Re: What have you done in the greenhouse/polytunnel today?

by Compostwoman 21st March 2010, 8:38 pm

Planted lots more salads of various sorts, checked how things were germinating, contemplated moving the tomato seedlings out of the house and into the cold frame inside the polytunnel....

Re potted an olive tree, a kiwi fruit and some blueberry plants....

Checked on the inside spuds...they have sprouted above the compost! so I covered them over with some more...

A busy day today!

by Dandelion 21st March 2010, 9:14 pm

I planted out my earlies today, with the chickens pulling sad faces as I had shut them in their run (they only wanted to help.....) Crying or Very sad

by Compostwoman 21st March 2010, 9:22 pm

CM forgot I had asked him to leave the hens shut in, so I couldn't plant mine today....... What have you done in the greenhouse/polytunnel today? - Page 3 Icon_rolleyes

by Zoe 26th March 2010, 10:33 am

Sheltered out of the rain and murdered more than 30 tomatoes plants, I stopped counting at 30...
So almost down to 70 in individual pots, with a few spare just in case.
Aubergines thinned down to two per pot.
Now have a very large collection of small plants in the greenhouse....looking good What have you done in the greenhouse/polytunnel today? - Page 3 142796

What have you done in the greenhouse/polytunnel today? - Page 3 142796

by polgara 31st March 2010, 8:29 pm

Never even went up the garden today, too cold & wet & windy.

by Compostwoman 1st April 2010, 8:00 pm

Transplanted 80 tomato plants into individual pots and put them in the cold frame inside the polytunnel..These will be sold to make money for either me or school garden fund at an event on May Day BH weekend...

6 of each variety are inside the warmer porch area, as that is a very effective greenhouse and those are for my use....and will be bigger, earlier plants when I come to plant them out in the PT

Will be doing peppers tomorrow and then I can get the cucumbers and melons moved in ...and the courgettes planted up ( the outside ones) the iside courgettes are already growing well.

As are beans, peas, and all sorts but they are stacked up inside the PT, waiting for it to dry up enough for me to plant them outside.....

by Dandelion 1st April 2010, 9:59 pm

Dandelion wrote:Can I pick your brains about modules for sowing/pricking out into? I've got a mottley collection of modules which have come with plants in from the market, and some which I've bought, but the plastic is quite brittle and not very long-lasting. Can anyone recommend modules which are better made, and last longer?

I think I may have (very irritatingly) answered my own question. I went into the Oxfam shop in Hereford today, and bought something called a 'husk tray'. This is a modular tray with six large compartments - it's made of rice husks, coated with vegetable varnish. It will last for five years, and can then be composted. It was more expensive than a plastic equivalent (£1.29) but won't end up in land fill. The only other drawback I can see is that it's not flexible, so you can't squidge it to get the seedling and roots out, but I'm guessing a blunt knife run round each compartment would do the trick.

by polgara 2nd April 2010, 10:04 am

Made some more newspaper pots as OH is still pinching the bog rolls. Planted Tomatos & cucumbers in them. So they are snug & covered up in the greenhouse.

Had to cover the potatos that are in the greenhouse as they had gone bonkers. Now need to think of planting some more.

Broadbeans in the green house are about 4ins high, peas a couple of inches although the overwintering peas are covered with flowers.

Put peppers, gerkins & more tomatos to start sprouting.
So busy busy
grow

by Chilli-head 2nd April 2010, 12:25 pm

Planted out tomatoes in their final positions in the greenhouse today. Bit early, I know, but they are 12" high and the first flower truss is showing. They are sitting on a bed of sand with heating cables to keep them snug. Maybe not altogether green, but whenever I've tried starting later it has been miserable waiting so long for the first tomato ! I want them ready in June.

