On 23/05/2011 21:06, Kate Morgan wrote:
I am glad to say that I have recovered from my poly tunnel excitement, I
was
not hurt only cross, I tried to hold on to the frame but stood no chance at
all but thank you to those who were concerned :-) While I am here can I

When the wind in a storm has a hold of your greenhouse or polytunnel all
you can safely do is walk away into the wind. You don't want to be on
the receiving end of any flying debris.

pick some brains, a neighbour had a good sized load off our muck heap some
years ago, she has only just told me that the muck was infested with red
spider/red mite - are they the same thing - and they ruined her vegetables
because they ate all her potatoes ?

Hogwash!!! Don't give her any more then! She doesn't deserve it.

Red spider mite might put a web on new shoots of spuds grown in a
polytunnel but the plant is far to vigorous to be more than mildy
inconvenienced by their prescence. Outdoors I have never seen redspider
mite (misnamed because it is clear to straw coloured) thrive in the UK.
The worst that would happen is the growing points would turn silver
and have webs on. They definitely do not eat spuds (slugs do) or
tomatoes even when grown in a hot greenhouse for that matter.

It wouldn't surprise me if both tomato and potato green stems contained
enough toxins to kill redspider mite and most other sap suckers. The
only one that ever manages to be a nuisance for me is white fly.

Regards,
Martin Brown