Adventures in a Poly Tunnel - June 2017

The roller coaster continues. The weather is completely varied and unpredictable, much more so than usual. The month started chilly but this week we've had very hot days resulting in a high of 50०C in the tunnel! I'm surprised anything survived but things are thriving. I obviously did enough watering. 
I started off the  month with hundreds of seedlings and most are now in the ground and flourishing. Some things which were tiny and I really thought wouldn't come to anything are now 2 or 3 feet high and flowering. 

Here is my strawberry patch. Once I'd got the watering right, ie no watering, they have produced masses of luscious fruit. I have some plants outside but they are not a patch on these. Lilies behind and the calendula still flowering away. 


 The broad beans are at the back here. Also producing very well. We had lots of little beans but I didn't keep up with the picking and they are somewhat larger now. Still good and I'm happy to eat them every day. The rocket is going to seed in front of the beans, spinach, radishes and garlic chives. Some lettuce is hidden in here too. Kohl rabi at the front, not looking as thought they are going to produce bulbs so far. 

 The tomatoes have grown really well. Some have fruit forming and most are flowering. Yes I have too many, but in my defence I am growing some for the Heritage Seed Library. I'll save the seed and send it back to them. Sadly they are covered in Whitefly. 

 The plants at the back here are Soya beans. I'm trying them for the first time. Basil in pots and also Samphire which I grew from bits bought in a supermarket pack.

Still a number of seedlings. Some of these are foxgloves, also grasses and some Thai basil, I think. Much of this could go outside now but I am better at watering the inside. 

I didn't tidy up before the photo shoot so there is plenty of stuff lying about. I did notice the cardboard on the ground. We put this down to suppress weeds initially and I've taken much of it up but the rest should come up now. That would help the look. There is a huge stack of trays and pots under the bench. They were all full a few weeks ago.

Harvesting:
Strawberries                                           
Rocket
Spinach
Spring onions
Kale early in the month
Radishes
Broad beans 
Lettuce
Basil
Samphire


So far this month:
Daytime high:  50.5०C    Nighttime low: 5.5०C         Wow.