Putting small plants outside at the moment is a bit of a risk – warm weather over the weekend has been followed by windy conditions, a drop in the temperature, cold rain and even some hail today (although, to be fair, also some bright skies with only a few scudding clouds). However, the polytunnel is a protected environment and today I’ve put my cucumber plants in (a variety called ‘Telegraph’, which should produce fairly long, straight salad-ready fruit).

Some of the seedlings I had grown were struggling in their pots, where it is hard to regulate the moisture and keep tabs on the root growth. Now into a proper bed, the roots can stretch out and there is much more capacity for excess moisture to drain away, hopefully with the roots reaching out after it. We’re still a little way off getting the tomatoes in, although I’ve now got seeds germinated and potted up from all varieties. It will probably only be another 2-3 weeks through.

There are still plenty of other seeds, seedlings and small plants to care for and to keep moving on but, at this point, I’m still fairly much on target for what I had planned.