polytunnel planting

[Louise]

I have loads of space in my tunnel due to teenage son's watering techniques whilst I was away!Any suggestions for what to plant now would be great - veg, flowers anything. I don't have much room outside at the moment so everything goes inside.
Thanks
Louise

[richard p]

i take it you tried flooding to see if anything would recover?
the problem for the next few weeks will be establishing things from seed in the heat, we hope, you need to be looking at fast growing stuff like early nantes carrots, greyhound cabbage, beetroot etc. a trip round the local garden centres, farm shops , boot sales may turn up stuff in pots, melons , pumpkins etc . its a bit early yet to be thinking of stuff to start now to overwinter for early spring crops.

[Louise]

Thanks Richard - the heat is the problem really - I will start everything in cells as usual and just keep watering.This is only my 2nd year with the tunnel so although I have been a veggie grower for years I have not had to deal with these high temperatures etc before. Luckily my squashes are on the muck heap and managed to survive but even after many cans of water(hosepipe ban) no luck with the other stuff. For some reason my son watered the tomatoes and cucumbers well so at least they are fine!

[Jenny Green]

He probably likes tomatoes and cucumbers!

[Allan]

I have noted all these mailings. I try to specialise in polytunnel crops especially for winter and early spring sowings. As you say in the summer heat it is too early to be sowing direct in the tunnel so the general pattern is to raise in modules or pots for planting later either in gaps or when the summer crops are cleared. This has to be done outside. I will have to brush up my instructions for all the crops so watch out for a further mailing on this topic, meanwhile I have already started off the watercress from seed as to get a worthwhile autumn picking I need many plants ready to go.Some quickies (3 weeks)for you when the temperature drops are rocket, polycress (T&M or Unwin, but they are messing with the name), pak choi, radish either cherry belle or red rapid (seeds of Italy)
I am researching chervil, very versatile but it doesn't like heat
Allan

[sprout]

Hi Louise, the list is very long. Most salad-ey stuff, but carrots and beet will work slow and sure later in the year ... like Allan says, the reverse of spring is the case, sowing in modules now and waiting till the greenhouse is cool enough to plant in! Do you have a copy of Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest? It's my winter growing bible - serious winter cropping under cover, loads of ideas and tips, I'd recommend getting your library to find it for you
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1890 ... y&v=glance