Sunday, October 9, 2016

Converting polytunnel beds from summer to winter crops

During the summer our 5 polytunnels grow the following crops - lettuce-based salads, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, jalapenos, aubergines, climbing French beans, basil, cape gooseberries (physallis), tomatillos, cucumbers, early courgettes, celery, chives, lemon verbena, strawberries, Vietnamese coriander, and nasturtiums. During the winter they grow - brassica-based salads, kohl rabi, green sprouting broccoli/calabrese, black Tuscan kale (cabalonero), watercress, parsley, coriander, pak choi, Chinese cabbage, radishes, and rainbow chard. This entails taking out the spent summer plants and putting in fresh winter plants, most of which takes place in October, and is done on a piecemeal basis depending on what is ready to come out and go in, and also when we have the time and help to do the work.
Yesterday we converted one and a half lines in "Nigel" from courgettes and aubergines to winter salads.
Step 1, pull out the old plants and weeds, and remove slugs.

Step 2, straighten the irrigation lines.

Step 3, mulch with compost.

Step 4, dib in new plants.

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