[adri123]

Hi,

Just covered our new PT.  54 foot by 14 foot.  Absolutely knackered but thrilled to have it 'nearly there'.

I did see a vid a while back about some guy claiming to be self sufficient in veg with his tunnel.  We're in Derbyshire and have a normally short growing season but I'd like to get to as near veg self sufficiency with the PT if as possible.

Planning to have staging down one side and keyhole raised beds for the rest. 

I've had a couple of books out of the library on PT growing but neither were that good.  Looking for a guide on getting the most produce out of a PT.  Is there one out there???

TIA

Adri

[Kristen]

I think that the tricky thing to conquer is the "hungry gap" in spring when Winter Veg (Brassicas, leeks, Parsnips and the like) is done & dusted, but the new season crops have not come to harvest as yet.

[mumofstig]

It's surprising how far into the year that hungry gap can last; it's often May/June before the new crops start to arrive.
That's where the greenhouse/polytunnel helps so much 

[Kristen]

Do have a suggestion for hungry gap MoS?

We grow Chard over winter which gives us a good crop in the Spring.  But get fed up of eating that every night!

I haven't found winter lettuce worthwhile - they don't grow over winter and I thought it wasn't worth doing.

I have meant to grow Lambs Lettuce on several occasions, but they grow so slowly, initially, that I have missed the boat.  I think I need to sow them 1st week of August.

We grow Sweetcorn in the Spring in the greenhouse, but that's hardly for the hungry gap! more to have early sweetcorn (they harvest beginning of July, or sometimes very end of June)

I have grown dwarf French beans in greenhouse for an early Spring crop, and Spring lettuce too. Plus bags of Spuds for early First Earlies.

Dunno whether it is worth growing Beetroot and Carrots etc. to bring them forwards, or whether they aren't really "early enough" to devote covered space to?

[compostqueen]

I grow quite a few varieties of winter leaves, some in the cold greenhouse and outdoors. There is quite a lot of choice so you needn't be without something.  To get enough veg to see you through you have to make a careful note of when to sow this stuff    Sounds obvious I know but if you neglect to do it then you're faced with bought veg and salad 

An interesting piece about the "hungry gap" was written by Joy Larkcom in her Veg Growers Handbook which is available from the library. Well worth a read 

[mumofstig]

I was just going to suggest that CQ  we sing from the same songsheet, as they say 

I remember DD had success with early mangetout. Any early peas should do well, they seem quite cold tolerant with a bit of protection.

[compostqueen]

I like a leaf or two in winter so make it a priority to get something going to tide me over.  I've got some interesting looking chicory Treviso at the moment.  I think chicories and endives are winter hardy but maybe not as popular with Brits as with our continental neighbours as they're perceived to be bitter. Once chopped or sliced though it seems to cut the bitterness, and they can be pan fried with garlic, which helps 

[sunshineband]

Like CQ I try and make sure that I have fresh salad leaves all year round, and carefully plan when to sow those precious crops for late spring harvests.

I find I can leave carrots and beet in the ground with a decent covering of straw if it is going to be a deep freeze (plus a few slug pellets just to be on the safe side) and they keep better than in a clamp.

The old stalwarts of PSB, leek, sprouts, spring greens and kale (plus parsnips of course  ) together with chard mainly keep us going, with stored potatoes, onions and squashes, dried beans and stuff from the freezer and preserve jars.

Tends to get a bit thin around early May though, and I found my attempt at very early carrots undercover was dismal, although radishes were worthwhile. 

[Kristen]

Like CQ I try and make sure that I have fresh salad leaves all year round, and carefully plan when to sow those precious crops for late spring harvests.

Can you elaborate how you achieve that please?

I have sown troughs of cut & come again (the troughs I have include a water reservoir in the bottom, and then a grid separating with compost, with a vertical pipe for topping up the reservoir, which works well).  But I seem to need a lot of troughs (I reckon 4 might be enough) to stop Mrs K buying fearfully expensive bags of salad leaves filled with Nitrogen ...

[sunshineband]

I use window boxes and deep cat litter trays.  Seed is spaced a couple of cm apart (as much as you can) and as soon as I have gathered the first outer leaves from the plants I sow the next lot.

I reckon on about four cuts per sowing, and this kind of spacing out means I nearly always have plenty.

In the deep dark days of winter I have to use the kitchen windowsill as well as the greenhouse (frost free) as other wise I do not have enough space in parts where the light is good enough to stop the plants getting 'drawn'. The indoor ones have an ali foil reflector

I use the same compost two or even three times, just adding an extra casing of about half a cm each time. Seed mixes vary fom lettucy sorts to those you can stir fry as well

Of course there are the times I forget to sow, cut too short and the plants don't regrow... you know how it goes.

Mostly it works OK

[Kristen]

you know how it goes.

Yup!  Mrs K is good at scissoring them off at soil level ... "They don't seem to be growing anymore, you need to start some more off" ...

[mumofstig]

I sow Rocket, Asian greens (tatsoi, mizuna and the like), in modules, and then when the toms come out plant them in the border - usually have enough for stir fries til Jan/Feb.



In trays I sow Seeds of Italy 4 seasons salad mix
http://www.seedsofitaly.com/MISTICANZA_MIXED_SALAD_PACK/p1834925_8313048.aspx

which I know CQ also grows. It grows/germinates slowly in very cold weather, but gradually as it warms up they quickly make more growth. I've had stuff freeze solid but still be edible when it's thawed out again
I sow corn salad in slightly bigger modules and they grow quite happily in them until you eat them

[Kristen]

I sow Rocket, Asian greens (tatsoi, mizuna and the like), in modules, and then when the toms come out plant them in the border - usually have enough for stir fries til Jan/Feb.

Roughly when do you sow them? - late August perhaps? and Toms out / Plant at end of September-ish? Roughly how many would you grow to be able to get a "crop" as such?

I should try them, I'm just surprised that they make enough growth during the winter to re-generate at all (but that's ignorance talking!)

[mumofstig]

from my diary 13/9/2012

sowed in seed trays in the greenhouse Mizuna,Tatsoi, Komatsuna, Kailaan, Golden Purslane, Blood-veined Sorrel, (these 2 a bit late - so we'll see)
some Apollo Rocket, Corn salad Vit, Broccoli Waltham, Parella Rossa, more Misticanza and salad onion Guardsman Phew!

The purslane and sorrel didn't germinate, and the slugs enjoyed the broccoli and kailaan   

I've only really started sowing today cos the sun tempted me outside

It's awkward for me to advise quantities cos I'm only feeding me.
I only do 6 each of the Asian greens, 6 rocket, I think I did 6 x 6 corn salad, you cut the whole of these, so no regrowth - you can sow this into the start of November though, and it will still germinate.
I sow a tray of Misticanza and then about a month or so later sow another one - carry on through the winter.

[Kristen]

Thanks MoS.  Not in a position to try it this winter (rebuilding conservatory, so over-wintering plants will be in greenhouse), but I shall look forward to trying it next Autumn, and I will add it to the planting plant in readiness for then