If you’re new to polytunnel gardening spring can sneak up on you. After all, growth is still slow: it’s not like summer where you have to wrap four-inch cucumber and melon shoots around their supports every other day. But miss the signs and you’ll lose some of the advantages of overwintering your plants, because things are starting to get a little crowded and the soil is beginning to dry out faster. This can encourage plants like rocket and broccoli raab to bolt, making them tough and bitter weeks before their time.

Andy says...

“Today (18th Feb) marked the end of winter in my polytunnel here in Dorset, and to tell the truth I’m a little sad. I’m a lazy gardener, you see: the winter tunnel suits me nicely because it’s basically a big walk-in larder. Asides from frost protection and very occasional watering, there’s nothing much to do – and I’m very fond of winter salads. But yesterday the first daffodils opened up not far from the house, and I knew it was time to check on the polytunnel.”

Signs of polytunnel spring

remove all crowded and ground level growth

Growth is picking up again. Not easy to spot directly, but you’ll notice that plants that were previously well spaced are starting to look a little crowded. This leads to…

Slug damage. It’s too soon to start slug patrol in the evenings, but you can still check your slug hotspots and catch the little bleeders at it. In my tunnel this means round the base of bunching plants like coriander, and anywhere where leaves are hugging the ground. Leave slugs alone at your peril – it’s much easier to eject one slug now than deal with twenty to thirty 2mm hatchlings at the end of March.

Wilting. If plants are taking longer than previously to perk up again after a frost, it probably means that moisture levels in the soil are dropping. Don’t be tempted to drench everything with a hosepipe just yet, as waterlogging can be a serious problem in winter – just increase the frequency of your watering, and be prepared to keep doing this until things warm up enough to reconnect your irrigation system for the spring.

Jobs for very early spring in the polytunnel

Weeding. Growth slows down in the polytunnel over the winter, but some weed species such as grasses and thistles will continue to grow very slowly. Take a good look around the tunnel and nail every weed that you see – it’s so much less work now than when things warm up!

Removing crowded growth. During the winter you will have held back from picking old, ratty leaves because all the plants needed all the solar energy that they could get. But plants that looked well-spaced last month are now meeting in the middle, providing a nice moist canopy that slugs just love. Pick all this tatty lower growth – in the case of salad plants that’s basically everything that you wouldn’t put on your plate.

Watering more. It’s not a bad idea to check your irrigation system now, too: don’t wait until you need it, just in case you have to order new seals or timers.

Cleaning the cover. In the coming weeks the tunnel will need to capture all of the scarce sunlight that it can, so wait for a mild day and get all that green algae off. The easiest way to do this thoroughly is to ‘floss’ with rope and an old sheet.

Get planting. It may be cold, but as soon as the risk of frost begins to recede you can plant a few first early potatoes: give them some frost protection and you could be eating your first new potatoes by the end of April. There’s also plenty you can be planting on a sunny windowsill indoors, such as hardy lettuce and rocket, peas and broad beans in biodegradable pots. If you own a heated propagator you can even crack on with tomatoes, chillies and sweet peppers. Summer’s coming!

Polytunnel vouchers offer

Polytunnels in early spring: the tunnel awakes is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

If you buy a polytunnel through First Tunnels using our discount code (FIMP 2012) we’ll send you some free Harrod Horticultural gift vouchers to get your new growing space off to a good start.

Andy and I are passionate about polytunnels, as anyone who has read our books can tell, but the internet is still full of horror stories about people who have bought cheap kits. Kits using shoddy steel and substandard plastic may look good value, but they don’t last more than a couple of seasons. What a waste of money!

We decided we should do something to help prospective polytunnel buyers make wise choices and get off to the best possible start, and came up with a ‘voucherback’ scheme together with First Tunnels. If you’re not sure about the benefits of using a polytunnel, take a moment to read our introduction to polytunnels.

So:

We both think that First Tunnels make the best value polytunnels currently on sale anywhere in the UK.

They’re strong, really well designed, and will last for years. Every tunnel currently comes with a free Growing Pack which includes two books by, well, the UK’s two polytunnel growing experts (he says modestly), a Crop Wheel which will help you with sowing and harvesting times, and a pack of tomato seeds to get you started. Also, right now they’re offering a free upgrade to sliding, rather than hinged, doors.

