without my lottie I'd hide away in weather like this and miss so much of what's going on from nature's perspective, and although the vege reward is extremely variable there is always something doing well while something else suffers a bit.

My red stem celery is loving it, the broad beans are near ready, asparagus shooting up, over wintered onions nice and plump, salad bed just starting to shine - But - the rest is well sulky. The season is not over yet and I'm re-sowing the failures and fingers crossed for an Indian Summer!

Westi

I'm not so pessimistic either. Eating Courgettes, Carrots, Cabbage, Cauliflower, French Beans, Mangetout Peas, Potatoes, Salad and Tomatoes with lots more coming on. Japanese Onions doing best ever, just got a few bought ones to use up then will be on them. Ordinary Onions and Shallots (all from seed) recovered remarkably well from the hailstones that battered them when I first planted them out. All the Brassicas seem to be loving it, Calabrese not far away. Runner Beans are climbing well, Broad Beans full of flower, Peas looking lush. Some outdoor Cucurbits are a bit slow, but how long have we all been growing them, perhaps this is normal. No Sweet Peas yet (I regard them as a vegetable as they are in the rotation) which is a bit late. Soft fruit is looking really plentiful. The major disappointment is going to be a shortage of top fruit. A strange and in some cases late season but not a disaster. Perhaps I have been lucky.

I think it's just that we have been luckier with the weather up north, Geoff. Our vegetables are doing fine, too. Not as advanced as yours, but we are using the overwintered onions, garlic and shallots. The early-sown peas and broad beans are flowering nicely (just hope they will all be pollinated!), the brassicas and leeks are growing like billy-ho, Runner and French beans are out albeit still protected, we are using lots of cut-and-come again lettuce, radishes and all the herbs (other than French tarragon which doesn't like the low temperatures) and celeriac, carrots and parsnips are growing well, too. So, what is not to like about this growing season?

Looks like we'll have to make the most of this latest "mini summer". Another "mini autumn" on its way for the weekend - more rain and wind

Challenging times indeed, Alan.

But i do like a challenge.

I've decided to be optimistic despite several setbacks so far this year, never known stuff to grow so slowly. In fact, I'm so sure it will all turn out ok that I've just lifted my overwintered onions (slightly rusty) which were next to my garlic (very rusty) and planted my late leeks in the same bed. I know.... but there was absolutely nowhere else to put them. Why did I ever think that a half-plot would be big enough

So long as the pumpkins produce 2 decent sized fruit for my little ones to carve for Halloween, then I'll be happy and will cope with whatever shortfalls this years weather creates - got to have pumpkins

VPM
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Looking at my shallots yesterday, have the makings of a very fine crop.

Afternoon Shallot Man, there's plenty of time for White Rot yet....

OH. Thank you for them words of comfort.