[shokkyy]

I only put my tunnel up and put together the raised beds at the end of last year, so the only crops I'm actually picking so far are lettuce and radish. I am so enjoying them It's the first time in my life I've picked lettuce and radish that are absolutely perfect, not a single hole or nibble or blemish (apart from the lettuce my dog trampled on). I'm really looking forward to the tunnel crops to come.

[Plottered]

Im so jealous  because I so want my own tunnel but, our lovely allotment society have done a brilliant job in getting funding for a huge community tunnel that anyone can use. Ive had a hand in getting it ready for use so Im going to be putting my chillis and sweet peppers in there soon. I just hope they dont get nicked!! 

[compostqueen]

You can do all sorts of leaves in there Shokky so don't limit yourself as there all loads of different mixes available and you can do your own mixing seed packets of the things you like best.  Oriental leaves do brilliantly as well don't forget! 

I am constantly sowing seed trays of salad and oriental leaf mixes in my unheated greenhouse (you don't need a polytunnel to do this) and then you always have a good supply of leaves to hand for your salad, sarni or stir fry. 

[shokkyy]

Yes, I've got 3 or 4 varieties of leaf going in there, both in the beds and in pots. I did initially think four 8X4 foot beds was plenty of space, but I keep thinking of more and more things to try in there and all of a sudden I wish it was twice as big. I've got new spuds in there as well, planted in February, a row of early mange tout and a few strawberry plants just to see how much earlier they crop.

In two of the beds I'm going to grow the tender stuff, cucumber, melon, tomato, aubergine, pepper, chilli, and one or two Parthenon courgettes just in case my outside plants are hit by appalling weather again, like they were last year. In the other two beds I'm going to try carrot, kohl rabi, celery, celeriac, Swiss chard, beetroot, swede, turnip, and toward the end of the year maybe try one or two plants of calabrese, cabbage, cauliflower. I've been reading the How to Grow Food in Your Polytunnel book, and it's really made me realise there's a lot more to a tunnel than just somewhere to grow tender plants in summer.

[sunshineband]

That sounds fabulous shokky.

Ours is only 3m by 2m so I can't run to your variety, but parthenon courgettes were a huge success last year.

Come the late summer I shall sow some carrots to go with the lettuces etc I had this year 

[shokkyy]

I want to use this year to find out which things do well in there, which don't, which are too much trouble or too much space. So I'm just aiming to do a few plants of lots of different things, to see what works. At the end of summer I'm going to try some late sowings of beetroot, calabrese, cabbage, kohl rabi, onion, potato, peas and turnip, plus of course the salad stuff, either for overwinter crops or early crops the following spring. They might not work but I want to try to keep it in use through the winter as well, if I can. Obviously the soil will have its work cut out so I'll have to keep feeding it copious amounts of chicken manure, BFB and compost whenever I can.

Did you find the parthenon courgettes took up a lot of space in your tunnel? One thing I've noticed is that plants in pots or bags (spuds) seem to have quite a bit less protection from cold than the plants in the beds.

[sunshineband]

Each parthenon plant grew to about 1.5 m across, and I planted them too close to the door really, so my legs often got scratched or leaves trodden on.

This year they are going right at the back 

Autumn sown spring onions worked well too btw 

[shokkyy]

Thanks, I didn't think of late sowing spring onions, I'll add those to the list

I'm thinking of trying Long Red Florence as an overwintering onion in there. I did read somewhere that variety can be used that way.

[sunshineband]

Long Red Florence is a long daylight type shallot, so I am a bit surprised it has been recommended 

[shokkyy]

My polytunnel book didn't say that, but I have seen that at one or two of the seed supplier websites, can't remember which though. I have to say that I've got seedlings going at the moment for Bedford Champion, Ailsa Craig, Silverskin and Long Red Florence, and of the four varieties I'd definitely say Long Red Florence was the least robust and hardy. So maybe I'd better find another variety for my overwinter trial.

[compostqueen]

Joy L covers polytunnel growing, and growing stuff over winter in her Veg Growing Handbook and it's a great read, available from the library too 

I grew a fab crop of the long red onion of Florence, it's a belter of an onion but not sure it would be the hardiest. The tops are long, bright green and lush and they get eaten as well.

[sunshineband]

My polytunnel book didn't say that, but I have seen that at one or two of the seed supplier websites, can't remember which though. I have to say that I've got seedlings going at the moment for Bedford Champion, Ailsa Craig, Silverskin and Long Red Florence, and of the four varieties I'd definitely say Long Red Florence was the least robust and hardy. So maybe I'd better find another variety for my overwinter trial.

Maybe an overwintering japanese onion might be suitable?