Polytunnel internal Layout Update

[Jayjay]

Thought it was about time I told you how I got on with the tunnel and sent in a picture, the tunnel was ready to plant the second week of May, so a little bit late starting. I’ve gone with a two path layout with a bed of about two and a half feet wide up the middle and beds about two feet wide on the sides. The beds don’t have any edging and I have put two or three inches of homemade compost over bare earth except on the paths, in some areas I have put down cardboard under the compost, (usually when I had it to hand).

The tomatoes are up the centre, three pots wide on the diagonal, in bottomless pots of multipurpose and vermiculite. Up one end I have 5 foot staging either side and the tops are made from shower screens so that some light gets through. Because I had some module sown plants that needed a quick home they went under the staging into the compost and earth, there was beetroot, kohl rabi, lettuce, onions. In bottomless pots on the left side went another tomato, a Socrates mini cucumber and in front of that two sweet peppers. (I’m hoping to fit in two more pots with Sweetheart melons here as well). Then comes a GrowBed filled with 3 inches of homemade compost and the rest a multipurpose and vermiculite mix again. I have snacking peppers in here with little gem lettuces. On the other side I have another GrowBed with a sweetheart melon, peppers and spinach in. I know I have crammed too much in, but at the moment it all seems to be growing happily and I can just about get up the paths without knocking too much over! The only ‘proper’ bed was made to hold the 4 solitary Sundance Sweetcorn that germinated from 2 sowings and they needed a separate home from the third attempt at sowing Sweetcorn with successfully germinated Honeydew Sweetcorn which will be growing outside.
More stuff has been ‘levered’ in over head height to dry and that is garlic, red and white onions and also Jermor and Golden Gourmet Shallots. It has certainly been an exercise in trying to get more out of a space!
As well as looking forward to all this lovely food I’m growing at the moment in the tunnel, I am looking forward to seeing what I can grow through the Autumn and Winter using info from your ‘How To grow Winter Vegetables’ book Charles, many thanks for sharing your ideas and observations, Jeanette