I'm Close To Giving Up On The Allotment This Year...
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- This growing season on the allotment so far has been the worst! I really does seem to be one thing after another! This is my 5th year on the allotment and it is by far the worst yet.
The weather has been cool and wet, the slugs are attacking everything, we had the aminopyralid herbicide in the horse manure, and nothing seems to be growing at all.
Looking back at previous years, we are way behind where we should be for this time of year. Usually the allotment vegetable plot is lush and green!
How is your garden looking in July?
I hope this video helps you guys out in some way. And if you're not having a good growing season like me, I hope it makes you feel a bit better. Perhaps you can relate too.
If you enjoyed the watch, press the like button and show your support. It means a lot. If you haven't already subscribed, and want to learn and grow with me, then you may want to consider subscribing to my channel and clicking the 'bell' icon too, and you'll never miss any new videos!
Cheers!
- Jim 🧑🏻🌾
✉️ Contact for questions or colabs: James.evans.gardening97@gmail.com
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Hi Jim I think everybody in the country are experiencing the same problems with vegetables, your doing your best,but I know how disappointing it can be to see your plants destroyed by slugs and other stuff. Don’t give up.😊
Thanks, all we can do is hope next year will be better 🙏🏻
I feel so sorry for anyone who’s in their first year of growing. At least if you’ve had a good year you know that you can again.
Yes me too. It's hard for the more experienced growers. Can only imagine it's a nightmare for beginners. We all need to just hang on in there don't we
Don't give up man, everyone i talk with are having the same problems.
Thanks! I'm going to keep on going!
I have an allotment in the Netherlands and all the other gardeners have experienced the same as you. Unfruitful year for gardening.
Most of them encourage each other saying 'Next year will be a better year".
So, I am letting things go easy while I take a break and not be thinking too much of a harvest because there is indeed very little to harvest.
I will also say to you 'let's hope for a better year next year'.
Yes, let's hope next year will be better! That's what I keep telling myself 😊
Focus on SOIL then!
Fill your empty compost bags with weeds & leaves to hasten their ROT and when you think of them again weeks later, they’ll have broken down. In two years, it’s free potting soil. I love transforming my waste into useful matter this way. Fill those empty bags!
I e worked on my soil for 2 years. Dare I say Im having a great year, everything is doing good. Soil quality definitely is key.
Definitely my plan for next year. I'm building some huge pallet compost bays. I plan on scraping all my old wood chip paths up (several tonnes I think) and composting it with all my green matter. Should make A LOT of good compost in time
You’re doing better than me this year. I planted out all my onions and spring onions (from seed) and then went away for a few days. When I came back they had literally all been eaten. I have never had issues with slug’s eating my onions before this year. My garden and vegetable area is like a slug apocalypse this year. They are even climbing up the front door 😮 trying to get in the house. Last night I went out at dusk and collected up 221 slugs in half an hour. OMG 😢
Same here I've been veg growing for over 50 years and never had as big a slug/snail problem as this year
Had a bed of spring onions that were about a centimetre high, they vanished overnight 😢! Never seen that before! Im now collecting slugs every night to halt the assault.
I put out bird feeders and thought nothing of it, then slugs appeared, gathered those, fed the birds in the morning.
Now I see birds going through the garden looking for more slugs.
Predators vs slugs, I hadn't expected this, but it does help.🤷
Whaaaat! I don't know what's more impressive, your dedication to collect and count 221 slugs or their special ability to get into your house!
What a nightmare though! Hope things improve for you!
Im so sorry to see so many people having a terrible year. All that effort nurturing seedlings and young plants, to get very little or nothing back must be devastating. We all have the odd thing fail now and again and thats always a disappointment, but we accept it as part of gardening. But this year seems to be so bad for so many.
Im definitely not gloating or trying to rub it in, but im having my best year yet, by far. Everything is doing well, except my melons becaise i planted them too late. I really think the success is due to my soil. Ive worked on it for 2 years (this is my 3rd year growing) ive invested some of the money im saving by being self sufficient, into good quality compost and manure for my beds and its paid off in dividends.
My growing conditions are less than ideal, my garden is north facing and half of it is shaded by a really high wall (40ft) till 12 noon, in the height of summer. Winter the whole garden gets no sun at all. Also i cant rotate my major crops like onions, carrots, brassicas, because of the shade, my garden is basically divided into 2 halves, shaded and full sun (in summer) so this is my 3rd year growing everything in the same beds. I thought it would be a disaster, but it is quite the opposite.
