I am not gardening next year! ??‍♀️

I grew some cabbage, never have seen so many slugs! However have had lots of tomatoes and courgettes. whether the investment of water is worth it, is another matter....

Good crop of runner beans, tomatoes, courgettes, chillies, rocket and chard. Have 4 aubergines growing wont bother with them next year , or leeks, cabbage or spinach - all disappointing.

Bluebellewould

Oh and plus there’s no worms in my soil! “

There was a question about this on GQT last week and I think it was Pippa Greenwood who said that no worms at all was alarming, could be that you have flatworms, which kill earthworms.

Unfortunately, I can’t remember what she said the solution was! Maybe worth a listen.

BlueBelle every other year I’m inundated with courgettes, this year two, from two plants, I have no idea why.

Could it be rain ? jaxjacky we had a long period of no rain then a period of a lot but it could also be the suppliers I know Mr Fothergills had trouble with poisonous courgettes although mine were mr fotherfills but I was giving them away faster than a shooting star
Courgettes were definitely my most prolific grower

Glad to know I’m not the only one. I think the no earthworms is because the garden had been paved over for I don’t know how many years. I am going to buy some online, amazing what you can get through the post isn’t it?

My tomatoes have been great. Those in my (small) greenhouse have been better than ever before.
In past years, I think the temperature fluctuations in it have been too great, with ridiculous temperatures on it when there is strong sunshine.
This year, I covered the greenhouse with a variety of light-coloured tarpaulines and fabric mesh as soon as we got the first summer sunshine, and left them on until a couple of weeks ago. They are still going strong, and no blossom-end rot for the first time in years!

My biggest failures this year were French beans (v. poor germination), carrots (great germination but I clearly didn't get the watering right in the hot dry weather as many have split), spring onions (only sowed one small row, early on, and they are still not large enough to eat, and the leeks, which will be usable but are a poor size this year. Even my rhubarb didn't produce as much as usual.

The biggest successes apart from tomatoes are the courgettes, parsnips and, hopefully, the Brussels sprouts.

But it's always swings and roundabouts. I try to grow a lot of different things, as every year, some things will do really well and others will disappoint - it's just that it's impossible to predict in advance which those are going to be from one year to the next!

Bluebellwould It sounds like you've had a really disappointing year in your new garden. I hope you get your gardening mojo back again over the winter, and feel up to giving it another go next spring.

Thank you MamaCaz, I’m already looking at spring bulbs, alliums, azaleas, and grasses etc! It’s my version of buying handbags and shoes. ?