Cleaning up the polytunnel

The new polytunnel is now up and is in the same place as the last tunnel. The last one tore sometime late last year and not only was the cover torn but the frame had come apart and some of the hoops were twisted. Today I gave the tunnel a good clear out as both weeds and winter debris had made the inside unworkable. This is the after photo, I really should have taken a before photo.

 These raised beds look untidy and need to be weeded and filled with fresh compost ready for tomato crops - I have some Ailsa Craig seeds already springing into life in the propagator and I hope that I will get 4 plants (2 per bed) in early next month. I will then get 4 cherry tomato plants and 4 more large tomato varieties in sometime later in the spring/early summer so that we will have a succession of tomatoes hopefully through to late in the year!

The big bed on the right is full of strawberry plants - I plan to dig them out - add fresh compost and then replant the stronger plants/runners. I should get three rows of about 20 plants in there. The small bed had a pumpkin plant in last year and we got two nice sized pumpkins, one in time for Halloween, and the second had to be ripened off in the greenhouse after the cover was torn off. This year, I think I'll use this bed for some cut and come again lettuce!

At the end of the tunnel, is another tunnel of similar size and I plan to grow things in the ground rather than in raised beds. Haven't yet truly decided, but I bought some early potatoes on a whim today, so I guess I'll be starting with them.

Time to start planting the seeds!

I know it is a bit early, but here in North Devon we have a milder weather than most, so I thought I would start the 2015 growing season by sowing a few seeds.

Tomatoes are a good one, last year I was harvesting tomatoes quite a few weeks before my neighbours and local friends, and so I hope to be doing so again this year.

I sowed the whole packet of Ailsa Craig, 20 seeds in all, and because of the early start I hope that I will get at least 6 plants although knowing my luck they will all take.

I also had a packet of "All Year Round" Cauliflower and sprinkled half of the packet in another seed tray and hope to get a few early cauli's as well.

Are you sowing your seeds yet?