Friday 6 May 2011

The Polytunnel in April

Posted by Rosie

Yes, I know it's May but my very last minute jolly to the UK meant I didn't have time to write this before I went.  Sorry.

April has been a month of great activity in the Polytunnel.  With the sun shining almost all month, temperatures inside have on several occasions risen up to the 50 degrees C mark - and that's WITH the doors open.  At night in contrast they have dropped as low as freezing point and early in the month I was out at 1am covering the most tender plants as there was an unexpected sharp frost.  Hopefully now the risk of frost has gone.  It is however the heat not the cold that has claimed victims this month - the early sowing of turnips, the rocket, the overwintering spinach and all the oriental vegetables except for the pak choy went to seed almost overnight as temperatures rose.  Never mind, they were whipped out and replaced with peppers, tomatoes and aubergines which are all waiting in the wings for places to go as other crops are harvested/finish.  

So what am I harvesting to give me much needed space?  Lettuces, mangetout, chard and broad beans are all giving us lovely fresh dinners - the peas are also starting to swell and we had the first new potatoes tonight (although of course that really should be in next months update!).  I reckon the first of the summer cabbages and the pak choy will be ready soon and the strawberries are beginning to redden.

It's lovely to see the polytunnel so full although this does give me a bit of a headache as I wander round with various trays of plants wondering where on earth I am going to transplant them.  It makes ultimately for a somewhat dishevelled appearance as I slot things in any available space but then who is complaining when you lunch was chard and mangetout with a home-produced poached egg and your dinner was the freshest and newest of new potatoes.


1 comment :

  1. everything so much earlier in the PT - sounds good :)

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