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MARLEY’S TUNNEL 2019

Discussion in 'Poly-Tunnel Gardening' started by Marley Farley, May 17, 2013.

Page 4 of 13
  1. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    Blimey Steve, Philosophy available too. Champion :)
     
    Kristen, Jun 26, 2013
    #46 Quote in Conversation
  2. Kristen

    Kristen Under gardener

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    I had had a look at Natural Gardener - from the photos it looks to me as though they are made the same.

    It might be that its related to the size of mesh - the wider ones (like 1/2") looks to have less "finish" than the 3/8ths" and narrower.

    Not convinced about the Amazon one - sorry! It has very sparse supporting struts under the mesh. Ditto the eBay vintage one - looks to be just one North-South and one East-West. hard to tell on the Photo of the ones on Crocus.

    Who would have thought that buying a "traditional craftsman made Beech-wood garden sieve" for a not inconsiderable sum of money would have had any complications what so ever ... I'm tempted to take up making KrisQual sieves as a hobby!
     
    • Like Like x 1
      Kristen, Jun 26, 2013
      #47 Quote in Conversation
    • Marley Farley

      Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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      Should we be keeping an eye on the hobby forum then.?

      Why not email the natural gardener blokes & see if they would be willing to make some to your specifications. :SUNsmile:
      I will go up to the farm & get my big ones. They are finished well no wires poking out at all &wire struts are fine & still so strong.
      I only meant that mine has all the wires covered like the amazon one. :SUNsmile:
       
      Marley Farley, Jun 26, 2013
      #48 Quote in Conversation
    • Kristen

      Kristen Under gardener

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      So long as you don't hold your breath :heehee:

      That's exactly what I wanted (and thought I was buying). No matter, they work well, and when I have time I'll shop around for a Deluxe Model :)
       
      • Funny Funny x 1
        Kristen, Jun 27, 2013
        #49 Quote in Conversation
      • Marley Farley

        Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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        I will keep an eye out in this area for you then Kristen & will buzz you if I find any..:SUNsmile:
         
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          Marley Farley, Jun 27, 2013
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        • Marley Farley

          Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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          Well not a lot has been happening in my tunnel. O/H managed to keep it watered for me as I ended up in hospital..!
          It isn't going to be a very productive year in there for me this year which is such a disappointment as I had such plans... :hate-shocked: :dunno: still never mind just be a bit slower for now.. At least I can get out there now & potter around & do a bit.. :biggrin:
          Next year will have to be my year I think now.. I will post some pics later though.. :SUNsmile:
           
          Marley Farley, Jul 21, 2013
          #51 Quote in Conversation
        • Marley Farley

          Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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          Pics of my my rather hap-hazard growing.. Considering nothing went to plan after I got the tunnel up & then it struggled for lack of watering it is coming back well all things considered I think.. Next year will be organised.. :SUNsmile:
          [​IMG]
          Sweetcorn, Toms, French Beans & a row of carrots just sown.. Want a load of baby ones,,

          [​IMG]
          Toms, French beans, toms & cherry toms..

          [​IMG]
          Cherry toms & basil on right.. Courgettes & strawbrries in middle..

          [​IMG]
          My Artichoke

          [​IMG]
          Runner beans..

          [​IMG]
          Peas all doing really well..

          I also popped a few Brassicas in here & there today as well.. just hope they won't be too hot
           
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            Marley Farley, Jul 21, 2013
            #52 Quote in Conversation
          • Webmaster

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            Gathering data ........... ;)
             
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              Webmaster, Dec 28, 2013
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            • Marley Farley

              Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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              Oh I just love my tunnel...... :biggrin: It's brilliant..:blue thumb: Hrs of fun & lots of lovely fresh veg & strawberries from mine & I was not organised...... Go for it mate..
               
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                Marley Farley, Dec 28, 2013
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              • Marley Farley

                Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                I have been busy on the outside as well as in, as I had to put a fence up, so we put up a car and bike port at the far end too.. Doesn't make much light difference if any, as it is a little shaded at that end anyway..
                Looking down the left side..
                [​IMG]


                Slabbed path in & fencing around top end..
                [​IMG]


                Looking down righthand side.. I have to sort the bed out on the right where the compost bin and rubble still is.. Thinking I will put my Artichokes there as it is sheltered but a sun trap in summer..
                [​IMG]


                This is the newly enclosed end, but I shall be able to open the doors wide later, screwed these shut for the gales.. It is dark today, but in the tunnel is way brighter at this end..
                [​IMG]

                ​
                 
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                  Marley Farley, Feb 21, 2014
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                • Lea

                  Lea Super Gardener

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                  I am going to have to recover my tunnel. The storms wrecked it. I like how your doors look so I might have a go at that. :)
                   
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                    Lea, Feb 21, 2014
                    #56 Quote in Conversation
                  • Marley Farley

                    Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                    Looking inside I have laid a path down the centre & am just getting edge boards in too, but down the right I have Stuttgart onion set, carrots, broad beans & at the very end purple & white sprouting..
                    [​IMG]

