Journal

Year in Review: A Look Back at 2023 in the Allotment

January 12, 2023 /

Quite a bad garden year

  • The beginning of spring was cold, wet and grey, which made it hard to establish seedlings. Followed by a sweltering dry heatwave to finish off the struggling seedlings. Summer was wet and mild. 

Way too Enthusiastic Start

  • Season began overzealously, sowed too much, too early. Many plants were unhappy (or died) before they went out.

  • Due to the early start, plants spent a long time under grow lights and developed severe issues: bubbles on leaves and twisted growth. Was the problem – the growlights? Or was there soil contamination? Subsequent growth was also poor/stunted.

  • Troubles with space at home, potting on into the correct sized pots at the right time. 

  • Struggle finding good compost for home delivery. Will try Rocket Grow as seen on other growers’s Instagrams. Maybe coir? Considering soil blocking?

  • Seedlings dry out in the greenhouse: need to find a more consistent watering method. Soilblocking? Wicking mats? Automatic watering?

Notable successes/ failures

  • Dwarf Beans: thrived in the cool, wet summer, leads me to think I underwater beans in a hot summer.
  • Mustard greens: overwintering very well. 
  • Onion sets: had less damage from leaf miner. Suspect this is because of late (mid April) planting. Grew fast with thick mulch of compost, but bulb size small.
  • Callendula: Thrived
  • Celeriac: Leaves grow well
  • Shallots: Seed sown. Grew well. Must remember to save some to plant the following year.
  • Runner beans: Very poor. Unsure why. Maybe not enough organic matter?
  • Salad: No salad this year. Started late because of weather: hot spring prevented germination. When plants grew in the cooler summer they disappeared soon after. Possible culprits: birds or cutworms.
  • Onion Seed: Onion seedlings were too early (?) and too damp- likely insufficient light (grown at home on the (covered) balcony). May try in the greenhouse soon.
  • Broadbean: Seeds eaten by a mouse (again- I do not learn my lesson)!!  Must research how to protect from mice, or sow in trays.
  • Cucumbers: always unhappy, unsure why. Considering growing them under a polytunnel cover in the greenhouse. More organic matter? Short lived crop, is it worth trying to stagger plants and do two rounds per season?
  • Tomatillos: Sprouted well, but then died at young age. Soil contamination? Growlights too harsh? Only one survivor, did ok in the greenhouse, but did not last long and the leaves were always droopy. Unsure why.
  • Aubergines: Terrible. Not worth growing. Buy grafted plant?
  • Peppers: Terrible. Not worth growing? May try one if I alter methods
  • Tomatoes: Did not do well. Too wet summer? Bad seedlings? Not well supported. 

Pest Problems

  • Fungus Gnats- Persistent issues at home. Will treat with nematodes every January.  Considerations on how to prevent recurring infection by new compost.  Bake at low heat before using?
  • Allium Leaf Miner!!!!. MUST NET!! Experimenting with planting time adjustments:. To test: 1x from onion from seed, 1x from set (planting after the most active leaf miner period), 1x netted?
  • Snails Planting out seedlings when they are bigger, avoiding direct sowing. Want to try organic methods like beer traps. To build a seedling shelf edges lined with copper tape. Nematodes?

Garden layout and practices

Shaded Summer Spot: 

Cleared the area under the fig tree, mulched with wood chips, creating a cool summer spot. Considering adding a picnic bench if the neighbour agrees. Must measure space. 

No dig

Continuing with a no-dig approach but struggling because of a lack of compost. No dig was successful on the onion bed (using a thick layer of store-bought compost). I do not have the same success when using allotment compost. This leads me to question the quality of my allotment compost. Shouldn’t it be of superior quality than store-bought compost?! Do I need to improve my compost setup? 

I ended up digging up the squash bed and found squashes much happier compared to the previous 2 years. Is my undug soil too compact for squashes?

Not enough cover over winter (rethink mulch, crops, green manure)

Crop Rotation: 

Converted one (of seven) beds into a perennial space hosting rhubarb and acting as a catch-all for leftovers. Might it be good for a nursery bed? Also contemplating adding other perennials (which?). 

Adjusted rotation plan accordingly.

Recurring Issues:

Plant Growth Issues

Plants aren’t growing very big. Are they overcrowded? Hungry? Underwatered? Ground too hard?

Greenhouse declining vigor! 

Soil seems dead. Too dry? Too hot? Investigating solutions: shade netting? (is this a solution for cucumbers?) An automatic watering system?

Structures

In dire need of stable structures: fence, netting support and plant supports!! Exploring plans for stable, versatile structures adaptable to different beds and plants.

Resolutions for 2024

  • More appropriate seed sowing and potting on schedule
  • Cold frame close to home to oversee growth better?
  • Looking for ways to make some kind of passive watering system: Soilblocking? Wicking mats? Automatic watering? Olla?
  • Keep better notes throughout the growing year
  • Try Rocket Grow compost for seedlings
  • Try a manure maturing station
  • Solve problem of flimsy structures