I have two First Tunnel polytunnels, one of which has already withstood 5 years in Wales and still shows no sign at all of needing a new cover. The second tunnel, new last year (see below), made us not only completely self-sufficient in vegetables (and we were already close) but enabled us to grow lots of luxuries, too – melons, for example: we had over 30…

Inside our new First Tunnels polytunnel, May 2011

The team at First Tunnels are helpful and responsive and will do everything they can to help you get exactly the right polytunnel for your garden. And, as if that wasn’t enough, Andy and I will provide ongoing support to anyone who buys one of their tunnels through us – as well as giving each buyer a generous bundle of gift vouchers to spend, online or by mail, at Harrod Horticultural, one of the best garden supply companies around.

What to do:

First, plan your tunnel by visiting the First Tunnels website. Their site adds up the cost as you go, so you know exactly what you’re going to spend. Then, rather than sending them your order online, call them on 01282 601253 and make sure you quote ‘FIMP 2012′. They’ll tell us you called, and we’ll send you your Harrod Horticultural vouchers.

The vouchers:

Any questions regarding the kit itself should of course be directed to First Tunnels, but if you have additional questions about polytunnel growing, irrigation, ventilation or anything else, drop us a line and we’ll help you figure it out.

A 10 x 20ft tunnel could provide all the green leaves you can eat, all the year round

Here are some extras you may want to consider for your polytunnel:
1) Aluminium base rails
These are WAY better than digging a trench around the entire tunnel, and slightly better (we think they’re easier to install) and longer lasting than timber base rails.
2) Crop bars
These are great for tying up tall climbing plants (cucumbers, French climbing beans, melons) or hanging baskets, and handy in winter for overhead storage of bamboo poles, etc.
3) Storm braces
If you have an exposed and/or windy site, these will give you valuable peace of mind when the weather picks up. They add even more strength to an already strong frame.
4) Sliding doors
Fantastic! Better than hinged doors in every way! Get ‘em while you can!

Polytunnel sales voucher offer is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

Finally, we’re ready for people to contact us for free seeds.

Sorry it’s taken a while, but then we doubt if you’re actually waiting to sow them – especially as February is bringing us much colder weather than January, and gardeners all over the UK are probably huddled around their fires waiting for a thaw.

Free seeds!(and they're newer than these ones)

Before contacting us, please read our Terms and Conditions and also the below, which applies specifically to seeds:

____________________________________________

Free Seeds
Farm In My Pocket believes all the seeds offered by us are free from disease, have been correctly identified, are truly edible and will breed true to type. However, there is no warranty, express or implied, as to the type, description, or any other quality of these seeds, and we cannot accept any liability in any way from the resulting crop.

Different foods can affect people differently. With all new foods, it is wise to only try small amounts first, especially if you have a history of allergies to similar plants.

We reserve the right to refuse to supply seeds to anyone, without explanation.

____________________________________________

OK, that’s out of the way.

If you’d like us to send you some free seeds, first email us using ‘Free Seeds’ as the subject line and not forgetting which seeds you would like to try. We will then email you back with our postal address. You’ll need to send us a stamped, addressed envelope to that address for each variety you want so that we can send seeds back to you without costing ourselves a fortune. We can’t, obviously, be responsible for what the postie might do to them en route but will wrap them in something in hopes they survive the trip.

Obviously this means we will have your email address. Don’t worry, we won’t give (or sell) it to anyone else. We may contact you in the future if we feel we have something really good that you may be interested in (like more free seeds, for example) but otherwise, honestly, won’t bother you. You won’t be getting dumb emails from us every week or so, promise. However, if you’d prefer we don’t do that at all, just put a note to that effect in with your email or SAE.

The seeds you can choose from – and please choose only one per SAE – can be found here. Take a look and decide what you’d like, and then get in touch. All our seeds have been grown organically, by the way. You probably knew that, but we’re telling you again, anyway. And happy growing from Farm In My Pocket!