Despite all of this im self sufficient, year round from my 70m square shaded back garden. I credit my success to following steves seaside kitchen garden and allotment, here on youtube. Ive acheived things i didnt even know were possible thanks to steve. Check him out if you havent already and work on that soil. Hope things improve for everyone. The forecast is looking up next week.
Gardening in the shade can be a challenge. Half my plot gets shade through most of the day so I have noticed some things struggle. Council are supposed to be cutting them back but I'm very dubious about that. Good to hear your self sufficient, well done! That's a challenge and a massive achievement!
Totally agree….. Steves Seaside Allotment is the best! So helpful, shares to much to help you become year round growers. His data base is brilliant. Can’t believe he doesn’t have more subscribers.
@@alisonforrester4612 yes, I know! I dint think he wants tons of subscribers to his channel though because it'll lose the personal touch. He gives so much help and advice in the comments section. It'd be hard to do that with 100k subscribers. Wish more people would subscribe to his newsletter though andd donate. He really deserves it.
You need Frogs young man YES Frogs. 🐸
Those lil green blighters are slug and snail hoovers . Give them two seasons and nature will retake control. It’s as easy as getting an old bath or pond filling it with rain water keeping it filled then “ relocating “ some frog spawn and let nature and your new green friends to do their stuff
Some of the birds species too. Didn't know, but they're combing the garden for the slugs.
Hello Jim never give up. Talk to people find out the way they do things.
When using slug pellets don’t let the pellets sit on the leaves, that is asking for trouble.
As for slugs and snails , a friend of mine went to the Chelsea flower show and he has given me a recipe for keeping slugs and snails off your plants.
Take 2 full bulbs of garlic and add them to approximately 2L of water in a saucepan.
Boil until soft with the back of a fork to release as much juice as possible.
Sieve out skins and bits so you are left with a cloudy liquid concentrate.
Dilute approximately 2 tablespoons to 5L of water in a sprayer or watering can.
Spray or water over your plants once a week.
High dosage and more regular applications may be needed in wet weather.
Good luck hope it works for you.
Love you vids 👍
or ducks
Agree! I have two sets of French climbing beans planted. One by my pond and wilder area and one in a raised bed. The ones in the raised bed have been eaten by slugs twice over, along with carrots. The ones by the pond have been fine. The pond is full of frogs.
I made a small pond a couple years back. I'll include it in a future update. it's tiny though.. consists of two large containers buried into the ground. Filled with elodea crispa oxygenators and some other pond plants. I've seen a few frogs hopping about, no frogspawn though
Same here in north Lincolnshire, makes me wonder if the investment in just compost is worth it . There’s a lot of explanations for it on the net , chemtrails included , just look at the 10 day forecast , clouds , clouds , clouds .
Plants go into dormancy if the weathers not warm enough , hence the slow growth .
I’m more than disappointed with my garden , only harvested potatoes , which are really small , peas and strawberries, but nothing in abundance
Can’t justify the amount of time and money I’ve pumped into the garden when there’s still produce in the supermarkets .
Good luck . Hang on in there
It's very disappointing to say the least! It's easy to be demotivated when the supermarkets are loaded with fruit and veg, albeit sprayed with chemicals. At least the food we do manage to grow is going to be free from God knows what they're spraying on the commercially grown stuff. We need to hang on in there!
Hi Jim. I really feel for you. The slugs have been relentless and the herbicide damage was just awful. Your poor peppers. My tomatoes are struggling due to the weather. My cucumbers are pitiful and I lost half my main crop potatoes to blight. I only had one courgette plant survive and even it looks sickly. My peas, lettuces and by the looks of it beans, are doing well. I got some nice broccoli too. The rest is meh! We just need to keep ploughing on and take wins when we can.
Thank you Mags, and ditto. Same boat as me by the sounds of it. I'm so thankful that my main crop potatoes are blight resistant and look okay for now. At least there are lots of cool season crops like your peas lettuce and broccoli and also beans don't mind the weather too much. Happy growing to you and let's hope we have a hot august 😂😂😂😂😂
I think this is the third year that the summers have made growing crops difficult at some stage during the season. If this continues, maybe we will have to rethink how, what and when we grow crops to accommodate weather patterns. Today I saw my first Cabbage White Butterfly which seems late for their unwelcome appearance. Anyway, you are coping well against adversity and today it is sunny, warm and the wind has abated.
I agree the weather has improved somewhat. Even talks of a heatwave next week. But stuff is already behind! And the blight has arrived too, so I fear it is now getting too late
It's a washout. I feel exactly the same, but we can't give up. I feel gutted. Put so much effort in. Just got to keep going ❤
It's a deluge! Been like this for the last couple of years now. This is probably going to become a regular thing sadly. I hope next year is better!
