Adventures in a polytunnel - September 2017

Again the month has whizzed by. September is one of the busiest months in the garden so perhaps that is why it seemed to fly. 
Looking back it seems as though the picking season has been very short. There were only a few weeks where we had more beans and courgettes than we could manage and then we were quickly back to the steady drip of harvests. Perhaps it's always like this.
It has certainly been wet and we have only had a few days with no rain at all. It means that I can happily transplant things and not have to remember to water them again so that is a bonus if you are busy and forgetful. Not in the tunnel of course, watering continues year round but cooler temperatures mean it is not so much of a task. 

Here is the perpetual spinach. Currently being fed to humans and hens. It's is producing lots of new leaves. 

Long red chilli peppers. Some have already turned and I made some excellent chilli sauce using a James Wong recipe. Easy peasy and very good. I'll post the recipe but ask if you'd like it sooner. 

From left: Chrysanth cuttings. chilli plant, lettuces, red peppers, salad leaves. 
Pots of succulents have been moved in for the winter as they don't like to be too wet. 

Turmeric grown from a tuber I bought in the wholefood shop. This is a tuber I've uncovered. I'm not sure when to harvest but it looks like the one I planted so perhaps I'll try one. 

The tomatoes are doing beautifully now in spite of the whitefly. They don't affect production but some of the fruit are covered in black and have to be washed well before use. It means snacking in the tunnel is not so easy. 
I'll try and fumigate after I have removed these plants. There are garlic bombs available which are organic. 

I've just made some tomato soup with my own onion, garlic, tomatoes and basil. No recipe, I just needed oil and stock. It tasted twice as good. Seed saving for the Heritage Seed Library is going well. I have some dried and some more fermenting. 

A tiny 'Sweet Dumpling' squash growing well. It will be more white when ripe. 

Small kale plants grown in modules and planted out. One bean left. The others all had bad red spider mite which was so bad is was affecting the beans. I took them out. Next year I must try harder to control it. Regular spraying with water should help. 

 I grew these outside but I'm very proud of my first onion harvest. I started them in modules and planted them out. Almost all are a decent size and will last us a few months. 


Daytime high temp - 39.9∘C
Nighttime low - 3.7∘C

Harvesting (inside and out):
Courgettes and the occasional small marrow
Lettuce
Spinach
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Spring onions
Rocket and salad leaves
Climbing french beans - few
Borlotti type beans
Kale - curly, Cavolo Nero and Red Russian
Chillis
Few red  peppers