2017 What has failed you misereably?

[alp]

We have joy. We have fun. We have sadness and madness. Anger and despair.

For me, I have been most disappointed with my teasel seeds. I bought them specifically for enticing finches. Like this stock pic

Er, no. No show. I had had seed germination, but no plant has appeared, not to say the finches.

Have you had any disappointment(s) this year?

 

[Greenhorn]

That is a rather nice looking finch. Here the finches love Sunflower and Bachelor Buttons, ie.e Cornflower.

Had some challenges with my Savia Coccinea and Purple Comeflower, first time growing both for me, both started from seed. All the Savia Coccinea started well, but all with the excpetion of a few struggled from about mid growth on. Not 100% on what the issue was, once they got about 1 foot they would go spindly and thin, then just kind of wither away. I would get a first set of blooms but that would be about that. Still neeed to try and understand what happened here. I think a little more nutrients might have been better too.

Good start with the Purple Coneflower too, I think the issue with the Purple Coneflower was too heavy of a soil - poting mix. I discovered this (I think) by lifting the pots a day or so after watering. The Purple Coneflower pots (about 1 gal size) were always much heavier, retainig much more moisture, to much I think. That might be a good thing for some plants, but I don't think so for Purple Coneflower. They woulkd brown and died.

I tried different potting mixes (say regular versus patio type which is a little heavier) and variations of such as adding perlite, fertilizer. Potting soil gets expensive when your buying bags every few weeks, so in an effort to spend a litte less I tried different combinations.

The good news is a few of each were sucessful and there is always next year. A few did make it into the yard asnd one of the Purple Coneflowers is now blooming. Like wise with the Savia Coccinea, a couple made it into the yard, one is doing well and just Saturday there was a Hummingbird at it and that was the point, so sucess! Just on a smaller scale than I had hoped.

PS
I gues the biggest disappointment in general was overfertilizing 45 4" pots that I had just transplanted seedlings to. In making the potting soil mix I added too much fertilizer and post transplant they all burned up within a week That was a live and learn mistake that will not happen again.

 

[marlingardener]

What has failed miserably? My seed order. My usual supplier upped their prices, lowered the seed count per package, and made their website a disaster. I changed suppliers and got crummy seed. Peas didn't germinate, the green beans were not the variety labeled, corn germinated very spotty and the squash was not as represented. I managed to scrounge some replacement seed and a kind neighbor shared corn enough to freeze, but I'm looking for another supplier.
There's always next year . . . .

 

[Tjohn]

I was disappointed with my Turkish Eggplant. From the pictures in the catalog, I thought they would be regular sized eggplants, but I found that they are very small and VERY bitter. Cross that one off the list! On the other hand, the Casper and Black Beauty eggplants have exceeded expectations!

 

[alp]

@Greenhorn That photo is from RSPB Royal Society for the protection of birds. I just love finches and tits.

This might be useful to your echinaceas

As I remember, echinaceas like free-draining soil.

Right at the beginning, Tony Bucket explains how to plant echinaceas.. Have a look as it might be useful. And I think the presenter is trying to drive home the point. They certainly like it hot. Don't forget to collect seeds as they germinate very readily and it is a very pretty sight to behold when you have 20 or so of them in drift .. especially when they are the same colour. I am aiming to get 30 flowers in a patch next year. I have got 7 in a patch this year. For impact, 30 to 40 would be marvellous. So save your seeds.

I also raised salvia from seeds. I added a bit of tomorite to the seedlings and I read that you mustn't overwater. Someone else might contribute to this discussion, I hope. If the soil looks and feels dry, water more frequent, but less water.

Oh, hummingbird! I can only dream ...

@marlingardener Write to the ceo or buy them from ebay. As long as they are homegrown seeds, they are always better. This man offered me £42 for £12's worth of seeds, as an honest person, I pointed out his mistake. He was grateful, but kept haggling, offering £10, I was not best pleased. I refused to take any offer. Then he emailed me teaching me how to get my seeds to germinate within 3 weeks (he had bought one lot from me earlier). The traditional stratification is 2 months of stratification and the seedlings appear in the middle or late 2nd months. He said: Good news, 12 of your 20 seeds germinate using 24 hours of soaking, fridge and then heat mat.. Anybody interested in fast tracking alstroemerias can send me a message.. But beware, someone sold woodchips which he thought was clematis seeds on the site and he has 100% record. Still has, money rather than morality drives commerce.

