| |||||||
| Undercover Operations The place to discuss greenhouses, polytunnels and cloches |
Visit our sponsors for all your gardening and growing needs! |
 |
| | LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
30-03-2007, 11:21 AM
| |||
| |||
 When can I plant? I'm getting itchy feet. I was wondering when I could start planting out my Tomato plants in the polytunnel. If it is still a bit early could I maybe use a cloche over them? Your thoughts welcomed.      |
|
30-03-2007, 11:39 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| I would hold back on planting your toms out just yet - we've still had snow in April before! Toms don't need plating out until the first flowers are seen. However - there is more hardy veg you can plant out now - what about some broad beans or early carrots (under fleece/cloche), or an early salad sowing (under protection or transplanted out into your tunnel), early peas, early cauliflower? There's quite a bit you can do now - just don't rush the tender plants! You have a polytunnel so you've quite a choice for early crops.
__________________ There's vegetable growing in the family, but I must be adopted  Happy Gardening! |
|
30-03-2007, 01:42 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| yeah im trying to hold back on the tomatoes too - so tempting though, but i have broad beans, carrots, peas, brocolli, cauli, cabbage, rocket, spinach and lettuce in my polytunnel and all are doing very well at the moment!  |
|
30-03-2007, 06:08 PM
| |||
| |||
| thanks. I am devoting the WHOLE tunnel to toms with a few aubs, chillis and cucs |
|
30-03-2007, 06:52 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Quote:
Blimey! i guess you like tomatoes Even if you don't want to take up tunnel space, most of the other crops i mentioned can be sown outdoors - not in the tunnel, so you can scratch your itch if you need to get sometihng in the ground!
__________________ There's vegetable growing in the family, but I must be adopted Happy Gardening! |
|
16-04-2007, 12:09 PM
| |||
| |||
| What about now? Anyone risking it yet? I think I am going to take the plunge this week. My conservatory is being taken over by tomato plants!! |
|
16-04-2007, 12:47 PM
| |||
| |||
| hmm I might put in a few now and a few next week and so on. |
|
16-04-2007, 02:05 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| I've got some in pots out there since yesterday but they'll be back in if this predicted frost occurs later this week!
__________________ Some of us live in the past, always talking about back then. Some of us live in the future, always planning what we are going to do. And, then there are those, who neither look behind or ahead, but just enjoy the moment of right now. Which one are you and is it how you want to be? |
|
16-04-2007, 10:00 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Blimey, my tomatoes have been hardened off for the last two weeks and 52 plants have now been planted in the first tunnel and the second tunnel has 22 plants in plus 60 odd pepper and chillie plants with space for the aubergines as they are a bit softer. It will take a very hard frost to knock the temp down inside my tunnel to anything that would do any damage. You live 100 miles south of me so shouldnt have a problem. My outside toms will go out mid May albeit wearing fleece tents that roll down if required.
__________________ Kindest regards, David. http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/ updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs Last edited by pigletwillie; 17-04-2007 at 08:58 AM. |
|
16-04-2007, 11:50 PM
| |||
| |||
| My toms and peppers have been in the unheated greenhouse for the past two weeks. Some of the toms and peppers already have buds on them, so no ill effects there.
__________________ And when you're back stops aching, And you're hands begin to harden. You will find yourself a partner, In the glory of the garden. Rudyard Kipling. |
|
17-04-2007, 05:16 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| It would be interesting to know what people's minimum temperatures are in their greenhouses/polytunnels. The larger ones must stay warmer than the smaller ones and that must make a difference to the plants. My toms are in a little plastic lean-to kite ( sorry-that should be greenhouse  ) wrapped in sacking overnight tonight.Looks like the heavy frosts predicted will not happen for us, so I'll chance leaving them there. It's a bit of a worry isn't it ?....maternal instincts again eh?????  |
|
17-04-2007, 08:59 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| And mine Bramble, in fact all of the tomatoes have fruit forming.
__________________ Kindest regards, David. http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/ updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs |
|
17-04-2007, 09:52 AM
| |||
| |||
| aaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh Right that's it, tonight all of this:  and this  and this:  AND THIS:  |
|
17-04-2007, 09:52 AM
| |||
| |||
| Is going in this!  |
|
17-04-2007, 10:06 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Well WiZer, yours are bigger than mine (I know size isn't everything, but it impresses the girls!). My toms are smaller.about 5" high but sturdy. My greenhouse is smaller - 6" x 10" and cools to about 4 degrees at night at the moment. If we have another frost I could lose them. Not taking the chance. I only need to walk the 100 ft to the greenhouse 3 times at night and in the morning to ensure the babies are fine. Yep, maternal instinct Nicos! Flum
__________________ Earth laughs in flowers. Ralph Waldo Emerson www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated November 30th - Mr Stinky's Excellent Adventure (and a Christmas Cake) |
|
17-04-2007, 10:21 AM
| |||
| |||
| rather than start a new thread, would anyone like to advise on the best way to plant up the tunnel? The bed on the left is about 1.5m wide and 8m long. The right side will be cleared and provide smaller beds of about 80cm wide. I have lots of tomatoes, aubergines and chillis. |
|
17-04-2007, 07:03 PM
| |||
| |||
| ok i got 20 plants in tonight  I'm using piglet's tip and leaning the poles towards the path. only another 40 tomato plants to go! Not to mention the chillis and aubs Last edited by WiZeR; 17-04-2007 at 10:24 PM. |
|
17-04-2007, 08:08 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| My tunnels are both 20' long and 9' high (1 is 13' wide, the other 10') and have thermic covers. They have been planted up this weekend which is 3 days earlier than last year. The well hardened off plants will stand a frost down to -5 outside the tunnel which generally brings the temperature inside down to about 6 degrees. Only the aubergines go out later as they are softies. The plants are planted 2' between plants and the tomatoes are angled inwards. In the second tunnel which is a mix of tomatoes and peppers / chillies / aubergines, the tomatoes are planted on the side away from the sun so as not to shade the much shorter peppers et al. They are also planted 2' between plants and all have cane supports..
__________________ Kindest regards, David. http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/ updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs |
|
19-04-2007, 08:55 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Quote:
Quote:
__________________ ntg Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/ ================================================== The All New Home page of Hartshill Allotments full of useful bits http://www.hags.btik.com |
|
20-04-2007, 12:37 AM
| ||||
| ||||
| Quote:
|
|
20-04-2007, 12:55 PM
| ||||
| ||||
| Thermal Anti Fog Polythene is a 720 gauge polytunnel film, with added UV A and UV B filters. These filters dramitically reduce many fungal diseases, like mildew and botrytis. When water evaporation occurs, droplets (fogging) form on the inside of covers, eventually dropping back onto plants, which can cause damage and disease to young and tender plants. An anti-fogging agent incorporated into the film helps reduce this effect. It also contains an Infra-Red additive designed to reduce the speed at which heat dissipates out through the cover - in heated Polytunnels 15-20% fuel savings are achieved. A Thermic cover also helps to scatter light as it enters the Polytunne preventing scorching. Its quality stuff Jennie and most tunnel companies best seller.
__________________ Kindest regards, David. http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/ updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs |