The polytunnel has been somewhat neglected since last summer and requires taming. The potting table had totally disappeared under a big pile of brambles that was so densely tangled that I would not have found it entirely surprising if I had discovered a sleeping beauty in a glass box under there. Fortunately and quite predictably I found my potting table.
Before ...
A couple of hours a week for the last two months has been enough to get most of the beds now cleared and quite a lot of the plastic cleaned. There was so much green gunk (I suppose algae would be the accepted biological term) growing on the outside of the plastic that it had become noticably dark inside. Damp days meant the crusty covering became gloopy and easily scraped off using a window squeegee like this one on the lower easy to reach spots and then very carefully scraping with a hoe to get the higher areas.
Very satisfying work, removing the green shroud in large sweeping actions and seeing the sun shine in again. After each swathe is skimmed clean a satisfying bounty of algae is then flicked on the ground with a pleasing plop sound, ample reward for aching arms.
One of the beds have been mulched with plastic mesh awaiting tomato plants. I'll probably use seaweed to mulch another and maybe straw on a third bed. I just feel like experimenting a bit this year. The paths are also being made wider, the time is ripe for this as the timbers around the edges of the beds are decaying and falling off anyway. Making paths the width of my own feet to allow for maximum bed size was, in hindsight, a stupid idea.
Left side clean ... right side still covered in gunk!
And still the kale grows.
Glad to hear from you. I always enjoy hearing what you are up to.
Posted by: Jo | March 01, 2012 at 09:08 AM
Oh this made me laugh, for have,nt i the same problem and I used my tunnel to its fullest last year. I also have the same problem with the wood surrounding the beds and too narrow paths. Will you make your open plan this time?
Posted by: julie beswick-valentine | March 02, 2012 at 02:13 AM
Long live the kale.
Keep at it - will be worth it in the end - especially having wider paths. I have mine 60cm wide, so I can kneel - couldn't manage otherwise.
You're doing better than me - I'm still making beds and paths for the new tunnel .. and its so wet down there I'm considering putting a drain under the two main paths!!
Posted by: Ferris Jay | March 02, 2012 at 11:26 AM
No not open plan but the paths are slowly widening as I weed through the tunnel and that does make things easier.
Posted by: Rebecca | March 09, 2012 at 11:43 AM