The Polytunnel in February

Posted by Rosie

This is possibly more a record for me than a massively interesting read for you but I thought I might use the blog to record the monthly goings on in our polytunnel.  As February and hopefully Winter, nears it's end and Spring creeps slowly upon us it seemed a good time to start my record.  So what's happening in the only part of the garden that isn't currently  inundated with rain?

A couple of days ago I pulled up the last of the overwintering oriental vegetables that were going to seed but was pleased to see those I had sown a week or so ago have just germinated (and the pigs enjoyed the old ones).  I am still cropping chard and spinach albeit in small amounts and I may cut the newly sprouting beetroot leaves to eat as a spinach-like vegetable because I don't think the beets are going to do any decent growing now.

That's it for harvesting but there is a promise of things to come.  All the following have germinated: broad beans, peas, mangetout, cabbage and lettuce plus the lettuce seedlings I've planted are definitely getting bigger.  Of the 3 chinese gooseberries I tried to overwinter, one has survived and is showing some new growth at the base (plus I have 4 others on a windowsill in the house) and the overwintering onions are beginning to put on a lot of growth now.  As yet the early potatoes and sweet peas are to make an appearance but the strawberries a neighbour gave me are putting out lots of new leaves.  I am also very proud to say that the Rosemary cuttings I took last year have survived: a miracle for some-one who has never really succeeded with cuttings!

October 2010

I love this this time of year; the excitement of the first germinated seed, the expectation of harvests to come.  Every year I hope will be better than the last (possibly not that hard after the hot/dry garden disaster that was 2010) and this year I might possibly succeed in growing celery.  I am also eagerly awaiting Simon's return from the UK with The New Polytunnel Book I ordered.  The polytunnel has cropped well over the last 2 years - this year I am hoping for mega-harvests.