 

[alp]

I read that

If Salvia are grown in too rich soil, or dappled shade, they have a tendency to become leggy. So you might have over-fertilised.

I was disappointed with my Turkish Eggplant. From the pictures in the catalog, I thought they would be regular sized eggplants, but I found that they are very small and VERY bitter. Cross that one off the list! On the other hand, the Casper and Black Beauty eggplants have exceeded expectations!

You like your eggplants! How do you prepare for food? I know I can fry it as tempura. But whenever I tried tempura, it all ended in tears .. Last time, I nearly had to throw away the saucepan.. I do love tempura ..

 

[alp]

For me, it will have to be tomate de Krim. I couldn't leave any of my tomato plants in the lean to so they ended up everywhere. I always managed to have a good harvest. But this year, there has been a spell of extreme heat, so hot that some plants died. Then the tomatoes split its skin and they showed ulcer?? and totally not harvestable. I have not had one tomate de Krim. It's a crime.. They are big and green and the cold finishes them off.

 

[marlingardener]

Alp, your advice on buying from E-bay is being taken to heart. I'm going to buy what I can locally, but some varieties "won't grow here" and I have to outsource!

 

[alp]

Alp, your advice on buying from E-bay is being taken to heart. I'm going to buy what I can locally, but some varieties "won't grow here" and I have to outsource!

You could organise a seed exchange here where you can exchange or gift each other seeds. I don't have a lot of money and the UK postage is ghastly expensive. I did buy some quite good echinacea seeds for 99p all the way from China from ebay. 7 out of 10 wisteria seeds germinated; but one entitled GIANT strawberry seeds turned out to be alpine minow.. I couldn't even eat them, let alone GIANT! I usually complain, but not this time. But just tell you, things can go from hero to zero!

 

[Tjohn]

You like your eggplants! How do you prepare for food? I know I can fry it as tempura. But whenever I tried tempura, it all ended in tears .. Last time, I nearly had to throw away the saucepan.. I do love tempura ..

My favorite way is to slice them, dip them in egg, then bread crumbs and throw them in a hot oiled skillet. After they brown, I layer them with tomato sauce, garlic, and mozzarrella cheese and pop them in the oven until the cheese melts. YUM! I also make a spaghetti sauce with chunks of baked eggplant in it.

 

[alp]

@Tjohn If I see eggplant seeds going cheap, I will buy some and try the way your suggest. I love mozzarella cheese and parmesan as well.

 

[alp]

I have bought 2 or 3 rudbeckia goldstrums after seeing zenji's lovely display, but I haven't seen any flower so far.

Sweetcorns - I planted them in the far end of the garden with little morning sun but lots of heat. Not one full size one. I had about 8 demi-size corn-lets.

Chinese Wok Pak also planted in the same place with lovely seedlings. They all bolted and the slugs fattened themselves on them at my expense!.

Tomatoes grown at the same spot were totally hopeless. All spindly and collapsed outside the box and I haven't had one tomatoes from there! Next time, I will grow them in a tomato greenhouse. I have 4; but usually in Essex, the heat is enough to drive the harvest.

Next year, they will be grown in a border kissed by the early morning sun.

Hellebores: I had tons of leaves, but no flowers! More watering and a bit more bonemeal now.

Streptocarpus: They are flowering now, but I have lost quite a few lovely plants Pink souflé, Dee, Pink Lady, DS Elena and Sunny Hare are no more.

I have fashioned a garlic spray to kill the aphids when provado has been proved to be ineffective.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Nothing.

 

[alp]

Nothing.

Nice to hear there's a satisfied forumer!

 

[alp]

This year, the disappearance of this lady has brought tears to my eyes

Princess Kate clematis