It’s time to… repair the storm-damaged polytunnels

Storm Imogen damaged two of our polytunnels, which have large tears in the covers. Polytunnel doors were forced open by the sheer strength of the wind. It looks bad, but could have been a great deal worse.

Tomatoes and cucumbers ripening rapidly in polytunnels

It’s almost time to start picking tomatoes. They share a polytunnel with aubergines, sweet peppers and chillies. We’re already harvesting cucumbers, which are growing happily next to coriander, mixed lettuce and rocket. We picked more than 80 cucumbers for last week’s veg boxes, with hundreds more to come.

It’s time to… tackle the mice in the polytunnels (AGAIN!)

Camel CSA’s growers leave long-tailed field mice well alone, provided they stay away from our polytunnels. 

The problem is that mice love the warmth in the tunnels and like certain types of vegetable seed – especially peas – even better.

As we cleared away this year’s mangetout pea bed we disturbed no fewer than THREE mouse nests. Suddenly there were adult, teen and baby mice running everywhere!

• Enterprisingly, the mice bit back in verse last year in response to anti-mouse measures we took then.

It’s time to… clear some beds in the polytunnels

Camel CSA’s professional growers – Bridget and Mark N – have been picking and clearing the last of the peas and broad beans in the polytunnels to make way for more tomatoes and cucumbers.

It’s time to… clean the polytunnels inside and out

One of Camel CSA’s more tedious but necessary winter tasks is washing down the polytunnels.

We’ve got overwintering salad crops in all three tunnels, so keeping them clean and hygienic is an important job.

Early sowings of carrots, broad beans, radishes, spring onions and peas are also growing indoors.