Hows the season looking so far then?

[diamond lil]

Isnt it quite an experience growing your own - sometimes you feel soo smug and proud of yerself and other times you think the only garden tool you want is a flame-thrower. How is everybody getting on? I can understand now why medieval peasants spent all their bloody time out in the fields and died at 32.
Its NOT EASY!

[Brambling01]

So far good and bad. I started late 'cause I almost had to move, so no winter garden at all. Some stuff have done so well, I'm giving it away. Others, well I have to buy tomatoes this year. Just as well we can nip down to ...Insert your favourite supermarket here.... to top up supplies

[Carrot Cruncher]

Mines been a stuggle this year. Runner Beans suffered from a plague of blackfly, even though next doors beans haven't seen a single fly.....not surprising really, the worlds population of blackfly are all in my bleeding garden. The Slugs have decimated the leaves on the Swedes so they are as big as they will ever get now, which isn't very. Cabbage Whites have now started on my sprouts, and the peas just didn't do anything much at all

It's a war out there....and one i'm losing badly

Anyone who thinks that after some tshtf scenario they will go back to just growing crops in some idylic agricultural world is in for a bit of a shock. If I had to rely on my crops this year I would have starved to death long ago

[diamond lil]

Exactly CC - reality bites - and so does every bloody insect in the country. I have turnip greens growing fine & untouched (for the hens), but the actual turnips for us are very holey. Nothing will touch kale but then no wonder cos it's hellish.

[itsybitsy]

Crap. I got four chillies from four plants, NO blackcurrants at all of the bush I bought, my lettuces were eaten and my peppers have just started to grow. I've got a load of tomatoes though. No idea what to do with them, IF they ripen. I'll probably end up giving half of them away!

The only thing I've put in for autumn is some peas.

[bulldogeagle]

potatoes are doing fine as is the squash, onions are a bit slow, have already started eating the broccoli, we have loads of slugs in the garden but none on the allotment-instead we have caterpillars and another plot thinks they have been invaded by rabbits but could just as easy been deer.

[Triple_sod]

So far so good

My peas have done really well, grew telephone from the read seed catalogue and they’ve reached about 8ft, got about a full carrier bag of pods off them. Lifted 20lb of new potatoes the other week too, they were nice, gunna leave the rest to mature, bag them up for winter. Tomatoes were a mixed bag, I’d defiantly recommend Galina though, there without a doubt the best cherry variety I’ve ever grown. Everything else has done fine, apart from the onions and garlic but that’s my fault for letting them get overgrown with weeds.

[preppingsu]

Not too bad.
Lifted early spuds - not sure we'll get through them all before they go bad, soft etc.
Leaving maincrop spuds for a bit longer.
Pulled up some more beetroot today, pickling them - hopefully get 10-12 jars.
Runner & french beans looking good. Been able to pick enough to go with meals and put some in the freezer. Lots of flowers so hopefully plenty to get us through the winter.
First lot of peas now finished - a large freezer bag full in the freezer. Recently planted ones just starting to grow - hopefully be OK for the autumn.
Sweetcorn nearly ready - but that will be eaten straight away.
Pulled up couple of parsnips - lovely. Will last through the winter.
Leeks are looking strong.
Chilli peppers looking long.
Cucmbers just going over -will need to preserve what is left. Far too many to eat now.
Winter cabbage, spinach, swede just starting to look good.
Tomatoes - umm, not sure, getting a few to pick now but lots of flowers.

Carrots - cr*p this year, not sure what we've done wrong.
Celery - very slow and not looking strong but we'll wait and see.
Raspberries - just made a meringue to serve with them - YUM!

[diamond lil]

Our tatties are good, leeks looking good, onions bit small yet. Chard vanished, parsley vanished, tomatoes were terrific. I think it would take an awful lot of work and money to grow enough to be self-sufficient!
My next door neighbour has raised beds covered in green mesh pulled over hoops of bent piping - look like covered pioneer wagons - for her cabbage. I dont like cabbage but it might help one of you.

[preppingsu]

It may cost money to get you going (and it's certainly hard work - usually leave the digging to the brawn of the family ) but if using Real Seeds don't forget to allow some plants to go to seed so you can save some for next season, that way you're saving money by not buying seeds.

Yes I agree it's hard work but the reward far outways this. We always eat well during the summer due to the produce, we can just go and get what we need when we need it and it's fresh (not sat on a supermarket shelf for days).

I agree there would be a lot of work to be self sufficient. That's why groups of people will need to work together in the future to provide/grow enought to survive.