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Undercover

Enjoy this quiet moment in the gardening year. Once things are clean and tidy and in good repair, there isn’t a lot to do in the polytunnel and greenhouse that can’t wait until next month. It is worth looking back on the year and making a note of what crops did well and what went wrong with the things that failed. It’s also worth giving yourself a pat on the back – another year of growing under the belt and another year to look forward to ahead...

Peas and beans

If you sowed varieties such as ‘Oregon Sugar Pod’ and ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ in pots last month, these should be large enough to plant out in late December. Remember that pollination of early bean flowers is more likely to be successful if plants are grown near a door or window that can be opened at flowering time. Sugar snap peas don’t seem to have this problem so they can be grown anywhere in the polytunnel or greenhouse.
Dig a trench to a spade’s depth and fill this with compost. Backfill with soil and plant the peas or beans directly into this. Roots should be disturbed as little as possible and plants go at the same depth as they were growing in the pots. Apply lime or wood ash if the soil is acid.

Growth will be slow at this time of year, but plants will soon need support – use a few twiggy sticks, or string.

Hot tip for the month

December may well bring snow, even if a white Christmas can’t be guaranteed. There isn’t much problem if a light fall covers plastic and glass for a short time. However, heavy falls can cause structural damage; and light falls which persist for a few days will significantly reduce light levels for crops growing inside. Once temperatures rise, snow slides freely off polythene or glass, but if temperatures remain low, you may need to help. Use a soft brush which will not damage plastic to sweep snow away and allow light in.

Tomatoes

Most of these will have been evicted already, but in an exceptionally mild year I have had fresh cherry varieties at Christmas. Apart from the novelty, I don’t think there is any point in cherishing diseased plants just to get a handful of fruit, and it is unlikely that plants are completely healthy at this stage in an unheated structure. Pick red and green tomatoes that are large enough and leave to ripen together on a warm window ledge.

Grape vines

Clear all fallen leaves from vines and while you are at it, pick free any leaves that haven’t fallen. Check the vine at the same time and prune away any diseased sections. Vines can take quite a hard pruning and still bounce back with vigour next year.

Some people prefer to untie supports and to lay the vine down on the ground for the winter. This can be fiddly, if not extremely difficult, to do. Provided the vine is held away from the glass or polythene, and provided it is checked over and pruned back, I think you can get away with leaving it tied in place.

Other sowings

December isn’t the best month to sow crops. Days are short; light levels are low and soil temperatures can be below the level required for growth. Having said that, it is always worth trying one or two things if you are short on winter crops. Salad leaves like mizuna, mibuna and rocket seem to grow in a polytunnel or greenhouse at all times of year. Sow seed in situ, scattering a few more in the row than you usually would. They won’t all germinate and they won’t grow particularly quickly, but they will put on a spurt with any bit of sun in the New Year.

For much more advice, see this month's issue, available to buy online!

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