Month by month guide to growing your own and running a polytunnel

HUGE interest in growing your own has led to a surge in “undercover” growing to extend the season. It also enables growing of crops that are not viable outdoors in Irish summers.

Joyce Russell’s practical handbook (€20) guides you through each month in the polytunnel, detailing what to sow, plant and harvest, what to expect from the weather, and sowing and caring for each month’s crops.

Useful tips include watering the subsoil before planting tomatoes; and placing a marker stick with courgettes so that you can water in the right place when all you can see is a mass of gigantic leaves.