Having started my vitamin B12 injections, I’m feeling a bit more energetic and brighter. I can’t say I’m 100% but I’m getting there. Getting more done now on the plots.
Watering
We’ve been enjoying some fantastic hot, calm and sunny weather. Just what we needed to lift the spirits. Of course, hot and sunny means dry so a lot of time spent watering. With the area I’ve got under cultivation, I’ve found raised impulse sprinklers to be best.
Drip-line systems are most efficient for water use as the slow watering sinks into the ground but setting up drip lines for the various beds and areas would be a lot of work and even more expense.
To reduce evaporation losses and avoid scorch by watering in strong sun, I tend to water late evening or even at night. Nipping out at midnight to turn the water off by torchlight might cause the neighbours to gossip but so what?
I do have driplines set up in the Vitavia greenhouse border and two of the three main beds in the polytunnel. Because of the slow rate, I often leave these on for long periods, all day in hot weather. It’s pretty difficult to over-water with drip lines, so not a concern.
The impulse sprinklers I use are the ones on an adjustable tripod, they’re available on Ebay for around £20.00 now. Mine are about 10 years old, the legs are a bit rusty but they still do the job. The dripper lines are from Access irrigation. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, they’re very helpful.
Also see: Watering the Plot Efficiently for Better Plants
Calabrese, Potatoes & French Beans
All the calabrese and early potatoes from the polytunnel have been harvested and the climbing French beans are coming thick and fast. We’re now getting first earlies from the raised bed in the field veg plot. Half the bed is Colleen and half Casablanca.
Garlic
I’ve harvested the garlic from raised bed in the field plot. Despite being badly hit by rust, a reasonable crop which is now drying on the rack under cover.
The bulbs are a little smaller than I would like but I put that down to the rust and my not giving them a supplementary feed at the beginning of April as intended. I didn’t keep as close an eye on the water situation either. So the report is; 7 out of 10, more attention to detail required next year.
See: How to Grow Garlic & Master Garlic Grower Shares How he Grows Garlic
Greenhouse Tomatoes
Spending a fair bit of time sideshooting the tomatoes in the greenhouse. The border is getting fed weekly now the fruits are developing. I reckon we’ll be eating our own fresh tomatoes in a week or two.
I’ve also got some lettuce between the plants. Our lettuce consumption tends to depend on the weather so we usually end up with some bolting in cooler weather when salads aren’t as appealing. They don’t go to waste though, they get converted into eggs by the chickens.
Greetings from an English born Rhodesian-Zimbabwean living the rest of my life in Bulgaria.
My good lady is the gardener nowadays. I am disabled with health conditions and cannot do the work I used to adore. Moral support my primary function.
I stumbled over your very informative site this morning. We invested in a 20foot polytunnel and I am researching the most effective & efficient ways to get the best from it.
The climate where we live has changed radically. The first years were deffo 4 distinct seasons. Our lowest low on the garden thermometer was -35c. Summers were pretty well 30 to 35.
Climate adjustment has caused seasons to merge. Today. sunday 19 nov 2023, listening to the final of the cricket world cup I picked the last of the raspberries and several figs. Difficult to believe that figs are still ripening in mid-nov.
Water was a major difficulty this year due to a very hot & dry summer. Even the village springs failed or just produced a trickle.
Right, that was a little background. I look forward to reading the backdated issues of your very entertaining reports.
Cheers/Nazdrava
Derek
Hello Derek
You may find the monthly guides to growing in a polytunnel helpful along with this piece on an automated polytunnel ventilation and watering system. My own tunnel just uses a much simpler solar-powered ventilation system