Jim, go look at prices for what you're growing, even if it seems disappointing. You might be surprised at how much you ARE getting for the rewards of what you are doing. I did that and was astonished to find out a few pots of veg are saving me considerably money.
Oddly enough, it might be worthwhile going for the "cool" crops if you start them now from seed.
Unfortunately the weather will continue to be chaotic from now on.
The upside is by using your allotment, your sequestering carbon, a net benefit for nature.
Go see Eli and Kate. Eli spoke about seeing "perfect" gardens and the whole "comparing" mental stressors. I found it a bit of relief.
So true! Stuff like lettuce, rhubarb, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, just to name a few are getting pricey!
Having the exact same issues and thoughts. Last week me and my partner decided to move as much stuff as we could from the allotment into our garden green house and beds where the slugs are slightly more manageable. We work full time and extra time constraints this weather forces upon us means this could be our last year as allotment holders. I may just turn all the beds that ain't bogs into low maintenance potato and onion beds next year.
You could always cover with weed suppressant membrane, stick containers ontop and grow in them
After stumbling across & watching your video, I can honestly say you’re fairing better than most. Subscribing so you’d better not give up!😂 For various reasons, we’re up against people acting as Gods, whom came up with the idea of spraying the stratosphere in an attempt to fill in the hole in the ozone. As we’re now in the lap of these ‘Gods’, next year, concentrate on growing what did well this year.
Everyone I know is having huge problems with slugs! These last few weeks, I’ve been out scattering (very thinly) bicarbonate of soda am now seeing a positive decrease.
As for the yellowing tomato plant leaves, I believe they’re due to them being colder than they’d normally be.
Anyhow, don’t give up. Good luck 🤞
Not going to be giving up, just felt like it at times lately! This year is the worst yet! I'm intrigued by your bicarbonate of soda method. Do you sprinkle that around your plants or on the slugs themselves? What does that do to the slugs?
Would love to learn more about your blueberries. They look really good! Things like what variety, how many plants, what do you feed them, what size pot do you have etc.
Don't give up. In 30 years of gardening my tomatoes have died on me. Im just concentrating on my onions and beans now, thoroughly clean out weeds etc. Just praying for better next year.
Did you see that report that a Met Office whistleblower said they are purposely spraying clouds for rain?
I saw that.
They are out chemtrailing here too in Ireland and then the next few days are terrible wet and windy , it has been going on for ages now , they don’t want us to grow our own vegetables, they want us to eat their heavily sprayed fruit and vegetables. Terrible time for farmers , that is why the Farmers are up in arms in Europe.
People want to eat more healthily, stay healthy, but that is no good for Big Pharma they want us all sick . How would they ever survive if people were healthy.
Sad world we are living in 10 companies own all the food and drink companies in the world, 5 companies own all the media, tv , ect. Spraying us from the skies, poisoning our fruit and vegetables, chemicals in all the other food we eat , and of course the poison fluoride in our drinking water. We are all only alive by the will of God. ❤
Yes I've seen that
.? 19:31
I had to laugh this morning I was painting the fascia on my bungalow and almost painted a snail that was tucked in a corner of the gutter gee whizz!
I’m with you, to top it off our council are charging for green bins. Thinking of growing from home now.
Funny that, as they'll be making compost from it and selling that too! What do we pay extortionate council tax prices for? To pay for extras like green bin disposal of course 😂
It’s called geoengineering!
Absolutely right😢
@@ChristineNora-zy6ht it’s sickening what’s being done. I’m a professional gardener, I notice what’s going on every day and it’s lost me a lot of work hours this and last year. There must be lots of little outdoor businesses like mine struggling because of it.
@@anitachisnell8412 that’s a great shame, I feel for you & others trying to make a living with what’s going on😢
@@ChristineNora-zy6ht thank you Christine, I do too for others, the farmers are really suffering, it’s hard enough with the way the government is trying to get rid of many of them and cut food production down, but the weather is affecting crop growth, grass for feeds etc, it’s terrible just so that they can back up their climate change and net zero scam. It’s all one big corporate land, wealth grab and government control of the world populations. It’s not just in our country, it’s everywhere.
