We finally have a polytunnel!
Richard and Sue came on Saturday and Richard with some help from me and Sue, put it together. Richard also fixed the sides of the new flower bed that will be next to the polytunnel and strengthened the frame of the polytunnel (partly with duct tape!).
While we were doing that, Ma was weeding. Once the polytunnel was up and covered and we’d had lunch, we sent Sue and Richard home with produce and got on with some more work.
We finished harvesting the produce, parsnips, chard, turnips, carrots, kale and a cabbage for mum). We cardboarded the floor of the polytunnel (we have ordered beds for it but we’ve been walking all over that space for over a year, it’s compacted and weedy so needs all the help it can get). In the big bed where the squash was, we planted 10 spring cabbage and 20 beetroot and covered that.
Then we decided to go home. Tomorrow, Ma is planning on coming over to do more weeding, so at lunch time I’ll go over and we’ll plant out the garlic, onions and broad beans. I also have to pot on some peppermint I bought a while ago and I have some thyme and lime mint to plant out.
We’ll probably also pull up the sweet potatoes, I don’t think they are going to grow anymore so we’ll chalk up another disappointing harvest and move on.
It’s the Halloween walk this weekend, so Ma isn’t coming over, I’ll go in on Saturday morning to decorate the plot and collect some produce, but that the extent of what I’m going to do.
We do have a long winter job list but I’ll talk about that next week!
Nic Dempsey 
Welcome to the world of polytunnel growing. I’ve got some calabrese and cauliflower in mine and I’ll start some winter lettuce and spinach soon. It really transforms what you can grow and harvest in the cooler months. What are your plans to anchor down the cover? After two ripped covers, I gave in and dug in the flaps.
Be a little careful with that polly. Mine was dug 15 cm in the ground with the side flaps completely under earth and it still took off. Eventually with the use of foot long u hooks down the sides and wooden posts at each corner attached with cable ties it stays in place.
It’s very heavily pinned down with foot long galvanised steel rebar pegs and I’ll bury the sides. Most people on the allotments put their polytunnels at the back like this because it’s most sheltered. I’m hopeful it’ll be ok, but if it’s not, we’ll deal.