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This video shows what can be grown inside a polytunnel and how it is used to extend the growing season. Learn how protected growing conditions help plants establish earlier and grow more reliably.
The guide explains suitable crops for a polytunnel, basic layout ideas and how sheltered growing improves plant health. It also covers general care and maintenance to keep plants thriving under cover.
If you are planning to use a polytunnel or greenhouse-style growing space, this video provides practical guidance suitable for gardens and small growing areas.
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0:00
Welcome to the Poly Tunnel Diaries
0:03
episode two. So yes, if you've not
0:06
watched last week's, we're doing an
0:07
episode every single week where we show
0:10
you what's happening in the poly tunnel,
0:11
what's growing, what's not growing, and
0:14
how it's improving because we're doing a
0:16
lot of improvements in the poly tunnel.
0:17
We're trying to make it a great growing
0:20
space for this year. I'm excited. We're
0:22
going to be growing so much in here this
0:24
year. Usually I've just stuck to growing
0:26
tomatoes and cucumbers and a few peppers
0:30
and I had an oragene plant as well last
0:32
year, but this is like a 25 foot poly
0:36
tunnel. It's massive and I thought it
0:40
gets the most sunlight, it gets the most
0:42
warmth. Why not use it to its full
0:44
potential and get growing more and more
0:47
stuff in here as it's a massive one and
0:49
usually last few years it's been just
0:51
full of rubbish from where I've dumped
0:53
stuff. And yeah, I thought we're going
0:55
to rip it all out, clear it all down and
0:58
start from scratch. And that has been
1:00
what we've been doing. And we've been
1:01
sharing the journey of how it's coming
1:04
on. And yeah, it's getting there.
1:07
There's still a lot to do, but it's
1:08
going to look good. And hopefully we're
1:10
going to start planting in here in
1:12
April, possibly April time. So yeah,
1:16
we've got to get a move on and got to
1:17
get things growing and get things ready
1:20
for April time when we're going to be
1:21
sewing all our seeds in the raised beds.
1:23
So less of the talking and let's have a
1:26
look at what's happening in the poly
1:28
tunnel at the moment. So as you know, we
1:31
have got 14 hanging baskets which we got
1:34
from Oakland Gardens which we have used
1:36
to grow our strawberry plants in this
1:38
year. Growing the strawberry plants in
1:40
the hanging baskets will stop the slugs,
1:43
stop the wood lies from eating them, and
1:46
hopefully the birds as well. Hopefully
1:47
the birds won't get in here. So, we're
1:50
going to try it. Obviously, they'll dry
1:52
out a lot faster being in the poly
1:53
tunnel with it being warm. But, at the
1:56
moment, we're not having to water them
1:58
much because it's staying damp. We're
1:59
only doing them once a week at the
2:01
moment. And we've had these in two weeks
2:03
now. And as you can see, they are taking
2:06
and they are growing. So, it must be a
2:08
bit warm in here for them and they must
2:10
be enjoying it because they're starting
2:12
to take root and they're starting to
2:14
produce new leaves. So, give it a couple
2:16
of weeks and these will be looking
2:18
absolutely great. Obviously, growing
2:20
them in the poly tunnel, they'll be
2:21
ready earlier than the ones outside
2:23
because it's warmer. And yeah, once we
2:27
get to the warmer weather, we're going
2:28
to set up irrigation to keep them
2:30
watered every single day. But at the
2:32
moment, we're just watering them once a
2:33
week. And then when it starts to get a
2:35
bit warmer, we'll do them twice a week
2:36
and then every day when it gets really
2:39
warm. But yeah, look at them. Absolutely
2:42
great. They're all taking We've got 12
2:45
around the edges and we've got three in
2:47
the top. So, they're going to be
2:48
inundated with strawberries this year.
2:50
Absolutely loads. And it's going to look
2:53
absolutely amazing. And hopefully we'll
2:55
get a great crop from them. We've
2:58
obviously got all the vase beds in
3:02
which we need to fill with compost.
3:04
That's one job that we've got to do. Get
3:06
all the compost to fill them. I had
3:08
comments saying that um it was not good
3:11
having the plastic in the bottom. I will
3:13
be cutting the plastic out. I'm just
3:15
keeping it down for the time being to
3:16
keep the weeds down because I don't want
3:18
the weeds growing. So, that's one job
3:20
we'll do before putting the compost in.
