Don't stress about it.

Life is difficult enough without letting your hobby stress you out also. Every year is different and throws different weather conditions, pest and disease at you. Just when you think you have one crop cracked you encounter problems you haven't experienced before and you have to solve them, albeit very often too late to make an impact at that year's shows. But in doing so you're learning all the time and so next season you're able to keep more of the 'plates spinning on the tops of the poles' without too many crashing to the floor!















So, whilst this season I appear to have 'upped my game' on the 8oz onions, potatoes, and possibly runner beans, as well as consolidated previous good performances with tomatoes, parsnips and stump carrots, I have also had problems (for the 2nd year running) with long carrots. I had a poor germination rate and those that did come through have grown very slowly indeed, especially when compared against the Sweet Candle stumps. I'll be very surprised to stage any sets of real quality. The seed I use is from former National Champion Graeme Watson but I've heard a few stories of bad roots from that particular source this season. Not his fault...just the way it goes. I know Gerald Treweek sells his seed in GN in the autumn so next season I will give his strain a try.

Either way, the point I'm clumsily trying to make is that this is my hobby and I won't let problems upset me, merely try and find a way to solve the problems from one year to the next. In the same way I've always vowed never to let a judge's opinion (and it often is just that!) get the better of me. Too often I see little old men having a go at hard working, VOLOUNTARY show organisers about this, that and the other. For feck's sake just accept the decision with good grace and have a pint!