Winter projects

[rary]

Vince could you possibly get hold of some barbed wire and lay that on the bottom of the trenches, might help deter anything digging down

[Snoop Puss]

Just digging trenches might be good disturbance. Rats don't like change. The other thing you could do would be put up fake birds of prey nearby. That would make them cautious too.

Barbed wire is useful, but buried, it's a bit of a booby trap for anyone coming along later who doesn't know it's there. I speak as someone who came across a vast amount of buried broken glass.

[Vince G]

The barbed wire is a good idea, but I wouldn't want my successor on the plot to hurt themselves when finding it.

I am planning to fill most of the trench with coarse drainage stone as rats will injure themselves if they try and burrow through that. There is a big bay of the stuff at the lottie for road/track repairs so they wont miss a barrow load or three.

[Vince G]

The new polytunnel cover arrived today, and I built the fence that is going in the trench. Few jobs to do at home tomorrow morning, but Thursday I hope to complete the trench all around the tunnel frame with a view to erecting/burying the fence at the weekend.

I do actually have proper lottie jobs to do at the weekend too: plant my first earlies, plant out young broad bean plants, sow peas, parsnips and carrots....

[Nicos]

Fingers crossed you have decent weather then this weekend Vince!
Sounds like it’s coming together!

[Vince G]

Doubt I'll get the cover on this weekend to be honest. I didn't finish the trenches yesterday and am otherwise engaged today and tomorrow. So will hopefully finish the trenching on Suday amongst the other jobs we've got to do up there. Unlikely plants will be ready to go in the tunnel before mid-April, so time is just about still on my side. Better to put the new skin on when it's warmer anyway as the heat makes it slightly more supple and you can get a tighter fit over the hoops.

[Nicos]

Ah…yes, that sounds logical about the warmth! Good call.