That's it!

Show season is now over and it's time to assess your growing year and make plans for next season. I won most points in the veg section at Sturton but didn't do as well as in previous years. This was partly due to the fact that my produce wasn't up to the standard of previous years but also because there were several new exhibitors this year, all with excellent veg and flower exhibits. However, it was most welcome to have new competition and I shall certainly have to raise my game next year.

This season I won 62 classes, came 2nd in another 47 and 3rd in 32. This was down on last year confirming my suspicions that things weren't as good. There were successes, notably tomatoes with which I won at 5 out of the 7 shows I entered. But my carrots were very poor and I only managed one 3rd place all season with runner beans (finally, at Sturton!). I really need to make sure I have done a lot more preparation over the winter months and that all my support structures are ready and my compost mixes prepared in plenty of time.

Lessons are learnt every season. Just when you think you've cracked something a different problem comes along to challenge you. I've always been strong on carrots, but the late cold Spring killed my initial sowings, and followed by a scorching summer the second sowings didn't grow as well as they might have.

And whilst I was giving optimum attention to my tomatoes I was failing to give the proper care to my beans. Several work-related issues also conspired against me and meant I was often working late during the late Spring and into Summer, and having 3 teenage daughters that need 'taxi-ing' to various places on a daily basis doesn't help! Most of the guys I compete against are retired and presumably have more time to devote to their hobby, although I have encountered many more people this year who are of a similar age to myself if not younger. This is encouraging for the future.

One final problem I need to solve is that of tending the plot during my annual holiday. We always go away during July and although my mother-in-law does a stirling job it's not the same as being there yourself. I returned from holiday this year to find my cabbages infested with cabbage white caterpillars and already half-eaten. It had also been incredibly hot and everything had suffered. If I had been at home I could have watered more judiciously and protected against butterflies. Oh well!