Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Tip
Collecting rubbish
Tunnel gardening inevitably produces small amounts of waste, such as seed packets,
bark chips or twigs from compost, pulled weed seedlings and so on. Rather than
stuffing these into a pocket or leaving them in a corner, keep an empty plant pot on
the shelf or staging to drop these scraps into, and replace it with a fresh one every
time you tap a plant out of its pot.
Clean everything else
The relative calm of winter makes it a good time to clean your tools, trays and
anything else stored in the tunnel with a biodegradable organic detergent such
as Citrox or Armillatox (which is also an insecticide), so that they are ready for
spring. Check that any copper tape used for door frames, plant rings or the like
as part of your slug defences is clean and bright, because it becomes much less
effective as it tarnishes. Glass paper works well for this and doesn't leave tiny
bits of debris around, which can be a problem if you use wire wool. (For more
details see Chapter 10, page 171.)
Repair any holes
Check the cover for damage periodically. The cold of winter, combined with gener-
ally harsh weather and gusting wind, means that the cover is at its most brittle
and vulnerable. The door frames of a tunnel are where the cover usually begins
to go first, so keep an eye on them in particular. At the first sign of a split, apply
polytunnel repair tape to both sides of the film. Tape won't stick to the cover if it is
dirty or damp, so make sure the surfaces are absolutely clean and dry beforehand.
Start collecting compostable pots
Depending on your attitude towards biodegradable pots (see Chapter 4, page 35),
it may be time to start collecting the inner tubes from toilet and kitchen rolls.
These are useful for avoiding transplant shock for seedlings such as peas and
sweetcorn. Sowing into pots rather than direct into soil beds can - sometimes -
spare the seeds from the attention of rodents by allowing you to start them on a
suspended shelf or other mouse-proof location.
December
The winter solstice on 21 or 22 December is the shortest day of the year, so the
polytunnel and the plants inside it receive the least energy from the sun. Growth
in the tunnel is slow to nonexistent, making this the perfect time to relax indoors
with your seed catalogues, planning next year's garden. When it comes to the
tunnel, it's a good idea to make a plan for each season (such as those in Chapter 1,
