[leighma]

Hi all,

I am based in rep of ireland.  We have just moved an have a large garden with raised beds and a poly tunnel. All the beds have been covered and weed free and the soil looks good.
I need advice on what I should be doing and what I can plant in the tunnel beside tomatoes and whenI should start planting?
It looks very scary as im only a novice gardener.
Advice please

[arugula]

Hello leighma and welcome!

I'll move your question into grow your own where all the veggie growing experts are more likely to see it.

[Gwiz]

A big hello to you! I'm no ploy tunnel expert, but I know we have quite a few members who use them.
While we wait for them to appear, have a quick look through this section.
It may help you to be less daunted! 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?board=36.0

[Kristen]

I need advice on what I should be doing and what I can plant in the tunnel beside tomatoes and whenI should start planting?

You may be more mild, so you may be able to sow and plant earlier, but here are a couple of links:

http://www.allotment-garden.org/garden_month.php Month by Month advice

http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/general/sowing-harvest-vegetable-chart.php Sowing times

If my geography memory is correct?!! and you are milder there, you might like to look at some American sites that have sowing dates - they work on the basis of "Days before last expected frost" which may be a better metric for you - but consider latitude too because if light levels are low that may mean that delaying a bit longer is better in the long run (or sow half now, half later, and keeps notes on the outcome for next year)

Sounds early to be sowing Tomatoes - unless your greenhouse is heated?

[bappelbe]

Hi and welcome.
I live in West Cork.
As the advice already given says you will not be planting for a while. but there are jobs like adding manure (or seaweed if you are on the coast - only pick the already dead stuff on a beach and not the stuff still attached to a rock)

I will start sowing tomatoes, peppers and chillis late Feb/early March for my polytunnel.
(I will plant them in the house and keep them there until weather gets better)
I also grow cucumbers in the tunnel (I plant them a few weeks later).
I would recomend growing a few different types of tomato so you can compare and contrast. You can also buy plants in a garden centre later in the year.

Seed packs will tell you when to plant each type of plant, but the guides already linked to are good references. You can view seed catalogues online to give you ideas.
You will find a lot of advice on this site.

Other than that, grow food that you like to eat!

Bill

[noshed]

Good advice from Bill there - no point lavishing a lot of time on stuff you don't like. If the polytunnell has it's own soil in it could probably do with a bot of a boost with new compost, so if you have any around, spread it in. The person who was using it before probably grew tomatoes etc, the same as you will be so a change of comost will help to prevent the build up of disease.
Have a look at the information pages on this site, or better still, get some of John's books. They will give you a good basic understanding without overcomplicating everything.
http://www.allotment-garden.org/book/index.php