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Tuesday 21 February 2012

The polytunnel in February

It has been a mild winter, but even so a touch of sun will raise temperatures in the polytunnel quite rapidly and it needs daily ventilation.

What's happening in there?

The autumn sown onions are looking perky and have had their first foliar feed, they get going pretty quickly now, I will expect to see progress on a weekly basis.
The winter lettuces are growing and can take being picked quite frequently now. I tend to use loose-leaf varieties and then can take as much or little as I require. Lamb's lettuce and rocket have self-seeded and will be available soon. I have sown mizuna and spinach and these have all germinated well.

Early sowings do need protection from slugs, which have also woken up with the warmth.
I have planted the first pot grown sugar snap peas and have sown some more pots for growing outside too.

The garlic that was planted both inside and outside the polytunnel is up and growing strongly.
Inside strawberries have been given their spring tidy and an organic fertiliser.

My cabbages that were in the polytunnel have been eaten, but the purple sprouting broccoli is just about to produce.

Most of the carrots from last year have been eaten but there are still some 'Autumn King' in the ground which will need using up soon, especially before the first sowing of carrots, but even before then they will start to regrown if not lifted and put in a cool place. Carrots which start to regrow will begin to go to seed and the roots will get tough.

The rhubarb is beginning to sprout. Last year I upturned a bucket over them and they produced a lovely sweet crop of first stalks. I will do it again.

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