Free Seeds – at last! is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

Moles can do a lot of damage in just a few days. On a lawn this means a heartbreaking mess, but in the vegetable garden it can mean sudden death for whole rows of plants. The internet is full of mole repellant devices and chemicals, but sadly none have been proven to work consistently. Even trapping can be a hit and miss affair, unless you pay to have it done professionally. But there is hope; most of the damage made by moles occurs in the first few weeks of their arrival, usually in late winter or early spring. If you can put up with this initial burst of activity, once their tunnel network is complete they are relatively easy to live with.

Noooooooooooo!

Mole damage

The first sign that you have a mole is the appearance of a heap of excavated soil thrown up on the surface of a lawn, vegetable or flower bed – a molehill. Once a mole’s territory overlaps with yours, you can expect to see quite a few more hills appearing as the mole expands its tunnel network, so if you’re going to do anything you need to do it quickly. But what?

Molehills may seem bad enough, particularly if they are appearing on a pretty lawn that you’ve worked hard on. But moles can be bad news in the working garden too, as their activities can disturb the fine roots of young plants, causing sudden death from dehydration. Worse yet, moles often follow the line of a carefully dug bed, almost as if they are planning their activities to maximise the damage. No wonder gardeners are so keen to get rid of them!

Mole repellents

The web is full of chemicals and devices aimed at persuading moles to move elsewhere, including ultrasound devices, rattling windmills and bulbs from the onion family. Although they may work in some circumstances, sadly none of them have been shown to work consistently because soil structure is so very variable: a sonic deterrent may work really well at one end of your garden, but not at all at the other. This is why customer reviews for all these products are so very mixed.

Repellents are typically better used as a mole preventative, making one area less attractive for hunting than another.

Mole traps

There are several types of mole trap available in the UK, including some sold as humane. They are tricky to set properly – mostly you will find that Mr Mole has thoughtfully stuffed them full of earth – and so the job is best done professionally. Even so, trapping your resident mole is a temporary solution at best: if you have a mole there are almost certainly more nearby, so it won’t be long before your garden is recolonised. This means that if you choose to trap, it will have to be a regular activity.

Learning to live with moles

Although the damage caused when a mole sets up a new home can be quite impressive, once they have finished laying out their tunnel network (usually by mid spring) things settle down a bit. Provided you don’t accidentally collapse part of the network, activity is limited to occasional housekeeping so there are very few new hills.

Moles are solitary creatures, so there is only one for each tunnel network. Once established, the network will consist of motorways (long, fairly straight tunnels) linking multiple hunting warrens (relatively shallow twisting mazes with multiple dead ends). The mole puts the hunting warrens wherever the soil is good for worms (read, wherever a gardener puts compost) and collects them as they fall into the tunnels. The motorways, on the other hand, are used to move quickly from one area to another. Moles often put these along the edges of walls or paths because this makes them less likely to collapse. Hunting warrens are sometimes abandoned if they are badly damaged, but motorways are energetically maintained.

Making a mole fence

If you’ve decided to live with moles elsewhere on your plot but still want to keep them out of the veg garden, you can build the underground equivalent of a stock fence. This works really well, although it’s not easy (unless you have a mechanical digger to hand). Dig a trench 30cm (1″) wide and as deep as you can make it – at least 60cm (24″), but 90cm (36″) is ideal – around the area you wish to protect. Fill it with coarse gravel and cover it back up.

Moles; garden mole traps, repellents and a dose of tolerance is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

At the risk of adding unwanted notoriety to the Farm In My Pocket site, but in the interests of getting a blog written that is at least entertaining, I thought I’d put down a few lines about how I got interested in gardening in the first place.

California. Looks nice? It WAS nice. Very nice indeed.

I’m always keen to hear how other people became gardeners, as it’s not something we’re born equipped to do. However, it can definitely be nurtured: my mother insisted that all of us – I have an elder brother and younger sister – had a small plot of border in which we could grow whatever we wanted. I wanted to grow a pond, and a plastic washing-up bowl was dug in and filled with water. As I had no pond weed, I went round collecting bits of grass and a few leaves. In my mind it was perfect, but it was probably awful.

Many years later I was living way up in the hills in north California at the end of a 10 mile dirt road (with three locked gates across it along the way) roughly 2000 feet above sea level. Our nearest neighbours, perhaps a quarter of a mile away, were the road manager for the Grateful Dead and his wife. And yes, there are lots more stories there – perhaps for a future blog if I can figure out a gardening angle.

