Seanmcmanus' Inbox

I am happy for the foxes to be around my garden, they help to keep the rabbit population down, they don't really damage my plants, the holes they dig are minimal, and their poo is definitely preferable than cats and dogs, I say, "bring 'em on!"

Thank goodness that someone else had as bad a year as me. My first season growing vegs. and virtually all a disaster!! Good to know I am not alone and will therefore persevere next year!!

You could buy a can of Animal Repellent from B&Q, it worked on rabbits eating my Alyssum plants, also stopped our Labrador chomping on large stones from the stream!!! I don't know if it would repel foxes, but worth a try - spray it round the edge of the area where they are worst. Good luck.

bad year here too, potatoe blight, tomatoes all blighted, carrotts rubbish, runner beans great, courgettes rubbish, cucumber [outdoor] again rubbish, broccalli holding on, spring greens seem to be growing, garlic so so, all in all a rotten year

A hint for ripening green tomatoes - put them in a drawer (or some other closed container) with one red one (or failing that a banana!) The ripe fruit gives off a chemical that triggers unripe ones to ripen and an enclosed space, rather than a windowsill, is a better place for the process to take place

Hi Sean,
Sorry to see and read of such a poor result after much hard work. Good luck for next year when, hopefully, we will have a good summer.
I started growing veg again this year after many years absence due to work etc.
Spuds blighted but got a few pounds worth of good ones. Toms no good, only got a few off six plants. Beetroot OK but didn't plant enough. Carrotts just wouldn't germinate. Onions brilliant. (Have put some more in to over winter.) Leeks coming on strong. Cabbage doing well. (Wonderful taste.) Sweetcorn quite good, but I think I picked them a little too early. The tassles were brownish but I was told by an allotmenteer friend of mine that they weren't brown enough. Good luck with yours.
Oh! and spinach is fantastic. It just keeps coming back no matter how hard we pick it.
Have ordered some blight resistant spuds for next year. They are of the Spiro family.