Build Your Own Poly Tunnel

As promised here are the basics on how to build your own Poly Tunnel
First concrete 4 foot lengths of scaffold tube in to the ground at 5 foot centres the quantity will depend on how the finished tunnel will be. These tubes should be 3 foot long above ground

Next fix scaffold planks to the outside of the poles on both sides and the back using builders Band 

SCREWFIX 

 Next put the 50mm water or gas or gas pipe over the scaffold tubes and push down to the top of the scaffold boards to create the hoops for a 10foot wide tunnel use 19 foot lengths

Next build the frameworks at both ends using randomised cls timber from Wickes or B+Q

cls B&Q

The hoops need bracing on the smaller tunnels I use 2x1 timber 

on the larger ones I use the same cls as the framework just screw the wood in to the pipe 

you are now ready for the sheet 

you can find the sheeting instructions here

sheeting instructions

Core blimey Carrot time already

Today I managed to get a full day on the garden and cored my first stump carrot bed. As my early shows are at the end of august I needed to get this done asap. as sweet candle take 22 weeks from sowing to maturity I am actually a week late.I have changed my mix this year and am using a variation of  Ian Simpsons mix the mix I decided on is
2oz Dolomite Lime
2oz Seaweed meal
2oz Nutrimate
1oz Super phosphate
1 oz Sulphate of potash
4 gallons sieved peat
1 gallon silver sand
1 gallon fine Vermiculite
1 gallon sieved bagged top soil
this was all mixed up in my mixer for half an hour to ensure an evenly distributed mix. 4 mixes filled 45 holes I then sowed 2 seeds per station and watered well. It is now just a case of waiting for them to germinate then thinning them down to one per station.

I also sowed my first chitted parsnip seeds 5 stations so far

Kelsae onions are now flying along

Vento onions that were planted in to the tunnel last week have now settled in nicely despite the snow that we had this week

we are now eating spring cabbage which has done well 

Chitting

I arrived back from down south on Friday  night and immediately put some parsnip seeds to chit.This is the process of pre sprouting the seeds before sowing, this makes germination more reliable as parsnips are a bit hit and miss if you dont The process involves placing some damp kitchen roll in a tray then placing the seeds on top,I then cover the seeds with some more damp kitchen roll and place the tray in a heated propogaror, the trick is to then keep a sharp eye on them and as soon as they start to sprout sow them immediately, more on this next week when hopefully it happens.