As there was no work to be had so far from civilisation it was impossible for me to get a green card. Instead, I became an ‘illegal alien’, a status I held for the four years I spent up there with my wife, Linda. Partly because of that, we rarely came down from our mountain home – which suited me just fine. After years in the UK the weather was amazing. For company, aside from the kids, we had black widow spiders, wild boar, racoons, bears, coyotes, rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas and more. And our vegetable garden. Oh, and marijuana. That’s what everybody did back then, as it was basically the only way to stay afloat up in the hills.

Fresh, organic and ever so tasty...

And that’s how I became a gardener.

On Christmas day I would put some marijuana seeds between a few damp sheets of tissue paper, and after they sprouted a few days later they were popped into 1/2 gallon cardboard milk containers filled with lovely organic compost. Then they went into the cold frame for a few weeks. As male plants weren’t really wanted – well, we usually kept a single good one to pollinate next year’s seeds – it was important to know that we were only planting females into the – laboriously created – final growing positions in the woods. To achieve this, the plants were deprived of daylight for 24 hrs. A few days later, careful examination with a magnifying glass would find a single male or female flower or two adjacent to the stem, near the top of the plant. And that was that. As a result, and unlike many of our contemporaries, we didn’t lose half our growing spaces to (almost useless) males.

Here's a little 'extra' plant that we grew just for fun: half a pound, worth roughly $1250

They might be weeds, but they’re very hungry and very thirsty. If they are given enough nutrients and water, the incredible Californian summer turned them into enormous, graceful, lush plants. Sometime in August they would begin to flower, and as no male pollen landed on them they would just keep going. This led to ‘buds’, the bit everyone was interested in. As the weeks passed, the buds just got bigger and bigger…and bigger. In September and October it was harvest time. The buds were cut from the plants, carefully trimmed, and hung upside down from coat hangers to dry. This was done slowly and naturally, in carefully constructed ‘drying sheds’ out in the woods – usually deep in the growth surrounding a big redwood tree.

Inside a drying shed. Note the roll of duck tape, for scale...

And of course, extensive quality control – hard though it was – had to be done. At that time of year, almost everywhere you went, you’d be asked to give your opinion on this year’s finest. Yup, it was a hard life.

Fortunately, we weren’t alone. Far from it. Everybody grew pot back then, so many that the CA secretary of agriculture had to resign after saying in public that marijuana brought more money into the state than all the other legal crops put together.

We didn’t get rich, we just made enough to live on. While it might sound idyllic, homesteading with no electricity and no running water (at first) certainly wouldn’t suit everyone. Living was very basic indeed and very hard work, but it was organic and healthy – so long as you don’t count an extremely high intake of cannabis. There was no organised crime involved back then, no shady deals in alleyways – it was great. Everybody smoked: once I found out, shortly afterwards, that I’d just shared a joint with a county circuit judge in a break from playing rock and roll in a local cafe.

A marijuana seed is quite small, and it’s a heady experience indeed to nurture it into an 18 ft giant worth upwards of $5,000. And that’s how I came to love gardening.

Four pounds of buds, worth roughly $10,000. Cassette tape added for scale.

And no, I don’t smoke now. I haven’t for years. And I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone else, either. I think it does damage the memory…well, I forget how exactly. And all that smoke can’t be any good for your lungs. Aside from that, I’m told that the pot kids smoke now is far, far stronger than the stuff we were used to back then. Maybe that’s true, but hey, if we smoked enough of it…

Gardening, California style… is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

The government just lost its appeal over the High Court ruling (of December 21, 2011) that they acted illegally in announcing early cuts to the FIT – Feed In Tariff – payments for solar panel arrays.

Daniel Green, Chief Executive of Homesun, was interviewed on the BBC News website. He described the government subsidy as the ‘most popular energy efficiency micro-generation project that’s ever happened in the UK’ and said that over 300,000 people had applied to his company as a result.

There may still be time to install a solar array and get the full tariff payment. Then again, there may not...

Roughly 30,000 people are currently employed by the solar power industry, and a substantial number risked redundancy if the government’s plan to halve the subsidy on December 12th was approved.

Welsh MP Elfyn Llwyd (Plaid Cymru) said that while there had been a pre-Christmas boom for installers as consumers rushed to beat the December 12th deadline, their order books for the new year were empty. Some companies were facing ‘up to a 60 or 70% reduction in their workforce’, he said.

