Forward Planning

There is wind and rain lashing the windows so I have decided to make plans for next years vegetable planting. I keep all my notes from the previous year in an old school exercise book and the allotment plans on computer. Looking back at my notes for the past years cropping it was a moderately successful year despite the appalling weather. The big successes were the Emperor Runner Beans, Cobra French Beans, Bunyards Broad Beans, and Cannelini Dwarf French beans. Average crops from the Rainbow Carrots, Raspberries, Strawberries, Purple Kale, Coco Noir Dwarf black beans and assorted onions. The potatoes had a terrible time with blight hitting the main crop of Maris Piper although the earlies of Swift, Belle De Fontenay and Pentland Javelin were harvested before it got a hold. Despite these successes there were a few disasters namely the Ambassador Peas which germinated but grew very poorly. My special Czar Runner Beans which I grew for drying as Butter beans, were very poor, nothing worth cropping at all. I also tried growing sweetcorn just for fun. Well it grew to about three feet tall and some cobs set but nothing worth cropping. I may try them again next year if there is room. Once again I failed to get any life out of the soya beans, I need an electric propagator. Goodness only knows what happened to all the spinach I planted!

With those results in mind I have started planning next years crops. I plan to try some new varieties as well as new vegetables. I attempt to work the allotment in a three crop rotation but I can't resist bargain plants so sometimes I end up with things out of place. I currently have some end of season strawberries waiting for a home, along with the other strawberries which I rescued and heeled in at the end of the season. I think I need to extend the fruit cage which currently has strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in it. It needs sorting out so it only houses one variety of fruit. Then I'll need to find a home for the raspberries & blueberries as well as adding in gooseberries and blackcurrants.

I will also need to find room for Bright Lights Chard and Salsify which I have never grown or eaten before. Although the Bunyards Broad Beans were very successful I want to try Karmazyn and Red Epicure for variety. I shall return to Purple Haze Carrots because they look great in salads and I will also sow Eskimo and Amsterdam Forcing. Last season I didn't manage to grow any squashes so I will try one of those Squash variety packs because I love all the flavours and textures. I have looked a many different varieties of potato, predominantly blight resistant ones but I have also seen specially chosen variety packs for allotments or heritage collections. Still there is plenty of time to decide! I have also seen there is a trend for growing potatoes late in the season to have fresh on Christmas Day. If I can get the seed potatoes I shall definitely be growing a bagful of these. I wonder if there is anything else I can grow for Christmas?!