POLYTUNNEL GUIDELINES

Security: Before putting plants in the polytunnel(s), please label your pots and trays with your name and plot number. No-one should be in the polytunnel if they don’t have plants there. We have had a few thefts so be vigilant, and talk to people there.

Remember what you do in here will affect other people’s plants. Infection thrives in these conditions. E.g. tomato blight was rampant in here last year and may well strike again. The stronger your plants are, the less vulnerable they will be.

If your plants are diseased, mouldy, infested or dead, we’ll have to remove them. No one wants to do this! So please keep an eye on them yourself to avoid the problem, and consider not using the space if you can’t do this reliably this year.

Some recommendations:

• Please don’t water other people’s plants unless specifically requested to.
• Unless it’s especially cold outside, leave the doors ajar for ventilation most days, so please help with this. Just remember to close them when you leave the site!
• Feel free to remove snails, and weeds as long as you’re sure that’s what they are!
• Water fully, rather than frequent dribbles. Don’t assume a plant needs watering every time. The tunnel can get very damp, especially in wet weather.
• Inspect your plants several times a week to check for moisture, rotting, moulds, pests, diseases. Remove it straightaway if you spot a problem.
• If you’re going away, or unwell, or just too busy to get down here, do find out if another plotholder who can keep an eye on your plants for you.
• Keep plants moving along, rather than have them sit here for months taking up room and providing a breeding ground for problems.
• Remove plants to your own plot when they are ready to go outside or to your compost . No one has the job of getting rid of your stuff!

Growing in containers:

• Use potting compost rather than garden soil.
• Use clean containers, to reduce disease for your plants and other people’s.
• Remove any weeds so they can’t take hold in the compost – they will deplete your plants and potentially seed themselves in the tunnel.
• Remove all containers when they’re finished with. (Some beautiful ones from last year are in the shed, awaiting collection – others were taken to the tip in desperation!)

Help! If you spot an insect, spider-like webbing, holes in leaves or other damage and you don’t know what it is or what to do, then it’s best to email the allotment committee.