End of May.

I'm still chopping up leafy weeds and vegetable waste, to scatter between plants and rows in the polytunnel; cut grass from the lawn, as well. The generous watering in the hot weather passes through this covering, and less of it evaporates.

June is a good month to erect a new tunnel, so the polythene cover can get tighter through the autumn months. A great variey of crops can be started from late July to September.

I once planted dahlias in a polytunnel



 - it was a mistake.

Sweet peas and chrysanthemums make good autumn crops. Order chrysanth plants now.

I'm sowing more rocket, spinach, tatsoi and other quick leaves to make salad and later chopped leaves to scatter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

J.A.M. in the polytunnel

Just about managing. The long days with maximum sunshine have produced rampant growth. Careful management is needed. Big healthy plants should lead to big crops. If all tomato flowers are allowed to fruit, the plants will be overloaded, fruit size reduced and a glut in August will leave exhausted plants with little late yield. I'm removing complete trusses of tomato flowers and reducing the size of the rest. A strong low sideshoot can remain, and be nursed to continue flowering when the main plant is stopped at about 5 feet. This will give tomatoes in October. Cucumbers easily overcrop - and then give up early. Allow fruit only on the main stem and remove every other small fruit. The same discipline suits courgettes. A weekly feed will keep the swelling fruits supplied with resources. Leaves in the shade do little good - a sharp knife is best for all pruning or trimming. Choose a day when clothes are drying well.
Read more

Mid-April sowings

Image
Tomato plants  will be ready in May.They won't cast much shade for weeks. I'll fill the whole area now, sowing  (not thinly) rows 5" apart of spinach, rocket, mustard, radish,  beetroot, mixed lettuce, mizuna, cress and oriental leaves. We,ll pull some seedlings every week or so from early May to  mid-June and use as salad. These are seedlings from a March sowing November sowing   I sowed chard, spinach, lettuce, rocket and peas in  november. First flowers on the peas; cabbages are hearting up.
Read more

Keep caring-and controlling fast Summer growth

             As the earliest crops finish - lettuce, French beans, peas, spinach, cabbage, broccoli etc., new sowings can fill the spaces. I'm sowing Cobra - a climbing French bean - mangetout and sugarsnap peas for Autumn eating. Salad leaves sown now have a long eating season.           Tomato and cucumber plants respond to careful management. An adequate and regular water supply is essential - no drying out! Developing fruit benefit from regular liquid feeding. Reducing the number of flowers per tomato truss ensures healthy development of all the crop. I open vents and door to maximum - better draughty than too humid.                                                                                                                                                    
Read more