thewatsonplot

[thewatsonplot]

Evening sun, a half-full butt and a pocketful of peppers.

It would appear that the automatic irrigation system I set up is actually working. Wet patches in the tunnel and a half-full water but will attest to that. So 3 days, watering for 60 minutes 3 times a day depletes the butt by 50 litres. Interesting. It’s going to be tight in summer with no rain to top up the water butt, more plants to water and much MUCH higher temperatures and open ventilation flaps so everything doesn’t boil inside.

Now, I’ve always had a slight downer on my plot’s location next to the treeline. It shelters my plot from the sun for much of the morning. But going to the plot at 5.30 in October, it was revealed to me that the position has the opposite advantage - it gets the last of the sun, so swings and roundabouts, I suppose.

It’s worth noting that sometimes there is actually something to harvest, rather than weeding and maintenance. So here’s a modest pepper harvest.

I have the last of the peppers to shepherd from the autumn weather, so I’ll be bringing them into the polytunnel when the wet weather allows.

These are the last Padron peppers of the season. I’ll definitely be giving these a go in the p/t next year. Same with the bell peppers. I expect them to germinate earlier, grow and fruit quicker and for longer in a polytunnel’s temperate climate. We shall see.

[thewatsonplot]

The new self-watering polytunnel - a wonder of the modern age.

In a small case of mission creep, I’ve installed an automatic irrigation system into the polytunnel, doubling down on the original (modest) investment.

I bought a £20 water butt and stand from Wickes - 100-litre capacity. 250 might be more practical but it just looked too unwieldy. This size is slimline and 100 litres is still quite a lot of water.

We have a tap at the plot so filling it isn’t a problem. I’ve also bought some polycarbonate roof edging trim from B&Q - https://www.diy.com/departments/polycarbonate-roof-edging-trim-w-160mm-l-3m/1932773_BQ.prd - which is 3 metres long. I’m planning to attach to the outside of the polytunnel with waterproof gaffer tape. I’ll angle it down and it’ll run into a bespoke-sized hole near the top of the water butt to collect the water. Loads of rain predicted, but alas the polytunnel is perpetually wet from the rain so not ideal conditions to attach it.

As for the automatic watering, that required 2 things: A Hozelock Easy Drip Micro kit with hose and 15 drippers. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hozelock-Easy-Micro-Watering-Containers/dp/B01AXKVWV2/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=easy+drip+micro+kit&qid=1570875584&s=outdoors&sr=1-2

And a timer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004HKV1EI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The latter has a valve that opens and closes at intervals and for periods you select, from 1 minute every week to 2 hours every hour - that doesn’t make sense but you get the idea. I have mine set to 60 minutes every 8 hours, so 3 waters a day. It’s battery operated and has a waterproof rubber seal to keep the rain out. I needed a new tap with a thread to attach to the water timer. I got a ½" brass one from Toolstation and using an adapter, screwed the timer onto the tap with not much leakage.

I had to be careful about what drippers I got because there will be no pressure driving the water through, just gravity. So I’ve set up a system of 15 drippers, all set to their most open setting. And it works! I’ve left it on for 3 days so it’ll be (mildly) interesting to see how much water in left in the butt. 60 minutes sounds like a long time, but these thing literally drip maybe one or two drops a second, so I’m hardly saturating the ground. And to make it worth actually watering, I’ve brought in another pepper plant, as the ones outside have had a nasty nip from a frost last week, as well as a celeriac plant. It’ll be interesting to see how well it survives transplanting and whether the warmer conditions encourage it to flesh out a little more. Amazing how the celeriac has remained impervious to the frost when it took out all the courgette plants around it. Planning to transplant more of each in the coming days.

I’ve put 9 onions sets in as an experiment to see if they get off to a better start inside the polytunnel. I’ll do the same with some broad beans before to long as well.

Must remember to look after the rest of the plot and not let myself be overcome by polytunnel-vision…

[thewatsonplot]

So, a bad start to the weekend. Saturday was a mite windy. Not gale force, by any means, but enough for the wind to get inside the cover and blow it up. It was still on when I got to the plot. I don't know if I helped it on its way (I was trying to fix it) but the whole thing blew off the frame, with only the trench on one side clinging on to the cover's apron to stop it blowing away forever.

I gave up. It was a two-man job. So I returned with a plus one - my wife - and together we managed to get it back over the frame and secured. So much easier with two...

While I'd been sure to secure the frame to the ground with some solid looking ground stakes, I'd neglected to fix the cover to the ground - partly because the pegs that came with the polytunnel seemed so thin and flimsy, I didn't see what use they'd be anyway. Clearly, if the wind opens the the zip even slightly, a gust of wind will funnel in and want to take it up into the great allotment in the sky.

It's much more secure now. Having re-filled the trench, treading down the soil inside and out and watering it to make the whole thing more solid and compact. But I still needed to peg down the cover.

So Sunday morning was spent at The Range getting two tie-out stakes (usually used for tying dog's leads to when you're on the beach or camping), some repair tape and some hi-vis guy ropes (very pleased with that find). The tie-out stakes use a corkscrew-style spiral design so they make a pretty solid anchor. I tied the two front guy ropes to these and the rear two to the fence. Hopefully, the fence won't blow off and take the polytnnel with it - or vice versa.

I'm also paying special attention to the front flap and keeping the wind from creeping in and unzipping it. I'm think I'm going to dig down and keep the apron below ground to keep it secure.

