Getting the Poly Tunnel Ready for Planting.
This time last year, we were putting the finishing touches to our new poly tunnel. Eagerly anticipating that magic date, sometime in March, when all the seed packets say it’s time to start planting seeds. This year, I’m afraid I simply can’t wait until March. In fact, I simply can’t wait any longer. I need to get planting. So, we are now preparing the raised beds in the PT for this year’s planting. In order to do this, we needed to collect and spread copious amounts of organic matter to replace the nutrients lost during last year’s growing season. When we originally filled the raised beds, we used both top soil and bags of compost from our local DIY shop but, it can work out expensive.
This year, we have tried to do more ourselves to keep down costs. We collected leaves, which we bagged up and are storing over winter to make leaf mould. We have also collected a few bags of seaweed from our local beach, which is drying in the poly tunnel. When it’s thoroughly dried, we will chop it up and add it to the compost. We are also very lucky in the fact that I have a very good friend who is happy to swap galactic quantities of horse poo for cake. And she’s not even very fussy about the type of cake. She’s a great friend and she really likes cake.