I'm so sorry to hear that. It's bad for hobbyists like myself at the allotment but I can imagine it's much worse for those who have businesses. I feel for the farmers who are struggling too. I can't figure out why they'd want to control the weather
So with you! Like you seriously thinking of giving up after 20 years - worst year ever. No gooseberries, blackcurrants, highly unlikely to have courgettes (can you believe it!). Runner beans coming, tomatoes just about hanging on but looking traumatised. Have quite a good crop of onions and potatoes so far. Lots of bindweed, my nemesis. Allotment is my happy place but this year just causing me stress. I just keep thinking, for me, it will not be until April next year that I can start sowing again as I don’t do winter crops, 9 months!! But then everyone is in the same boat. Good luck.
I keep saying gardening is my hobby and the allotment is my get away place. So I'm accepting the things going wrong and just not letting it bother me anymore
Plant crops that enjoy those climatic conditions. Keep striving! Don't win or lose, learn.
Going to adapt and grow more things that do well next year 😊
Hi jim things can only get better mate.🙏👌💪
Thankfully I think they are going into August!
We’re all in the same boat this year it seems. We’ve had a feast of courgettes and cucumbers, I think we’re turning green! I have nightmares about slugs. Our allotment is 8 miles away so we can’t get down to collect the slugs but woodlice are eating everything on our plot, even our potato tops were stripped! Never known that before. We’re not giving up, we have no garden so Lotty is our only growing and sitting place.
It is disheartening but what’s been eaten will fill the compost heap for next year.
Oh forgot to say, here on the South East coast we’ve got the moth with the unpronounceable name that lays its eggs in the sweet corn, that arrived two years ago!
Never give up, just plan for a bumper crop of celery or watercress next year! 😂😂
Don't give up
the muliple holes in your pepper leaves is also indicative of flea beetles being present in numbers................brian
Even the venerable C Dowding is having problems this year!
It's out of everyone's control, even the most experienced!
Hi Jim im from Northern Ireland and its the same here too. A disasters year. Next year i will be making changes as to what i grow. Keep the chin up mate 👍
Cheers! I'm also planning next year already! I've found things may do well one year then awful the next
Thanks love for making this video. It’s a crazy year this year. I am 54 and I’ve never seen it so bad. I’ve started my over winter crops early as I’ve given up on an Irish summer 🤷♀️ it’s bad for everyone by all accounts so don’t give up pet 💚
Thank you 😊 I'm glad I'm not the only one!
Don’t give up. Just been to my allotment - only a month on this plot. Yesterday, I had carrots and lots of beans coming, today I have a wasteland. The slugs have eaten most of them (but not the Borlotti beans, so they will go on the list for next year). It’s cold and wet, but we’ll make it - there’s always next year!
That's true there is always next year. I'll never give up on gardening as it's my hobby. But I sure have felt like it at times
Hi, you are a very busy family man. You could try cultivating your soil for a year or two, and not give up your allotment. You have a nice garden with success and failure…..you should not give up💕
I may just simplify things next year because as usual I've gone overboard 😂 trouble is I like to grow everything! I've put too much work and effort into my plot in 5 years to give it up and would never do such a thing, but it makes me want to pack most things up and grow just a few things this year and try again next year
@@downtoearthwithjim overwhelmed here also….trying to garden in this crazy weather (too dry and hot here) southwest Washington state USA. This year I am growing lots of the basics, onions, potatoes, carrots…..things we enjoy eating. 😊every year I say “this is my last year gardening “😊 I will be 70 soon, I keep coming back! I have been complaining about the weather, seems like for 20 years.
I have been allotmenting for 30 + years and this season is the worst. Never seen this combination of warm wet winter, followed by cool dry, then wet Spring. Though even summer 2023 was not exactly great. If you do get to the point of giving up, just stop, cover the soil with anything and give yourself a break.
I'm probably going to plant some winter brassicas in my spud buckets when they've finished and then clear most things in September for the winter. It's a lot to keep on top of when you work full time, make UA-cam videos, and have a family too. I feel better knowing I'm not the only one though. Thank you for your comment 💚
@@downtoearthwithjim totally understand about the work bit. A couple years ago I would get criticised by the old boys for too many weeds but keeping up while juggling work is hard.
Oh lord Jim 😢 thank god for greenhouses and poly tunnels. It’s is an insane year for sure but don’t give up every year is different and let’s just hope next year is bumper. We are having the same problem but the other end of the spectrum it has been drought and insane heat weeks of 38c 🥵 and we could not even go outside. Chin up keep going we’d totally miss you if you stopped, Ali 🌞25c 🇨🇦
Looks like everyone is stealing the warm weather haha 😂 mainland Europe and the states having summer weather whilst the UK is perched in the middle under cold and cloud 😂 want to swap?
