Joyce Russell has thirty years of practical experience of fruit and vegetable growing, while feeding a family from the garden. She writes each month for Kitchen Garden Magazine, as well as regular contributions to other magazines and newspapers. She wrote for Organic Gardening magazine for ten years.

Ben Russell is a skilled craftsman, photographer and journalist. He has written more than a 100 step-by-step making articles for woodworking magazines and had over 6,000 photographs published in books and magazines.

CONTENTS

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