Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Horticultural fleece
See Chapter 7, page 59, for details on constructing a fleece cloche.
If you made a fleece cloche back in November, you'll be reaping the benefits
now. If you didn't, it's not too late to make one: January and February are the
coldest months in the UK, and that's when your plants will really need help.
Some plants - chard, for example - may be too large to cover easily with a fleece
cloche. In this case, just drape some fleece over the leaves. There may be frost
burn at points of contact, but the rest of the plant will be protected. Chard is quite
hardy, but long periods of severe frost will kill or severely set back unprotected
plants. If you use fleece to restrict the damage to contact points on a few leaves,
you can continue to have fresh chard any time you want. As soon as the weather
warms again the plant will continue to grow - so with a tunnel to help it through
the winter and early spring, chard becomes an 'all year round' plant, as, unlike
many crops, the flavour doesn't change as the plant bolts and flowers.
Cold frames
Cold frames are useful inside a polytunnel in the winter in much the same way
as they are in the outside garden in early spring. Whatever the surrounding temp-
erature, a properly made cold frame will be a little warmer on the inside, so a cold
frame in the tunnel is a great place to start seeds towards the end of winter.
Compost
Making compost generates warmth, and in principle a compost heap can be used
to heat a polytunnel. However, the process of composting breaks down vegetable
matter, releasing mould spores that can sometimes attack struggling plants. For
more information on composting, see Chapter 11, page 175, and the Resources
section.
Jobs for winter
Clear up debris
Try to pick up plant debris as soon as you see it. Mould can be a real problem at
this time of year, because of the damp weather. Also, woodlice, slugs and other
pests will be very happy sheltering under leaves or in small piles of rotting plant
matter. Natural predators such as toads are probably hibernating some of the
time, and if they're not around, it's up to you.
Slugs lay eggs in the earth around food plants, or in moist spots under leaves. If
you find a clutch, use a trowel or spade to remove them along with their sur-
rounding soil. The eggs are laid in clusters of between ten and fifty, and look like
small white or translucent pearls.