3:22
We'll take the plastic off. We may even
3:24
put cardboard in the bottom to prevent
3:26
the weeds from growing through. We've
3:28
got plenty of cardboard left over from
3:29
all the boxes. So, yeah, that is what
3:32
we'll be doing. We'll start putting a
3:34
path down. Obviously, having paving
3:36
slabs down, they absorb the heat in the
3:39
daytime and then they'll let them out at
3:41
night. So, it'll keep it a bit warmer.
3:43
Not a hell of a lot warmer, but it's one
3:45
tip to keeping it warmer. Someone
3:47
mentioned about having wood chip down. I
3:49
don't want wood chip down because
3:50
that'll encourage wood li slugs because
3:53
it'll keep it damp and yeah, I don't
3:55
want the slugs and the wood lice in here
3:57
eating all the produce what we're going
3:58
to have in here. So, we're going to be
4:00
trying stuff like we'll obviously have
4:02
all those tomatoes down the back, but
4:04
then we'll have space in front to grow
4:06
stuff. So, we'll be having lettucees in
4:07
here, spring onions, beetroot. I may
4:10
even try cauliflowers, broccoli in these
4:13
middle ones,
4:15
and cabbages. But yeah, I'm excited to
4:18
try lots and lots of new stuff in here
4:21
this year. Obviously, we've got all his
4:22
beds outside which we'll be growing
4:24
stuff in, but it'll grow a lot faster in
4:26
the poly tunnel and hopefully grow a lot
4:29
better as well. So, hopefully we'll get
4:31
some good produce in here. But I'm
4:33
looking forward to trying broccoli and
4:35
cauliflowers in these middle ones.
4:37
That's going to be a main thing. And I'm
4:39
going to try carrots as well. Never had
4:41
any luck with carrots. Always done
4:43
rubbish. But this is my year. This is
4:46
the year for the carrot. So, we're going
4:48
to hopefully get some good carrots
4:50
growing in one of these as well. We'll
4:51
have a bed full just of carrots. So, I'm
4:54
excited to try that. And then obviously
4:56
we'll have us cucumbers in as well down
4:58
the back of one of those ones. And we'll
5:02
also have peppers in what you'll have
5:03
seen previously that we've been potting
5:05
up and getting those ready. So, we're
5:07
going to have a lot of produce in here
5:09
and it's going to be exciting times down
5:12
in the poly tunnel.
5:14
So, these are great raised beds. They're
5:16
absolutely fantastic. They're easy to
5:17
put together, and hopefully they will do
5:20
their job in having some great beds to
5:23
grow in. I just used to grow in buckets
5:25
before, but these raised beds will give
5:27
me so much more potential. And we're
5:29
going to try and grow stuff through the
5:30
winter period as well. I've never grown
5:32
in the winter. I've only ever grown like
5:35
garlic and onions through the winter.
5:36
But we'll see what produce we can grow
5:38
through the winter in the poly tunnel to
5:41
get harvests all year round. So, I'm
5:43
going to be learning myself about winter
5:46
growing because I've never done it
5:47
myself. So, that's exciting. You'll be
5:49
able to learn along with me and see how
5:51
well we get on. I'll probably fail, but
5:53
we'll see. But, yeah, everything is
5:55
growing absolutely amazing down here at
5:57
the plot. Absolutely fantastic. I'm so
5:59
impressed with how it's all coming
6:00
along. Like I said, this has been a big
6:02
investment in this poly tunnel and it'll
6:06
pay off uh in produce like these will
6:09
this will last years, absolute years
6:11
hopefully until uh till the end of time,
6:14
but this will last forever and hopefully
6:18
we'll be able to keep growing in here
6:19
year after year. Obviously, we'll keep
6:21
needing to put new food in and fresh
6:23
compost every couple of years, but it'll
6:25
be worth it and hopefully we'll get some
6:27
great produce down at the plot. So, that
6:30
is my a lotment diaries episode for
6:32
today. Absolutely excited to get growing
6:35
in here and get things moving. Like I
6:37
said, over the next few weeks, we're
6:38
going to be getting all the compost to
6:40
fill them all in, which will be a big
6:41
job, but it'll it'll be worth it in the
6:44
end. And hopefully, we'll get some great
6:46
produce in here down at the pot. The a
6:48
lotment is my safe space. It's my happy
6:50
place, and I don't have a garden at
6:52
home. So, I don't mind investing in my
6:54
poly tunnel and in my a lotment because
6:57
I've no garden to appreciate. So, yes,
7:01
if you're not following us, drop us a
7:03
follow to stay up to date with all our
7:05
episodes. Until next time everyone,
7:07
remember, keep smiling, keep shining,
7:08
and keep gardening with Ben everyone.
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