Not giving up Ali just disheartened and was thinking of cutting back for the rest of this year to gather back my motivation and start a fresh next year. It's been numerous things causing issues this year not just the weather. If I can make sure those things don't happen next year then I may have a better year next year even if the weather is rubbish again. Happy growing to you 💚
@@downtoearthwithjim I can understand that for sure, and I think it’s a great idea then to regroup and plan for a better year. I don’t have a huge space to grow but I am always looking for easier ways to garden 😂😂 and as usual those easier ways mean changes to existing so more work at the start. And inevitably the plans always entails changes mid season 🤦♀️. I hope you can get all the updates done to make life easier for you as it’s great to have fresh but not at the expense of your mental well being. Have an amazing week ahead and chin up 👍
Oh Jim Jim Jim. I feel ya, mate. As you know this is my first year growing and having nothing to compare with, I'm finding the effort doesn't seem to yield the rewards I'd hoped for. If every year was like this year I'd be paving over my garden. But you and others have inspired me to accept that this year is an exception. Previous years (and therefore future years) can be a completely different experience - hopefully moving forward a more positive experience.
Cheers Rich. How's the allotment going for you in your first year?
Several years ago, the weather was atrocious here in New Zealand, stinging nettle was up to my chest on the parh way crops had disappeared under the weeds, corn etc was not growing, nighttime temperatures in the middle of summer was 4 degrees.
Blimey! I thought you guys had some decent weather down there!
don't give up man, same here in Belgium, had almost freezing temperatures in the morning in July. Yet I enjoyed my new potatoes the other day, the bits of spinach, strawberries. On the other hand it has been a bumper year for currants. Your harvests are amazing especially given the conditions.
I've had some good harvests over the past 5 years so I know what my plot can produce. Just this year has everything going wrong at once! How do you eat your new potatoes? We make our own garlic herb butter and cook them in the air fryer smothered with that 😋 delicious!
@@downtoearthwithjim the ones from the garden I simply steam them, the simple taste is amazing (to me at least :-) )
I think everyone will is in the same boat, it's very frustrating though. A lot of what I've planted has been eaten by slugs or is growing very slowly. On the upside, I've had loads of lettuce which escaped the slugs for some reason, and my cucumbers are doing brilliantly.
Don't give up! I enjoy your videos and it is nice to see someone being honest about how difficult this growing season has been.
I feel sorry for the farmers who rely on a crop so they can make a living/feed themselves. It's just cloudy every single day, no wonder nothing is growing!
Thank you! I like to show the ups and downs, right now there are a lot of the downs, all part of gardening!
You've got a lovely allotment such hard work it's all very disappointing though
Thank you. I've put many hours into it over the last 5 years. Had a few good seasons though, just this year is the worst yet
Don't give up!!!! We are all in the same boat my harvest is the worst that I can remember in rural North Wales
Lots of rain in north Wales I bet 🌧️
Keep going Jim! This northern european weather is getting so many people down.
As a proper newbie I have loads of great container potatoes thanks to your encouragement, lots of onions and garlic…
However, 2 x tomatoes and 1 stunted cucumber so far despite a poly tunnel- this is all progress thanks to you! Love from a wintry County Clare ☘️
Glad to hear about your wonderful potatoes onions and garlic! My maincrops (blight resistant) have blight now! And onions are still quite small. Another update going up in a couple of days, finally a harvest! All the best 💚
@@downtoearthwithjim Looking forward to it Jim. Thanks I appreciate your hard work as you must have such a busy life!
PS bad luck re the potatoes 🌱
@@elizabethnash7491 I always manage to find time for the things I love the most 🧑🏻🌾 it's hard work juggling everything though at times! Life just gets busy doesn't it
Ive made loads of compost from my failed plants this year. Compost on toast for dinner.. 😅
Haha 😂 at least you'll be building up quality soil. One of my aims is to improve my soil and without manure
@@downtoearthwithjim yes defo mate. If u looking for some non manure stuff that's not as precious as your compost try scavenging some soil at the base of a tree. You probably know about leaf mould already but I just think it's amazing because it adds so many microbes and moisture retention and drainage all at once.
Dont give up Jim it looks like weather will start warming up next week.
It certainly has a bit!
Same thing over here in Washington state! Everything is so behind schedule and the snails are so abundant. It’s heartbreaking really
Those slugs thrive in these cool wet conditions!
