Author Topic: What do I put in my Polytunnel right now?  (Read 1800 times)

Davidberry

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What do I put in my Polytunnel right now?
« on: September 12, 2013, 10:11:21 »
This is my first year of owning a polytunnel so I was wondering what I should be planting in it right now with a view to getting crops as late into the year as possible.  I realise I've probably left it a little late, I do have some potatoes in bags for a Christmas harvest (hopefully) and some salad crops which I put in a few weeks ago.  Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Many thanks for your help.

manicscousers

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Re: What do I put in my Polytunnel right now?
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2013, 19:26:45 »
Hiya, Davidberry.
We've just sowed early carrots so we get baby ones. Oriental greens, pak choi, red mustard, winter lettuce and spring onions, mooli radish, our garlic and overwintering onions will be in there in pots and we have all our herb cuttings. Maybe early peas and start your broad beans in pots to plant out next year. We'll also be starting our sweet peas in pots to overwinter in there  :happy7:

ancellsfarmer

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Re: What do I put in my Polytunnel right now?
« Reply #2 on: September 12, 2013, 20:08:53 »



To the above suggestions could be spinach beet(perpetual spinach. Last year I lifted some established swiss and ruby chard into 10"pots before the first cutting frost,, and moved these in to the tunnel. They didnt grow much but sat in a state of suspended torpor but remained fresh and edible. New leaf appeared in late Jan and slowly advanced for about 3 pickings before Easter
I found that the major limitation is the dramatic fall in temperature in the early evenings, little retention of daytime solar gains and the slow recovery next day in the oh too often dull days of winter.
The advantage of a polytunnel is probably about 4deg C in air temp during the winter with reduced windchill and no wind burn/dessication, so things may not grow much but they survive for an earlier start when the days extend. Its light levels and day length that you need as well as air temperature, so its worth getting the outside clean and the inside free of green algae. Unless you have light and heat inputs(unlikely on an allotment), you cant achieve much more. However, this year I,m to experiment with a "hot-bed"in my tunnel just to see what grandad could do. Wiill report if sucesssfull . ADVICE WELCOMED.
Freelance cultivator qualified within the University of Life.

plotstoeat

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Re: What do I put in my Polytunnel right now?
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2013, 18:20:18 »
I have just sown rocket and small turnips in troughs. Never tried turnips before so no experience. I will plant garlic next week to get some earlier next year.

 

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