Polytunnel

[Clint]

Err...I dunno! The tunnel is 20x12..I could easily fit six on there...

 

[MyQul]

Not unlike "Hugelkultur" (sp). I'd love to give it a try on one of my allotments one day (if I ever get the time...)

I havent heard of hugelkultur. I'll have to watch some youtube vids on it

 

[VW911]

It's basically burying a log, covering it with a mound of soil, and leaving it to rot down. You plant into the sides of the mound, and the plants absorb the nutrients from the decaying wood.
It's quite a big thing in Scandanavia, not so sure about how good it would be in Somerset!

 

[Clint]

A view from the other direction...busy morning...cleared the dreadful weeds from down the side of the tunnel. Planted out caulis, french beans, squash and tomatoes..got sunburn!

 

[Ajhutch]

Is that corn in a bathtub?!

 

[Clint]

Ha...no its the last of the parsnips that have bolted...they still have roots but need to come out so I can get some more in..or carrots..

 

[foxy]

I used to grow cucumbers up in the roof of the green house, got lots of moist air and I would pick them as they hung down. Couldn't believe I missed this one, even going in there 2 or 3 times a day.

 

[foxy]

Fist planting of swede coming on fine as is strawberry's and peas.

Potatoes, experimental, shouldn't really be going in until July/August keeping my eye on the weather for any frosts. We have had loads of rain so presumably why they are going OK.

 

[Clint]

Garlic and onions...

 

[Keats]

Did you overwinter those @Clint?

 

[Clint]

Yes..the garlic was planted around Halloween and the onions Christmas.

 

[Richie_asg1]

I haven't had much success with my garlic. The ones I planted last year didn't do so much and were very small, so I left them in. Up pops little groups of sprouts this year so when large enough I lifted and divided them, planting in rows. Some have done well, but some have just stayed small, so i still have a lot to learn on those.
Potatoes on the other hand are chest high and still going strong. I hope they like all the rain we've had as they are in raised beds.

 

[Clint]

I've always bought garlic to grow...this lot is from last year's Tatton Park flowers show,Isle of Wight Garlic stand..
It likes a well prepared bed with plenty of rotted manure. You'll get there.

 

[Richie_asg1]

I think that may be the issue. The beds were only made last year and I didn't have a lot of compost to share out between them. I used some leaf mold and old peat from a local dumped pile to amend the clay soil, but is probably lacking in nitrogen from the old leaves. Worms are doing well so with regular top dressing it should come right soon.
Bit wary of bringing in manure as there are some scare stories of Grazon herbicide coming through it. Same with field straw if it's been sprayed, and as there are NO weeds in the fields of barley around here I suspect it is.

 

[Clint]

Collect your house veg waste and chuck that on. Another great couple of products we use are chicken manure pellets and 6X..

 

[terrym]

My experience is you need to buy garlic bulbs especially for planting for overwintering, but shop bought garlic can be planted in early spring. My overwintered garlic did really well this year, I lifted them about three weeks ago, and only had two or three failures of out of about 50 bulbs. The ones I grew were Messidrome from Premier Seeds on ebay. They are very similar to Taylors Thermidrome variety

 

[Clint]

Last year I dried and hung my garlic in the garage and it's not been too bad...ive a few left but I think they're done..I'm toying with the idea this year of peeling, blitzing and freezing the lot in 1 1/2 TSP,ice cube tray.
and bagging.

 

[bobukbrewer]

my garlic is superb this year, but onions from sets were rubbish. Just started picking tomatoes from greenhouse and outside against a west facing house wall.

 

[terrym]

my garlic is superb this year, but onions from sets were rubbish. Just started picking tomatoes from greenhouse and outside against a west facing house wall.

All my toms are outside, either south or west facing backed by a wall. Each Gardeners Delight plant has lots of fruit but they all seem reluctant to turn red this year. Cant work it out
But my mini triumph this year are several plants grown from supermarket toms bought in early spring, dried out the seeds and then planted them. I wondered if they might be F1 hybrids but the some of the trusses are showing the first signs of toms. The variety is Angelle.

 

[bobukbrewer]

mix sulphate of potash 1:1 with miracle grow then in september 2:1