In 2011, Sharp, one of the main UK manufacturers of solar panels, announced a £30 million expansion of their Wrexham plant which would lead to 300 new jobs. As early as mid-November they confirmed that they were ‘reviewing their position on further expansion’.

The Court of Appeal have now upheld the High court’s decision. Additionally, they have refused permission for the case to be taken to the Supreme Court – but the government might do so, anyway.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne’s ministry was also condemned for ‘making a mockery’ of the consultation process because the date on which they proposed to change the tariff levels was scheduled prior to December 23rd, the end of the supposed consultation period.

However, while this is clearly a step in the right direction as far as consumers and solar panel installers is concerned, this decision is likely to lead to a further period of uncertainty for both.

If the government does manage to take its case to the Supreme Court and win, any panels installed after December 12th will only qualify for the slashed tariff rate of 21p/kWh. However, if they lose their appeal yet again – and let’s not forget they’ve now lost it twice – panels will continue to reap the 43p/kWh tariff (one of the most generous in the world) until at least March 3, the government’s new ‘contingency plan’ cut-off date.

While some may be tempted to risk it, the best advice would seem to be to make sure you can afford the lower tariff of 21p/kWh before investing.

The reason behind halving the tariff rate was supposedly that the funding set aside for it would be used up. However, Daniel Green points out that the industry as a whole generates £300 million for the treasury per year, and that the subsidies are paid for – in full – by the energy companies themselves. So, cutting the subsidy will in fact lead to less tax money being generated for the government as well as greater profits for the energy companies.

Solar Panels – the next step is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

Not all pigs are created equal. Breeds vary in size, temperament, hardiness and suitability for meat production. So which breed is right for you?

What are your aims in buying pigs?

Once you’ve taken the decision to keep pigs, it’s important to be clear about your reasons. Are you buying the animals primarily as pets, or for meat production? How much meat, and what sort, and how much annually? Do you have the space and physical strength needed to look after larger, more boisterous animals – or would you be best to stick to a smaller, quieter breed?

Thinking about these factors should influence the breed of pig you choose, but beware: buying piglets is a lot like buying puppies. Keep your aims in mind, and don’t bring the kids!

Tamworth weaners

Rare breed pigs

Pigs in the UK are generally described as ‘modern’ or ‘rare breed’ (also sometimes called ‘traditional breed’). ‘Modern’ breeds have been bred to have comparatively little fat, and aren’t suitable for raising outdoors – so the traditional breeds are of more interest to regular pig keepers. There is a list of some of the important breeds of pig at the bottom of this page.

Breeder and pedigree

Once you have an idea of which breeds of pig you might consider, it’s time to look for a breeder. The British Pig Association can help here, either directly or by passing you on to the relevant breed club or society. It’s important to look for a reputable source for your animals, as any experienced pig-keeper will tell you horror stories about livestock being offered for sale in terrible condition. A good breeder will probably be only too keen to offer help with ‘after sales’ questions or problems: after all, you’re likely to be a repeat customer.

If you’re just raising weaners for meat, pedigree may not be high on your list of priorities; but a pedigree offers you a guarantee that the animal you are buying has not been in-bred so there are less likely to be genetic difficulties. Also if you are planning to sell any of the meat on as rare-breed pork, you may need paperwork to prove your pig’s bloodline.

Choosing your pigs

When it’s time to select your pigs, try to take someone experienced with you. This is particularly important if you’re not entirely confident in the breeder’s reputation. You’re looking for these signs:

• A glossy coat
• Bright eyes
• Good temperament - avoid unusually timid or aggressive animals
• Moving easily with no signs of stiffness or lameness
• Alert and interested in their environment
• If you offer food they should take it immediately and eat with obvious enjoyment

Check if the pigs have been wormed or vaccinated, but if you’re buying from an organic farm, routine medication including vaccination is not generally allowed.  If you’re buying young animals, ask if you can see the parents if they’re on the premises – this can give you a good idea how your investment will turn out, and gives you a chance to watch for any illness or breed defects. Finally, make sure the breeder gives you the animals’ registration documents: you will need these to show transfer of the animals to you.

