As the growing season has ended, many gardeners have reflected on their harvest this year
Three vegetables gardeners won’t grow again(Image: Getty)
As the growing season draws to a close and frosty weather looms, gardeners have been pondering the achievements of this year’s crop yields. Following months of dedicated effort, some green-fingered enthusiasts have chosen to abandon certain vegetables entirely.
Three crops, specifically, have been rejected as either “not worth the effort” or “impossible” to cultivate and will be absent from next year’s planting schedule. In a discussion on Reddit, gardeners identified onions, broccoli, and squash on their rejected roster.
Below, we have outlined why these vegetables might prove challenging to cultivate and the remedies to address these issues.
Vegetables gardeners ‘won’t grow again’1. Onions
This root vegetable thrives best when grown from sets(Image: Getty)
One Reddit contributor remarked, “As my friend put it, ‘you plant a small onion and get a slightly bigger onion.’ They are so cheap to buy, I do not bother.”
Another user revealed: “I’ve been trying to grow onions for a few years now, but I’m doing something wrong. I don’t know how much they’re going for right now, but I use them in so many dishes and they have a long shelf life, so I thought I gotta grow ’em … but no luck.”
Nevertheless, according to the RHS, onions are remarkably straightforward to cultivate if you employ the correct method. Onions require a warm, sunny location and well-drained soil.
This root vegetable thrives best when grown from sets (immature bulbs), which are swift and simple but susceptible to bolting. Employing heat-treated sets helps minimise the risk.
2. Broccoli
Gardeners are moaning about broccoli(Image: Getty)
Gardeners also moaned about broccoli since it draws pests such as white flies, aphids, and earwigs.
One Reddit user commented, “Just not worth the time, effort, space, and all that.” Another chimed in, “Not worth the time and effort to get one head of broccoli. I’m only growing things that are abundant with minimal effort.”
For those keen on cultivating green vegetables next year, seasoned gardeners are assuring you that broccoli is straightforward to grow and produces results rapidly. According to a specialist at Gardeners’ World, to cultivate it, you require well-prepared, fertile, alkaline soil.
It also requires consistent watering and needs at least six to eight hours of direct sunlight daily. To shield it from garden pests, consider cultivating it within a mesh enclosure.
3. Squash
Squash was dubbed ‘impossible'(Image: Getty)
When it comes to growing squash a Reddit user simply declared, “never again,” whilst another remarked, “Squash vine borers, however, are the reason I never grow summer squash. They are impossible.”
A specialist at Gardenary outlined the presence of these garden pests: “The adult squash vine borer is a moth that looks more like a black and orangey-red wasp. The adult moths lay their eggs at the base of your squash plants.
“These eggs hatch within a couple of weeks, and then the larvae fatten themselves up by burrowing into the lower stems of your plants and feeding on the soft material inside.”
To combat this, garden enthusiasts can utilise mesh or row covers to discourage these pests, or encase the stems of their plants with strips of nylon or foil. Another handy hint is to routinely tidy the soil area by eliminating fallen leaves and debris, and to avoid leaving mulch around.
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