                    I have my early spuds in bags at the bottom, waiting for warmer weather to go out..
                    [​IMG]

                    Left side is peas at the bottom, overwintering Olive tree, last of the cabbages sal greens Garlic & strawbs in pots by door..
                    [​IMG]

                    Progress is slow but I am getting there..​
                     
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                      Marley Farley, Feb 22, 2014
                      #57 Quote in Conversation
                    • Kristen

                      Kristen Under gardener

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                      Have you got some "interesting" Artichokes? I've grown "Green Globe" or somesuch for years, came from the Garden Centre, would have been grown from seed I expect, and they are "OK". Read many years ago in one of Christo Lloyds books about the French varieties he grew, and they sounded stupendous by comparison. However, they are not very hardy. @noisette47 kindly sent me some plants last year, but they struggled to make enough headway. I have overwintered them in pots in the greenhouse, so I am hoping that this year they will make decent sized plants (although Christo Lloyd's writings implied that an offset would be producing massive football heads within a season :( even allowing for the fact that his fingers were solid green! my efforts seem a bit pathetic so far ...). @noisette47 kindly sent me 3 varieties, only two of which can I remember without going out to the greenhouse to check! Camus de Bretagne and Gros Vert De Laon. If I manage to get them to bulk up this year happy to send you some offshoots next :)

                      Wow! I think of those as being outdoor crops (although we took down a large perspex type conservatory last Autumn, and I had hoped to be able to transplant! it to my veg patch (it was huge, and would have covered a large area) but sadly it was too flimsy. I have tried a few over-winter crops - Winter lettuce were disappointing, I did Dwarf French beans in Autumn and again in Early Spring - they were fine, but I wasn't sure it was really worth it - in Autumn we were already fed up of the Runner Bean glut ... and now we settle on Leaf Beet for an over winter crop so that we have a good supply in Spring, I inter-plant that with Sweetcorn for an early crop, and then once the beet is out I plant Aubergines and the like amongst the sweetcorn which takes over as they get rouged out.

                      But I could/should be growing Sprouting, and Onions and Broad Beans under cover rather than outside? I have a patch of the vegetable garden that I could stretch a tunnel over ... just always thought of them more for summer crops though ...
                       
                      Kristen, Feb 23, 2014
                      #58 Quote in Conversation
                    • Marley Farley

                      Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                      Yes I know what you are saying Kristen.. I have to say though the purple & white sprouting have been/are growing very well & cropping much better than when I grew them outdoors.! So I shall probably grow them in there next winter too.. Cabbages are fine but have a tendency to fall over..
                      The stuttgart sets were given to me but I thought I would experiment to see how they grow in the tunnel.. I don't see why they shouldn't grow away well but I shall find out..

                      Some of the artichokes are green globe but I also have 4 plants of a different kind but for the life of me I can't remember what they are.. They were gifted too.. No they are not very hardy I agree, but I thought behind the south facing wall next to the tunnel would be good.. I could straw them up for the winter I would think that would get them through.. Well hopefully.. I will keep a few in the tunnel though perhaps just in case..

                      I grew broad beans in the tunnel & garden last year both very good crops..
                      This year I do not have the extra garden next door so just growing in the tunnel this year as the garden up at the farm is flooded still! I don't know what will happen with that garden.. So I am experimenting really Kristen.. Can I grow the same crops in the tunnel as I would on the veg patch.? Well I shall find out I think.. ;)

                      Green beens I won't grow in the tunnel again.. Too much leaf & not enough flowers or beans, but dwarf french did well as do peas.. I am waiting for the pods to fill out now on mine..

                      Toms, pepper & chillies in the tunnel.. Aubergines in the greenhouse along with some toms..

                      So all a big experiment & learning curve for me.. I love it too.. :SUNsmile:
                       
                      Marley Farley, Feb 23, 2014
                      #59 Quote in Conversation
                    • Kristen

                      Kristen Under gardener

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                      I'm always ashamed of mine outside, so a better crop, under cover, would allow me to show my face in public :)

                      I hope mine are double gifted - also having the gift of huge, tasty, heads :biggrin:

                      "Green beans" - what sort? I grew Runners in the greenhouse once, thinking of an early crop. They grew like mad, and of course they do the 6'-overnight growing trick even abandoned outside ... the Bees weren't around early enough to pollinate them - hadn't thought of that. So following year I grew Climbing French - self pollinating - still too much top - and it was only the 3rd year that I tried Dwarf French. I tend not to buy seed of Dwarf French as I find them back breaking to pick - but I suspect they are the right choice for an early (or late) greenhouse crop? There's even a variety called "Speedy" or something like that - only a few weeks for sow-to-harvest :)

                      Those are my stalwart summer greenhouse crops too - along with Cucumbers and Melons (I grow a lot of them, as I only get 3 or 4 fruit off each plant). I find Sweetcorn a good crop too - the Supersweet varieties are bred, for UK climate, to be a lot shorter (i..e start making the Cob earlier in the season :) ) and as a consequence they don't hit the roof!
                       
                      Kristen, Feb 23, 2014
                      #60 Quote in Conversation
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