Anyway, after all that excitement, I got on with the job I meant to start early on Saturday: getting the artificial grass path down and the decking boards to construct my raised beds within. Made some good progress. It's beginning to look like a 1-hole crazy golf course. Not me intention, but it does look smart.

Will finish the job next weekend. Bonus - got a cucumber and pepper plant in there to see if it makes a difference. It's certainly much warmer in there. I was sweating BUCKETS and it's nearly October!

[thewatsonplot]

Polytunnel going up. Levelled the ground a little more and the structure came together in around an hour with two of us.

It's a little warped in places but it feels solid enough.

Rounded off with a couple of nice evening shots ofo my runners getting a second wind and the neighbour's squashes. They really went to town with those!

[thewatsonplot]

It's up. Still a few jobs to do like laying the boards and artificial grass down, but it's up and it's (pretty) secure.

[thewatsonplot]

Witching hour on the plot (or is that midnight?) It wasn't midnight, it was 7.30, at which point the light fell away dramatically.

Lovely evening. Had a first look at starting the polytunnel. After a stuttering start - ie. AFTER finding the spanner AND the allen key, it's all relatively straightforward. And nice to see all the parts are labelled, which is going to make life so much simpler.

As for now, there are 5 bits of metal joined together which previously were not. Hoping to get the rest of it done on Saturday, combined with levelling the ground under it and digging up the rest of the spuds.

Side note: peppers still looking promising. Not seen anyone else growing them but they've been allowed to grow, unmolested by any of the wildlife that eats my carrots/beans/edamame (write-off) and young leeks.

[thewatsonplot]

Some more before and after action. This time getting rid of the pallet HQ, moving the compost bins (which was a more involved process that I'd envisioned) and clearing the ground of nettle roots.

There's no doubt I didn't get them all, but I got a lot of old established roots up with their trademark yellow colouring.

The task I've started but not yet completed is levelling the ground - getting it flat and close to level - so the polytunnel doesn't stand at an odd angle.

Going to erect the poltunnel carcas and postion it, then see - quite literally - how the land lies.

And then as a bonus, here's how my neighbour has upcycled an old pram. Strawberries around a porcelain giraffe, of course.

[thewatsonplot]

Bit of a before and after. Burnt a load of dry stuff - went up a treat in the incinerator. Surprising how quickly you can tame a bed with a rake and some fire. NOTE TO SELF!

Also scoping out where to site a 4x2 metre polytunnel. Going to start the site layout again from scratch. The ‘pallet HQ’ has always been a hallowed site, when really it’s never served any other purpose than as a safe haven for nettles.

On the growing side, the peppers are visibly bigger than last week. I also threw on some manure to most of the beds and watered, so hoping to squeeze one last push out of everything that’s in the ground still. Courgettes are slowing - some even rotting 'on the vine’.

Slightly fearful the celeriac will run out of puff before they approach edible size. They’ll be first on line for the polytunnel next year!

[thewatsonplot]

Another strong harvest. Courgettes still going gangbusters. Pulled a turnip and some beetroot. Mpre to come. Must keep watering and feeding.

First harvest of Padron peppers - more to come, though only one plant survived from the seedlings so maybe only one more harvest to come.

Other peppers on the way. Will be a few weeks but looks a promising harvest from quite a few plants.

Cabbages coming on strong too. Not hearting up just yet but soon will have some coleslaw fodder.

Runners still producing.

Bought a neew chilli plant for home. Laden with fruit and just £3! Tried 3 on the BBQ and gave be the hiccups, so certainly packing some heat.

[thewatsonplot]

Big tidy up at the plot. Dusted off the petrol strimmer. Gets the job done like nothing else. Everything coming on a treat. Broad beans all done. Runners taking over. Post-strim, it all looks very neat and tidy. Hoping I can keep it this way (or the weeds won't be so energetic from here on in). Do like this bottom pic. Nice the way the focus falls away from the centre.

[thewatsonplot]

Had no luck growing cucumbers until I bought a packet from The Range for 50p and put them on the parcel shelf in the Focus. The perfect greenhouse.

[thewatsonplot]

Celeriac getting eaten by something. Courgettes surviving OK. Beans in rude health but not ready yet.

[thewatsonplot]

The bees are living my comfrey. Just hope my plants do too.

[thewatsonplot]

Two rows of radishes - French Breakfast and the white Icicle variety. Ready to go. Celeriac is still hanging on in there. Think we lost one. Planted 7 courgette plants along with a pepper (near right) and a few piggyback the courgettes. (l to r) leeks, chick peas, edamame. Get me! Broad beans, runners and radishes in the near left bed.

[thewatsonplot]

New set of Runners in. Some kohl rabi, salad, spinach and a third row of radish mixed with turnips (sown with a bed of comfrey underneath).

Weeded the middle bed and watered all round. Been a bit dry of late.

Broad beans are coming on well. Celeriac hanging on there.

Harvested some rhubarb which seems to be doing better since I moved it.

Had a bit of a strim around some of the beds. Need to get the mower over it.

[thewatsonplot]

The sewn broad beans are starting to come through. Young plants survived the warm and dry Easter break. And my neighbour has built a well, of sorts.

[thewatsonplot]

Got the beans in. Runners and broads. Gone round with the weedkiller too. And we had a guest in the plot. Had a different call to the rusty gate they normally have.