Growing your own

I've grown my own veg, rather unsuccessfully I might add :(

My potatoes never got bigger than golf balls, Slugs clobbered my lettuce - though I was able to get my own back using the 'beer in half a plastic bottle' trick. They love the stuff! And you never know you have carrot fly unless you try to grow them. Last years yield? One. Sheesh.

More luck with the herbs - my Rosemary - couldn't kill it if I wanted to. Same with Lavender. I use that in cooking too. Same with Coriander. Until aged father-in-law decided to help out with some weeding, and destroyed it thinking it was a weed. The dog dug up my Thyme. Last year the cats did. I suspect the beer trick won't work with them.... Well, if I want to get on with the RCPCA it won't :) Garlic, though quite tiny, grows extremely well - though a bit 'leggy'.

Aye me.

But poor Tatties, slugged salads and dogged Thyme pales into insignificance to the spectacular failure of my Romenscoe Broccoli, cabbages, I thought they were supposed to be round? No they ain't. They go up.

And up. And up, and bloomin' well oop. I didn't know if you left cabbage long enough it turned into a six foot tall triffid. I've only grown my own for three years, and I've yet to grow anything vaguely roundish. Don't get me wrong. The leaves are still usable, just a bit tough and leathery, but since I'm brave enough to have a pretty good pressure cooker - it's ok-ish. Nice strong taste too, if you like that kind of thing.

I believe it's called 'bolting'. From the net, best I can work out is that it's caused by bad soil nutrition.

But I've composted for years, and I've got that down to a fine art. I have to - my garden is heavy clay, and I need to compost to get more nutrients in and provide drainage. I'd be grateful if someone has, or has read a solution. I dream of a nice, compact cabbage :)

Footnote. For two years, I've applied for an allotment from Sheffield council. The proviso, of course, is that it needs disabled access. Sometimes I need my wheels, sometimes I don't. Not complaining, it's just the way it is. But I get to do stuff in short bursts, and it doesn't take that many 'bursts' to get something done. All down to pride and attitude. My plan is to get an allotment, and do some raised beds. I mean like, at least 3 feet/ 1 metre.

Have I had a reply? I wrote, I emailed. 'Er indoors phoned (I don't do phones) Nope. Get back to me, they said to the missus. Have they? Heck no. I have a Stroked friend in Norwich pressing me to get into a disability rights organisation - but their into chaining themselves to railings and painting themselves red. Don't agree with their methods, (just plain silly). But I empathise.

For our American friends. An 'Allotment' is various patches of land, broken up into smaller patches, usually within a city, not suitable for building on. These are rented out at very tiny rents, so people can grow their own veg and or flowers for their own use or sell any excess to sell to local shopkeepers. I want into that.

They've become very popular recently. Credit crunch is the main reason cited for the popularity, but I've done a quick cost-up, and actually, it's cheaper to buy from a supermarket. I just want to do it for pleasure of it.