has your veg suffered

[barboo]

Here in France we as the norm have really good summers but this year has been really poor,
By that i mean more rain than the norm and not as many sunny days,
Infact even the local french friends have all said the same, "Worst weather they've known for years.
The veg isn't as good as norm and the likes of outdoor toms are a desaster,
Very poor taste and seem to rot on the vine very quickly,
I grow verious sorts of toms and the ones that are ok are the basket grown cheery toms,

Is it the same in the uk? this year.

[lancashire lass]

Is it the same in the uk? this year.

Hi barboo - it depends where in the UK as we have different types of climates LOL There is the latitude to consider (the south nearer to France usually is warmer, the north nearer to Scandinavia enjoying much longer daylight hours) plus an east / west divide (wet mild weather fronts from the Atlantic doesn't always reach the east, and usually warmer/drier weather from the European continent or air from the Sahara gives the south-east of the UK a different climate) And then again, our weather patterns change so much on a day to day basis that it is not at all typical to compare year by year.

I'd say overall 2014 has been a fairly decent summer. We had a very mild winter although spring didn't really warm up until much later than usual so I was a bit late sowing and planting. We've had some warm weather, a mini heatwave or two and for the most part, dry with the occasional rain. When it has rained, they have been one off deluges which has been good for the veggie garden (better than days of steady rain which promote fungal diseases and moulds) August however, has been dull and at times downright cold with winds coming straight from the north (as in, from the arctic!), or ex-hurricane Bertha steaming in with strong winds and heavy rains.

I live in the midlands and can say that for the most part, this year has been very good. The warm weather in June/early July was brilliant and everything caught up and did very well. Not much rain but not drought conditions so almost ideal. August weather set things back, and we've had some strong almost damaging wind from ex-hurricane Bertha but it hasn't affected the harvests too much. Some crops have done better than others but generally I can't really complain at all. Fruit on the other hand are almost 2 weeks earlier than usual and been a good year.

[barboo]

Is it the same in the uk? this year.

Hi barboo - it depends where in the UK as we have different types of climates LOL There is the latitude to consider (the south nearer to France usually is warmer, the north nearer to Scandinavia enjoying much longer daylight hours) plus an east / west divide (wet mild weather fronts from the Atlantic doesn't always reach the east, and usually warmer/drier weather from the European continent or air from the Sahara gives the south-east of the UK a different climate) And then again, our weather patterns change so much on a day to day basis that it is not at all typical to compare year by year.

I'd say overall 2014 has been a fairly decent summer. We had a very mild winter although spring didn't really warm up until much later than usual so I was a bit late sowing and planting. We've had some warm weather, a mini heatwave or two and for the most part, dry with the occasional rain. When it has rained, they have been one off deluges which has been good for the veggie garden (better than days of steady rain which promote fungal diseases and moulds) August however, has been dull and at times downright cold with winds coming straight from the north (as in, from the arctic!), or ex-hurricane Bertha steaming in with strong winds and heavy rains.

I live in the midlands and can say that for the most part, this year has been very good. The warm weather in June/early July was brilliant and everything caught up and did very well. Not much rain but not drought conditions so almost ideal. August weather set things back, and we've had some strong almost damaging wind from ex-hurricane Bertha but it hasn't affected the harvests too much. Some crops have done better than others but generally I can't really complain at all. Fruit on the other hand are almost 2 weeks earlier than usual and been a good year.

Thanks Lancashire Lass,
As i said this really has been a poor year,
It reflects in the prices of fruit and veg on the open market stalls.
But we shouldn't complain, just look at what some poor souls have to put up with

Thanks for your reply,

[Sara]

Its been poor here too Barboo...

All of my tomatoes have rotten on the vine, never actually ripened without rotting. All of my nieghbours and friends that also grow thier own have had the same problems.

Also heard lots of people saying that potatoes and onions are not keeping well.... Ive had a few potatoes rot in the cellar.

Fingers crossed for next year

[elliebear15]

Is that a root cellar you have Sara?
I have just been reading up about them.
They sound great, but we would have to build one from scratch as there is nowhere here that would do even with modifications.

[Sara]

Hi Ellie

Its the cellar under the house


It was full of wine until Al and Mrs Al came to visit a few years ago.... Everything dissapeared within a week

[jackian]

I live in the south of England and have had a good year.
The veg that were not so good were my garlic which was covered in a mould and rotted before I could save it (I know the reason why now ), my early lettuce that boulted very quickly while small and my early spinach. The lettuce and spinach planted later were fine.

Squashes, pumpkin and courgette and cucumbers grew ripened at least a month early and most of the veg were an improvement on last year.Bollotti beans and French beans were also plentiful.
Potatoes and onions were also better than last year and because it was so dry not a lot of wire worm.
the bollotti beans have been dried peeled and stored ready for soups etc., last year I froze them but this year dried them as they look so pretty in the jar .
I think and hope that we are going to have an Indian summer as the tomatoes are really slow in ripening despite all the sunshine and warmth ..I feel tomato chutney coming on !
The parsnips look good but I still can't grow carrots even after 10 years and what ever the weather and what ever the different ways I have tried . My OH says that not to worry as they are cheap enough..That is not the point .

Jackie x

[barboo]

Well ladies,
Thanks for all your comments ref this strange summer we've had here in france, But it's nice to know our uk members have seemed to have a better growing summer than us,

This is another point ref gardening "you can grow friendships as well as veg