I feel exactly the same jim
I'm gutted I've got no tomato beans or peas yet it's been rough this year I feel depressed going to the allotment I've got empty beds in JULY 😭😭😭 Don't apologise for having weeds WE ALL HAVE THEM keep it real show us the good the bad the ugly. Keep plodding along pal. ❤
Thank you Emma. I hope things improve for you too. Perhaps we should just focus on the good and start planning for next year. Sadly the winter isn't too far away but it'll give us a rest and give us time to get things ready for next year which will hopefully be a better year! Happy growing 😊
This video gave me a good laugh 😂
Yeah, I am struggling in a similar way. I’ve got ridiculous cucumber plants at the moment that are less than a foot tall with what look like cocktail sausage sized cucumbers on them!
What varieties are they? My mini munch cucumbers are pathetic right now. Usually they go crazy
@@downtoearthwithjim I also grew mini munch.
Relax; we'll get there just as the first frost strikes!!!
It feels like things are only just properly growing and it'll be autumn soon!
Yes Jim we are all in the same boat. We had the heating on at home on the 8th.
The few tomatoes I had in my polytunnel all turned black in the bottom. I was feeling just like you, all we need are a few sunny days to cheer us all up. 4 times I have sown courgette seed and the only one plant I have looks like it’s dying.
That sounds like blossom end rot with your tomatoes to me. A calcium issue. But rather than being caused directly by lack of calcium in the soil it's usually a problem with too much water or too little. The roots either dry out and die or become too wet and rot from incorrect watering and then the plant cannot access calcium in the soil. Hope you get it sorted 😊
Gotta be honest been feeling the same the weather is killing my mood so much now!!!
Just seems to be cloud cloud cloud day in day out!
My aubergine looks identical to yours. Lots of flowers and healthy leafy growth, but any aubergine fruits are very small. Mine are growing hydroponically, so I'm fairly certain I've given them the right conditions, aside from the weather.
In contrast, my peppers are thriving this year, against all odds. There is a handful of crops that do amazingly well in hydroponics for me, and not that great in the ground. Peppers and melons are an example. I've been harvesting a few ripe chillies every week now, and just beginning to harvest sweet peppers from my Lipstick plant. The Marconi long peppers in my allotment greenhouse are looking incredible, largest pepper plant I've ever grown, and the fruit count and size are looking very promising. If you like your peppers I strongly encourage you to try out a simple kratky system. Literally a bucket of nutrient-water with the plant suspended above, roots partly submerged. No pumps, no air stone, no expensive systems. Nutrient powders are a lot cheaper than compost too.
Nice one! I'm not a fan of chillies, I prefer the sweet bell peppers. I've never tried hydroponic but may try in the future!
Don't give up, there are lots of us getting poor crops, slugs drive us crazy to. If it's going to remain cool plant peas beans and brassica instead, along with reddish lettuce. My tomatoes are in flower and I've seen 2 tomatoes so far. Nasturtium is also doing well.
Sown more lettuce, getting more brassicas sown this month for over wintering hopefully. Nasturtiums always go mental 😂 happy gardening!
It has been the worst year for me too. The only thing that looks promising are my tomatoes. To prevent snails and slugs getting to my peppers, I protect them using organza bags.
They're a good idea I've seen people using them for strawberries too!
It's not just you. In my part of the US, we've had one issue after another. Too much rain. Insects. Instant heat and humidity. More insects. Not enough rain. (BTW - still more insects). This has been an extremely challenging year for gardening. But, I'm trying to keep plants alive and planning for a fall garden.
Just keep on going, we've got this!
don't hate me but my allotment is doing really well. Broadbean harvest was good. Now picking Peas, courgettes, onions, beetroot, lettuces, lemon coriander. I don't bother with tomatoes. I'm raiding the potato plants abit early and loving the flavour (wish I knew what I had planted!) Aubergines are a bit slow in the polytunnel but I've never grown them before so not sure what to expect. My biggest love is making compost. Cutting down the comfrey after flowering, chopping it up and putting it at the base of plants for mulch. I put wood chips on my paths and dig them up every couple of years and sieve the contents and add to the compost pile. Every time I go to the beach (not close to me) I bring back seaweed to add to the pile. Good luck everyone. We all have good years and bad years.
I'm going to be digging my wood chip paths up this autumn and throwing it all into pallet compost bays and reapply fresh paths. The wood chip is a couple of years old now. May use it to fill raised beds next year or as mulch. I'm glad to hear your allotment is doing well, where are you located? Aubergines can be tricky and like it warm with loads of nutrients and a good quality soil. I add lots of fresh compost, blood fish and bone, and liquid feeds to them. I start them off in January at home. They can be finicky with setting fruit especially if it's too cold. Good luck! 🤞🏻
Slugs eat onions and garlic in my garden.