Note: keeping pigs is much more regulated than keeping poultry, so before you get started you will need to come to grips with local legislation. You need licenses to keep pigs and to move them from place to place, and there are forms to be filled in before your first pigs arrive. For England, visit DirectGov; for Scotland, Scotland.gov.uk; for Wales, Wales.gov.uk; and for Northern Ireland, DardNI. Unless you’re keeping the pigs as pets, you will also need to find a local abattoir that will slaughter the pigs for you. The time to research this is now- not when your weaners reach slaughter weight!

Rare breed list

Berkshire: a black pig with a mild temperament. Good quality pork variety renowned for excellent crackling.

British lop: a very docile white pig with large lop ears. Extremely hardy and makes both good pork and bacon, but the breed is endangered and may be difficult to get hold of.

British Saddleback: hardy and a good grazer, ideal for organic production. Mild temperment, good for both pork and bacon.

Gloucester Old Spot: probably one of the best-known rare breeds of pig, the Old Spot is extremely hardy and docile which makes it a good smallholder’s pig. Excellent for chops, roasting joints or sausages.

Large Black: The UK’s only entirely black pig. Despite its size it is very docile, and is renowned for producing excellent bacon.

Middle White: Small and good natured, Middle Whites produce small joints of high quality meat.

Oxford Sandy & Black: Very hardy and with a good coat, it is rarely bothered by sunburn. A medium to large docile pig with a good temperment. Gives white-skinned pork and superb bacon. Very easy to handle and is a good choice for first-time pig keepers, especially ones with children.

Tamworth: A long-snouted and lively breed of pig that loves to dig, making it ideal for smallholders who need land turned over from time to time. Resistant to sunburn, and ideal for bacon and big hams. Tamworth meat was the clear winner in a 1990s Bristol University taste experiment.

Mini pigs

Kune-kune: This New Zealand pig does not grow to anything like the size of ordinary pigs. They eat mostly grass and don’t tend to dig very much, and since they are also very docile and love the company of humans they make excellent pets. They do however (whisper it) produce excellent pork!

Buying pigs: choosing a breed of pig or mini pig is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

Fig trees, while having a beautifully exotic and tropical appearance, can be grown in the UK with no problem. In fact, Brits have been growing figs since the Romans first introduced them. They are so hardy that even if grown outside, a hard UK winter – such as 2010-2011 – will cause very little damage to the plant. However, whether you get a crop or not is a different question, as figs need both warmth and time to fully ripen. For reliable crops of delicious figs, fig trees need either a warm, sheltered spot outside, or a polytunnel. Polytunnels are ideal, as they also give the plants shelter over winter – which can mean two crops of fruit a year for some varieties.

A ripe fig - imagine if it was home grown!

In terms of pollination, there are two types of fig: those which are self fertile, and those which need the assistance of the fig wasp. The fig wasp doesn’t live in the UK, so if you get the wrong kind of plant you won’t be getting many figs.

Planting and potting a fig
If you’re planting a single stem tree, cut it back to between 20-25cms to encourage side growth. On a bush, trim off the growing tips for the same reason.

Figs do best when their roots are restricted, making them ideal container plants. However, if you have any paving slabs lying around, you can dig a hole in a bed roughly 50cms square and line it with the slabs, placing a few cms of broken bricks or gravel in the bottom for drainage. If planted in a pot, figs should be lifted every other year and replanted in something slightly larger until the pot is getting difficult to move around, usually at around 60-70cms wide.

Each time the plant is lifted, up to a quarter of the root ball should be removed to encourage new growth. It’s better to take the harder, woody growth and leave the softer roots behind. Plant it slightly lower in the pot than the last time, leaving at least 2.5cms at the top for watering, and fill with a well draining mix of loam, organic matter and completely rotted compost. Don’t add compost that’s too fresh or you risk burning the roots. Feed plants with seaweed every week during the growing season.

Feeding and watering
Water regularly once growing begins, usually in March. This should be done daily, especially in hot weather, through to October. Feed weekly with the same kind of mix you’d give tomatoes – high potash – from April through to the harvest.

Pruning
Figs should be pruned every year, from mid-April (in the south) to mid-May (further north) to encourage side shoots, as fruit will only form towards their growing tips. Ideally, nip out the tip on any shoot that has 4 or 5 leaves on it.

