Description
Book SynopsisIn one affordable polytunnel, kitchen-garden guru Joyce Russell shows you how to grow vegetables easily, organically and abundantly so that you have something to eat every month of the year. Whether you are a
beginner or more experienced, this comprehensive, practical,
month-by-month guide to polytunnel gardening has got everything you need, telling you exactly what to do and when to do it, in order to
grow the best fruit and vegetables all-year-round.
From preparing the site to making a hotbed, from composts and organic feeds to identifying and coping with pests, plus information on how to get the best from each crop and
month-to-month planting plans for year-round growing,
The Polytunnel Book provides a
wealth of practical tips and techniques as well as celebrating what can be achieved.
Illustrated with
300 stunning colour photographs, this practical guide to polytunnels hand guid
Trade Review'Enhanced by Ben Russell's colourful and purposeful photos, this is a great book to have by your side, demostrating the range and variety of what you can grow in a polytunnel - and all year round too!
Table of ContentsCONTENTS
Introduction
How to use this book
1: SETTING UP A POLYTUNNEL
Choosing the right location
Choosing the polytunnel
Preparing the land
Putting up a classic, hooped polytunnel
Laying out the inside of the polytunnel
2: A FEW ESSENTIALS
Some thoughts on seeds
Some thoughts on compost
3: A MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE TO A YEAR IN THE POLYTUNNEL
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
4: FRUIT AND VEGETABLES AT A GLANCE
Aubergines
Basil
Beetroot
Broad beans (early crop)
Broccoli
(Spring) cabbage
Carrots (early crop)
Courgettes
Cucumbers
Figs
Florence fennel (as an overwinter crop)
French beans
Grapes
Kohl rabi
Lettuce
Melons
Peas (mangetout, as a spring crop)
Peaches and nectarines
Peppers
New potatoes
Pumpkins and squash
Salad leaves: rocket, mizuna, etc.
Spinach, spinach beet and Swiss chard
(Early) strawberries
Sweetcorn
Tomatoes
5: PESTS, DISEASES AND OTHER PROBLEMS - AN ORGANIC APPROACH
Some polytunnel pests
Some polytunnel diseases
Mineral deficiencies
Some physical problems
6: ONGOING CARE
Crop rotation in a polytunnel
Ten steps to soil health
Repairs and maintenance
7: MAKE YOUR OWN
How to make a hotbed
How to make your own potting mixes
How to make liquid feeds
List of suppliers
Glossary
Index
Acknowledgements
