Phew that's a relief..it's been quite a task to get to this point. Apart from having to erecting the polytunnel frame in January and putting on the polythene a fortnight ago we've also had to put in drainage channels under the two paths and out of the tunnel linking to the ditch because I was fretting about the sweet pea beds becoming soakaways for this part of the field. They do like a deep root run do Sweet Peas and wouldn't appreciate being waterlogged. Then the paths needed laying over the top of the drains so all in all about four tonne of aggregates had to be barrowed up the field during February.
Still slightly fretting about drainage I collected another three tonnes of composted bark chippings from Greenman in Bath and rotovated them into the beds. Not the best preparation for the crop but at this stage the best we can do. Next autumn we can prepare the trenches carefully with lots of lovely compost.
Putting up plant supports is always one of my more favourite jobs so I thoroughly enjoyed tying up the 250 7ft canes although was very wary of piercing the lovely new polythene on the tunnel. Planting took a couple of days and I'm sure they were relieved to get their roots into some soil space instead of being squashed in the pots and I tied them in with some plant rings. Sweet Peas grown as cordons are quite time intensive, 250 plants will probably average an hour a day of tying in and pinching out but I think its worth it for the extra stem length and number of blooms per stem. We'll see..I might be eating my words in two months time when I'm having to get up at 5am to find time to look after them.
The last thing I need to do with them at this stage is to put in some seep hose, I just need to order some hose attachments to connect it all up. This will save hours of watering over the season and also is the most effective use of the water applied.
Can't wait for the first flower!!