Fig trees are beautiful, exotic additions to a garden - but what a shame if they don't bear fruit!

If you are fan-training a plant against a sheltering wall, prune out up to a quarter of the oldest stems, as well as any that are crossing or growing out in unwanted directions. Prune again in mid summer to remove any growth which may shade the ripening fruit and trim off all growing tips to encourage more fruit the following year.

At the end of the season, after the leaves have dropped, remove any fruit larger than a pea. Leaving them in place will delay ripening of the next crop.

Varieties
If you’re buying from a garden centre then you may only be offered ‘Brown Turkey’ simply because it’s very hardy. However, there are plenty of others offering better fruit, especially if you plan on growing them in a polytunnel. Here are three to try:

Violette (also Rouge) de Bordeaux
An exceptionally tasty variety with a flavour suggesting raspberry jam. Grows far better under cover.

Panachee, or Tiger Fig
This spectacular striped variety requires a long growing season, so it does best under cover. The single annual crop of strawberry-flavoured fruit should be ready in late September.

White Marseille
Also known as the lemon fig, because the large, thin-skinned fruit shades yellow as it ripens. This variety was planted at Lambeth Palace by Cardinal Pole in 1525…and it’s still there!

Growing Figs is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

Mark and I think there really ought to be an online community for polytunnel users, so we’ve created a dedicated polytunnel forum right here on FIMP. Why not take a look?

Polytunnels have come a long way since Mark and I first began to write about them. Just ten years ago they were big, clumsy structures bought through agricultural companies, which hardly any support and advice available to newcomers. Unless you were lucky enough to meet someone with experience, you had to figure everything out for yourself.

These days things have changed: thanks to the efforts of some manufacturers and retailers, polytunnels are much more accessible to smallholders and regular gardeners. But we still think there’s more to be done. By now there are tens of thousands of ‘tunnelers’ out there (many of whom already have copies of our books) but until now there’s been nowhere they can go to swap stories, offer advice, boast about their latest triumphs or weep about their failures, or just to ask for help.

To set this straight we’ve set up a dedicated polytunnel forum right here in FIMP. You can find it at http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk/forum – or just click on the pic!

New! Improved! Polytunnel Forum!

You need to register in order to make your first post on the polytunnel forum, but then you have the run of the place. You can even post images – for instance, in the ‘show us yours’ section. Go ahead: take a look, and please feel free to post comments. The more, the merrier. We’ll be keeping an eye on the forums ourselves so you can be assured of experienced advice, but we’re hoping to learn from you too.

Mark and Andy

The Polytunnel Forum is a post from: Farm In My Pocket

At last, and after much longer in transit than it really should have required, the polytunnel donated by First Tunnels Ltd arrived in Bangalore, India, and was delivered to organic farmer Phurbu Tsering on January 7th.

Slightly late for Xmas, this odd-looking bundle contains an 18 x 42ft polytunnel.

Phurbu was delighted and immediately sent a swathe of pictures covering the delivery, as well as some more of his farm. He has a 5-acre smallholding which supports his entire family and it’s hoped that the polytunnel will enable him to not only grow crops out of season but also raise awareness of polytunnel and organic farming among his contemporaries in the area.

Phurbu and a friend unloading the hoop sections

For those interested in statistics, it’s an 18 x 42ft tunnel with sliding doors, crop bars, storm braces and a timber base rail – so it will hopefully withstand the rigours of south India’s monsoon weather.

Lychees and bananas are two of Phurbu's crops

Currently, awareness of the benefits of growing organically around Bangalore are somewhere between zero and none at all. Sadly, this means Phurbu’s produce is sold alongside the same crops grown non-organically by other farmers, so there are no financial incentives for him at all. However, at least he doesn’t need to rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as do most of the other farmers in the region. He and his family also benefit directly from the high level of organic produce in their own diet.

Phurbu ploughing, and his paddy field

Farm In My Pocket will keep posting news and photos as they arrive, and would like to give a huge vote of thanks to everyone who donated towards the shipping costs – and, most of all, to First Tunnels for donating the polytunnel in the first place.

Phurbu Tsering

The Tashi Tunnel, part 2 is a post from: Farm In My Pocket