Anyway, as I have already mentioned, I'm doing a compost trial this year; half in New Horizons (which seems to be the most recommended), and the other half in a mix based on homemade garden compost. I've got the some plants of the same variety in each, to compare health and flavour. Should be fun.

by Guest 2nd April 2010, 1:27 pm

Well done C-H, 12" is good going...beats my 5-6" or so (haven't measured them to be precise) I have planted out 3 into pots as back up against blight. I think heating cables are probably greener than buying tomatoes because you lost yours to blight!

by AngelinaJellyBeana 2nd April 2010, 5:30 pm

Blimey, all this planting out going on! My toms are only just peeping through.
Today I've sown 9 types of chillis, 3 types of cucumber, 3 types of melon, 6 types of squash (including courgettes, pumpkins, butternut squash, pattypans), leeks, cabbages, more basil, sweet peas, and purple sprouting broccoli. Awaiting polytunnel for the lottie so things can grow on in there later

by Compostwoman 2nd April 2010, 6:38 pm

Today I have washed the inside and the outside of the polytunnel, thus letting in lots more light...a timely reminder to all of you to do the same in your undercover growing area, if you have not already....

I got very wet, though....

by polgara 8th April 2010, 6:02 pm

Managed to plant a lot of seeds today & do some tidying up in the greenhouse. The peas in there have pods, so will have to keep with the watering now.

Spring onion, radish & salad leaves have started to come through.
Well happy.

by Compostwoman 8th April 2010, 6:43 pm

^Cleared a lot of space as I planted out a lot of things yesterday, into the garden.

So I have planted more seeds......

by Dandelion 8th April 2010, 8:05 pm

You're incorrigible!
Laughing

by Adrian 11th April 2010, 7:44 pm

nghhhhhhh

Hot dirty horrible greenhouse time - Just been dismantling the chickens winter accommodation in the polytunnel - very very dusty and bleughy

On the plus side I did manage to start off
5 types of hot chilli pepper
Salads
cucumbers
8 types of tomato
beets
hollyhocks
marigolds
sweet peppers
Lycium
Chard
Spinach

and other stuff - can't remember what

by Compostwoman 12th April 2010, 10:52 pm

Am struggling here with the juggling act of what needs to be in a cold frame inside the PT overnight and what HAS to be in a cold frame overnight....am also growing to sell for me and for Eco club at school so am running out of space now...
The porch is full as well...

I need a greenhouse..I have one, in bits, but it's a "when we have time" job to put it up...I guess next year, now....

by Adrian 12th April 2010, 11:23 pm

bugger

I forgot to build coldframes

bugger bugger bugger

oh well another "urgent" job to add to the list

by Compostwoman 12th April 2010, 11:36 pm

I am afraid I bought the last couple I had....time pressures...etc...

We have built them in the past...old double glazed windows etc...

I am really pleased with how well a coldframe inside a polytunnel works to bring on tender plants such as toms, peppers, aubergines etc...they are better plants than those from the same planting, inside in the greenhouse!

and of course a cold frame outside is really helpful for less tender seedlings...

which is why I need another one...as the two I have are in use INSIDE the PT with really tender stuff inside...

Ho hum..guess I will be building a cold frame outside, in the next few days ...

by Adrian 12th April 2010, 11:41 pm

I just build a temporary tent over my prop bench - does wonders for keeping stuff a the right temps

by Compostwoman 12th April 2010, 11:44 pm

Good idea ! What did you use to make the tent?

by Adrian 12th April 2010, 11:46 pm

2x1/2" baton and greenhouse poly

by Compostwoman 12th April 2010, 11:48 pm

Ah...so a wooden frame covered in the poly?

by Adrian 13th April 2010, 12:06 am

by Compostwoman 27th April 2010, 12:32 am

Have planted out some tomato plants into final places in the PT, and have the delightful prospect of doing about 50 more. Will sell the other 150 plants at the gate or on a stall to raise funds for school eco club.

Am about 3 weeks ahead this year!

by Chilli-head 27th April 2010, 8:58 pm

While watering today, I spotted the first tomatoes starting to swell. Only about the size of a marble yet, but a welcome sight Very Happy

They do seem to be the one thing that is ahead this year. Most outdoor stuff is a couple of weeks late - that seems to be what the farmers are saying too.

by Sponsored content