My best guess for the digging in your courgette bed is blackbirds- I use anti bird spikes to keep them out
There seems to be a lot of those about our site
Far better than me! There's no such thing as climate change, humans cannot change the temperature of the planet either!!
The geoenginerring is what's causing much of the unsettled weather and constant grey skies.
I hope you don't honestly believe that, the long term measurement of the yearly temperatures are proving that climate (long term effects over decades) has changed considerably.
Weather is day to day, climate is decades and centuries.
@@ninemoonplanet We are in a grand solar minimum but the weather manipulation is very real and been going on for decades but the technology such as Smart dust is now in the atmosphere.
I'd like to welcome you to planet Earth, where humans are geoengineering the climate systems with pollution. Your home world is obviously run by much more enlightened species..
@@ibrstellar1080💯 agree
unfortunately it's the same for everyone I have had pretty much everything except tomatoes and potatoes eaten and that's doing a slug hunt 3 times a day! I have just reseeded beds in the hopes that we'll have a late summer and warm sunny Autumn I figured I've got nothing to loose if they manage to get themselves to harvest yippee if not I guess I shall be lining the pockets of successful organic growers this year lol I hope things pick up for you x
Thank you! We had a warm September last year which was nice but most crops were finishing by that point 😂 we will see, but each year seems to be a rollercoaster for weather now
James remember what you said to me after my disappointment with the poly tunnel..you said don't give up..
Won't be giving up, just probably taking it easy for the rest of this season
Gosh Jim your allotment is a hundred times tidier than mine lost my onions to leaf miner.peas to the pigeons and strawberries to the slugs. but ive had a great crop of early potatoes raspberries and early redcurrants.swings and roundabouts comes to mind.
Exactly! Honestly it has its messy parts like everyone's. Nothing is ever perfect. What varieties of early potato have you grown?
So much better than how I'm doing! I'm ready to call time on everything that's clearly failing, cover the ground and prepare bits for late autumn.
Im the same , sacked a lot of stuff off and just started now with spring veg , purple sprouting Broc, spring Cabbage ect.
I'm already starting to think about autumn/next year too!
Hi James, I feel the same way, I've had my plot well over 20 years now and never known a year like it, well one year it was that wet everything was washed away, everyone got a free year the following year, Ive been off work and today was the first time this week I've been able to go, everything starting to shoot away but a month late, weeds are thriving so I'll be go over in the morning to get the beds tidied up, pleased your taking the flowers off the potatoes 🙂in the small greenhouse I noticed some leaves on the tomatoes were curled when you said lay off the watering, its there way of coping with stress, nothing to worry about, don't water them until they need it if that area gets wet, Don't lose heart James, as having an allotment we do get failures its part of it, we will get something out of it that's better than shop bought, 2024 has been a slug fest 2025 hopefully be a good year for something positive for our plots, take care... Steve
Thanks Steve 🙂 it makes me feel better knowing that even people like yourself who have had a plot 20 years are admitting it's a terrible year. I've noticed slugs have gotten worse in the last couple of years, I may need to apply nematodes as their populations are well out of balance. At least like you say we get quality organic produce even if it's sometimes a small amount.
I'm not watering those tomatoes in the small greenhouse. Just going to keep going, have a good week Stephen 🧑🏻🌾
Bless you mate 😇👍
Thank you 💚
Diatomaceous earth is helping me as a slug deterrent.
I've started experimenting with that too
Feel your pain up here in the North East
It's been awful first half to summer hasn't it
I really do agree with you about cabbages and slugs 🤢
It's disgusting isn't it. Doesn't make a very good coleslaw 😂
The globe is (also) being affected by "volcanic winter" caused by especially the Hunga Tonga HaiApai repeat magma chamber explosions when seawater entered . A (huge) volume of seawater was instantly atomised and vented straight into the stratosphere , the incidents were heard across the Pacific canada to australia it caused a tsunami to reach california at 0.5m or so.
Heads up you want to grow what will grow and expect 2 more years of fallout upto to 20 to settle out. Magma/ seawater events arent common , or regular like elnino or seeding
I was thinking the same today at my plot
It's terrible!
I am really sorry to see you struggle with something there is litle you can do. Plants need temperature ,hours of light and water to activate themselves, yours it is obvious only have water.
I have seen this week some alotments like you in northern spain (basque country )with the same problem whereas just a 100 Km down in Navarra province as temperatures are warmer they are already harvesting incredible tomatoes ,green beans,courguettes,onions are already fatting the bubs ...
