Polytunnel planting ....

[leicestershirelass]

Hi - is it 'safe' to plant veg in our polytunnel this weekend?

e.g. we've got some seedlings that are getting too big for their pots + would like to start growing salad, carrots etc

thanks

[pigletwillie]

Salads and carrots will be ok, my tomatoes went in last weekend, I only shut the doors if a frost is forecast otherwise on a sunny day you cook everything.

Just keep an eye on the weather forecasts.

[marathon]

Get planting.

Not sure where you are.

In polytunnel I have loads of strawberry plants in flower, 22 tomato plants in the beds (some in flower alread), salad leaves, several rows of beetroot and radish, a 12 foot row of peas, a courgette plant in flower, 2 plants of parsely and 24 dwarf french bean plants all with tiny beans forming. On the staging I have almost 200 leeks, cabbages, brussel sprouts, sunflowers, impations, marigolds, spring onions and another 35 tomato plants which were were sown in March.

When the night get above 12/15 degrees I'll put my 35 pepper plants into there planting beds, move my 16 squash plants onto the staging and my 60 sweetcorn plants. Soon followed by 6 cucumber plants and 6 melon plants, basil and anything else that fits.

[leicestershirelass]

Thanks for your advice PigletWillie

Wow Marathon ... that's a very impressive list of plantings ....

I'm inspired to get out there and get some of my seedlings planted ...

[sewer rat]

Get them in
I have chard, spinach, lettuce (second crop will be ready next week) scallions, two beds of CCA Salad Leaves, 80 or so blackcurrant cuttings, tomatoes planted, chillies planted, 50 Hispi Cabbage planted for an early crop, parsley patch , 64 hanging baskets with strawberries which are fruiting and somewhere in the region of 7500 brassica seedlings, 140 pots of baby leeks, 200 courgette seedlings, 75 cuke seedlings and more lettuce seedlings

[JennieAtkinson]

Yes I've got strawberries in pots which are flowering and beginning to show fruit and lettuce, radish and salad leaves which I am just harvesting (they've been in since middle March). Peas are just coming up. Tomatoes will be a while yet. Runner, french and broad beans will be going in over the weekend and I sowed carrots yesterday.

Think about what you want to plant in your tunnel though. I dont grow any brassicas in mine as they do well outside and would just take over the tunnel. But I do sweetcorn and courgettes and all my beans and peas in the tunnel as they just do not do well outside.

Happy planting!

[leicestershirelass]

thanks everyone for your encouragement ... have now got quite a bit planted in there and growing rapidly

[-pat m]

thanks everyone for your encouragement ... have now got quite a bit planted in there and growing rapidly

I have had quiet a bit of stuff in– My cucumbers are in now as well –I agree with the overheating advice- It was windy yesterday and I haven’t shut my doors for several weeks, The wind dropped in the afternoon and when I opened the door it was like the tropics in there so heat may be more of an enemy than cold- Good luck I have pics on my page if it helps.

Regards
Pat

[Meschuee]

I know that a courgette would grow to a large size, but want to grow one in my greenhouse. Have any of you done this, successfully, in the past?

Penny

[Alison]

I tried to grow a courgette early in my greenhouse a few years ago to get fruits before they would be available outside. The plant grew vast and produced zillions of male flower but very few female ones. You have to self fertilise (which is easy enough) and I've not bothered since as it only seemed to give me courgettes about 3 weeks earlier then I got outside which was less faff.

[Meschuee]

Thanks, Alison, for that information. Looks as though I might plant it outside.

[leicestershirelass]

I've planted 3 courgettes and 1 marrow .... they seem to be growing well ... will have to wait and see what they produce

I've already had some mini cucumbers and 'normal' sized ones are starting to form too ... just need my tomato plants to catch up with them and the lettuce then I'll be able to eat my own salads

[Meschuee]

Good luck with those, leicestershirelass. You'll soon be dining on your own salad.

My courgettes are in the garden and growing very fast.

Penny

[leicestershirelass]

thanks Penny ... not spending anything on veg, salad or fruit at the mo ... our shopping bill has dropped substantially (just as well with petrol rising again!!) I've even made my own elderflower cordial this year.

I know that a courgette would grow to a large size, but want to grow one in my greenhouse. Have any of you done this, successfully, in the past?

Lol ... just picked a couple of courgettes the size of marrows - since taking them off have now got a lot of nice small courgettes that'll be ready to pick soon ........ hope you've had success with yours

[Meschuee]

I'm pleased you did well with the courgettes. I didn't have much luck with mine this year. Just not enough warmth at the appropriate time, I think. The squash and pumpkins didn't grow either.

I've always wanted to make my own wine but not got round to it. It's a question of getting the equipment as there are lots of things I could use to make it. I really will do it one day. Your elderflower wine sounds delicious.

Penny