Whats your most difficult vegetable to grow?

PK · Post by PK » 23 Oct 2007, 22:55

Celery and cauliflower I find difficult to get good results. And surprisngly, spring onions. They should be easy but they are not (for me anyway).

heebiejeebie · Post by **heebiejeebie** » 24 Oct 2007, 07:43

My caulis started well but were best cut as mini veg.
Tomatoes got blight.
Swede looked good but some rotted because it was too wet.

Tania · Post by **Tania** » 24 Oct 2007, 08:26

I haven't had any success with spring onions either PK - and basil is another that I'm told is easy but doesn't work for me.

lancashire lass · Post by **lancashire lass** » 24 Oct 2007, 09:02

carrots - if the carrot fly and slugs don't get to them, the heavy clay (with LOTS of compost dug in!) is awful. This year I tried a container full of compost and I had one perfect carrot but the others were rubbish.

PK - celery are thirsty plants as you are probably aware, but I also erected some plastic sheet screens around the bed (actually for the peppers planted inbetween hoping to make the bed warmer like an open top cloche) but the clump of celery that wasn't in that protection zone did not do so well as the others. It was an unintentional experiment but it really highlighted the difference. During July/August I also gave them regular liquid feed (tomatoe feed) high in potash.

Post by Mo » 24 Oct 2007, 09:51

We never used to get our carrots to germinate before the plot was covered with a weed with leaves like the first leaves of a carrot seedling. For the last couple of years we had used screens for carrots, a fence of twigs and a strip of plastic woven in. And we've harvested carrots (after 35 years of trying). The carrot fly doesn't find them - though the slugs have had a bite out of one or two.

Post by Mo » 24 Oct 2007, 09:56

I've given up on summer cauli's, the caterpillers make a mess of them, but some years I grow winter ones, if you want a succession you have to buy lots of different packets of seeds (thought for another thread), plant them in spring, plant some more a few weeks later, and wait. And wait. And wait.
Then they all come at once.

Post by Mo » 24 Oct 2007, 10:04

Spring cabbage is hard too.
Nothing about the growing, it's remembering to plant the seeds at the right time (you keep looking at the packet when sowing the others but it's too soon, then when you remember again it's too late).
We've got some coming on nicely this year. Shame I don't like cabbage.

TassieDev · Post by **TassieDev** » 24 Oct 2007, 12:28

Tania I heard basil was easy and I tried it too (as it's so great in cooking). I didn't have any luck, but that's not unusual for me when growing things )hlp>

I do recall hearing something about basil needing very warm conditions to do well - I think it was even something about needing to be warm at night? And of course not to be left to dry out which of course mine did :oops:

chucky egg · Post by **chucky egg** » 24 Oct 2007, 12:33

oh loads!!! My worst - peas and beans. Every year I think "this year,this year they'll grow). I get a little bit of greenery if I'm lucky then - GONE!! )de:

morph · Post by **morph** » 24 Oct 2007, 13:09

spring onions and basil - I agree, they're rubbish!

AnnaB · Post by **AnnaB** » 24 Oct 2007, 18:26

First time this year I have succeeded with cauliflower.
Spring onions are never a problem.
We get chocolate spot on broad beans nearly every year.
Carrots never get carrot fly as we make a 2-3ft fleece windbreak around them and the carrot fly cannot fly that high.
Capsicums this year were great as someone told me they needed humidity and I kept the greenhouse floor very wet.

b_cos_1_can · Post by **b_cos_1_can** » 24 Oct 2007, 21:05

anything.....just doesnt seem to like me! took me ages to get grass!!

ged · Post by **ged** » 24 Oct 2007, 21:45

Hi,
No real problems this year though the rain in june did drown some veg.I find caulis hard as they take a long time,even the hierloom types seem to grow slowly then bolt to nothing!
atb
ged ^b:

Post by **Richard** » 24 Oct 2007, 22:38

Cauliflowers and Broccoli.

Really any veg which needs a bit of attention I'm afraid. Tend to be out too much during summer nowadays!

I have a prize weed garden.

HERE'S HOW

(f+

Jodi · Post by **Jodi** » 06 Nov 2007, 23:18

No probs with brocolli, beans, spring onions, any herbs - but brussell sprouts get me every year. They develop the little buds no probs but instead of the leaves growing into a tight cluster, they grow more like a loose mini lettuce.

Every year I waste time and water on these....any tips?

(NB: coming up to summer here, and have already put capsicum and chillies in....the soil is still very cool, but worked last year)

cheers
Jodi