I hope you have more luck with temperatures next seasson , i know how frustraiting it can be after all the hard work and ilusion put on it
Thank you for your kind words. It is frustrating, I think we just need to adapt and grow what can tolerate our climate. To be honest things such as peppers, aubergine, melon, and even tomatoes are unrealistic for the UK and only do well under cover. I have shade from the trees next to my plot which doesn't help things
having the same as last year everything is behind
It's heartbreaking isn't it, I always look back at pictures from last year and I'm way way behind
"El Niño and La Niña are significant climate phenomena that can have a profound impact on global weather patterns"
I've heard quite a bit about that. Lately it's been mild wet winters and cool wet summers. With the odd heatwave
My winter onions just died, my veg outside are rubbish, as for toms, chillis and peppers in greenhouse I might as well of sowed them in an igloo
We have the worst summers in Europe now sadly here in uk
It's awful isn't it! Then we do have mild winters though
Omg you said it.... My squash is so small that I honestly think it's shrinking... 😮
My squash never seems to do much at all. Maybe it's the shade my plot gets
@@downtoearthwithjim maybe... but mine is full sun... I don't know I've swapped and just getting the winter veg in! I'm half tempered to pull up my embarrassing peppers
This year is not a year to moan about what you haven’t got it’s a year to be thankful for what have got.
Yes I am still thankful for the small harvests we've had so far. The potatoes have been brilliant and the fruit lovely. But in 5 years at the plot this is by far the worst and 90% of crops are far behind. It's hard not to be disappointed
I thought Scotland was bad but i see it's crap in England as well.
One of the worst growing years in recent memory. I really have to wonder if the weather is being manipulated.
A lot of people are saying that, and it's making me question it too. Literally every day this week has been cloudy
My giant sweetcorn is 2 feet high and already making the pollen heads 😂 last year they grew about 11 feet tall!! Disaster this year for everything
I've had that happen a lot lately. The 'tassles' of pollen go up before the ears of corn appear and then there's no pollen left to pollinate the corn when it does appear. So I end up with terrible cobs with barely any kernels in. I'm not sure what causes it but my best guess is the poor weather we've had the last 2-3 years
Hi Jim was the horse manure a fresh load , horse manure should be 3/4 year old i all ways use horse manure i store mine large bins
It was fresh last autumn. The wood shavings haven't broken down whilst the manure itself has. Not spreading any horse manure on the plot for next year
should be fine, its not climate change though, its El Nino I think is this one, this shifts the jet stream to be north, rather than south of the UK, Think it is like every 7 years and el nino and like el nana or something. always feels like the jet stream will never go back to normal, but it always does eventually, and should be back to normal. the climate change is more the super heat, or super rains when not dealing with jet stream issues. of course climate could have some effect, but the JS is our biggest issues at mo
If the jet stream is further north that means a mild winter if it stays that way. Not what we want really. Need a cold winter to reset the garden. Kills off more pests and diseases
loads of earwigs about this year went out last night and there are loads over the brassicas eating the leaves
I can't stand earwigs. They often attack my corn!
@@downtoearthwithjim i think this year all the bugs and slugs are out balance
Chemtrails
Worst year ever! I’ve had almost nothing but weeds
It's very curious that the weeds are growing better than the crops 😂
Being realistic is better!
Showing things how they really are!
I just found channel of British guy in Russia. Its 40 *C over there 😂😂😂. It's called Plastic Russian
Haha I'll check it out!
Mr negative or what . I’m in my first year and I don’t moan half as much as you . If we were all like you be no gardeners left . Think I will find I more cheerful channel . Jesus Jim stop moaning .
If you watched my most recent video which I uploaded after this one you'd see I'm being much more positive about it all. It's hard not to be despondent when you've had many great years and then have a poor year to compare it to, but of course you wouldn't know what that is like as it's your first year. Happy growing and good luck
'WHY IS FOOD NOT GROWING?!!' ua-cam.com/video/JUHwdH2jZtI/v-deo.htmlsi=IGySn5XNltmc6jcI
Interesting watch! Even commercial growers struggling and that's saying something...
Never fear, just change what you are growing this season, There is still plenty of time to plant up a fall garden. Carrots, beetroot, turnips fall peas, late season cabbage and lettuce, kale, fast maturing potatoes, Asian broccoli, purple sprouting broccoli, sprouts. If you are worried about slugs you can mix in a sprayer Water, Castile soap and sodium hydroxide then go out and spray your plants and slug/snails directly WHEN THE SUN IS GOING DOWN and watch the lil buggers evaporate.