As we approach the end of another moderately successful, though somewhat disappointing, greenhouse season, lets reflect on what we achieved this year, and why we put ourselves through it...
As with every other year, it starts with promise; an unseasonably warm February, and the feeling that this year you're seeds will sprout early and you'll end up with a bumper harvest. And so it seems as the first Sweet-peas shoot up out of the cotton wool, the Gemsquash Pumpkin (a South African delight!) follow soon after, and even the mercurial peppers make a solid early showing!
And it just seems to go downhill after that...
This year, all of the above was true for me - everything started off so well, until I moved my seedlings into the greenhouse. it took literally ONE NIGHT for the snails to find my Pumpkin plants and destroy them; I didn't even have time to react!
Happily my Sweet Pea survived, but I lost almost a month on my Pumpkins. As for my peppers, they grew at a snails pace - it's now the second half of August, I've moved them, and my Pumpkins, indoors as the weathers changing, and I have only just got my first fruits now. Why!?
I also got three mature Strawberry plants from a friend, one of which even had a strawberry growing. Which was the last one any of them produced. again, why?!
Not all was a disaster though; My Gherkin cucumber plants did really well - considering this is the first time I've ever grown them, I'll take that win. All the way through June and July there were tasty greens available! My Sweet Peas also produced a couple of crops, making Asia very happy. And finally, I have a couple of dozen tomatoes ripening on the vine.
So not all is lost, but I can't imagine a more frustrating pastime than trying to grow fruits and vegetables!
So why do I do it then? Well, there's nothing better than walking into your mini greenhouse on a shitty day and being surrounded by your babies. Sure, they might be stunted and lagging behind all the neighbours greenhouses, but they're mine, they're alive, and they make me feel good :)
So will I do it again next year? Abso-fucking-lutely!
As with every other year, it starts with promise; an unseasonably warm February, and the feeling that this year you're seeds will sprout early and you'll end up with a bumper harvest. And so it seems as the first Sweet-peas shoot up out of the cotton wool, the Gemsquash Pumpkin (a South African delight!) follow soon after, and even the mercurial peppers make a solid early showing!
And it just seems to go downhill after that...
This year, all of the above was true for me - everything started off so well, until I moved my seedlings into the greenhouse. it took literally ONE NIGHT for the snails to find my Pumpkin plants and destroy them; I didn't even have time to react!
Happily my Sweet Pea survived, but I lost almost a month on my Pumpkins. As for my peppers, they grew at a snails pace - it's now the second half of August, I've moved them, and my Pumpkins, indoors as the weathers changing, and I have only just got my first fruits now. Why!?
I also got three mature Strawberry plants from a friend, one of which even had a strawberry growing. Which was the last one any of them produced. again, why?!
Not all was a disaster though; My Gherkin cucumber plants did really well - considering this is the first time I've ever grown them, I'll take that win. All the way through June and July there were tasty greens available! My Sweet Peas also produced a couple of crops, making Asia very happy. And finally, I have a couple of dozen tomatoes ripening on the vine.
So not all is lost, but I can't imagine a more frustrating pastime than trying to grow fruits and vegetables!
So why do I do it then? Well, there's nothing better than walking into your mini greenhouse on a shitty day and being surrounded by your babies. Sure, they might be stunted and lagging behind all the neighbours greenhouses, but they're mine, they're alive, and they make me feel good :)
So will I do it again next year? Abso-fucking-lutely!